The NHS. We need to fight to keep it.

[Differentforgirls]

My Mil is 87. Last year (around September) she was bleeding from her vagina and went to her GP.

The GP referred her to hospital for tests, which she got quickly.

It was cancerous polyps in her womb so she got further tests to ensure they hadn’t spread and was referred for surgery.

Tonight she has been discharged from hospital after numerous tests over the intervening months and a surgery yesterday (keyhole).

She’ll get follow up treatment too.

All NHS, where she has been treated with dignity, respect and kindness.

It might not be what it was due to cuts but it’s still something we should be proud of.

She’ll celebrate her 88th birthday next month, as an OAP in social housing with nothing but her pension, because of the NHS.

AIBU for thinking the NHS is something to be proud of and fight to keep?

@PropertyD one of my colleagues has been having filler for years, and it was forming lumps on the inside of her lips. It looked so uncomfortable. She had it dissolved - 11g of it in total - and now she looks like an old lady who’s taken her false teeth out. Such a beautiful girl too!

I just take it with a pinch of salt when people say they can’t pay £x for a GP or A&E or dentist or whatever. Not just because almost everyone I meet is either paying for WLI’s or having cosmetic work done, but because there is huge demand for discretionary spend items from electronics to coffees to protein shakes (just have some milk FGS!) I am sure there are some who would genuinely struggle to afford it, and they should be supported, but the majority of the population can and should take greater personal responsibility for their health (and the market to meet that demand will evolve, as it must, if those of us who would prefer not to use the NHS even for “big” things are to have a choice).

Really?! Where do you live?
Theyre everywhere…

i do not support reform

but they are on record as wanting a European style system

Scotland. The only thing I see (and hate) is people with long pointy nails and I don’t know how they get anything done!

I actually really dislike the “beauty” business.

It’s like anti feminism.

Hmm so the entire beauty business is anti-feminism, but the state-backed erasure of women as a sex class and its erosion of sex-based rights at the behest of male-bodied interest groups is just an unwelcome distraction?

Interesting take.

Even at the expense of other budgetary requirements - such as social care, or defence, or education?

What do you think social care is? The SW Dept and the NHS are both involved!

Social care and health (NHS) are defined separately in budgetary terms.
Nor did you comment on the other budget requirements.

I agree. We pay to visit a GP here, as do people in many parts of the world, and I can assure you people are not dying all around the place because they can't afford it. The visits are free for children, and those on low incomes pay a bit less, but the waiting rooms still seem to be full - yes, we actually see GPs face to face here!

I’d cut the admin which currently take 22% of the budget.

Some will not brook any reform of the NHS, even if it penalises others.

I’m in Scotland. I didn’t vote for the UK Govt.

Your original post made no mention of that, of course.

In any event, my question stands - do you believe that the NHS should be funded at the expense of other areas? Or would you countenance a further increase in taxation to fund it?

So who would do the HR? pay role? the ordering of equipment? pay the bills? organising staff training? liaise with all the privatised aspects of the NHS etc etc? arrange appointments? medical tests?

European Insurance based system?

So we pay the same level of taxes as we do now but then pay more to top up budget shortfalls in Healthcare?

I've experienced French Healthcare, its excellent, very bureaucratic and an expensive additional cost on business... you know the same business that have moaned non stop since being asked to pay a little extra NI, despite UK business being more profitable than ever before.

But all the money in the world doesn't get more young people willing to work in a system where they are abused by the public, under paid, over worked, burn out.... and expected to pay back 10s of '000s in student loans.

With cancer there’s a faster pathway (usually 2 weeks) there use to be fines for not meeting it which encouraged services to prioritise it even now not meeting the time limit brings additional scrutiny /potential funding loss.
So yes that’s an area of the NHS that’s speedy but it’s in a minority.

@Alexandra2001 With all due respect, my institution was close to breaking point when NI was increased. It was more than a small percentage increase, it also brought many part-time sessional workers above the threshold. Our anticipated hit of an additional £1m increased to £1.5m. It was admin that was cut, because that's already cut to and beyond the bone. The Arts provision suffered. 8 staff were cut.

The current NHS is not helping staff. I have two members of staff unable to attend work due to 12 month plus waits for surgery - who have had full pay for 6 months and half pay for six months. Obviously they aren't payong NI now and I'm under pressure to dismiss. Not because the staff are fundamentally incapabke but because the NHS is.

Sadly, I've heard more NHS staff being rude to patients than vice versa and I mean shouty, aggressive rude that would be tolerated nowhere else. In no other sector.

Your first paragraph resonates with the experience of friends and family.

As to the NHS, it has become like the welfare state - untouchable. The unions and the back benches will simply not permit it. Starmer, Reeves and Streeting are well and truly stymied.

I’d increase tax. Problem is the UK is skint due to the Tories.

Why would I mention that? Weird.

My point is that those of you who want a European Ins based health system should be prepared to have businesses like yours pay more in taxes.

You re claiming a 50% increase in employment taxes of 500k?? the ENI increases were nothing like that, my friends business, he employs 150 people, had an increase of £100k....

Waiting lists for elective surgery are through the roof, have been for many years now.

How many members of the public get punched in the head by an NHS staff member?
My DD suffered headaches for 2 weeks after that incident, no action taken by the Police against the drunken thug and the NHS still treated him, when she was in AE, assaults on staff were very common

She works in a community setting now, sometimes they have to double up to protect themselves from sexual assault, how many members of the public have to bring a friend a NHS appointment out of fear of being sexually assaulted?

Ah, there we are.

And yet, no mention of the damage done by Labour during the past 18-odd months, and counting.

Got it.

Good. If you had read the whole thread you would have got it sooner. Maybe a lesson you’ve learned.

What damage?
The economy has grown more in the last 18months than it did in the previous 18months before the General Election.

Interest rates down substantially, inflation now dropping (according to the BoE) and unemployment, though up, is by just 0.6% since july 2024 and it was on an upward trend then.. much due to AI concerns.

Pub closures are also down from over 500 per year to 330 last year.

Wages out stripping too, first time in years.

Alex, with respect, you’ve been caught out before, when you go off-piste into areas you do not understand.

Please.