Charging for hospital beds, and stopp... - Lung Conditions C...

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Charging for hospital beds, and stopping free prescriptions for pensioners and long term condition patients are proposed for funding NHS

O2Trees profile image
40 Replies

The King's Fund think tank's Barker Report published a few days ago has proposed the above and other changes to "sustainably" fund the NHS.

A good digest of this report is at the Open Democracy link below.

opendemocracy.net/ournhs/ca...

What will the BLF be doing to challenge these and other suggestions for the introduction of charging in the NHS and the dangers implicit in personal health budgets?

Diabetes UK is on record saying that personal health budgets are not appropriate for long term conditions such as diabetes. Will the BLF defend the rights of people with copd and other lung conditions in the same way?

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40 Replies
scrobbitty profile image
scrobbitty

Well that's a resounding silence!!!

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toscrobbitty

It is isn't it?!

chrissie53 profile image
chrissie53

I tend to ignore things like this,,it rears its head every now and again,,,,perhaps thats why there is silence

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply tochrissie53

Yes silence - everyone will sleepwalk into a disaster as no-one cares until it affects them personally. This is why the Darlo mums have organised the NHS march - they are concerned for the next generation, their kids. It is because people have made a fuss that things aren't worse than they are; many cuts in the NHS have already been well documented.

cofdrop-UK profile image
cofdrop-UK

Thank you 02 for this link. Just had an email from a friend who sent this in a form which could not be opened, so this was very timely.

This is very worrying indeed and no one can afford to be complacent. Let's hope BLF will indeed go on record too to defend their many members with chronic illness.

Thanks again

cx

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply tocofdrop-UK

Cheers cofdrop :)

Suzy6 profile image
Suzy6 in reply toO2Trees

Well said O2 and cofdrop. Where would we be today if the Suffergettes hadn't bothered and many more people. I'm emailing my MP. Spelt wrong I think but who cares you know who I mean. I will be with you in spirit O2 on Saturday. xx

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toSuzy6

Thanks so much Suzy :)

I hope so

peege profile image
peege

Hear hear O2

DozyDormouse profile image
DozyDormouse

And more echoes to the sound of silence. Soon we will all walk to the big white house and be taken by aliens when we reach 60. Oh I forgot there are no aliens.

N H S the Nasty Heartless Stinkers

Dozy :) x x x

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toDozyDormouse

Hmmm, NHP I'd say (Nasty Heartless Privatisers) :(

thanks o2 trees im in agreement , and I,d rather no than not no, xxx

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply to

Thanks for that twice, though Im not sure we can know anything at the mo since they are just proposals right now but i all these reports about charging and cuts must have the purpose of softening us up for … something.

in reply toO2Trees

its the something O2 Trees but its better knowing tho , its the waiting and knowing somethings going to happen but when tho, I might be wrong but ive always thought the tories would ruin the n, h, s , so its the waiting game and we have to keep as well as possible, its our condition and we know our bodys better than the dcs,, and if we need the dcs then we call them, that's our rights ,, so while there contemplating what there doing we take care of ourselves the best way we can,, we need medical attention we get it ,,xxx and thanks 02Trees for the post and look after yourself ye,

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply to

Thanks twice. You too.

Grast61 profile image
Grast61

How else can they continue to fund their over paid CEO's and their underpaid nurses

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toGrast61

Quite

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees

Thanks all for post-silence replies ;)

If some of you out there think those of us who care about what's happening in the NHS alarmist, just look at some examples:

20,000 NHS clinical posts already gone, including many many nursing staff;

10 A&Es closed in the London area alone;

Serco in Cornwall doing GP out of hours cover, when there was one weekend with just ONE GP for the whole of the county.

Now Serco have announced they are pulling out of healthcare as they can't make enough profit. What a sick joke. Maybe that's how the health service will ultimately be saved - private companies won't be able to make enough money for their shareholders.

In the meantime with threats of surgery closures all over the country,

a neighbouring town has a surgery which was taken over by a private company (Concordia) who have now pulled out leaving 5000 patients not knowing whether they will continue to have GPs and a surgery or not.

Happy days . . .

Puffthemagicdragon profile image
Puffthemagicdragon

I can see a revolution on the horizon.

Suzy6 profile image
Suzy6 in reply toPuffthemagicdragon

Hmm see you there Puff. Banner in hand?

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toPuffthemagicdragon

Great - see you at the barricades Puff.

But hey, this is England and television and consumerism are the opiate of the masses. But we can live in hope :)

Puffthemagicdragon profile image
Puffthemagicdragon in reply toO2Trees

Damn right too Suzy and O2 ! :)

A cant see no revolution lambs to saluter comes to mind

Ad be surprised if thay wanted to spend £1 on us and ederly

A think o2 trees is right ... is shocking whats going on .. and be tolate when its gone

Workers sick ederaly are classed as expendable resource ... lets face it we all watch news there storming ferries to get here so whats that mean if your so easly replaced

Great post o2trees very informative

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply to

Thanks Daz, you take care.

That's outrageous. So if you can't afford it they will leave you at home to die..

