Value and protect our NHS

[LAJ123]

Protect the NHS. Know the value of our Health Service.

This morning I've just been on a Liver disease Facebook support forum and this is a quote from an American talking about her husbands liver disease.

" Yes I know. But I feel it's acceptance of what he really does have. He's also worried that without insurance he doesn't have much of a fight. He feels like there is nothing the doctors will do because we can't afford it and no insurance. He kinda does feel like its a death sentence"

Contracts to run parts of the NHS are already in the hands of big business.

I know some here will not want politics in this forum. But our health care is always going to be a political issue so its relevant to supporting ourselves and each other.

We all have different views on politics and this is not the place to discuss the merits of the different parties. Who you vote for is irrelevant, just let those in power know health affects us all regardless of our place in society and we must keep the NHS true to its founding principles.

Jim and Lucy

[RodeoJoe]

I don't think it is irrelevant who you vote for if your main concern is the NHS. All other policies aside, under a Conservative government the NHS will be faced further into privatisation. Under Labour the current privatised bits of the NHS will be brought back into the public sector.

I just felt that needed clarifying as not everyone is aware of this!

[Hidden in reply to RodeoJoe]

I agree completely with Joe. Healthcare in USA should be a warning to us to vote to protect NHS. Let's not pretend that both major parties share the same view.

[Jahida]

If the Tories get in then we will start having the same struggles as many Americans do. As much as it is political, we need to realise this effects the British liver forum members. Many of us are dependent on medicines which people like myself already have to pay for. It isn't cheap and I don't work but because my husband has a good job, I have to pay. Then we have our clinic appointments. Imagine being treated like a customer and a consultant only wants to see you when you contact them? At least in the UK we share a rapport with our consultants whereas from what I've read, this isn't the case in the states. You are simply a customer who is here to pay them and they'll advice you. Another thing is, I've also read how anti rejection medicines get changed when insurance decides that the generic version is cheaper. Imagine being in that position? My consultants were very strict that I take Prograf that is supplied by Astellas. My GP was messing me about so then my consultant decided that they will prescribe the medicine so there's no goof up!

When I go to my appointments, I do feel that my consultants that I see, they care.

Hoping the team that speaks the truth and adheres to it, wins by a mile!

[LAJ123]

Joe and Mike and Jahida,

Of course it matters who you vote for and yes its obvious which party will protect the NHS. I just didn't want to be partisan. I respect that others will have political views different to mine so I kept it neutral.

Having said that - my only option is tactical voting because of where I live. It feels wrong to vote for the 'wrong' party, but if that's what it takes - -

Jim

[RodeoJoe in reply to LAJ123]

This small film just came out on my FB stream. It's not pro Labour just Anti Conservative.

youtube.com/watch?v=HUGAcyX...(Not working as expected?)

[LAJ123]

Thanks - posted it on in Facebook

[PeterP54]

To a large extent, we already have a privatised NHS. I pay for my eye test at the opticians. I pay for a NHS dental check and IIRC it costs about £50 for a filling on the NHS. I paid for my prescriptions until I got PTLD.

Co-funding will probably come it at some future date for GP/Hospital consultations / treatment. In my view however the current crisis in the NHS is being caused because of the success of drug companies and doctors coming up with more expensive and successful ways to keep us alive. And with that extra life we get more illnesses leading to more demand and cost.

We already have rationing. I think it is the case that there is an upper age limit for receiving transplants but I have no problem if, under the management of the NHS, privatised medical firms can provide better and/ or cheaper care than the NHS currently can.

Yes we have a large number of immigrants working in care and the NHS and I don't see why that should change. I don't think that any of our political parties are planning to expel them. Because for so long successive governments (red and blue) mis-managed our pension / NI contributions we need more workers today to support each retired person through their NI contributions so anyone forcing out immigrants would be causing a monster of a problem.

