The NHS and its future

[BerkshireBlue]

Disagree...piss heads fuck A and E right up

they've introduce crash pads for the piss heads (I can't remember where though might have been Norwich) where people can just sleep off the alcohol and then go home.
I wonder if it's doing the job of keeping the pressure off A&E

 

[i kne albert davy]

I suppose so if you don't count the widows, orphans, destroyed infrastructure, bed ridden solders all on the welfare system. Personally I would say these are the costs of war but obviously you don't

Stop digging you stated NI was brought in to pay for war it wasn't in any way shape or form nor was it brought in to repair destroyed infrastructure or bed ridden soldiers orphans etc it was brought in to cover pension payments and later a comprehensive health service and other social benefits. The clue should be into the title insurance you pay in for the cover.

 

[blueinsa]

Disagree...piss heads fuck A and E right up

Pubs should obey the law and not serve drink to anyone they feel has had enough.

By all means go out and enjoy yourself but those serving have a responsibility to say no more.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Agreed but id want the running of the NHS taken completely out of the hands of the government of the day and handed over to a business leader and his team.

It can no longer be treated as a political football imo and it has to be run professionally and as economically as possible whilst providing its services.

Whole heartedly agree. Having the 5th largest employer in the world run by any government is asking for trouble. It can never be run smoothly as it is accountable only to most who are unaccountable.

 

[Hamann Pineapple]

 

[malg]

A bit deep for me at the minute,but..

Since i broke my shoulder i was at casualty , in, out triaged,xray,doctor,treatment all in 40mins
been #clinic 3 times and in on time,xrayed each time as well,all really quick
ongoing but so far excellent service
not local is my only prob but thats another subject i guess

40 minutes! Christ, must have been a Sunday.

 

[malg]

How would you bill foreign nationals? US style no insurance no treatment?

Only emergency treatment is free, foreign nationals pay for all their other treatments. It's not cheap either.

 

[malg]

I still think there's a huge amount of NHS misuse, that hopefully if cracked down on, would alleviate some of the current pressure.

• Basic first aid and identifying when to go to A&E to be taught in school PSHE lessons.
• An upfront charge for GP appointments to be refunded on attendance or cancellation.
• Reopening of drop in centres for minor injuries to reduce A&E pressure.
• High charge for abuse of A&E. I've heard 2 outrageous second hand stories this Christmas - one went to A&E because of a cold she wanted to shift before Christmas and couldn't get a GP appointment and the other went in with a stubbed toe. It's ridiculous and a fine is the only way to put people off.

Tip of the iceberg mate. The British public would genuinely not believe some of the reasons people go to A&E - I'll give you an example to add to your list - shampoo in the eye.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I had an op in December (gallbladder) and the service I received from initial gp visit to op (16 weeks total including consultation and ultrasound) was superb. The hospital was quiet, clean and the staff on the whole were great) it was much better than it was 25 years ago when I last had an op.

Tax rates should be higher really. I remember when Brown cut them from 22-20% for no real reason at all. People weren't even expecting it!

Personally I would change the tax system a bit. I think people on minimum wage should not have to pay tax, people earning more than the higher rate threshold can probably afford a bit more and people earning over the 45% limit can afford more still.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I'd be surprised if anyone disagrees with this. Why should tourists get treatment without paying a single penny in NI and will never come back after 7 days in the country.

Separately, I'd also start giving patients a breakdown of their treatment costs as very little information is known to the public plus some people might be willing to pay an extra voluntary contribution to cover it. I know I would if my kids ended up in hospital for something or if it was my own stupid fault that I ended up in A&E which usually the case.

If it’s any consolation, they don’t. Also, NI contributions don’t count either. The U.K. uses a measure called ‘ordinarily resident’ to determine if the NHS should charge patients or not. If you’re ordinarily resident, you don’t have to pay. If you’re not, you do. There are a couple of exceptions to this and they are A&E attendances, GP visits and treatment for infectious diseases.
There is no minimum time before you can be ordinarily resident and, if you’re a traveller, you don’t even need to provide an address.
What we should have done is insist that any Europeans coming here to live or visit must produce and eHic card, as we do when we go to Europe. That would mean that the country you’re from would pick up your health costs.
If not from Europe you can pay a health surcharge (£150 for students and £200 for adults). Brilliant price if you have a minor op so imagine how good it is if you need something major.
Finally, you can’t discount the human factor. What do you do with an tourist who suffers a a terror attack? A foreign national who has major burns and will die without treatment? I hope, whatever system we have or don’t have, we never ask to see the credit card before we will save someone’s life.