300 children from Gaza to be brought to the UK for free specialist NHS care

[Fragmentedbrain]

According to the Sunday Times. That's nearly as many beds as there are in Great Ormond Street, where the average waiting time for paediatric surgery is 15 weeks (which is fairly typical nationwide).

Why is it mysteriously possible for government to deliver these showy, headline-grabbing measures (I know we already knew it could happen from COVID policy) but not to just make systems work well in an ordinary way?

I will answer your question if you answer mine.

That is because lots of EU countries fund their healthcare system properly. 14 years of damage is not easy or quick to undo.

None of that however means we should not help war victims.

Why not do both? It's not a competition nor is it complicated.

I love children. My hearth breaks for those poor children but there are so many others in a better position to help.

It can’t. That’s why treatment and associated costs are being paid by Project Pure Hope.

The UK is the 6th richest country in the world. Our problems of child poverty and long NHS waiting lists are not caused by the people who have the least in the world.
And why does proximity to the genocide matter? Why should we, one of the richest countries in the world, not help children whose lives will be shaped by horrors we cannot begin to comprehend.
I am saddened to see the lack of compassion on this thread, because while we have some of the best living standards in the world, some feel it is a stretch to help those most in need. I’m not at all religious, but I can see how some on here could do with some reflection on what it means to be human.

'And why does proximity to the genocide matter?'

The proximity to the conflict is relevant because patients requiring medical attention even electively weeks post injury are best not having to endure long journeys plus as has been said Saudi and Qatar have loads of money with healthcare that reflects that.

It is not paid by Project Hope. Posted several times already. Project Hope is happening in parallel. 300 children in question will be treated by NHS and funded by taxpayer.

Not denying the need to help.
But please stop twisting the facts again and again.

The hostages should of course, be freed.

However, I don't for a second believe that that would end the war or suffering of the palestinian people. Israel would continue it's expansionist agenda. For example, There were illegal settlements on the west bank (which isn't in Gaza and therefore not ruled by Hamas) before Oct 7th and this will continue. BN's governement have made it clear that they want to cleanse Palestine of er... Palestinians.

I suggest that the medics involved with individual cases might be far, far better placed than you to make judgements on the needs of their patients and their fitness to travel for treatment.

What's your question?

Not all of these posters are pro-Israel. They'd be the same if it was starving, sick, and disabled Israeli children coming to the UK for treatment. Or child victims of any war.

They're just cruel, or selfish or unpleasant or stupid or racist or fuckwits. Or any combination.

Unfortunately for all of us healthcare costs have to be cost effective and I don't think we can afford to do both.

Over 250k people from Palestine have taken refuge in Saudi Arabia. Their closest city to the border is the main aid route and they are inundated. But it’s not as simple as them throwing money it at to solve the humanitarian disaster. SA is another country with a complex position, as it is in hock to the US for military protection on a number of fronts. If they took all of the millions that needed shelter, medicine, sanitation and education, they would come under the heavy ire of Israel, and thus the US. But as it is, they are doing a hell of a lot more than the UK is. 300 children is minuscule, it’s the size of a primary school. People are getting whipped up into a frenzy over the “politics” of who should help, when the answer should be EVERYBODY.
And the distance thing really is moot, it’s a 5hr flight from the UK to Palestine. People do they for a holiday without a second thought.

This is completely irrelevant to this thread, but I always try to check facts.

"UK is the richest 6th country in the world"
Top 50 Richest Countries in the World: GDP Rankings 2025 | Savory & Partners

It's actually 21st if we count GDP per capita.

It's 6th by mean wealth per person but this includes housing cost so not entirely relevant in context of funding.

I assume this is your question, sorry I've had to go back to see it. Yes, I would have been against it because the NHS can't afford to treat the people already living here.

We have a very long and strong history for treating children from war zones free of charge within the NHS

Consultants, surgeons, doctors and nurses give their time free, charities usually pay the rest and if not there are fund raisers.

Yes the wait for NHS treatments are hard to live with, my own husband is now on disability whilst waiting for 5 years so far, but to feel that we should deny help when we can give?

Sorry in my mind you are totally out of order

Do you mean the Saudi neighbourhood in Rafah? Saudi has not take 250k gazans.

so what are you saying, “we are very rich but actually on a different place on that list so I am , in fact, very justified in saying fuck those starving traumatised kids!?”

there were 72,000 admissions of children 0-14 to hospital for injuries (accidental and deliberate) in the 2023/24 financial year.

Thats not illness that’s just injuries.

Anyone who claims to think treating 300 victims of war has any impact on care for other kids in the NHS is either ill-informed, silly, or stirring shit

I knew a little boy who died from complications of the flu, before vaccinations for under threes were in place. He died in GOSH with his parents. They gave him all the help he needed but sadly it wasn't enough. He was within a loving family and not in a war zone.

Children are being helped with desperate conditions. It's totally funded outside of the NHS.

When I lived in Northern Ireland, so called terrorists were treated for their wounds alongside the British army in hospitals in Belfast. No one made a judgement. It's a life and death situation.

Have you actually read what I said?

To help with comprehension challenges - I said that I wanted to check the statement. About being 6th richest country. This claim is not true.

I did say this fact is irrelevant to the topic.
I did not say we should not treat these children.

Do you think you think the 300 children should be treated here by the NHS?

'taxpayer-funded initiative' according to the Guardian;

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/03/uk-injured-children-gaza-nhs-care

I have posted about this before, we are 28th per capita (ie per person) gdp which is the only measure that counts as takes account of number of people and falling fast. Countries like Czech republic are just behind us and likely to overtake in the next few years. We are on the way to being a much poorer country and have massive amounts of debt. Haven't anything to say about the topic but think it is important for people to know our true position.