As would I, and most of the people I speak to. It was one the disappointing thing about Labour's manifesto in that they were only increasing taxes on the well off. I'd increase taxes across the board and plough money into the NHS, Social Care and Education.
The NHS was ranked as the best national healthcare service in Europe in some study IIRC. That was on a per capita basis though, I think we spend less than most other countries on it.
The selfish people that really just don't want to pay taxes counter with two myths, firstly the problem's too big, increased taxes wouldn't help; and secondly it's not lack of money that's the problem, it's inefficiency in how it's spent. These myths help them feel better and less, well, selfish, than they actually are.
Thanks, I was kind of fishing for back-up
AlthoughThe selfish people that really just don't want to pay taxes counter with two myths, firstly the problem's too big, increased taxes wouldn't help; and secondly it's not lack of money that's the problem, it's inefficiency in how it's spent. These myths help them feel better and less, well, selfish, than they actually are.
Thanks, I was kind of fishing for back-up
Yeah, looking at the last paragraph:
Why do you think you should pay less tax than most western European countries that have excellent health services ?
You do and you get what you pay for, a shit service.
Something i suggested in the Westminster thread, was a form of paid statutory carers' leave for those in work. You'd be entitled to a minimum number of days each year like with parental rights. The Tories did consider a more wishy-washy version, although there was no money behind it and remains on the drawing board.
Yeah, while there's obviously a lot of room for complaints due to severe problems, underfunding, inefficiency etc, it's easy to forget that (generally speaking) it's still an absolutely fantastic service filled with dedicated and hard-working people.
In Sheffield they are closing both the Walk in Centre & Minor Injuries Unit. A friend is a Dr and she says the advice now is GP, or A&E for anything.
It’s crazy, you can only bend something so much before it breaks
Yep.
You should consider yourself fortunate that Labour and the subsequent Coalition government left you with a maternity unit at all; they weren't so generous hereabouts.
It's almost as if there's a particular political party who have pursued austerity, cost-cutting measures while in government...
Or if you do actually prefer tribalism...
I'm not saying I necessarily prefer tribalism. Or that there aren't plenty of things Labour can be blamed for, because I'm sure a lot of the current inefficiencies are things that have existed from long before the coalition government stepped in.
Exactly, it's prehistoric compared to most other Western European health services - want a good service, pay for it.
And voters need to step up themselves. From a financial standpoint, in how they look after their own relations (social care), and with regards to personal health.
They are also somewhat misleading. For example, what were Labour's intended spending commitments for the NHS during the period 2010-2017? IIRC, both Cameron and Clegg pledged significantly greater sums then did Miliband in 2015. Whereas last year, Corbyn proposed to spend billions in excess of the rest (although still short of what the NHS claims it needs).
NHS needs money. Tories want tax cuts. Priorities
We have one right now, no problem whatsoever. My doc even told me he was less busy during flu epidemics as everyone knows what they've got.
There's one in France too. We also have old people.
The French health system is the best that I have personally had any dealing with. There may be a better one out there but I have had no interaction with it.
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Because I'm not happy to pay the cost of people shoving food in their fat faces! I'm not prepared to listen to some political rants about NHS cuts, when they have nothing to say about the public. 27% of this country is obese. According the chart above France and Sweden spend about 1-1.5% more of their GDP's on their health services. Yet in France the obesity rate is 17% and Sweden it's just 12%.
Real shame we're so desperate to 'go our own way' then isn't it? Sounds like Britain could learn a thing or two from other EU cultures.
The single biggest issue facing the NHS right now isn't obesity but the fact that we have an ageing population who are living much longer than previous generations and who are therefore requiring a lot more care.
We can't do anything about ageing, but we can do something about obesity. I'm saying that instead of people paying more tax, we should looking at ways we can be more healthy and then not cost so much, so we have more to spend on illness we don't cause ourselves. No one ever seems to have the same venom towards the public that they do political parties and when it comes to public spending, usually the tories.
You do not solve problems like this. The biggest costs in the health system are old people. Like this people just are older when they have the health problems - does not help with health costs overall but increases pension costs for everybody. That is why poorer people have a lower life expectancy rate. Has a lot to do with education and lifestyle, too.
But less wouldn't be going into it. More would be available for old people.
Given the size of the problem, how about doing both? Tackling obesity and paying more taxes? I'm willing to do my bit.
I think there is a bit of a catch 22 type situation. Let's say we do both those things, then people are going to live even longer. Then we aren't going to have enough money in the NHS!
Fukc me, that post sums up whats wrong with uk in a nutshell.
Albeit based on an experience from over a year go, but the London Ambulance Service would at least try to get a paramedic car or bike to a call-out; that individual seemingly takes point and advises control as to the precise urgency. If we didn't have the first medic on scene we might well have taken the decision to drive to a hospital. In this most depressing casem the woman was all alone and had no such alternative.
In one. Many fall for the same old, tired, blame-shifting trick every time.
Er..........
