Boris Johnson Apologises After Four-Year-Old Boy Had To Sleep On Hospital Floor

originally posted by: Metallicus
How is a world leader going to micro-manage the entire health system?

Didn't some obscure American once address such things?

originally posted by: Freeborn


The NHS should be apolitical and we shouldn't allow any of our politicians anywhere near it.

Totally agree. And Education should be the same.

However, it is simple fact that funding increases year on year for both the NHS and Education, so as well them being off limits, politicians should also be honest about that. Doesn't matter if Tory or Labour, in power they both consistently increase funding whilst the opposition poses for media sound bites saying cuts, blah blah blah.......

a reply to: Flavian

But I guess its about how that funding gets spent.....and that's where effective and professional management should play its part......unfortunately its sadly lacking far too often at present hence the ridiculous amounts of wastage, over spending and unfit or inferior supplies being used.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: Metallicus
How is a world leader going to micro-manage the entire health system?

Didn't some obscure American once address such things?

Whose decisions brought the NHS to where it is though? The buck stops here does not mean to take responsibility for decisions that happened by previous administrations.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: Metallicus
How is a world leader going to micro-manage the entire health system?

Didn't some obscure American once address such things?

Whose decisions brought the NHS to where it is though? The buck stops here does not mean to take responsibility for decisions that happened by previous administrations.

No, but it means that you step up and deal with it. It's called leadership.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: Metallicus
How is a world leader going to micro-manage the entire health system?

Didn't some obscure American once address such things?

Whose decisions brought the NHS to where it is though? The buck stops here does not mean to take responsibility for decisions that happened by previous administrations.

No, but it means that you step up and deal with it. It's called leadership.

I do not disagree with that. Honestly I think any solution will have to include all UK taxpayers paying about an extra $1100 pounds for salary increases. Otherwise the staffing shortage will never be resolved.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
Honestly I think any solution will have to include all UK taxpayers paying about an extra $1100 pounds for salary increases. Otherwise the staffing shortage will never be resolved.

Or...it could follow up on the tax cheats revealed in the Panama Papers. For starters.

a reply to: Freeborn

Well teaming up or involving our NHS with any American big pharma maybe not the best of ideas where unfit or inferior supplies are concerned.

So if the Tories do gain a majority lets hope Boris don't give them an inroad there.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Well, my estimate is you need to increase spending by about $50 billion just for the employees you currently have, you will have to then increase it further for new hires. Right now you are paying nurses the same as burger flippers in America make.

a reply to: andy06shake

I am not in favor of a NHS system here in America, I know you guys like it though so I truly hope you guys get it solved and make it work for you. Unfortunately it is probably is similar to the US where no party wants to help the in power party fix it and give them political points, and no party can solve it on their own.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

I hear that.

Politics and politicians don't solve much over here at the moment.

A sad state of affairs and then some.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

The real problem is that we have had at least 50 years of politicians promising the earth whilst at the same time promising to keep taxes low (ish). These two things aren't compatible.

The NHS is a prime example. We are better at medicine now and as a result people are living longer. Add a larger population and those two issues alone put an exponentially larger strain on the NHS.

Then you add in basics of society like road maintenance (as opposed to building new roads, an extra issue entirely), better transportation systems, education, etc, all whilst keeping taxes low.

Politicians need to be honest. If we as a society expect all this then we as a society have to pay for it. Unfortunately though, the lie is so entrenched now that to be this honest would be political suicide.

Shame on them but also shame on us for believing we could have everything for nothing.

a reply to: Flavian

If you find one of those honest politicians i think you win a hat and balloon.

a reply to: andy06shake

I agree entirely on that point.

But it doesn't in any way excuse the other failings within the NHS that we can demand to be improved upon.

If we want to see the NHS become the thing it both could and should be we need to be honest and truthful and address all its failings and not just those that fit in with our own personal predisposed political viewpoints.

Serial piss poor management, cronyism, backhanders and wastage need to be sorted out and eradicated.

As noted, it seems this process was begun under many politicians and yes the sitting leader catches the flack there is plenty to spread around:

It boils down to you either put more money in the program and that is specifically the people working there or you reduce services. Its really that simple.

As I alluded to before however, there are elements to this story that really looked hyped up for political purposes.

The NHS to an outsider looking in, looks like a system that excels at the prevention aspect but once people get sick it runs into trouble. The Kaiser HMO system here int he US is a prime example. Healthy and routine well checkups? your good, get sick and its rough

a reply to: Freeborn

I have already seen a working NHS Freeborn, without such, my brother would not have received a heart operation at birth, medication and then heart transplant at around 30, to save his life.

Nor the other drugs or additional costly anti-rejection medications that allow him to continue to survive.

Point of fact the Man is currently admitted to a hospital in Newcastle awaiting an angiogram because they seem to have found an issue.

The NHS do their job with limited amounts of time, resource, and manpower they have available.

Somehow i imagine its the wastage and backhanders in Westminster that should be sorted out and eradicated.

Essentially we need to cut the head of the Chicken first.

a reply to: andy06shake

I have nothing but praise and admiration for our NHS and the wonderful and caring people employed in it.

Without the NHS my younger brother would have died 40 years ago and my older brother would have had a thoroughly miserable existence.
I have countless experiences of the NHS which only shows it in good light.

However, and its a bloody big however, I also know that there is endemic waste in the NHS.
I know that most hospitals and trusts are exceptionally poorly managed.
And I know that suppliers dish out freebies and 'brown envelopes' on a regular basis in order to get buyers/specialists to buy their supplies regardless of cost efficiency and suitability.

That simply has to be stopped.

Of course you are right about Westminster.....but it has zero relevance when discussing the NHS.
Those who infest the place need rooting out and eradicating.....being banned from any position of power or influence and the whole system radically reformed.
But that wouldn't address many of the existing problems within the NHS.

I passionately support the NHS and would actively protest and do anything to prevent its privatisation but to ignore the blatant and obvious problems and faults that currently exist in it do it and us no favours at all.
Simply throwing money at the NHS without addressing other endemic problems would not be a cure all.

a reply to: Freeborn

Fling money where it needs to be flung is my thinking where the NHS is concerned.

But not willy-nilly obviously wasted resources and mismanagement needs to be addressed.

Do you imagine Boris will passionately support the NHS, coz im just not seeing that one given a rats-arse if I'm honest.

a reply to: andy06shake

Of course I don't think for one minute that Boris will prove any different from any other Tory Prime Minister.

You know the contempt in which I hold him.

I think he'll # this country up well and truly, just in different ways than that other incompetent, self-promoting arsehole Corbyn would do.

a reply to: Freeborn

My thinking is less poor and disabled people will be culled under Corbyn than Boris all the same.

At least with a Labour gooberment the rich bastards might get a bite taken out there apple also.

The problem is that its a vote for the lesser of two evils.

We are supposed to vote for Politicians that will better the nation and fix the problems associated with today's world, not just the ones that will screw it up less than the opposition.

Indicative of the sate of the UK political system really, no wonder Trumps got his eye on our balls. LoL