Moderators: PoshinDevon, Soner, Dragon
Chriswright03 wrote: ↑Wed 08 Apr 2020 11:03 amAll services have been run down by successive Governments over the past decades. Be it Emergency Services, Armed Forces or the NHS all without exception have been decimated each and every time a new Government have come to power. None of us know how any other Prime Minister of whatever party would have handled this terrible situation and making a political statement like the OP has help anyone.
Whilst the situation the relatives have found themselves in is sad and I am sure many of us will have empathy, blaming everyone who voted for the Tories is crazy. No Government has faced a situation as serious as this current one so blaming the one who is dealing with it at the moment because of what party they are just comes across as a rant. Politics will always be a contentious topic but as upsetting for the OP as it is this thread will not help in the slightest.
Brazen wrote: ↑Thu 09 Apr 2020 12:39 pmIt’s fairly evident that the NHS is no longer fit for purpose, not just because of covid but generally. To have to wait 5-6 hours in A&E, have to wait 2 weeks to see the doctor, have to wait 6 weeks for a CT scan for cancer, and then have to wait for a consultants appointment to discuss the results is just not on in the 21st century. Whether it’s lack of funds, inefficiency or bad management none of us actually know, but it’s quite likely to be a combination of all three.
Extra funds;
Every increase in funding, and there have been fairly large ones recently, do not appear to have made any difference. In fact waiting times at A&E have increased, so should we, the taxpayer, continues to pour money into a black hole and expect no improvement?
Inefficiency;
I remember in 2017 a report emerging about the varying costs of supplies between various regional health services. Hospitals paid between 35p and £16.47 for the same single pack of 12 rubber gloves – a 47-fold difference, and box of 100 plasters cost one trust £1.68, while another paid £21.76 – 13 times more.
This was just a tip of the iceberg and only one example of inneficiency, but what action has been taken and have any heads rolled as a result? The report died a death!
Bad management;
I have experience of trying to get someone out of hospital so that they could die at home; it took 5 days! In the end we hired a private ambulance. During the 5 days several telephone calls to the manager in charge to discuss the situation were made. Every time he/she was either in a meeting or on a course. It appears that these highly paid managers are a law unto themselves.
Whilst we cannot expect to have everything in place for pandemics, we surely can expect to have relatively low cost items such as masks coveralls and gloves available to front line staff? At the start of the pandemic we had approx 2000 ventilators whilst Germany had about 10 times as many. These figures may not be accurate to the nth degree but are somewhere near correct. This is less than one per hospital.
The other thing of course, is should we define the treatments that the NHS should provide alongside those it shouldn’t? Should gender realignment surgery, IVF, and cosmetic surgery be carried out, or should the NHS do what it was set up to do, save lives and improve health?
One thing is certain, it cannot continue in its present form but what form should it take?
Please add your opinions.
Why wouldn’t I? What a crass statement. If you read my posting properly you would notice that no condemnation of front line staff was made.Dalartokat wrote: ↑Thu 09 Apr 2020 1:09 pmBrazen wrote: ↑Thu 09 Apr 2020 12:39 pmIt’s fairly evident that the NHS is no longer fit for purpose, not just because of covid but generally. To have to wait 5-6 hours in A&E, have to wait 2 weeks to see the doctor, have to wait 6 weeks for a CT scan for cancer, and then have to wait for a consultants appointment to discuss the results is just not on in the 21st century. Whether it’s lack of funds, inefficiency or bad management none of us actually know, but it’s quite likely to be a combination of all three.
Extra funds;
Every increase in funding, and there have been fairly large ones recently, do not appear to have made any difference. In fact waiting times at A&E have increased, so should we, the taxpayer, continues to pour money into a black hole and expect no improvement?
Inefficiency;
I remember in 2017 a report emerging about the varying costs of supplies between various regional health services. Hospitals paid between 35p and £16.47 for the same single pack of 12 rubber gloves – a 47-fold difference, and box of 100 plasters cost one trust £1.68, while another paid £21.76 – 13 times more.
This was just a tip of the iceberg and only one example of inneficiency, but what action has been taken and have any heads rolled as a result? The report died a death!
Bad management;
I have experience of trying to get someone out of hospital so that they could die at home; it took 5 days! In the end we hired a private ambulance. During the 5 days several telephone calls to the manager in charge to discuss the situation were made. Every time he/she was either in a meeting or on a course. It appears that these highly paid managers are a law unto themselves.
Whilst we cannot expect to have everything in place for pandemics, we surely can expect to have relatively low cost items such as masks coveralls and gloves available to front line staff? At the start of the pandemic we had approx 2000 ventilators whilst Germany had about 10 times as many. These figures may not be accurate to the nth degree but are somewhere near correct. This is less than one per hospital.
The other thing of course, is should we define the treatments that the NHS should provide alongside those it shouldn’t? Should gender realignment surgery, IVF, and cosmetic surgery be carried out, or should the NHS do what it was set up to do, save lives and improve health?
One thing is certain, it cannot continue in its present form but what form should it take?
Please add your opinions.
I take it you won’t be clapping for those who are putting themselves on the front line in the NHS tonight.
If you noticed the question marks you would see that I was asking for opinions, albeit sensible ones.Dalartokat wrote: ↑Thu 09 Apr 2020 1:55 pmTalk about it when it’s all over, there will be many enquiries about everything that has gone on. Bringing up old chestnuts like the NHS is not fit for purpose is not a fit discussion either.
We all know the ins and outs of what has happened over the years, we’ve all experienced parts of the NHS that might not have been satisfactory. The fact that you needed to bring it up at all, I would suggest its you who wants the headline by inviting opinions. I have given you mine. Take it it or leave it.
