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Nolite te bastardes carborundorum
You don't. I used to live in Brussels and made trips over to England so I could buy things reasonably cheaply. Admittedly, some European countries are cheaper but there are a lot that are more expensive (Switzerland, Belgium, Andorra, etc)
I can't explain the petrol but cigarettes are because smoking is a lot less common in North America. In Canada at least (where prices are similar) it's illegal to smoke in any public indoor areas in a lot of cities. If the British government tried that it would cause huge problems. People are educated in North America from a very early age that smoking is antisocial (& it is over here). But there's never been any initiative to SERIOUSLY reduce the number of smokers in the UK and if the government can make money off it then they will. Because it's more expensive to make English cars anyway as they have to be made right-hand drive. Once they've been shipped to the continent if there's any hope of selling them they need to have the price reduced to fit in with cars from the rest of the world. Ha! I'd give anything to be paying what I used to for my groceries! So I suppose it's only the really useful things in England that aer more expensive, like cigarettes and cars. Never mind those useless things like food.
Semper ubi sub ubi
[This message has been edited by Snow White (edited 12-10-2001).]
I do a lot of voluntary work at a day centre for people with mental health problems in the 8yrs I have been helping, in the last 12 months the centre which has not increased the number of clients or grown in size but has gone from 1 manager to 3, the project/day centre workers have gone down by 2. The managers spend most of their time at meetings or doing yet more reports/studies usually on how well they are helping the clients. In reality the level of service has gone down and is getting less and less. The volunteers are leaving as we are having more and more work that we are not trained or meant to do put on us. There have been instances where the only NHS staff there has been in the building was 1 project worker , this member of staff was involved doing 1 to 1 closed door sessions with clients and the volunteers had to run the Centre, this is not fair on the clients, staff or volunteers.
In the limited area of the NHS that I see, it really is a case of too many chiefs not enough indians. This cannot be blamed on the Tories.
pchild
What did you come to England to buy cheaply?
Sorry but thats rubbish.. Basics of economics proves this wrong. More people smoke in the UK so competition is greater. Competition leads to decreases in price so therefore we should have cheaper fags because we smoke more of them. Id also say that there are more smokers in the US than here. We may have a higher percentage of smokers but they have more actual fag buyers.
It costs exactly the same to make a right hand drive than it does to make a left. Even when the car is exported to right hand drive countries(Japan) it still costs less to buy a car from japan and have it shipped back here than it is to buy it from the country its made in(uk)
How much less did you used to pay for groceries then?
"Let's roll......" Todd Beamer, American Hero
Here's a tip if you are going to have a mental health problem do so somewhere else.
I think we both agree that the government could and should be doing a hell of a lot more to help the NHS. Pumping money into it is a good first step right?
BTW, if needed I would gladly pay more taxes to improve the NHS and I think most of the population would be willing to do the same.
"Let's roll......" Todd Beamer, American Hero
Sorry, missed your earlier rant, have now gone back and read it...
Yep, I see that (and the problem you mention above) everyday. I sometimes wonder if we really to spend money in the areas we do, generating paperwork etc. In many cases I'd say, that like lots of other agencies, we spend money in crazy ways.
Problem is that there are too many people, making decisions, who are looking at their career - their next step - rather than making sure that the job they are doing now, is being done correctly. There are too many 9-5ers (as we call them), and not enough concientious people making the decisions.
This is why I asked Balddog where the money should go. If you give it to the wonrg people it will get wasted, and that's the tough part - who ARE the right people? The answer isn't as obvious as you'd think...
I see the concientious people being squeezed out or the stress gets to much and they leave for before their own mental health goes.
I'd like to say the answer is more frontline staff but it isn't that easy, I wish I had the answer but I don't.
I was told today that my Trust has been selected to pilot the sending of patients abroad...
After my previous comments, I thought was was hilarious.
SO what have we been told to send? Hip relacements and ..... cataracts.
As we are the closest place to France, I guess it makes some sense...We have been linked to a hospital in Lille (just south of Calais) and a couple of us have to go out and visit...now if I can just persuade my boss to arrange it for the Champions League Game between Lille and Manchester United in a week or so...(obviously tickets at my expense..)
