Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

NHS Funding

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Future NHS Funding

Do you agree with the assertion that funding for the NHS will need to be massively increased?

Regardless of what the Chancellor comes up with this afternoon, does it matter how any increase is funded?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It would appear obvious that the NHS requires huge long-term investment to bring it up to scratch.

    The chancellor should stop poncing about with stealth taxes and bring it out in the open on how he is going to fund it. A higher rate of income tax on the top levels should do the trick.....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He said: "It could probably re-organise its services to provide more care per every pound spent."

    This one line stood out for me. The NHS is a huge bureaucratic organisation and it needs to be reformed to make it leaner and more efficient.

    As soon as I can afford it, I'm going private.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If anyone suggests that the NHS doesn't need the extra cash then they are living in a dream world. It's not just about the cash though - not least because twenty years of inflation makes the £100bn fihure meaningless - much more important, IMHO, is the percentage of national spending. It's currently ~7%, but the extra spending is to increase this to ~10%, which can only be a good thing.

    There are so many targets that the Chancellor can get the money from. VAT and NI increases have been suggested (Income Tax was ruled out in the manifesto). Stamp duty is an obvious choice, as is alcohol/tobacco duty. Petrol will probably be left alone, but is always a possibility.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can pour money into it until you're blue in the face (which it needs, I'm not saying otherwise) but I think the entire structure of the system needs looking into
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    On the whole i think it would have been better to work out that the NHS needed some serious funding before we decided to throw large sums of money (in the form of soldiers, tanks, shells etc etc) into afghanistan, simply to appease the US gov.

    Q. Mr Blair, would you rather spend money saving lives at home, or killing people abroad?

    A. Which gets me on more front pages?

    At the end of the day (and most health pro.'s i know agree) a NHS will use all the cash that is given to it and still want more. Always. Prehaps the gov. should try just increasing funding rather than ordering expensive "resuffle"'s...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well I dont know much about the financial makeup and needs of the NHS..

    IF it was sure that a large injection of cash would actually improve things in the long run then I would be all for it. Id happily pay more taxes IF if meant an improvement in the NHS system.

    As I said, i dunno how the system works in the NHS but ive heard quite a few people saying that its not just about the money, the whole thing needs rehaul.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As far as I can see investment is the key issue, the tories are talking bollocks (again <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> )

    The main problems that have been highlighted are:

    a)shortage of beds
    b)shortage of staff
    c)shortage of equipment

    Reorganisation is not going to provide these things only cold hard cash can do that....

    Incidentally, a NHS clinic that was recently converted to a public/private partnership CUT the number of beds it provided, hoes that for progress......
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Toadborg:
    <STRONG>Incidentally, a NHS clinic that was recently converted to a public/private partnership CUT the number of beds it provided, hoes that for progress......</STRONG>
    Don't be sucked into the Tabloid hype on that one.
    Just because there are fewer beds doesn'y necessarily mean that fewer patients will be treated. And often 'beds' only refers to inpatient beds on wards, whereas a lot of operations are being done as daycases. So instead of having to stay in overnight, the patient comes in early and leaves the same day, so the 'ward' is only staffed 9-5.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Don't be sucked into the Tabloid hype on that one.
    I don't read tabloids.

    Fair enough but is this because they went semi-private, I don't think so. I'm surew they could do that on the NHS as well.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    From what I have heard from a number of sources the NHS didn't use all of its budget last year. Why not? Surely they could have found a use for it.

    I think that a thorough overhall of the NHS is required. Conrtol needs to be given back to local authorities (only they know what local needs are, not Whitehall). Pay and contitions need to be improved to encourage more doctors and nurses. Patients need to be dealt with quickly and efficiently so there is no need to be waiting on a bed unless absolutely neccesary.

    The NHS now has the money, it is time for action.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This is how budgets work.

    Let me put it this way. You get paid every month, some you put aside for bills (ringfenced funding) some you put aside for incidentals. Yet at the end of each month you have either overspent, or underspent but rarely do you get it spot on.

    Why should Govt finances be any different?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    <STRONG>RANT TIME</STRONG>

    So the Govt gives the NHS an extra £7bn.

    And it takes the Royal College of Nurses less than a week to respond.

    Do they want better facilities, more nurses, a modern service?

    No, they want a payrise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Man Of Kent:
    <STRONG>Do they want better facilities, more nurses, a modern service?

    No, they want a payrise.</STRONG>
    Be fair, they are paid peanuts for doing a pretty nasty job. When working in Sainsburys is more lucrative than being a nurse, you can see why there's shortage.

    You'll prolly get one too <IMG SRC="smile.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
    *attempts to diffuse situation, and prevent MoK storming the RCoN* <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

    [Edited to add: they actually want all of the above <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">]

    [ 23-04-2002: Message edited by: Kentish ]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Kentish:
    <STRONG>*attempts to diffuse situation, and prevent MoK storming the RCoN* <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"></STRONG>

    Me, storm a place filled with nurses? Usual days work mate <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> why do you think I love my job? I'm surrounded by women in uniform all day, every day <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

    <STRONG>
    [Edited to add: they actually want all of the above <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">]</STRONG>

    True, but their first instinct was mercenary. To date they are the only group to have asked for this. Kinda disappointing.

    I'll leave my comments about nurses etc to the other thread...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Man Of Kent:
    <STRONG>True, but their first instinct was mercenary. To date they are the only group to have asked for this. Kinda disappointing.
    </STRONG>
    The BMA asks for more money every other week too. They never get it: same with nurses - the RCoN has to justify its existence too <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
    <STRONG>I'll leave my comments about nurses etc to the other thread...</STRONG>
    Hmm, perhaps you should be posting about your uniform fetish in the Sex forum <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
Sign In or Register to comment.