Is the NHS useless?

[Beauchiefs]

It also maintains millions of people on unnecessary life-long symptom-management drugs and seriously damages the health of millions through it's lack of focus on preventative health.

 

That will take a long time to change due to the fact that maintaining a sick population is much more profitable than a population that is healthy, for the vested interests (eg pharmaceutical companies) who are deeply tied into the health service and very influential in any decision making.

 

Just as hospitals have to house shops that sell 'foods' medically proven to be extremely injurous to health (because they need the extra funds such sources provide), equally it has to appease the other private interests who provide much of it's funding, even if a healthy nation is counter to those companies interests.

 

On the positive side, more and more people are now becoming aware that the chronic illnesses that plague the developed nations i.e. heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer etc, are, in the main, caused by diet &, easily avoidable (via diet).

I believe it helps millions more than it harms

[scania]

It also maintains millions of people on unnecessary life-long symptom-management drugs and seriously damages the health of millions through it's lack of focus on preventative health.

 

That will take a long time to change due to the fact that maintaining a sick population is much more profitable than a population that is healthy, for the vested interests (eg pharmaceutical companies) who are deeply tied into the health service and very influential in any decision making.

 

Just as hospitals have to house shops that sell 'foods' medically proven to be extremely injurous to health (because they need the extra funds such sources provide), equally it has to appease the other private interests who provide much of it's funding, even if a healthy nation is counter to those companies interests.

 

On the positive side, more and more people are now becoming aware that the chronic illnesses that plague the developed nations i.e. heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer etc, are, in the main, caused by diet &, easily avoidable (via diet).

 

Without having a detailed list of every person treated, you cannot be sure of this. I have a dodgy knee, after years of kneeling on it climbing onto platforms. Not a dietary problem at all. But a problem nonetheless. There are so many problems and such a huge population, the alleged diet diseases are just another excuse for an overstretched NHS.

[onewheeldave]

I believe it helps millions more than it harms

 

Believe what you want, if you want knowledge you'll need to get some evidence.

 

Regardless of whether the NHS helps more people that it hurts, it's undeniable that it helps far less people than a health service that focuses on prevention would.

 

Imagine how much better the health service would run if all the diseases caused by bad diet were abolished (heart disease, obesity, diabetes).

 

All those chronically ill people on life-long symptom management drugs are not just using NHS resources to manage their actual conditons- they're getting new illnesses from the side effects and interactions of those drugs.

[I1L2T3]

Believe what you want, if you want knowledge you'll need to get some evidence.

 

Regardless of whether the NHS helps more people that it hurts, it's undeniable that it helps far less people than a health service that focuses on prevention would.

 

Imagine how much better the health service would run if all the diseases caused by bad diet were abolished (heart disease, obesity, diabetes).

 

All those chronically ill people on life-long symptom management drugs are not just using NHS resources to manage their actual conditons- they're getting new illnesses from the side effects and interactions of those drugs.

 

The NHS obviously helps way more people than it harms.

 

Your points about emphasis on preventative health care are spot on although I think you are rather over-emphasising the side-effects of treatments angle. For diabetes treatment if your illness is severe enough the treatment stops you dying. Simple as that.

[Margarita Ma]

Believe what you want, if you want knowledge you'll need to get some evidence.

 

Regardless of whether the NHS helps more people that it hurts, it's undeniable that it helps far less people than a health service that focuses on prevention would.

 

Imagine how much better the health service would run if all the diseases caused by bad diet were abolished (heart disease, obesity, diabetes).

 

All those chronically ill people on life-long symptom management drugs are not just using NHS resources to manage their actual conditons- they're getting new illnesses from the side effects and interactions of those drugs.

 

Prevention is immensely important

Prevent people from having motor accidents, getting drunk, taking drugs, beating up other people, shooting other people, stabbing other people bullying other people verbally, taking too much of the wrong medicine, doing too much repetitive work, walking off cliffs by accident and falling down mountains and off horses, breaking bones, developing allergies and auto immune response diseases and the National Health Service could save a fortune.

Heart disease, Diabetes, and Obesity do not always go hand in hand sometimes they are congenital conditions that are not detected until they cause a severe problem. The person affected may never have been aware that they had that problem just that they were not as capable of doing the same physical activities to the same level as others in their age group. The inability to take sufficient exersise can lead to obesity the underlying cause may be congenital heart disease that has never been diagnosed. There are conditions such as thyroid imbalance and Coeliac disease that cause hypertension and heart disease. Sometimes these conditions are not diagnosed until severe damage has been done. Not everyone with a problem sits around watching daytime TV and stuffing deep crust three cheese pizza followed by Boxes of Krispy Creme Doughnuts.

