Trump on the NHS.

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't often agree with Piers Morgan but he is spot on.



US President Donald Trump has claimed the NHS is "going broke and not working" as he targeted rival Democrats pushing for a universal health system.

Read in full - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42943768

Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!


Jeremy Hunt
✔@Jeremy_Hunt
I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover. NHS may have challenges but I’m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage - where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance
1:19 PM - Feb 5, 2018


Jeremy Corbyn
✔@jeremycorbyn
Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories are doing to it. Healthcare is a human right. …
1:44 PM - Feb 5, 2018


Piers Morgan
✔@piersmorgan
Wrong, Mr President.
Our NHS is a wonderful, albeit imperfect, health system - and the envy of the world.
By comparison, the US healthcare system is a sick joke & the envy of no-one.
2:04 PM - Feb 5, 2018

 

[Dutto]

To me that list of Tweets proves that:

1. Donald Trump is a rich prick who has yet to publish his tax returns and probably owns shares in Private Health Care companies.
2. Jeremy Hunt should be sacked for incompetence; and soon.
3. Jeremy Corbyn knows that unless things change the poor will suffer from an underfunded and debilitated NHS.
4. Despite agreeing with his Tweet, I have no doubt that Piers Morgan is a brown-nosing git. He could have told President Trump in person that he was wrong on so many things just a few days ago; but Piers stayed amazingly silent.

There's no doubt about it, things have to change!

 

[simon12]

The "NHS going broke" makes no sense as it was never supposed to make a profit.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I guess no one explained that to him before he tweeted.

 

[-Bezza-]

It's interesting how Corbyn is perceived when it comes to the NHS. Dig a little deeper and it would appear that none of the main parties' manifestos dealt with the issues of the NHS properly - take a look at this, which looks at what was promised vs needed: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/chart/parties-pledges-set-against-our-future-nhs-funding-scenarios Interesting that labour front-loaded their budget into the election year (I believe funded by borrowing) and were then only looking to implement small increases from thereon. Still better than Conservative or Lib Dem but they had still punted the issue into the future. Or perhaps Diane Abbot was in charge of the sums?

Every year, a greater percentage of GDP is committed to the NHS, so it makes you wonder where it's all going and why there is always the ask for more cash.

So I was also trying to find the relevant stats on where the NHS spends its money - I found something from a reputable source a while ago that was fascinating but can't find it now. I think it was showing that despite the pay freeze for front-line staff, spending on middle management had increased by an alarming amount over the last government. That comes off the back of a (allegedly) 450% increase in middle management costs under the previous Labour government. That wasn't the whole story of course - spending gets gobbled up elsewhere.

Yes, things need to change. My completely unqualified brain says it's something around improving efficiency in processes, removing middle management, extra funding (remove the upper age limit on National Insurance and tax all earning and pensions income equally) and effecting a social change - removing the stigma around using private healthcare for those that can afford it, changing attitudes about when and how people should use the NHS, being a little harsher with people who abuse the system (e.g. prescription paracetamol) etc. I can only assume it's a massively, massively complex issue but someone needs to stand up to it.

I also found it interesting that there was such uproar when the conservatives proposed that elderly people who own their properties should use that value to pay for their care needs in their old age. It seemed pretty sensible that people shouldn't expect to have expensive in-home care provided to them for free, just so their kids can inherit some money when they pop their clogs. The elderly people in care that I know have already sold their houses to pay for private care homes so do struggle with the idea that this shouldn't be standard. That's not saying that the elderly should be kicked out of their homes, just that they should incur a debt to the government (up to a cap) that is paid off on death from their residual estate.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Maybe I should have called the thread - Dump on the NHS.

 

[-Bezza-]

Maybe I should have called the thread - Dump on the NHS.

If that's in reply to my comment, I'm not trying to dump on the NHS. The NHS as a concept is an amazing thing and there are some frankly brilliant people involved in its operation. However, I also think its poorly managed from both within and without by people who are seeking to make their own fortune without actually bettering the NHS as a whole.

:thumb:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

They are discussing this on 5 live now and the guy they are talking to has just said his friend was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with severe chest pains he has insurance but he will still be $1000 out of pocket by the time he leaves hospital.:shock:

 

[MrRook]

Is anyone over there actually listening to trump? A majority of folks here don't.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Frankly Donald Trump can go and sit on a red hot poker.

