the nhs

VTech

Make people pay for consultation, maybe for trauma visits etc, just like prescriptions etc.
I cant see why those that can pay should get endless free cover when originally it was meant to assist those that couldn't.
We have to face it that whilst some think they dont exist, I and people like me cant really stop the mindset of the freeloaders, its a sort of institutionalised medium now where "take" is the new 'earn'

I honestly feel guilty that I get free assistance for my son and his condition as the cost must be astronomical and just because I pay into the system doesnt make me feel better for taking so much out.

tiredofwhiners

VTech wrote:

I cant see why those that can pay should get endless free cover when originally it was meant to assist those that couldn't.

Because those who can pay, generally already pay for their own treatment and the treatment of others through their taxation payments. Remember that the 1% already pay for 30% of the Uk populations services and so they are not getting endless free cover.

Its the ones who cannot pay that get that.

VTech

Without wanting to upset people, even higher rate tax payers would rarely cover treatment of a medium seriousness.

-spider-

VTech wrote:

I honestly feel guilty that I get free assistance for my son and his condition as the cost must be astronomical and just because I pay into the system doesnt make me feel better for taking so much out.

Give as much as you can to charity then, VTech. I do what I can for Cancer Research, Marie Curie and the Highland Hospice. The last two, although not part of the NHS, worked seamlessly with them to help my wife through her illness which is why I support them. Cancer Research is my other choice as I want to do what I can to help reduce the incidence of this horrible disease.

The NHS should be free at the point of delivery (assessing how much to pay would be a costly nightmare). The fringe bodies (mostly charities) that work with the NHS help make the whole package worth saving. Health should never, ever be about profit.

VTech

-spider- wrote:

VTech wrote:

I honestly feel guilty that I get free assistance for my son and his condition as the cost must be astronomical and just because I pay into the system doesnt make me feel better for taking so much out.

Give as much as you can to charity then, VTech. I do what I can for Cancer Research, Marie Curie and the Highland Hospice. The last two, although not part of the NHS, worked seamlessly with them to help my wife through her illness which is why I support them. Cancer Research is my other choice as I want to do what I can to help reduce the incidence of this horrible disease.

The NHS should be free at the point of delivery (assessing how much to pay would be a costly nightmare). The fringe bodies (mostly charities) that work with the NHS help make the whole package worth saving. Health should never, ever be about profit.

I am involved heavily with several charities and have been involved in cancer charities since my wife's cousin died if breast cancer fifteen years ago, back then I didn't have a pot to pi55 in so money wasn't possible but we do a bit these days.

Last year we were told of a local girl who had some illness that meant that one day wen she woke up she had effectively forgot how to walk, at the age of 7 she could no longer walk and the nerves were not responding.
Nothing could be done in the UK but in Miami there was a specialist who used electrolysis to waken the nerves (I'm sure it's far more complex but its over my head). Anyway, the family had no chance of paying this and the NHS would not fund so we paid and 6 months later she was back walking and now if almost perfectly walking around.

I feel that people get paid back for what they do. For me it's been true, my mother in law with pancreatic cancer was treated totally on the NHS and was given the all clear (well, come back in 9 months clear) yesterday so were all happy.
My son is getting awesome service with his diabetis so we've nothing to ever complain about.
I'm happy to do whatever is possible as I'm sure most are.

Frank the tank

VTech wrote:

The problem is, we really are a country of people who say "it's not possible to police, what if this, what if that" and we never get anything done.
You only need to read the above for proof of that. I suggested for self inflicted injuries based on being drunk and next thing were talking about falling of a ladder and bike and so on.

It's been the blight of Britain for decades and I believe is so inbuilt into our nature now that we are at a point where something major needs to happen before we can ever fix it.
The sad thing is that we are a nation of clever people, we fix issues, we solve puzzles but allow lazy and foolish people change the building blocks of our future.
In general I honestly believe that people want to have better systems, better infrastructure so why don't we push these ?
I would suggest that people get concerned over the ones they will upset and decide its better to keep quiet.
Ill give a few examples.

1) second, third generation unemployed where not working is inbuilt into the family life where father, mother, kids, grand kids all don't work and have never shown and intention to work. These may be viewed as "leaches" by some but to councilers and MP's offer a good vote if security for them is maintained.

2) drug addicts who are happy to take medication and support from the NHS wihe it any real want of assistance costing billions overall when support and crime are counted.

3) fatties, people who get ill, need medication and support, will never work or add to the growth (no pun) of our country and will cost us a fortune by the time the fat has clogged the arteries so much that the ticker packs up.

4) drunks + binge drinkers, again, people that cost us a fortune and could easily be resolved with assistance and fines. The cost in this sector are astonishing.

5) assault and fighting, why should we pay ? Why don't courts make the guilty pay for the medical side as well as compensation to the victim ?

6) prisons, why can't we make them do hard labour and earn some of the costs they bear on society ?

7) dangerous sports, A&E burden of fixing people injured during dangerous sports.


There will be some who on the outside look like they fit into one of the categories I've mentioned. Maybe someone who is fat but maybe through no intention and doesnt eat 10,000 calories a day or someone who falls off a bike on a club Sunday ride.
I just don't agree with the argument that we can't police it because someone will say if you are mopping your floor at home and slip it will be classed as a dangerous situation and won't be covered so let's not put something into place.

I get problems everyday at work, I'm sure you all do but do we just drop our tools and stop ?
Yesterday I was working on a software that wasn't quite right, I ended up driving over 600 miles all told and didn't get home until 2.30am having left at 5am the previous day but I got it fixed.
We tried the "something isn't as it should be, let's down tools and wait for someone else to fix it" routine with our unions in the 80's (my childhood, and it destroyed business and killed tens of thousands of jobs.
These actions don't fix anything, they cause so many problems.
If something is wrong why shouldn't we have a try to resolve it ? Of course we can't make everyone happy and some will feel punished but if making people pay for foolish or even mildly silly behaviours offer us some benefits overall I'd sign up.
We may end up with a negative side, lets say my mom has 3 glasses of wine and falls and cracks her ankle and needs an OP and due to being over the limit is charged a fee then so be it. We owe it to ourself to at least try to get a fix.

Most of that is down to living in a free society where people are allowed to make lifestyle choices. The only way you'd "cure" some of those ills is by draconian measures.

I think this has gone well away from the NHS question as originally posted. What this thread has done is highlight how self-rightious,pious, blinkered, none thinking, self interested, head up their own @rse some posters on here are.

tim_wand

I ve certainly been guilty of abusing NHS services by going to my local A&E with my "Head stuck up my Arse"
Frank.

They advised me to stop reading the Daily Mail.

I think like most National Concerns in the Country which the Government cant privatise, its been managed into disarray .