The State of the NHS

[Kwacky]

Our glorious prime minister is making a pledge today to improve the mental health sector of the NHS

That's despite the loss of over 5,000 mental health nurses over the last 5 years.

[Monty]

Winter deaths up by 50,000. If that is true we should be ashamed.

[D41]

You two are turning into a right old pair of curmudgeons.

[Kwacky]

It's the NHS. We have every right to be concerned.

[Monty]

I'm actually holding quite a lot back. It's not been a very good year for a Socialist Humanist.

[StMarks]

I'm actually holding quite a lot back. It's not been a very good millennium for a Socialist Humanist .

Sorry Monty, but I had to correct that for you.

[Monty]

I'm actually holding quite a lot back. It's not been a very good millennium for a Socialist Humanist .

Sorry Monty, but I had to correct that for you.

You're not wrong

[duke63]

Listening to the radio at lunchtime, one paramedic was saying that quite often they are only doing three or so emergency ambulance collections in one 12 hour shift as they are left waiting in a queue at A & E.

[D41]

It's the NHS. We have every right to be concerned.

Very true...but this thread is mainly concerns while offering no solutions...that solves nothing at all. The NHS has a very good reputation outside of the UK...is it perfect?...No, nothing is, and like most government institutions is mired in bureaucratic limitations, and constantly playing a game of catch-up.
The people who work in it...constrained in what they can & cannot do, and probably more concerned about the situation than anyone else.
They possess a better & more extensive working knowledge of what is necessary to 'remedy' (LOL!) the issues, and even they themselves aren't able to come up with anything viable and/or workable.
They're no smarter than anyone else in a different field, and probably way more apathetic as the issues hit too close to home...and when emotions start getting in the way, little good is likely to come of it.
Objectivity follows rationale.....right out of the window.

[Cav]

The reason none of it is viable is because the powers that be don't want it to be. More staff and better working conditions/hours will make for a stronger workforce that will save them money in the longer term. As with anything council or government, they never look at the long term - that's obvious when you look at council funding,

"Don't spend it you lose it" - the local governenment mantra. They aren't allowed to save up their funding to aid the long term they can only spend everything they get in the hope they get more funding next time round

[Kwacky]

It's management heavy. Too many pen pushers earning big salaries.

Central Manchester University Hospital is advertising for an assistant director of equality and diversity. The salary is £46,625 - £57,640. For an assistant director telling people how to behave around ethnic and disabled people.

Then there are the drug companies and other suppliers to the NHS who charge extra because it's a good earner and the managers don't care.

On top of that we've got the cuts Monty posted.

The NHS is viable and the funds are available for it to run smoothly.

[Blade]

My sister in law is a senior nurse and earns 60k plus a car allowance. Not long ago that was a GP Salary.

A mate who is a personal trainer had block bookings by the NHS which were charged at around £2500 a block. Some blocks he would never get a single referral but they would still book further blocks and he did contact them to say they were not referring clients on multiple occasion's.

Lot of issues but the waste and excess is not on when people are dying in hospital corridor's.