 

[Nicks90]

How to save the NHS in 3 easy steps
1) charge people for using it if it's a pointless visit. "Oh you have a cold. That's nice. Here's a £500 bill for wasting our time"
2) make poor people do exercise so they become fitter. Fit people get I'll less
3) make poor people eat better. It's cheaper than eating takeaways and ready made crap too and tastes so much nicer. Be vegetarian if you want really healthy and really cheap

Ta-darrrrr

 

[MyQul]

How to save the NHS in 3 easy steps
1) charge people for using it if it's a pointless visit. "Oh you have a cold. That's nice. Here's a £500 bill for wasting our time"
2) make poor people do exercise so they become fitter. Fit people get I'll less
3) make poor people eat better. It's cheaper than eating takeaways and ready made crap too and tastes so much nicer. Be vegetarian if you want really healthy and really cheap

Ta-darrrrr

How about we just kill all the poor people? Job done?

 

[Thumper]

The main problem the NHS faces is not caused by lack of exercise or poor diet, and particularly not by poor people. It's caused by age, which we can't do anything about, and a policy of cutting public services based on an entirely discredited study.

 

[Dutto]

................. removing the stigma around using private healthcare for those that can afford it, changing attitudes about when and how people should use the NHS, ..............

I also found it interesting that there was such uproar when the conservatives proposed that elderly people who own their properties should use that value to pay for their care needs in their old age. It seemed pretty sensible that people shouldn't expect to have expensive in-home care provided to them for free, just so their kids can inherit some money when they pop their clogs. ...........

For me, the only "stigma" around private health care is that the companies use NHS Hospitals, NHS Wards, NHS Operating Rooms, NHS Doctors, Consultants and Surgeons, NHS Nurses and Auxiliary Staff to carry out their operations ...:wave:... but don't pay for building NHS Hospitals, Equipping NHS Operating Theatres, Training NHS Doctors, Consultants and Surgeons or Training NHS Nurses and Staff. In synopsis, Private Healthcare Companies in the UK are parasitical organisations that feed off the NHS; and like most parasites, they don't kill their host they just feed off it and weaken it.

With regard to the sale of people's homes to fund their care, please bear in mind that 99% of the elderly and infirm people in the UK who own their own homes have worked their nuts off for a lifetime, paid whatever the government asked of them in the form of Taxes and NI Contributions and then scrimped and saved to purchase their own home. If they need care now they have already paid into the system! Also, never forget the Tory promise that "We are all in this together!":laugh2:We know that life can be cruel but it's surely our duty to try and stop life from being unfair. This is especially so when we see a situation being proposed that the care and protection for the elderly and infirm amongst us should be provided purely on the basis of monetary wealth!

Things have to change!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If that's in reply to my comment, I'm not trying to dump on the NHS. The NHS as a concept is an amazing thing and there are some frankly brilliant people involved in its operation. However, I also think its poorly managed from both within and without by people who are seeking to make their own fortune without actually bettering the NHS as a whole.

:thumb:

No it was not a dig at you.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Is anyone over there actually listening to trump? A majority of folks here don't.

No, it's bad enough listening to the idiots running (or ruining) this country.

 

[MrRook]

Frankly Donald Trump can go and sit on a red hot poker.

I agree except for the sneaking suspicion I have that he'd like it.

 

[Gunge]

How to save the NHS in 3 easy steps
1) charge people for using it if it's a pointless visit. "Oh you have a cold. That's nice. Here's a £500 bill for wasting our time"
2) make poor people do exercise so they become fitter. Fit people get I'll less
3) make poor people eat better. It's cheaper than eating takeaways and ready made crap too and tastes so much nicer. Be vegetarian if you want really healthy and really cheap

Ta-darrrrr

I agree with 2) and 3), but what if 1) turns out to be pneumonia or lung cancer or summat dreadful like that?

 

[ACBEV]

How about we just kill all the poor people? Job done?

That's a bit harsh.... I'm a moderate person. Just put down elderly people...

 

[simon12]

How to save the NHS in 3 easy steps
1) charge people for using it if it's a pointless visit. "Oh you have a cold. That's nice. Here's a £500 bill for wasting our time"
2) make poor people do exercise so they become fitter. Fit people get I'll less
3) make poor people eat better. It's cheaper than eating takeaways and ready made crap too and tastes so much nicer. Be vegetarian if you want really healthy and really cheap

Ta-darrrrr

Then they will live longer and cost the NHS even more