The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Eggs]

lol I've heard it all now - doctors and nurses aren't interested in the quality of care to patients.

...absolutely. My daughter is a hospital Registrar and ENT surgeon, her chap is a GP as are lots of her friends. For years they have not had reward for the hours worked but got on with it, this dispute is more based on real concerns about the service provision and direction of travel in NHS.

 

[Coach]

Here is Hunt getting torn apart at a Q&A with the Royal College of GPs. Not one mention of pay. Every comment is about policy and how it affects the quality of patient care.



You must be talking to the wrong people Bruce Wayne.

 

[Groucho]

I work in the NHS as many of you know (I'm off today, I'm not sciving!) and I'm frightened of what the governments (all parties) will do to the organisation.

It needs to be run by the right people, and properly funded as at the moment it's run by Jeremy Hunt who isn't medical, and is the third LEAST funded healthcare system in the world. I've posted the graph that proves this previously.

I'm sure most of us would accept a small tax increase to keep it going. The fact it receives less money than most and is still working and is FREE AT POINT OF USE (the point of it) actually shows its true worth.

I don't even like politics.......

 

[Mrk]

His relationship with Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and others would suggest otherwise.

Not really, all that suggests is he's friends with Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson...

Murdoch dislikes him, Cameron dislikes Murdoch - whether that will influence his newspapers stance remains to be seen.

 

[The Cowboy]

I work in the NHS as many of you know (I'm off today, I'm not sciving!) and I'm frightened of what the governments (all parties) will do to the organisation.

It needs to be run by the right people, and properly funded as at the moment it's run by Jeremy Hunt who isn't medical, and is the third LEAST funded healthcare system in the world. I've posted the graph that proves this previously.

I'm sure most of us would accept a small tax increase to keep it going. The fact it receives less money than most and is still working and is FREE AT POINT OF USE (the point of it) actually shows its true worth.

This here, though, is the problem with the way all the goverment ministerial posts are run. You have people who have spent their entire lives in party politics in charge of specialist industries like health, finance, transport, justice, social care etc. Sure, they might have their special advisors, but it would help if these ministers were selected because they were well qualified in that field.

Saying all that, the NHS is a business like all others. Doesn't really need a medical person at the top, it needs a business person.

 

[Coach]

This here, though, is the problem with the way all the goverment ministerial posts are run. You have people who have spent their entire lives in party politics in charge of specialist industries like health, finance, transport, justice, social care etc. Sure, they might have their special advisors, but it would help if these ministers were selected because they were well qualified in that field.

Saying all that, the NHS is a business like all others. Doesn't really need a medical person at the top, it needs a business person.

Trouble is these special advisors have plenty of links to private healthcare companies

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sthree-nhs-reform-firm-links-3236237#ixzz2vvhvgu8D

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...art-rose-has-private-health-link-9129592.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...s-wealth-to-influence-government-9120187.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fury-tory-party-donors-handed-3123469

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/21/tory-strategist-lynton-crosby-lobbying

http://www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/web-news/mp-apologises-for-non-mention-of-health-firm-interest

etc.

 

[Blue 1]

I work in the NHS as many of you know (I'm off today, I'm not sciving!) and I'm frightened of what the governments (all parties) will do to the organisation.

It needs to be run by the right people, and properly funded as at the moment it's run by Jeremy Hunt who isn't medical, and is the third LEAST funded healthcare system in the world. I've posted the graph that proves this previously.

I'm sure most of us would accept a small tax increase to keep it going. The fact it receives less money than most and is still working and is FREE AT POINT OF USE (the point of it) actually shows its true worth.

I don't even like politics.......

Not only is Jeremy Hunt not from a medical background, he believes in homeopathy and co-authored a paper titled "The NHS - A 60 year mistake".

 

[Groucho]

This here, though, is the problem with the way all the goverment ministerial posts are run. You have people who have spent their entire lives in party politics in charge of specialist industries like health, finance, transport, justice, social care etc. Sure, they might have their special advisors, but it would help if these ministers were selected because they were well qualified in that field.

Saying all that, the NHS is a business like all others. Doesn't really need a medical person at the top, it needs a business person.