The video is highly partisan. It doesn't tell the full story and is thus misleading. It won't change the way I vote. btw I am a liver transplant survivor (11 years) and a PTLD survivor (4 years).

[RodeoJoe in reply to PeterP54]

Everyone's entitled to vote for whomever they want. But I have to say that video was not partisan. In fact if you watched it until the end it's said a couple of times that you should vote for any party bar the conservatives.

[PeterP54 in reply to RodeoJoe]

It looks and sounds partisan to me. It is definitely mis-leading because it does not tell the full story and I don't think that anyone can argue with that.

[RodeoJoe in reply to PeterP54]

Explain partisan, because my understanding is it would be for a particular party, and it's not. And I'd argue that it tells the full story about how these particular NHS employees feel about what a Conservative government would do to the NHS. You'll find very few NHS workers supporting the Tories. Like I say I'm not telling you who to vote for, it's your choice. But don't say that video is spin, because it's independent of ant particular party agenda.

[PeterP54 in reply to RodeoJoe]

It's obviously a professionally produced video. With so many people taking part it could only have been produced by an organisation of some sort. You have to wonder why they did not put their name to it. I have done a little bit more research and it appears to be linked to the Unite union. I doubt they would be spinning for anyone but Labour.

[RodeoJoe in reply to PeterP54]

Yes I think you're correct it was put together by a union. However the people in it were not politicians, and I don't believe you'd find a group of medical professionals who would actually back the Tories.

Anyway I also found this film. Watch out for Boris at the end.

youtu.be/gpSIzx0Ta0Y(Not working as expected?)

[PeterP54 in reply to RodeoJoe]

Good for a laugh. Cleverley done.

[LAJ123]

If voting is an expression of your own self interest, I fail to see how a recipient of the very best that the NHS can offer could possibly support having it dismantled and sold to the highest bidder.

Dental and prescription charges have always been in place apart from a period of four years. Prescriptions where also free from 1965 until 1968. So bringing them into the argument doesn't really add anything meaningful. The upper age for a transplant is not rationing, its simply choosing those most likely to survive. The only element of rationing is not because of financial constraint but a simple lack of donor organs.

In the news just today, a failing GP practice in Basingstoke, lost five GPs leaving patients fearful for the future of their health provision. The practice is owned by a private company. Last week The GP conference in Edinburgh, voted for bringing in charges due to chronic underfunding.

We are at a crossroads and giving 'them' a free rein for another five years will be voting for the loss of something that we, as people highly dependent upon the NHS, cannot afford to lose.

Jim

[PeterP54 in reply to LAJ123]

My politics are pretty much central (in my view) and I have voted left and right in the past. Letting Labour in again with the current policies would be absolutely ruinous for the country as a whole. No way do I want a return to the 70's when the country seemed to be run by the unions and that's what the Labour Party seem intent on us returning to if elected.

[RodeoJoe in reply to PeterP54]

The only thing 70's about their manifesto is trade unions in every work place. Personally I'd like to see a bit more power to the Labour forces in areas like retail (sport direct) and these other zero hour contract jobs. We should be protecting our rights as workers. At least in the 70s there were jobs for life and employers felt responsible for employees. I've been made redundant 4 times all with minimum payments and I've only worked 20 years and half of those doing self employed contract work.

[PeterP54 in reply to RodeoJoe]

Sorry to hear about your redundancies. It only happened to me twice. The first time was voluntary and I was glad to leave but the second time was certainly linked to my transplant but I was glad to leave there as well. Both times I was fortunate to walk straight into other jobs.

Labour's economics don't add up. Diane Abbott still cannot get the costs of extra police correct in my view. She has forgotten employers NI and pension contributions and the extra cost of supervising and training all the new Bobbies. Too many of the shadow cabinet aren't up to it and continually embarrass the party. The Leadership still do not command the confidence of the majority of MPS (or at least those in place before the dissolution). There are many things I don't like about the Conservatives but looking at the big picture, they are best placed to run the country at the moment.