NHS row woman undergoes surgery

The pensioner who became the focus of a political row over the NHS after her shoulder operation was repeatedly cancelled has undergone surgery.

Margaret Dixon is being treated at Warrington General Hospital following her surgery on Wednesday.

The Tories highlighted Mrs Dixon's case after she claimed surgery on her broken shoulder was cancelled seven times.

The hospital said it was cancelled three times, due to unavailability of a high dependency bed.

The Tories argued Mrs Dixon's case highlighted Labour's failure to address the problem of cancelled NHS operations.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Mrs Dixon's cases was brought to public light by the tories about how recent troubles with the NHS, operation being cancelled, but final she has had it done. Tories were accused of using her and her family as political pawns in their game to win the election, but many have tried using medical cases in the past and have always failed when it came to the election. Its good news that Mrs Dixon has had it done and now she can get on with her life.

She was a political tool in a rather harsh game of political tennis, but she got her operation so I guess thats good.

Her situation is proof that Labour hasn't turned the NHS into a super service, its still mis-managed and lacking in proper reform, which non of the main parties are willing to under take,

Originally posted by UK Wizard
She was a political tool in a rather harsh game of political tennis, but she got her operation so I guess thats good.

yeah, she caught up but she was using the politicans aswell so she could get her operation.

Originally posted by UK Wizard
Her situation is proof that Labour hasn't turned the NHS into a super service

- Oh Wizard you are a laugh.
The fact that this was the best the tories could come up with (ie a begrudging 'fair enough, it's better but it isn't perfection') actually speaks volumes to all open enough to see it.

There are enough of us that actually have had cause to use hospitals that can see the difference (as opposed to those who haven't been near one in many moons and accept a 'newspaper' version of events).

its still mis-managed and lacking in proper reform, which non of the main parties are willing to under take,

- It's not perfect and it never will be.

It is for all that immeasurably better than it has been for a long long while (in fact it's now probably better than it has ever been).

If you wish to discard improvements by all means feel free but I hardly think that is reasonable and I imagine most of the wider public would agree.

Considering what most of us pay in this country we get a pretty good deal with the NHS, IMO.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
- Oh Wizard you are a laugh.

Glad I keep you amused

There are enough of us that actually have had cause to use hospitals that can see the difference (as opposed to those who haven't been near one in many moons and accept a 'newspaper' version of events).

I'm sorry I have personal family experience of how the NHS is terrible, only one experience but its been carved into my mind.

If you wish to discard improvements by all means feel free but I hardly think that is reasonable and I imagine most of the wider public would agree.

Oh course there's been improvements, throw enough money at something and its bound to work better.

Considering what most of us pay in this country we get a pretty good deal with the NHS, IMO.

But are we happy with a pretty good deal or do we want more?

Originally posted by UK Wizard
Glad I keep you amused

- Heres hoping it goes around a little too.

I'm sorry I have personal family experience of how the NHS is terrible, only one experience but its been carved into my mind.

- Well, ok, I doubt anyone's able to always experience the good but I have personally had experience of UK hospitals before this gov and during.

The difference has been at times IMO startling.

Oh course there's been improvements, throw enough money at something and its bound to work better.

- But that is just it Wizard, how are 'most people' meant to gauge this?

The tories say it is a case of wasting money and yet measurable improvements are now pretty much visible to all (so what else have they left to say) but since when were the general public able to discern the truth of that idea of 'value'?

I see an improving service after years of decline under the other lot.

I also see the other lot trotting out the same old crap they did all those years ago (ie "oh no, we'll not be making cuts, we'll just be reducing the rate of increase on the spending to something we think the country can better afford......" and all that other crap disgusing tax cuts and additional reliefs for the already super-wealthy here. Cue declining wrecked NHS).

But are we happy with a pretty good deal or do we want more?

- Well frankly me old mucker I want to see the public services improving.

So I'll stick with those with a track record demonstrating improvement, rather than take a chance on the other crowd who. despite continually claiming they have changed so much - even though they are sounding exactly like they did frst time around, did so much to get them into the terrible state they were in in the 1st place.....

....(fortune telling time again) as I suspect will the country come may.

Upon searching the web for NHS related news articles, I found a few articles that show that the NHS isn't as good as the spin doctors make out, happy reading.

BBC - £340 Predicted Deficit for Hospitals

BBC - Complaints Ignored

BBC - Ops Cancelled Last Minute

BBC - Rural Health Lacking

Originally posted by UK Wizard
Upon searching the web for NHS related news articles, I found a few articles that show that the NHS isn't as good as the spin doctors make out, happy reading.

- If you can show me a health dare system in the world that is without fault Wizard feel free.

(......and I have yet to see anyone claiming the NHS is perfection. What we can say, though, is that by almost every measure there is it is greatly improved on what has gone before.

.....and all done without enormous tax rises on everyone either)

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
- If you can show me a health dare system in the world that is without fault Wizard feel free.

Now now we both know such a thing can't exist.

.....and all done without enormous tax rises on everyone either)

What! Of course tax have gone up at enormous rate, the council tax is a prime example.

Originally posted by UK Wizard
Now now we both know such a thing can't exist.

- ........so we attempt to be a little more objective in our assessment of the situation?

What!

- I said .....and all done without enormous tax rises on everyone either.

You're not getting a few sight problems there Wizard are you?

Of course tax have gone up at enormous rate, the council tax is a prime example.

- No they have not "gone up at an enormous rate".

Certainly not for most in the UK.

It's true that some taxes have gone up but to move on from that and try to claim that UK taxes overall are comparitively high is a nonsense.

Overall UK taxes on companies and individuals might not be quite as low as they once were (and even then that calculation is distorted by the super-wealthy who paid such a disproportionatley low % of income in tax) but one cannot in all seriousness attempt to claim the UK is a 'high tax economy' today.