To think that nearly everyone is now unwell and in need of care

[ChristmasGutPunch]

And those that are ok themselves are caring or worrying for someone who is ill?

I feel really scared about the health service. Trying to book appointments is terrifyingly hard.

It just feels like this is at the root of our national decline in morale.

I don't feel that way. Do you really think ‘nearly’ everyone is unwell?

I think - as someone with complex health needs myself - we are suffering the consequences of many years of underfunding the NHS together with an ageing population who have the normal health needs someone older might have, coupled with many younger people becoming seriously unwell through obesity and lack of exercise. It’s a mess really.

The state of the NHS is low on a very long list of things that have buggered the morale of this country
We have been spoilt by the NHS, yet sucessive generations have taken it for granted and abused it.

Our national decline in morale (if there is one) is due to the self-serving, lying, incompetent people who we voted in to run the country making a complete hash of it. Plus Brexit. You know what you have to do OP.

It rather depends how you define 'unwell'.

If you mean - everyone who has some sort of virus, or is recovering from one at the moment plus everyone who has some chronic condition (whether well managed or not) plus everyone who is waiting for tests/surgery/ appointments for ongoing conditions plus everyone who is worried, anxious, feeling sad or struggling with managing their life and emotions and all the minor lumps, bumps, scratches, bruises, skin irritations etc.

then yes, everyone is unwell.

However, the vast majority of these things are in the process of being managed or can be managed using current available resources - pharmacy, self care, self referral to physio/other therapies, online advice like NHS uk and the many many other online information/help services available.

It is my experience that in many cases people are under pressure to 'get well straight away', often due to work and family stressors and are looking for a faster solution than what works in most cases - rest, fluids, sleep, good nutrition and time.

This

Yes - 1 in 7 are on NHS waiting lists for treatment and that's just the ones who managed to get a diagnosis and then a referral.

2.6m are off on long term sick.

I suppose the world is managed by the well and that's why this will never improve. If course nobody is well forever but the epiphany probably comes too late.

Not in my experience. But so many people are unwell because of their lifestyle, usually through no fault of their own : poor housing, overworked, convienice food is cheaper and easier, no exercise as our society is car obsessed.

Well yes.

I was referred to chronic fatigue clinic in Nov 2022. Finally had online appointment year later.

They won’t see me until I’ve been to the neurology appointment I’ve been waiting 16 months for. I’m now too unwell to attend the neurology appointment if and when it arrives.

Unwell for 16 months. Getting worse. Not under a specialist. On full PIP. Imagine if ld been seen and diagnosed. Might not even have needed Pip.

Vicious circle.

I do think covid has left a lot of people long term ill or depressed. certainly a lot of people I know are unwell. In my small office, one has had a major operation, one has had a stroke following covid ( not sure if related), a few suffering anxiety/ depression etc. I have some health problems but feel I've been diagnosed swiftly by the NHS. My dh has ongoing chronic conditions and gets expensive monthly injections free on the NHS to control his condition. The only person I know who seems to be healthy is my 86 year old dad who has nothing wrong with him !

God that's horrible @ArseInTheCoOpWindow and of course it's a condition there's little general support for in the meantime.

Obviously I think the NHS underfunding is awful, tantamount to murder by the people who did it. And social conditions and sadness compound the problem.

I'm tired of being scared. I think the fear permeates everything.

Yes @Babyroobs I was totally scathing of the COVID panic but I think it's fucked my immune system.

I help a lot of over 50's with disability forms due to my work role and there are so many long term issues since covid - long covid, chronic fatigue, heart problems, problems with inflammation in the body etc. A lot of older people have never been well since catching it as well as all the mental health problems and older people still isolating themselves for fear of catching it again.

Your own figures conclusively prove that nowhere near 'nearly everyone' is unwell.

These are the most severely unwell. That's a huge chunk of the population. Obviously most illness is just a burden on the day rather than totally crushing.

I think this is the way things are going...

On the job sites, there are so many jobs for carers, hospital staff, MH services, charities...

I think, if life, in general, doesn't improve for people, eventually there will be more people needing help than not.

The most worrying thing is how many young people there are with very poor mental health. (I have this in my own family.)

The NHS is not underfunded
It is over-managed, it is abused by many, many people, it is taken forcgranted.
It isxa victim of its own sucess. Babies, old people, those who have long-term illnesses are kept alive now. All this costs money; this isn't just anbout older people draining resources.
It doesn't need more money. It needs careful management and society needs to take care of its health better

I think one of the problems is people have outsourced their health to the NHS and no longer take any personal responsibility.
Apparently 37% of cancers are caused by lifestyle decisions and I would imagine it’s the same for other illnesses.
Just think if everyone had looked after their health then demand would be 37% less which would basically solve all the NHS shortages.
But no it’s easier to blame someone else.

sucessive generations have taken it for granted and abused it.
In the past mh wasn’t dealt with, there wasn’t as many elderly people and there was a smaller population and there wasn’t things like cervical screening, breast screening etc. How is it possible that other generations took it for granted and abused it? Honestly just curious!!

Exactly right. The NHS is run by people who will never use it, and who want to run it down to the point that privatisation seems like a good idea. Sadly, they'll probably succeed.

I agree to some extent.

In the UK system, there are a lot of inefficiencies around prevention and timely diagnosis of symptoms. This then knocks onto how severe things are when the treatment side kicks in although that's usually the better bit in my experience.

So, the reason cancer is not treated as well here as in much of Europe isn't because once you get diagnosed, there's a problem, it's because getting a GP appointment, then making it through the (fake) 2 week pathways takes much much longer. My friend with ovarian cysts recently took about 3 months to end up with the diagnosis that allowed treatment to start the following week. If there was genuinely a 2 week pathway, with an aggressive cancer, this would improve survival.

Same with chest infections, if you need three or four visits to get a sputum test and specific antibiotics (rather than fobbed off, told you don't need antibiotics, then eventually when it's conceded you do, get generic ones that may or may not work which helps develop antibiotic resistance) then you are much sicker and then need a chest X-ray, follow up appointments, whereas if you could be tested on the day for bacterial infections, you could avoid taking them if necessary and have specific ones if not.

The NHS is a blunt instrument and very slow at the diagnosis stage.

It's a shame and not the fault of those within it on the wards, the vast majority of the time (I don't like the GP gatekeeping system but that's a whole other thing).

The gate keeping system doesn’t stop at GP’s.

Its quite difficult to see a consultant. You have to prove to some gatekeeper in the department that you are actually bad enough to need the treatment you’ve been referred for.