Rachel from accounts has crashed the economy

[Almn0etd]

So borrowing costs are now even higher than when Liz Truss was around.

The economy is well and truly cooked and in a far worse shape now that Rachel accounts is in charge.

Why isn’t this dominating the news cycle? Because it’s Labour.

The Tories were atrocious. Labour are an indescribable disaster for this country, surpassing the lowest of the low bars. Cue Labour apologists who don’t mind being made poorer and having the country destroyed, as long it’s Labour doing it to them.

You’ve never been in a hospital clearly. I never thought I’d agree with Yalta but on this occasion she’s right and that kind of waste is replicated thousands of times every day.

'A lot of people' , like who the fuck? The 10 people who voted for him in the last election 😂

I think ‘your side’ is basically supportive of HMG? If so I am on it. Sadly however Avanti will be striking every Sunday from tomorrow until May, which is a real nuisance for me.

This is not my observation from watching DH take chemo.

However, I have also been in an NHS clinic with someone taking a very expensive, recurring infusion for another purpose. Consultants keep patients on the minimal effective dose to minimise cost and try to reduce the dose periodically. Patients fight for a proper dose. The medicine is a bit sticky and this is relevant.

To maximise each dose, after each phial of IV is essentially empty, protocol for years was to attach a phial of inexpensive sterile saline solution to the medicine phial and run it through. This would yield an extra 5-10% of the medicine which is clinically significant.

My friend tells me that they’ve stopped using the saline solution as a cost cutting measure.

It’s my observation from working in the NHS for over 20 years. It’s just one example of appalling waste.

Back to Rachel. The lauded 4 interest cuts next year is already now estimated at 1.
I can’t see it myself.
We will need to face Labour austerity without a doubt.

DM’s cancer drugs cost £6k a month. It’s for a common cancer, so will be regularly prescribed to patients, and in most cases it will be effective for many years. It comes in packs of 30 tablets, but the system can only compute in 7’s (ie the no of days in a week). DM suggested to her chemo nurse that, as she has 2 months (£12k’s worth) of leftover meds at home, she cancel the next two “dispensing” appointments and use it up.

Computer said no, basically. Without that appointment, the impossible-to-override system won’t trigger the scan appointment and will bugger up the blood test pre-chemo system. She was advised to chuck them away.

No half-decent business would be run like this.

Sorry, @Blossomtoes, are you also @Yalta? Otherwise I am puzzled by your last post.

I don’t doubt Yalta’s observation, only that it seemed to be done differently for DH. Also, perhaps because his checkups are at a relatively small hospital, there seems to be more flexibility than what @Vinvertebrate is describing. Although he did need to trigger one (checkup) himself.

No I’m not. My observations are based on two decades of working in various hospitals, hers are based on being the relative of a patient. I just happen to agree with her. You’d be astounded at the cost saving measures staff come up with at the drop of a hat when a Trust is in financial trouble, those on the frontline are all too aware of the waste and how it could be avoided.

Thanks, @Blossomtoes. After the business with the saline solution I might not be surprised. That still makes me angry.

My friend tells me that they’ve stopped using the saline solution as a cost cutting measure

Another example of the NHS trying to save pennies that end up costing ££££s

I think apart from the obvious money saving measures that should be put into place

One of the things that needs to be done is stop dismissing patients who know what they they have wrong with them when they go to see their GP

Lets not dismiss them and test for what they think is wrong first.

I have met whole wards of patients who knew what their problem was but the GP told them to not take notice of Dr Google
Even if their symptoms matched a genetic illness their family had.

Then follows test after test for anything but the illness the patient knows they have. Leaving the person in pain and the illness getting worse till they finally get round to testing for the illness the person knows they have except instead of an overnight stay in hospital it is a week/month or too late.

Theres some mad waste going on within the NHS for sure , you could double its budget and you would probably double the waste but only see 10% tangible improvement

I don’t think that’s true. Particularly if frontline staff were given some say in day to day spending.

I miss sunak yes.
Things were easing slightly and green shoots were appearing inflation down, employment up etc.
I felt hopeful for the first time in decades.
We had our first dc when the credit crisis hit and it's been one disaster after another since.
Then labour won and splurged money on unions and net zero and has talked armageddon doom and gloom since.

Tons of waste in NHS in all sorts of ways including branded weetabix?
Rotten food I was served what looked like a plate of valves

A lack of communication between depart eg I had an mri for one issue and told to have another for something else I suggested I get both done at the same time, couldn't be done.

Reeves will soon be out, mark my words.

An incompetent promoted way beyond her abilities and experience, and a liar to boot.

Going after PIP etc will be the proverbial last straw.

The distinguished economic journalist Will Hutton ( former principal of Hertford College, Oxford, a Governor of LSE, etc etc), writes today in The Observer

‘If Britain had taken more care of its tech base over the past 15 years, ensuring it had the finance, the vital public and private orders to sustain it and the ownership structures to protect it, we would now be Europe’s tech superpower, with our own homegrown tech ‘’bros’’ and sisters.

Instead we have allowed more than 2000 high growth companies to be sold abroad, mainly to the US, bolstering its growth rather than our own.’

He notes earlier that we have more tech start ups and scale ups than either France or Germany so that isn’t the problem. He goes on to make a case for working closely with the EU though not for rejoining.

I genuinely believe that Reeves will be forced out this week, or next week at the latest.

Why? Because the bond markets look like to suffer a fresh bout of volatility from tomorrow’s opening, and she will not be able to pin it all on global events, including the US NFP data last week.

She’s a dead woman walking.

I don’t think her £600m over 5 years China is going to save her either. It was most likely already a done deal, and it’s a rounding error in the UK trade or GDP figures.

If this happens you may be right

Hi ES.

She will be overtaken by market events this week I think. I also believe that any internal support will quickly ebb away - especially when there is left wing blow back on an (ultimate) return to austerity following her ‘Spending Review’.

If Reeves goes Starmer is culpable for policies too. He really should face the music.

Labour tend to stick no matter what but maybe they’ll have to do it and replace

Agree on China in pp too didn’t realise those were the figures, that was a face saving attempt

China was a sideshow - the vaunted GBP 600m in deals over five years, is a rounding error.

Starmer will not hesitate to knife Reeves. What’s more worrying is who or what will replace her.

I do not believe there is one person in the current cabinet with any meaningful commercial acumen/experience.

Agreed
Starmer should be held to account for this budget just as we hold Truss accountable for hers. He can't pin it all on Reeves and walk away with clean hands.