They also forget that they have a lot to thank Maggie for...
Without her Labor would of never been elected because of the Trade Unions extreme Left Wing Views, and the majoritive control over the party, its pretty well documented over what happened the last time that Labout were in govt. the TU's brought this county to a shambles, and made it a laughing stock. If Thatcher had not broken them then the majority would NEVER of voted for labour.
And as for sticking true to you Socialist values, social concience - where the fucks that gone then Tony?? or should I be asking the Prime Minister Mr. A. Cambell???
The Labour Govt has stealth taxed us, fucked about the NHS (which was improving) since 1997 and Herr Blairs (sig hiel! Sig Hiel!)reign of terror began Gordon brown has systematically increased tax on everything lining the govt. funds with cash that he has no intention of spending. Speaking to a Head of a Secondaery School, she cannot find the funds to complete repairs, the NHS waiting lists have increased there are less beds, nurses, and we are now forced to recruit staff from overseas becasue we cannot meet the pay/time requirements of our own medical staff. Tansport has not improved, and labour have sluched money into Railtrack, the Dome, and christ knows what else, all of which admittedly were orig. tory initiatives but which labour could not control. They have waisted our money, and bowed to the US like a lap dog in everything. At least in the Gulf maggie had her own ideas of what was required.
Labourites go on about the sleaze - Cash for questions, was wrong. Resignations, there was bed hopping, yes, in this liberal age surely an MP who is doing his job can be forgiven a few transgressions, have you never slept around, or two timed??
this govt. is without a dobt commiting far worse atrocities, Jo Moores, Peter Mandelson, spin FAR greater than anything seen before Labour control media images of itself by control of the beeb, and bowing to hte Sun the Mirror et al.
to quote a recent memo - 'Today would be a good day to bury bad goverment'
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concentirc_circles
Sex is the only liquid center at the great Newberry Fruit of friendship. - Jilly Cooper 1937 -
Why? I thought it was a central tenet of what we call civilisation that everyone - everyone - is entitled to receive a fair profit on their labours. Healthcare providers provide a service. We pay them for that service. If they do the job right, they make a profit. I struggle to see why we should cling to some taboo about not profiting from others' ill health. What next? No profit for refuse collectors, undertakers and the like?
You're damn right we need a rational code of morality and ethics. But not much progress can be made in that direction while we've still got a majority ranting about gods, devils, souls, and absolute morality, and using an ancient book written by ignorant nomads as a guide.
Just a little point about the Wonderful NHS that I need to query.
In my area they have had to bring nurses in at great expense from places like South Africa. This I dont mind, except I would prefer the money to stop within the local economy, but what I do mind is the fact that we have thousands of asylum seekers in the local area too. Some of these asylum seekers are very highly qualified docters and other medical professionals (it stands to reason the majority of people that can fund their flee from persecuton have professional jobs). Why cant the NHS use these people that are more than able, and totaly willing to work. It would prove cheaper and they would probably get a better job done for their money.
Also just another little note to a post earlier, Andorra is a tax-free Kingdon, thats why lots of people go there for the day to buy stuff that is CHEAPER than in the U.K.
everywhere is cheaper than the UK. we get taxed on tax
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okay, i admit that the NHS is far from being the best and most efficient healthcare service in the world. but it does what no other system truly can: it provides equal treatment for all. unlike the two-tier system of health insurance in the US, unlike the french service whereby dozens of immigrants (illegal perhaps, but they still have a right to treatment) cannot afford the hugely expensive drugs that we get cheaply on prescription. the reason these systems cannot provide for everybody is because not everybody can afford it. thus, even accounting for acts of generosity or government subsidy, you can be refused treatment, or wind up excessive debt.
the NHS is founded on what i believe to be one of the firmest principles ever stated: everybody has the right to free and equal treatment, no matter what their means of payment, no matter what their social status or non-status. that is why i object to private healthcare, which, with the bets will in the world, is run not by a government that acts in the interests of the people, but by a company in the best interests of itself and its shareholders.
"we have intercourse in every direction" - Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto (honest!!)