I have to say my experience of NHS services is rather mixed. Some parts have been excellent, but I have suffered for years from a condition that has ruined my health because it was undiagnosed. We suffer from a lack of good tests and good laboratory services and from doctors who guess guess guess instead of test test test. which would cost less less less than doling out inappropriate medicines and inappropriate pontifications like irritable bowel condition.

Edited November 1, 2015 by Margarita Ma
More to say.

[onewheeldave]

Prevention is immensely important

Prevent people from having motor accidents, getting drunk, taking drugs, beating up other people, shooting other people, stabbing other people bullying other people verbally, taking too much of the wrong medicine, doing too much repetitive work, walking off cliffs by accident and falling down mountains and off horses, breaking bones, developing allergies and auto immune response diseases and the National Health Service could save a fortune.

Heart disease, Diabetes, and Obesity do not always go hand in hand sometimes they are congenital conditions that are not detected until they cause a severe problem. The person affected may never have been aware that they had that problem just that they were not as capable of doing the same physical activities to the same level as others in their age group. The inability to take sufficient exersise can lead to obesity the underlying cause may be congenital heart disease that has never been diagnosed. There are conditions such as thyroid imbalance and coeliac disease that cause hypertension and heart disease. Sometimes these conditions are not diagnosed until severe damage has been done. Not everyone with a problem sits around watching daytime TV and stuffing deep crust three cheese pizza followed by Boxes of Krispy Creme Doughnuts.

 

Fact is, that the vast majority of heart disease is caused by wrong diet and is preventable by right diet. I'm not saying it all is, I'm saying that the vast majority is. A lot of actual doctors are saying the same thing.

 

---------- Post added 01-11-2015 at 23:30 ----------

 

The NHS obviously helps way more people than it harms.

 

You can repeat that as much as you want, in the absence of evidence it's nothing more than a belief.

 

Even if true, the fact remains the NHS could help many more people than it currently does (and hurt less people than it currently does), if it realised that good health is based on preventation, not symptom management.

Edited November 1, 2015 by onewheeldave

[I1L2T3]

You can repeat that as much as you want, in the absence of evidence it's nothing more than a belief.

 

Even if true, the fact remains the NHS could help many more people than it currently does (and hurt less people than it currently does), if it realised that good health is based on preventation, not symptom management.

 

It is true. Very obviously true

 

It's not staffed by quacks and witch doctors.

[Ms Macbeth]

Fact is, that the vast majority of heart disease is caused by wrong diet and is preventable by right diet. I'm not saying it all is, I'm saying that the vast majority is. A lot of actual doctors are saying the same thing.

 

High cholesterol is a major cause of heart attacks, and thanks to the British Heart Foundation and the NHS this inherited condition (see link) is no longer the killer it once was. Although inheriting the condition can't be prevented, by early testing and prescribing statins, the devastating effects can be minimised. It would be great if diet and exercise alone could prevent heart attacks, but it's now widely understood that a large number of sufferers have a familial (inherited) condition. This is worth a read:

 

https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/medical/familial-hypercholesterolaemia

[Cyclone]

Fact is, that the vast majority of heart disease is caused by wrong diet and is preventable by right diet. I'm not saying it all is, I'm saying that the vast majority is. A lot of actual doctors are saying the same thing.

 

---------- Post added 01-11-2015 at 23:30 ----------

 

 

You can repeat that as much as you want, in the absence of evidence it's nothing more than a belief.

 

Even if true, the fact remains the NHS could help many more people than it currently does (and hurt less people than it currently does), if it realised that good health is based on preventation, not symptom management.

 

The NHS is MORE than aware of that. There are numerous public health campaigns and have been for 40 years all aimed at prevention.

 

---------- Post added 02-11-2015 at 08:41 ----------

 

It also maintains millions of people on unnecessary life-long symptom-management drugs and seriously damages the health of millions through it's lack of focus on preventative health.

 

That will take a long time to change due to the fact that maintaining a sick population is much more profitable than a population that is healthy, for the vested interests (eg pharmaceutical companies) who are deeply tied into the health service and very influential in any decision making.

 

Just as hospitals have to house shops that sell 'foods' medically proven to be extremely injurous to health (because they need the extra funds such sources provide), equally it has to appease the other private interests who provide much of it's funding, even if a healthy nation is counter to those companies interests.

 

On the positive side, more and more people are now becoming aware that the chronic illnesses that plague the developed nations i.e. heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer etc, are, in the main, caused by diet &, easily avoidable (via diet).

 

You sound a lot like a conspiracy nut.

[unbeliever]

It is true. Very obviously true

 

It's not staffed by quacks and witch doctors.

 

Certainly not dominated by such people.

Although "complementary and alternative" medicine such as homeopathy is often available. I got plenty of argument when I suggested forbidding cosmetic surgery in the NHS to free up cash for mental health. Anybody got a problem with getting shot of these "alternative" quacks?