Offcut profile image
Offcut

Longevity

Life expectancy

1948 Men: 66 Women: 71

2012 Men: 78 Women: 82

Population in UK

1941 38,084,321+1.9%

1951 38,668,830+1.5%

1961 41,159,213+6.4%

1971 43,460,525+5.6%

1981 45,978,080+5.8%

1991 48,197,672+4.8%

2001 49,138,831+2.0%

2011 53,012,456+7.9%

It can only put a strain on it. I think the NHS is a fine institution but is at breaking point. I would like to see a £20.00 Charge at A & E for those that go and could of been treated at a GP/chemist ( those on Benefit would not pay) Why pay some managers as much as £250,000 a year to run a hospital?

Suzy6 profile image
Suzy6 in reply toOffcut

Thanks Daz for the info. I agree time wasters at A & E charge. Managers are overpaid and underworked. I know from relations in NHS.

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toSuzy6

Agree managers are overpaid Suzy. Also how infuriating it is having time wasters at A&E.

I was waiting one evening at Homerton (London) A&E (in 2001, easily remembered as i was moving to Kent the next morning) to have plaster cast on fractured ankle; big delay but everyone being quiet and patient. Then a nurse came in and apologised for the long wait, saying there'd been a big road accident with lots of children very badly hurt so they had to see to them first. Everyone of course understood except one man who went up to the desk: "what about my verruka? WHAT ABOUT MY VERRUCCA? I NEED SOMEONE TO SEE IT NOW". I kid you not.

BUT i don't agree with charging even these idiots as the point of the NHS was/is that treatment to all should be free at point of delivery. And you can imagine how much it would cost to administer a charging system.

I feel as outraged by the number of DNAs at surgeries and outpatient appointments. You're never going to be able to stop it completely but in many areas they send reminder texts and this has cut down DNAs a lot.

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toOffcut

Im not sure you're right, offcut, that the reason for NHS being at breaking point is the rise in population and greater longevity.

They are problems it needs to address of course, but not reason it's currently in such a bad state.

In 2010 approval ratings for NHS were the highest they had ever been. Since then we've had the most destructive and expensive reorganisation of the NHS ever; cuts to its budget of a size never before seen. This is why its in such a mess.

The government propaganda was that the reorganisation would increase patient choice, and put GPs in charge of local healthcare. Now the GP system is collapsing all around us with practices under threat of closure with the pressure that's been put on GPs, and reduction in funding to surgeries.

Having made such a mess of it the government and think tanks like the Kings Fund are now saying that the NHS is unsustainable. This is nonsense - the UK spend less of their GDP on healthcare than virtually all other developed nations - e.g. half as much as the U.S.

Your proposed A&E charge just suggests how successful this propaganda has been.

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply toO2Trees

The main reason for the charge was to stop the many time wasters that I have seen there time and again. I have not said it is the reason I stated it can only add to the strain it is under. One of the biggest problems is governments are on a 5 year plan most industries work on a 10 year plan. They see votes and push the time boundaries which causes errors in the NHS to meet unrealistic deadlines.

Suzy6 profile image
Suzy6 in reply toOffcut

Oh dear just seen my mistake. So So sorry Offcut. Thank you.

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees

Sorry if i misunderstood you - i thought you were giving the longevity/population info as reason for NHS being at breaking point.

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply toO2Trees

It cannot help. But I do not want to see a private based system I would like them to listen to the people on the front line. not some one with an idea that sounds like a plan? What I would like is those that have enough money make a moral stand and pay for their treatment instead of buying a Rolls.

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply toOffcut

I agree, Offcut, the rich should pay but i'd like it to be through a fairer tax system with tax dodging loopholes plugged so that everyone including companies pay an amount which genuinely reflects their income/profit. If the rich pay the NHS directly for their treatment, we will inevitably end up with healthcare which reflects that - poor people's care will be less.

And listen to those on the front line who really know what they're taking about? Now there's a novel idea

onamission profile image
onamission

As you know I worked for the NHS and many times I would turn up for my shift and the old person who had her hip replaced and ready for home was unable to go home because her relatives did not want her home or the nursing home could not take her this is called bed blocking and cost the NHS millions.

Then we had people blocking the clinics again costing the NHS a fortune and taking up unnecessary appointments and this goes on today.

I have never been given free prescription for my inhalers what I don't understand is people who are diabetic get free prescriptions I have no problem with insulin they need that to live but why should the get all meds free.

I have no objection to people who have retired getting free prescriptions but I think DR should only prescribe meds that can't be brought over the counter

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees

I agree, its a weird anomaly, onamission. My partner needed thyroxine way before her retirement and that was free too. She was told it was because thyroxine was defined as a "replacement therapy", i.e. for something the body would normally produce but then didn't, or not enough.

So this would apply to diabetes too, and i guess some other conditions i can't think of.

But it gets weirder as under this rule, ALL her prescriptions were free, not just the thyroxine. And i assume that is also the case for diabetes and the other conditions which require replacement therapy prescriptions.

BRAD345 profile image
BRAD345

Never mind when Scotland vote yes,we will save more more money for the NHS

Puffthemagicdragon profile image
Puffthemagicdragon

People who inflict injuries on themselves, like people who drink too much on a Friday night, should pay.

onamission profile image
onamission

The NHS has no room for politics and the sooner the NHS is run and politicians keep their nose out the better.

We are about to loose our A&E this is down to the idiots on the board we had one labour councillor who sat on the board who lived in Tenerife, not only did he introduce hospital parking but he was responsible for us joining a hospital up the road we took on their 17 million debt no you know why I bang on about labour and they put sanction's on the NHS which have destroyed the NHS.

I know Scotland and Wales get free meds and I have no problem with people getting insulin free I object to them getting all meds free.

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