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7 day NHS ?


observer

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By 2020 apparently, no doubt at the end of the next Parliament to entice voters into giving the Cons a 3rd term. On the news yesterday the substance of some "leaked" documents was being questioned....documents allegedly showing massive Tory cuts to the welfare budget after the election in their quest to save the £12 billion that is currently being squandered on foreign aid. Speaking on BBC today Dave was trumpeting the goal as being 7 day a week consultant & specialist availability. No doubt his newly created posts will help to soak up  the immigrants 

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The way DC was talking the other day the political classes & their civil servants have finally recognised that illness & other bodily health requirements operate on a 365/24 cycle & not  on a 5 day 37 hour week system. 

Oh how electioneering concentrates the minds & imaginations of politicians.

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It may gain votes, but it's a promise along with all the other promises we'll be hearing in the next 5 weeks.  All Parties are committed to resolving the deficit, but none are giving concise details of how they will do it.  The Tories through more spending cuts, like £12billion from welfare, but don't specify precisely where from and who will be affected. Any increase in NHS services, such as 7 day provision, will cost more; so where's the money coming from?  If they continue to cut Council rate support grants, especially for social services; the bed blocking backing up onto A&E will get worse. The GP to patient ratio has reduced (not enough GPs), many med students are shying away from General Practise, many existing Doctors are emigrating due to workload related stress; so, they'll need to train replacements or invite them in from abroad, all at a cost. There's only two ways to reduce the deficit; either by cutting services or by increased taxation. Question is where will they cut or who will they tax?

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While walking down the street one day, an MP is tragically hit by a car and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

 

"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We don't get many MP's in heaven, so we're not sure what to do with you."

 

"No problem, just let me in." says the MP.

 

"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up.   What we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where you want to spend eternity."

 

"But I've already made up my mind, I want to be in Heaven," says the MP.

 

"I'm sorry but we have our rules." And with that, St. Peter escorts the MP to a lift and he goes down, down, down to Hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.   In the distance is a club house and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him, everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, hug him, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at expense of the people.  

 

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar and drink the finest taxpayer funded champagne. Also present is the Devil (a former MP, too), who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.

 

They are having such a good time that, before he realizes it, it is time to go back up to Heaven to spend his trial day there. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the lift
rises. The lift goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

 

"Now it's time to spend a day in Heaven." says St Peter........

 

So 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the next 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

 

"Well then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity."

 

He reflects for a minute, then the MP answers: "Well, I would never have thought it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in Hell."

 

So Saint Peter escorts him to the lift and he goes down, down, down to Hell.

 

The doors of the lift open and he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and rubbish. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the rubbish and putting it in black bags as more and more rubbish falls from above. The Devil comes over to the MP and puts his arm around him.

 

"I don't understand," stammers the MP, yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and club house and we ate lobster and caviar, drank the finest taxpayer funded champagne and danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland full of rubbish and my friends look miserable.

 

The Devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning....................Today you voted for us!"

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So - why has "demand" for the NHS gone through the roof?  Where is the money going to come from to pay for it?  btw It might help if we retained existing trained staff rather than losing them to the US, Canada and Australia. It also might help if our education system could produce a steady stream of home grown recruits.

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Has the demand gone through the roof?

 

It might help if we knew what treatment was being offered by the nhs that is causing this demand and how much of it is funded by the likes of private medical schemes. Surprising how quickly you can get treatment with one of those at the same hospitals as you would normally go to by the same specialists. (a case of weeks as opposed to months or even years for treatment).

 

Why are we losng them to the likes of canada etc. er better money, shorter hours.

 

where would the money come from. Foreign aid is one suggestion, less mps for another, tax everbody until they squeak, oh and the all time favourite get out of the eu (all of which has been proposed by one party or another in the last few months)

 

as for me i have no idea how to sort it out. if i had i would probabl;y be knocking on a few doors looking for re election instead of wonderng if a second mortgage will cover the gas bill for this quarter.

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Short term we need to recruit Doctors & Nurses from abroad and longer term expand and train from our home based students.

It may sound simplistic.

But.. It worked when the NHS was in it's infancy and the demand for treatment had gone through the roof.

Please read my post correctly..

This was a comment on the mid/late fifties when the population could suddenly access free health for the first time hence the surge in demand.

And therefore the recruitment drives in West Indies and India.

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Demand will naturally increase as a result of increasing population, increasing age demographic and technological advances increasing the range of treatable cases. Hence an emphasis on preventative strategies in recent years.  Why are we losing staff - simple - overwork & stress; due to under-manning; causing havoc with staff rotas and requiring the use of expensive agency replacements and overseas recruitment. Where will the money come from?  Good question: both main Parties are committed to hard or slightly softer austerity, in order to pay off the deficit and return to balanced budgets. This will require either, savings in existing spending levels on public services - so where?  Or; increases in taxation - from whom?  The recent A&E crisis, caused by Labour's GP deal c*ckup at one end and bed blocking due to social service reductions at the other; shows that the NHS doesn't work in isolation, and requires spending on elderly care services in the community, such as palliative care and medically supervised care homes (EG Padgate House). Unfortunately, folk are living longer, but not necessarily in good health; age related illness is and will increase; adding to demand and costs; so where's the money to come from?  Watched some interesting "Hard Talk" interviews with billionaires, some of whom (EG Bill Gates) have signed up to 50% (of their total wealth) being donated to charities on their death - however, such philanthropic practise is in it's infancy and voluntary - but it clearly demonstrates where the money is.

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The health service will not have enough staff to cope with this idea without massive educational surges to produce adequate & suitable candidates. Otherwise we will end up with diluted standards in the medical profession ,but no doubt that will sit very nicely with the pro European brigade as the NHS will have to tap into European doctors to run its services ,thereby removing the need for Dave to seek an in/out referendum.

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Right Davy; education and training for future economic and social needs is key; unfortunately we live in an age where kids want to emulate pop singers or footballers, or win on the lottery and become millionaires.

or even win the lottery twice

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