Do those who voted Tory not realise if acutely unwell they will need A&E as no equivalent in the private sector?

[Blondewithredlips]

Just that they will have the same problems accessing A&E and ambulances as others without private health insurance. And they voted for this?

You do realise that when people vote for a party they are voting on a number of issues not one. And party manifestos are not one size fits all. Nowhere in the party manifesto did they say they were going to destroy the NHS. I voted lib dem by the way. I also work for the NHS and under lab kit and it wasn’t great then. The only people making any money weee Australian locums and pen pushers.

I've been in A&E at the same time as my local Tory MP. They say and waited patiently like the rest of us.

The only people who would bypass A&E would potentially be royalty and even then it would more likely be a case of they're ushered in a side entrance rather than the main one.

When DH had several extended stays as a cancer patient, one of the most traumatic things he had to deal with was the other patients with varying degrees of MH issues.

DH was bedbound and immobile and some other patients would decide his stuff was theirs and he was unable to defend it. It was really upsetting for him. A lot of patients he shared wards with seemed to be having alcohol withdrawal issues as a result of their stay in hospital and the impact on him was heartbreaking (during covid so I couldn't even go and help him).

Sometimes things are simple though.

The bottom line is that the Tory party doesn't aim to better the life of the average person. This is made clear through their policies.

Now I understand some people might vote Tory for different reasons than economics, but it doesn't change the above.

@Xmasgrinchywinchy No idea what you are getting at

I merely said the OP has lit the blue touch paper and retired

Re MH being "new" my Grandad was discharged from the Army for MH reasons (with a pension) at 22 in 1918. He appeared to be well when I knew him in the 70s, but he had lots of years where he lived with and was completely dependent on his sister.

The Leave campaign’s video about A&E waiting times and the NHS post Brexit is circulating again on Twitter: the lying to the electorate is so blatant, I am amazed that people actually fell for it.

Do we trust politicians with the NHS or do we ask those with extensive experience in healthcare settings?

My partner works in a Welsh hospital. They've declared a "critical incident" and she says that conditions are horrific.

This

and i know it suits some people on here to believe otherwise but people who vote in a way you don’t like aren’t are thick as mince

even people who vote the same as you can be as thick as mince

just about everyone with private insurance whether they vote tory or not know that there is no emergency cover

(i say just about everyone because years ago i came across a situation where someone rang the private claims line and asked for an ambulance as their husband was having a heart attack 🤔 didnt fucking ask them how they voted though)

That sounds awful. Mental ill health is now so prevalent. Partly due to underfunding of services and partly due to people not feeling supported in other areas of their life. It’s hard to stay mentally healthy when you’re struggling to afford the basics.

I think the point is that they're all shit. Tories, Labour, SNP...

Unfortunately though peop!e who have mental.hea!th breakdowns ,may still be in urgent need of treatment for physical health issues which over ride their mental illness, I worked in acute mental health wards for years , they are not equipped to deal with acute physical health issues and most staff do.not have the training ,as a mental health nurse,you do not gain the relevant skills that general nurses have and vice versa ,some nurses may hold dual registration or further training ,but not many ime.

This. The amount of people in acute crisis given strong anti psychotics instead of having a full physical health check is shocking. The MH/dementia is seen first and not the person.

Oh go away with your Tory bashing, look at history, Labour we’re just as bad if not worse

Yes you worked for the NHS “for a bit” not long enough to work out that it is actually being underfunded

How much money a year would the NHS need not to be underfunded? and how do you define 'underfunded'? in fact, is ANY amount of money ever going to be enough?

The NHS, when it was set up, was a far smaller scale. The population was not as big, diagnostics, procedures and treatments not as advanced and not as many staff were needed to run it.
Each year more money is poured into it (you can find these figures for those interested) but the fact of the matter is that the model is no longer fit for purpose and the amount of money needed to sustain can not be afforded. More money has been poured into it but it is just eaten up. Someone, at some point, is going to have to say ‘enough is enough’.
The trouble is, no government wants to make that call. And I can see why. So they just continue to throw more money into a healthcare system that the country has outgrown, while the NHS itself falls apart. It does not matter who is in power now, the NHS can not be saved in its current form and people need to realise that. It is not solely a problem caused by the Tories (and no, I’m not a Tory supporter), it’s to do with the fact that the NHS was always going to have a shelf life with the advent of technology and an ever increasing population. We’re hanging off that shelf now… and it’s a big drop.
It worries me that so many people think it’s just a case of throwing more money at it. If only it was that simple! Doing that would simply give us a short window of time before we were right back in the same boat. The NHS needs remodelling, but who in their right mind wants to take that on?
No government can fix this I’m afraid.

I don't know who is a Tory voter amongst my friends/colleagues, but I do know that most people who have private health insurance are well aware that in an emergency they still have to go to the same channels as uninsured people.

I think the reality is that they have head in the sand, think the other Conservative benefits outweigh this risk, or do not see the correlation between a failing NHS and voting Conservative.

My elderly parents voted Tory but cannot and have never been able to afford PHI. If they need it in future I know they will look to me to pay for them because I am still working, but for various reasons I won’t be in a position to help.

I agree on this question. Real terms funding has increased so what amount are people wanting?

Who will pay the extra

Please read this excellent thread linked by someone earlier about the myths and facts of funding in the NHS from an NHS doctor.

Not sure if anyone has said but a few private hospitals do have A&E departments (urgent care is what they call them) and some have intensive care facilities.

@Jifmicroliquid bang on. I’ve got MS. That’s meant multiple MRIs and drugs of around 60k/year. At its inception I’d have had “nerves”?? And been given painkillers. Add on my sections, nicu etc.

That's quite some mental agility there to blame the lack of funding in the Welsh NHS on the Welsh government, given their purse strings are tightly controlled by Westminster. They're not an independent state you know.

They do have higher funding per head and can raise taxes anyway.

Anyone who actually wants the Tories out has to stop posting nonsense like this.

The NHS is a massive problem and has faced unprecedented pressure.

Of course there are decisions which have not helped but whoever is on power will fail to put it right. It can improve but it won't be overnight and is connected to decisions going back decades.
Implying you can change a vote and magic it all away is foolish as it will see labour dumped out after one term.

Many of the problems of the NHS are tied up in our education system. Nurses now need degrees. Old certificate level nurses have to do university level courses to go up the bands even though they have decades of experience.

What we really need is a massive overhaul that allows those who wish to change career, have biology degrees or other non industry specific but relevant qualifications to retrain more easily.

Better progression for HCAs to allow them to gain on the job qualifications.

It was new labour that began the process of university everything. It is affecting so many of our industries and it needs to change (and I say that as someone who works in higher education!)