NHS shouldn't have to treat gang members / criminals

[Sellias]

I live in a city with lots of crime (drugs, gangs, knife crime)

Groups of idiots 'beefing' with other groups of idiots over postcodes, selling drugs on eachothers patch and perceived disrespect over the silliest of things leading to murder.

I recently watched a documentary about knife crime and it got me thinking about what a terrible state our NHS is in and how people like cancer patients, people with heart problems etc are waiting far too long for treatment to the extent that they can and do die before their treatment even begins.

..these gang idiots though, if they stab or shoot one another an ambulance is called and they get rushed to hospital. It's all hands on deck to save them. Seriously ill people have their much needed surgery cancelled because this stab victim (who sells drugs and causes endless harm in their community) is deemed to need treatment more than they are.

AIBU to think if they chose to live that way then the NHS should have no obligation to treat them? Let them pay for their own treatment with their ill gotten gains.

Disclaimer, I'm not talking about children who of course we should do all we can to save.

I know these people make up only a small percentage of those requiring urgent treatment but it really pisses me off that they bring it on themselves by living the life they do and then expect the tax payer (having never paid tax in their lives)

...to save their life.

Posted too soon.

So the drug runners who stab each other and ruin lives and communities who are under 18 are all good to be saved?

awesome 🤣

I think it’s a slippery slope to deem who is and isn’t worthy of treatment based on morality. The NHS is for everyone. And doctors are meant to treat everyone, that includes criminals.

No, the NHS should not be able to choose who is worthy of treatment - its universal for a reason. Whats the cut off, not treating some cancers because of lifestyle choices? What about IVF?

Can you imagine the response I'd get if I hadn't added the caveat about children..

Who decides whether the person is a gang member and not an innocent bystander?

How would they know the difference?

Are you saying for example that where a gang member has been stabbed we leave him/her by the roadside union they expire then call funeral directors instead?

that is not in the values of the NHS.
and is against the code of conduct of nurses. we are not there to judge.
we do that, pick and choose who we care for then where does it stop? ethically yabvu.

The NHS shouldn’t be there to pass judgement on whom they should treat.
The backgrounds of many criminals are complex whilst, I am sure, that there are some who just inherently bad.
Where to draw the line?
What about smokers, drinkers, middle class drinkers, over weight people, normal weight people with bad diets, those who don’t exercise, those that don’t have time to exercise etc..

I don’t think your caveat is going to save you tbh!!

As someone who worked in an inner city a&e, I fully disagree with you. We save the lives of all types of people regardless of reason. If you believe we shouldn't treat gang members or criminals, what about drug addicts and alcoholics? What about lads who have been scrapping on a night out? Drunk students, overdoses, self harmers... The list can go on and on. We treat everyone equally, as we should. You don't know people's storys and we are not there to judge.

No. Just no.

All the obvious moral reasons aside it's completely unworkable.

How would the paramedics or A&E staff know if it was an actual gang member or just a case of mistaken identity for a start? Or would it just come down to how dark their skin is and how shiny their trainers are

My point is that a ton of people who do need treatment aren't getting it.

Yet if a gang member is stabbed as part of some daft fued they will one thousand percent get the treatment they need, same day, no waiting lists.

How is that fair?

You can't leave people to die on the street, whoever they are.

What about smokers, alcoholics and obese people? Also lifestyle choices. Should they not be treated too?

Never paid taxes? You do realise that a lot of the dealers higher up in the chain have jobs and own businesses?.

Do you think they should be asked to provide a wage slip before receiving treatment?

What is your alternative solution, they just bleed out on the hospital doorstep? That's going to be messy.

It's not fair and the NHS is a mess, but this isn't how we should fix it.

It's nothing to do with race don't be so ridiculous.

You should’ve re-read your post before posting. By your definition people would need to be put before a jury and prosecuted as a ‘gang member’ before being treated. How would your idea ever work?

Might as well refuse to treat smokers/ sky divers/ people who drove a bit too fast as well. They’re all at fault. Off you pop to the pharmacy and sort your self out with a first aid kit sorry.

🤦🏻‍♀️

This is what I think

They're not the ones hurting m one another though are they?

How would this work in practice?
Paramedics calling a number?
Hi, I have someone bleeding out, please can I have a background check to see if I can start treatment?

Yet if a gang member is stabbed as part of some daft fued they will one thousand percent get the treatment they need, same day, no waiting lists.

Where are you getting that info from? They get the same treatment as anyone admitted to hospital with a stab wound.

Where do you stand on the NHS treating alcoholics, drug users and cigarette smokers OP? Or drink drivers, men who catch venereal disease from trafficked prostitutes, extreme sports enthusiasts, people who have botched cosmetic surgery abroad………

entirely unfair to put that onto paramedics or doctors to decide not to treat somebody. and what happens to them then? they die in the street? granted I'm lucky not to live in a gang area but I'm not sure seeing dead bodies in the street would make it any better a place to bring up children.