Sign the open letter for politicians to work to... - Thyroid UK
Sign the open letter for politicians to work together on the NHS
Already signed, but great idea to post it on here. We need all the help we can get.
Signed 😴
Signed for sure let's save and help the NHS thank you we can do this..💗
Happy to sign if you tell me where I can get it
Click on the link. That will take you to the page, and you just fill in your name, email address and post code. Then click on Add My Name. Simple!
Done greygoose I used my old postcode in the UK to sign. Oh, my bad.
Hi there - I'm really conflicted about signing. The last Labour government just threw huge amounts at the NHS and all it did was, yet again, increase the number of managers/admin staff and inflate the salaries of those at the level of doctor and above (because the GMC manages 'differentials' with the grim determination of a dog protecting a bone). So, in my opinion, more money is pointless without root and branch reform. And I know of what I speak - in France, where I used to work, the salary of a doctor is that of a 'normal' professional (ie a graduate - and not a 'member of the professions' like lawyers/solicitors etc). That keeps their staff costs at a vaguely sensible level - the reason is historic: the French revolution got rid of the majority of the upper and upper middle classes (hence everyone with a vested interest in the status quo) and life went on from there, with educated people getting a salary, rather than a salary inflated by their ability to manipulate the system.
We didn't have that - and consequently the major professions still have a stranglehold and inflated salaries, compounded by silly gestures like the GP package Mr Blair paid, which inflated GPs salaries beyond reason and turned them into employers running small businesses (I don't know any doctors who were actually interested in that, but they were interested in the huge salary increase).
Anyway, without root and branch reform of the salary structure, and a legal limit on managers/admin numbers/pay (we passed the "more managers than patients" level years ago) I feel quite strongly that more money thrown at the NHS will never trickle down to the level where its being spent on patients. I've noticed that here in Kent, although population is going through the roof, there's still attempts to 'save money' by closing services. We have mega hospitals which cannot be reached because of traffic now - which will worsen as the population inexorably increases ....
Takes ages anyway so agreeing the principle is what its about. Lots coming out about inflated salaries and mediocre managers.Lets establish the principle first 'the NHS is worth saving'. Thanks for thinking though.
Totally disagree with you about France having 'got rid of the majority of the upper and upper middle classes'. But never mind, I'm not going to argue about it. Perhaps there should be a revolution in the UK, then? I'm sure there are plenty who would willing sit knitting at the foot of the guillotine.
well, it was in the 1790s, and I also wouldn't disagree about the possibility of the upper/upper middle classes having returned en masse!
But it does worry me that the only answer being suggested to the NHS problem is 'throw money at it' - I even heard mention of a 'hypothecated tax' for the NHS. Now, I was under the impression that National Insurance was to pay for 'the health of the nation' (ie its already hypothecated - unlike Road Tax - and why are the 'lovvies' using words like this? So that the public has no chance at understanding? It means, I think, ring-fenced) so why would we need another one? And Mr Blair's increase in NI (1% was it?) was the huge amount of money that actually went to the NHS. So, we have a situation in which huge amounts of money solved nothing, huge increase in population ongoing - and the answer is huge amounts of more money? Anyway, I suppose I actually will sign the petiton, having weighed the pros and cons, doing something is better than doing nothing.
i worked as a very low level paper pusher a few years ago in a local hospital - it was put into a trust 15 miles away with another hospital or 2 that had no natural transport links and no natural connections. All the managers disappeared from my hospital using relocation loans and went to live in the posher place, never to be seen again locally. And, of course, posher place means higher cost of living - which I'm sure meant they gave themselves pay rises. They already had mobile phones and cars on expenses. And then they did PFI to build themselves a brand new hospital in that area and tried to pay for it by closing ours! [unsuccessfully]. That's where the money shouldn't be going, am I confident it won't go there? Actually, I'm fairly certain it will go there, and not to the front line - because the people who allocate the money (managers) will always prioritise themselves. Anyway, as I said, i suppose i have no alternative but to sign the petition and write to my MP too.
thanks for engaging and allowing me to sort out my thoughts.
Signed and shared and if need to write to MP writetothem.com is useful
We need this but also we need politicians to work collaboratively with those that work in the NHS and know best what the solutions are rather then politicians who have no experience of working in the NHS just making off the cuff decisions that make no difference or make things worse