Improving Economic Growth

[El Cid]

2 hours ago, Al Bundy said:

The NHS gets the biggest funding it's ever had to the tune of about 190 billion per year, with an increase I believe of about 3% per year since the Tories being in office.

Planned spending will increase to £190bn in 2024/25 but higher than expected inflation means that, on current plans, this would be a real-terms reduction in funding compared to 2022/23.  

https://www.health.org.uk/publications/long-reads/health-care-funding

 

NHS England has said it was ‘forced’ to cut primary care transformation funding last year due to inflation and energy cost pressures.

The national commissioner’s annual report for 2022/23, published yesterday, said it needed to find extra funding to cover higher energy costs and inflationary pressures.

As a result, NHSE had to cut other funding streams, particularly for primary care and digital investment.

The report said it was a ‘very challenging year’ for the NHS due to a ‘real terms cut in core funding’, a high rate of inflation, and operational pressures such as industrial action.

Recent figures showed that general practice funding per patient has seen a real terms cut of 7% since 2019.

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/practice-personal-finance/inflation-forced-nhs-england-to-cut-primary-care-funding-last-year/

[GabrielC]

10 hours ago, El Cid said:

They were discussing our NHS dentistry on the radio, saying its failing and could collapse completly.

We would then all need to go private.

The Tory plan in action.

[GabrielC]

5 hours ago, Al Bundy said:

The NHS gets the biggest funding it's ever had to the tune of about 190 billion per year, with an increase I believe of about 3% per year since the Tories being in office.

On the surface the figures sound good but much of that money ends up in the private sector not the NHS itself. Another cut that is never mentioned is to hospice care support funding. I support my local hospice though fund raising and get their newsletter it is struggling with higher costs like everyone is, if that closes it will be a disaster. Another Tory disgrace is they deny Personal Independence Payment to the terminal ill the hospice as had quite few cases like this it make me so angry but that's typical Tory for you.

[ads36]

5 hours ago, Al Bundy said:

The NHS gets the biggest funding it's ever had to the tune of about 190 billion per year, with an increase I believe of about 3% per year since the Tories being in office.

A) that's less than inflation.

 

B)  we have an aging population who need more care = the budget needs to increase by *more* than inflation.

[Delbow]

23 minutes ago, GabrielC said:

On the surface the figures sound good but much of that money ends up in the private sector not the NHS itself. 

I found out recently which country spends the most public money per capita - by far - on healthcare. Not Sweden or Denmark or France, but the USA. All of which goes to private companies who provide really poor value for money - it's essentially a handout for corporations. So yeah, given how much of the NHS has been hoovered up by private companies, just giving figures for overall spend doesn't really tell you much and certainly doesn't tell you how much gets spent on actual healthcare.

[ECCOnoob]

1 hour ago, ads36 said:

A) that's less than inflation.

 

B)  we have an aging population who need more care = the budget needs to increase by *more* than inflation.

Oh yes and are we going to suddenly increase taxes to 'more than inflation' levels to pay for it?  Is everyone's pay going to jump up to 'more than inflation levels' so they can afford it? What then will happen to all suppliers and equipment costs to the NHS do they suddenly increase their prices to 'more than inflation' levels? 

 

How do you think all that's going to reflect, you know, inflation.  

 

It really isn't that simple.

 

 

[ECCOnoob]

1 hour ago, Delbow said:

I found out recently which country spends the most public money per capita - by far - on healthcare. Not Sweden or Denmark or France, but the USA. All of which goes to private companies who provide really poor value for money - it's essentially a handout for corporations. So yeah, given how much of the NHS has been hoovered up by private companies, just giving figures for overall spend doesn't really tell you much and certainly doesn't tell you how much gets spent on actual healthcare.

Is it?   GP's and Dentistry have been a private  since the NHS was founded. They work as contractors to the NHS so every patient they have is an nice profit for their practice partnership. 

 

The NHS accounts state that spending within the private sector organisations is about 7% and mirroring the same as it's being years previous.

 

Full Fact organisation research also showed that the rise in spending on independent private companies for the NHS almost doubled under labour governments and predated the 2010 take over by the conservatives, so people need to stop portraying this as simply a Tory issue.

Reforms to the NHS and better integration with  private sector healthcare has being emerging since the 1970s.

[Al Bundy]

1 hour ago, ads36 said:

A) that's less than inflation.

 

B)  we have an aging population who need more care = the budget needs to increase by *more* than inflation.

C, Folk striking

 

D, increasing population.

