To ask what can be done immediately to take the pressure off the NHS?

[Twinklenoseblows]

I've been reading stories about people waiting 4 days in A&E, people being taken into A&E in the back of a van with a broken hip as there are no ambulances ,and doctors and nurses pleading for something to be done right now as lives are at risk. But what can be done that would make a difference within the next week or two?

Promises of more money and more staff will presumably take years to filter through and make a difference.

I guess what is worrying me beyond the immediate crisis is that some bright spark in government is going to say we need a circuit breaker lockdown to reduce flu and covid admissions for the next few months to take some immediate pressure off. The thought fills me with horror so I'm hoping there is something else.

E.g. as a very short term measure could some people be diverted to make use of any spare private GP capacity to try to reduce the number of people going to A&E who could instead be dealt with by a GP if only they could get an appointment. Or is that madness?

All governments make choices about the country's finances.

The current government reduced the amount of money available by giving a tax cut on bankers bonuses I believe.

This was of a higher priority to them than the NHS.

The previous government implemented their Brexit which shrank our economy and so also reduced the amount of money available to spend.

These are choices. Different governments could make different ones.

That's where the money comes from.

capx.co/the-nhs-is-an-anachronism-and-britain-is-waking-up-to-the-need-for-change/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10%2F01%2F2023++

All governments make choices about the country's finances.

Most don’t make choices that actually kill their citizens.

Excess deaths in 2022 among worst in 50 years www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64209221

It's not Holby city - cpr is unconscionable in elderly frail people. Very very very rarely has a good outcome in this type of patient

Never really understood why bungalows are usually built with bigger gardens. Most bungalow estates around here have huge gardens, far bigger on average than 3 bedroomed houses.

It's often said that developers don't want to build bungalows because they can't fit many in a plot due to the large gardens required. Why are they required?

Surely lots of bungalow dwellers are older people who probably don't need a huge lawn for kids to play on and would be happy with relatively small plots to grow a few plants.

My MIL has a pretty small bungalow, but the garden is absolutely huge - at least 3 times the area as the house itself. She just had it all paved over as she just wanted a handful of pot plants which she's now left to die as she lost interest completely!

Anyone care to explain what I'm missing?

Sorry, heaven knows how that happened. I was posting on the bungalow thread, but it's appeared on this one! Ignore!