Reform Of The Nhs

[harvey19]

48 minutes ago, L00b said:

Sorry harvey, I was editing - see my final paragraph in my earlier post.

 

The population is generally happy with the way things are. Even with the extension of social and healthcare cover to border workers (people working in Lux but living next door in France, Belgium, Germany, who are entitled to Lux social security cover and benefits with their families - which is better than FR/BE/DE, by some distance).

 

They know which side of their socio-economic bread is buttered. So do their MPs.

Thank you.

[spilldig]

16 hours ago, Anna B said:

Personally, l am not against some sort of reasonable 'token ' payment, but l think people are scared of where it will lead.

When people see how much they have to pay for dental treatment, and are reduced to selling their houses to pay for social care you can't blame them. Remember charges for prescriptions started at less than £1 but are now around £10 an item. The doctors dish pills out like smarties and 3 or 4 items soon add up.

 

Boob jobs are not available on the nhs, and never have been, only medical treatment like the one you mention. Whether 'back ache' still counts l don t know, but l can tell you from experience it can be a very real thing. (No l haven't had it done but l could do with it.) Neither are a number of procedures that used to be possible on the NHS.

Even knee and hip ops are in such short supply some people are having to go private because they just can't wait. Pain can be unbearable.

It's no surprise either that people are choosing to go abroad for treatment too. (How come they can afford to do it for a fraction of the price?)

 

My biggest concern is that if personal health insurance comes in, a whole raft of people won't be eligible for it. The elderly for instance', and those born with congenital (and expensive) illnesses. And those that develop long term conditions which require frequent hospital care.

 

As for the irresponsible users 'who go jumping off roofs...' l don't disagree, but where do you draw the line?  Do you include Rock climbers? ...Skiers What about smokers?  Drinkers, the Obese - (does that include people on steroids?)  Mountain Bikers? People who don t get any exercise at all...?  You see what l mean? Life is dangerous, nobody gets out alive.

It would be a legal minefield. Insurance companies are driven by profit and do their best to refuse paying out. The only ones getting any money would be the lawyers.

 

There has to be a better system than that.

As far as I know the whole of the UK pays the same NI so I don't know how it is prescriptions are allowed to be free in Wales and Scotland?

Edited November 23, 2022 by spilldig

[spilldig]

15 hours ago, harvey19 said:

With means testing it could mean those paying most into the system get the least out of it.

It's also a very slippery slope harvey. I remember in the days of the Wilson government anyone who was working, even in the lowest paid job was classed as wealthy.

[Dromedary]

3 hours ago, spilldig said:

As far as I know the whole of the UK pays the same NI so I don't know how it is prescriptions are allowed to be free in Wales and Scotland?

It's because of devolution as those devolved areas can decide how the money they get is spent.

[spilldig]

23 hours ago, Dromedary said:

It's because of devolution as those devolved areas can decide how the money they get is spent.

Yes I realise that, but the powers that be down at Westminster should have been up in arms about it, crying that everyone should pay the same because everyone paid the same in.  I am not debating wether we should pay £9 or not just that whatever the cost the whole of the  UK should be paying the same.

[Dromedary]

52 minutes ago, spilldig said:

Yes I realise that, but the powers that be down at Westminster should have been up in arms about it, crying that everyone should pay the same because everyone paid the same in.  I am not debating wether we should pay £9 or not just that whatever the cost the whole of the  UK should be paying the same.

No, one of the ideas behind devolution is to give autonomy to the devolved areas on how they divide up and spend the money given to them. They get a set amount for the NHS and because of regional variations in population etc they spend that money accordingly as that's how devolution works. Same goes for education and other aspects of funding.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Dromedary

[alchresearch]

 

NHS spent £66 million on translation and interpreting services in 2019/2020

https://multilingual.com/nhs-spent-66-million-on-translation-and-interpreting-services-in-2019-2020-new-study-from-inbox-translation-finds/

 

Be interesting to see how much other countries spend.   I believe you need your own interpreter in some countries if there's nobody already employed who knows some English.

[Anna B]

1 hour ago, alchresearch said:

hardly NHS spent £66 million on translation and interpreting services in 2019/2020

https://multilingual.com/nhs-spent-66-million-on-translation-and-interpreting-services-in-2019-2020-new-study-from-inbox-translation-finds/

 

Be interesting to see how much other countries spend.   I believe you need your own interpreter in some countries if there's nobody already employed who knows some English.

A bit off topic, but I do think all immigrants should learn English as part of their path to citizenship. Especially those unfortunate women who hardly ever venture into the outside world. 

[Baron99]

10 minutes ago, Anna B said:

A bit off topic, but I do think all immigrants should learn English as part of their path to citizenship. Especially those unfortunate women who hardly ever venture into the outside world. 

I'd say  that alchresearch has legitimately highlighted the fact that the NHS has had to spend £66 million of its budget in 2019/20 on translation & interpreters is bang on topic as previously a number of posts have highlighted the waste of financial resources.  This money could have been used for medical procedures /  equipment or maintenance of equipment. 

[Anna B]

1 hour ago, Baron99 said:

I'd say  that alchresearch has legitimately highlighted the fact that the NHS has had to spend £66 million of its budget in 2019/20 on translation & interpreters is bang on topic as previously a number of posts have highlighted the waste of financial resources.  This money could have been used for medical procedures /  equipment or maintenance of equipment. 

Yes it could. But how do you cope with someone who speaks not a word  of English and cannot describe their illness /problem to the doctor? It's a genuine problem which isn't simply going to go away.