But it's not a business like all others - all other businesses are there solely to make profit.

The NHS was not set up to make profit, it was designed to provide free health care for all, at point of use, which it still does.

 

[The Cowboy]

But it's not a business like all others - all other buisnesses are there solely to make profit.

The NHS was not set up to make profit, it was designed to provide free health care for all, at point of use, which it still does.

An interesting viewpoint. Whilst the NHS is not there to MAKE profit, it needs to be run as profitable as possible in the sense of efficiently using the income to match expenditure. A poorly run business loses money. A poorly run NHS spends more than it receives.

 

[Groucho]

An interesting viewpoint. Whilst the NHS is not there to MAKE profit, it needs to be run as profitable as possible in the sense of efficiently using the income to match expenditure. A poorly run business loses money. A poorly run NHS spends more than it receives.

As possible, yes, but not at the expense of quality of care. People come first in this case.

Government underfunding and mismanagement of some individual trusts is putting quality at threat.

Nothing that couldn't be sorted if they bothered their backsides and stopped selling contracts off to their wealthy mates, at everyone's expense. The NHS is not David Cameron's to sell - it's everyone's to use.

 

[roydo]

As possible, yes, but not at the expense of quality of care. People come first in this case.

Government underfunding and mismanagement of some individual trusts is putting quality at threat.

Nothing that couldn't be sorted if they bothered their backsides and stopped selling contracts off to their wealthy mates, at everyone's expense. The NHS is not David Cameron's to sell - it's everyone's to use.

What do they sell off Grouch? Medical stuff, or ancillary services like catering/car parks, that sort of thing?

 

[Milk]

But it's not a business like all others - all other buisnesses are there solely to make profit.

The NHS was not set up to make profit, it was designed to provide free health care for all, at point of use, which it still does.

And it's chuffing marvellous and an institution we, all of us, should be immensely proud of.

BUT is it sustainable and if so, at what cost? As a nation we are ageing and that very fact is sucking £millions/billions that should perhaps be better targeted.
As I am Welsh, my pills & hospital parking are free but I could afford to pay something for them and if I did, perhaps we would have better roads or better school meals or more bobbies on the beat or or or ..

 

[The Cowboy]

As possible, yes, but not at the expense of quality of care. People come first in this case.

Government underfunding and mismanagement of some individual trusts is putting quality at threat.

Nothing that couldn't be sorted if they bothered their backsides and stopped selling contracts off to their wealthy mates, at everyone's expense. The NHS is not David Cameron's to sell - it's everyone's to use.

Equally some burden could be lifted if a whole range of elective services were not made free to all and sundry, and the 'worried well' got their act together and stopped being so wet. Bit like the credit crisis, responsibility lies with both the giver and the taker.

I do have a question - I hear lots of bleating about 'oooh, bloody Tories privatising/selling off the NHS', but what exactly are they now depriving the public of?

 

[Groucho]

What do they sell off Grouch? Medical stuff, or ancillary services like catering/car parks, that sort of thing?

More like services mate.

Cleaning contracts and catering contracts are one thing, but private companies are circling like vultures for actual treatment services and contracts. They would be run solely for profit, and sod the patients.

The way things are going, if Conservaives or UKIP get in next time, the NHS will be gone in 5 years. Oliver Letwin has said this outright.

Anyone with AIDS or cancer will have to pay for the currently free treatment or just die. It's how this government will deal with the poor - kill everyone off.

 

[roydo]

More like services mate.

Cleaning contracts and catering. Contracts are one thing, but private companies are circling like vultures for actual treatment services and contracts.

The way things are going, if Conservaives or UKIP get in next time, the NHS will be gone in 5 years. Oliver Letwin has said this outright.

Anyone with AIDS or cancer will have to pay for the currently free treatment or just die. It's how this government will deal with the poor - kill everyone off.

I knew about that one. My old man was instrumental in the first ones like 30 years ago!

But I cannot see any government letting medical care being sold off. Social care to a degree, already has been in places, but I just dont buy into the arguement that if the Conservatives get in next year, by the next election, it will be gone.

Or maybe I am naive.