[Anna B]

15 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

Well the country must be doing something right considering it's still the fourth largest exporter in the world.  The OEC says our biggest ones are gold, cars, petroleum and medicine.

 

By the way, we must be making some cars here Anna given we exported vehicles to the tune of £2.6 billion.  You do realise that our economy is not simply based on  company profits. Have you stopped to think for a second about all the materials that come into the country, all of the outside suppliers that make money off those big businesses, all of the hundreds of thousands of employees who get salary who then pay tax and spend in our country.  What about all the other taxes and charges and fees that companies have to face to export their products.  

 

How about our non physical economy. I know you think bankers and stockbtokers as  bogeyman number one but you also might like to know that London has recently over taken New York to become the biggest financial centre in the world.  Its reported the sector has had over 68% increase a foreign investment amounting to over 2 billion with new financial tech companies, investment banks and other white collar sectors opening premises creating over 15,000 jobs. There's been a decrease in the amount of office vacancies in the capital and over £4.2 trillion asset management for overseas clients.

 

That in turn then creates a whole other type of growth outside the capital for our ever growing service sector and management sector. IT development, hosting and processing services, technical administration, legal and regulatory services.....

 

The world of "industry" and what we "manufacture" for the world has evolved Anna. It is not all simply steel works and coal mines any more.

If everything is as good as you say, why are we in recession at the moment and flatlining at best? 

On the ground, I don't think many would disagree that things are in decline and getting worse. 

 

Why are our services continually and being starved of funding 'because we can't afford it?'

Why is our infrastructure crumbling and in need of major repair and restoration?

Why is there now a severe and measurable divide between the South East and the rest of the UK? 

Why is there a shortage of doctors and other highly qualified essential sector workers, in spite of  our Universities pumping out degrees to all and sundry? 

........ I could go on but you get the picture...

 

 

[ECCOnoob]

22 hours ago, Anna B said:

If everything is as good as you say, why are we in recession at the moment and flatlining at best?       

On the ground, I don't think many would disagree that things are in decline and getting worse. 

 

Why are our services continually and being starved of funding 'because we can't afford it?'

Why is our infrastructure crumbling and in need of major repair and restoration?

Why is there now a severe and measurable divide between the South East and the rest of the UK? 

Why is there a shortage of doctors and other highly qualified essential sector workers, in spite of  our Universities pumping out degrees to all and sundry? 

........ I could go on but you get the picture...

 

 

Its not in recession.  In fact economic analysts are forecasting that there will be some modest growth boosted by a faster than expected lowering of inflation and interest rates cut. 

 

I think many WOULD disagree that things are blanket 'in decline and getting worse'.  Despite still dealing with the impact of covid and global conflict, minimum wage increased, pensions increased, state benefits increased...

 

Public services are not 'starved of funding'.  The NHS and Social Care Budget was higher than last year reaching over £153 billion,  NHS staff numbers are up to 1.7 million employees,  Police workforce has increased by 19%,  we still have universal healthcare (despite that evil privatisation).

 

Our infrastructure is not all crumbling and in need of major repair.   Yes, SOME of it needs improvement but last time I checked the lights are still on, the water is still flowing, the transport is still running, the roads are still busy , the internet is still connected, the schools are still functioning, the shops are still stocked and people are getting on with their lives. 

 

There has always been a measurable divide with the South East.  Its where our capital is.  Its where most investment wants to be.  Its population is 2.2x the size of say Yorkshire and North East, over 3x the size of Scotland and over 5x the size of Wales.   That isnt going to change anytime soon.  

 

The shortage of doctors is being felt in nations across the word right now.   Its partly the reason why Australia and New Zealand are taking drastic measures to lure Brits abroad.  Recruitment is still being made a priority but there are other factors when it comes to retention.  The obvious one being that its hard for state funded NHS doctors to compete with the lure of private practice despite ever spiralling pay rises for public sector employees.  Medical degrees are very long to complete and expensive compared to other occupations.  There is a higher ratio of early retirement and pressures on trickle down skill sharing compared to other industries.   Its not just here, in France they have shortages with some estimated 7m people who dont have ready access to a GP.  There are  recruitment issues in Greece, Finland, Portugal and several African and Eastern nations are reported to be at critical levels.   Handing out degrees to all and sundry is a slight overreaction.  Besides, just because someone trains to be a lawyer, doctor, nurse, social worker, engineer doesnt automatically mean they become one. 

 

Yes, you could (and probably will) go on.   Yes we do get the picture.    You are a constant doom monger who always seems to portray that everything can magically be solved by your precious Labour Party and lots of state ownership.