Save the NHS!

Freakbro said:
So the latest report from the IFS and Health Foundation are saying that the NHS needs a 4% budget increase every year for the next 15 years to save the service from falling into further misery - this equates to an extra £2,000 tax per household!

The number crunchers have calculated that would require an extra 3p on Tax, NI & VAT by 2033

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44230033
Click to expand...
And its us working class that will suffer the tax hike as always whilst many on benefits reap the rewards
 
pitkin said:
Surely the NHS is destined to fail in its current form?
As medical treatments improve, cures are found, aftercare gets better, etc, more people find they can get treated more often and for longer. We recover from things that may have killed us in the past leaving us to potentially need the NHS again later on in life.
Was it ever sustainable in the long term?
Click to expand...

I suspect it probably isn't, the population is getting fatter and as you point out our ability to treat various conditions is continually improving. If we want hospitals equipped with the latests proton beam whatever then that will cost $$$.

At some point the fatties ought to pay more. Or perhaps we'd need to move to more of an insurance based model to provide basic care and the option to buy additional coverage.

I don't really want to subsidise all the future diabetes cases caused by other people choosing to have a **** lifestyle. People putting themselves at risk ought to pay more.
 
dowie said:
I suspect it probably isn't, the population is getting fatter and as you point out our ability to treat various conditions is continually improving. If we want hospitals equipped with the latests proton beam whatever then that will cost $$$.

At some point the fatties ought to pay more. Or perhaps we'd need to move to more of an insurance based model to provide basic care and the option to buy additional coverage.

I don't really want to subsidise all the future diabetes cases caused by other people choosing to have a **** lifestyle. People putting themselves at risk ought to pay more.
Click to expand...

Yes, people who put themselves at risk of needing NHS services should pay more:

1) People who play sports with risk of injury.
2) People who choose to have children - childbirth is expensive!
3) People who smoke.
4) People who drink alcohol.
5) People who live too long and have complicated health needs.
6) People who have unprotected sex (STD).

I think that just about covers it.
 
AzureStacker said:
Yes, people who put themselves at risk of needing NHS services should pay more:

1) People who play sports with risk of injury.
2) People who choose to have children - childbirth is expensive!
3) People who smoke.
4) People who drink alcohol.
5) People who live too long and have complicated health needs.
6) People who have unprotected sex (STD).

I think that just about covers it.
Click to expand...

Playing sports also decreases long term risks in other areas so isn't necessarily an overall negative for the NHS. (Perhaps sport dependent)

Sure if a young woman is sterile and had no risk of falling pregnant then under an insurance model she perhaps should pay less.
 
You want to penalise people who live too long plus those who do sports whilst also penalising those people who are unhealthy and die early?

That’s everyone isn’t it?
 
Minstadave said:
You want to penalise people who live too long plus those who do sports whilst also penalising those people who are unhealthy and die early?

That’s everyone isn’t it?
Click to expand...

Its about choice. If you choose to play rugby, break your neck, the NHS picks up the tab for your choice to play rugby. If you're a runner and ruin your knees, the NHS will pick up the tab. Admittedly, you can't choose how long you live, but some people live unhealthy lifestyles for reasons outside of their control.
 
AzureStacker said:
Yes, people who put themselves at risk of needing NHS services should pay more:

1) People who play sports with risk of injury.
2) People who choose to have children - childbirth is expensive!
3) People who smoke.
4) People who drink alcohol.
5) People who live too long and have complicated health needs.
6) People who have unprotected sex (STD).

I think that just about covers it.
Click to expand...

People who don't even do the equivalent of 20mins exercise a day and people who use cars for short journeys of under five miles should be at the top of the pay more list. These people, often 40+, are crippling the NHS due to their poor health.

And just think about all those individuals and companies that are avoiding paying their taxes to HMRC, their non-avoidance contribution would alter this situation an awful lot, not just for the NHS purse strings.
 
AzureStacker said:
Its about choice. If you choose to play rugby, break your neck, the NHS picks up the tab for your choice to play rugby. If you're a runner and ruin your knees, the NHS will pick up the tab. Admittedly, you can't choose how long you live, but some people live unhealthy lifestyles for reasons outside of their control.
Click to expand...

those aren't necessarily unhealthy lifestyles, perhaps Rugby does have an overall negative cost to it (though it would require someone looking at the data) - I suspect running is beneficial overall to the NHS and frankly if more people did so & ate healthily then the cost of a minority of them having knee operations would probably be much less than the costs of treating so many cases of diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc.etc.. that come with having so many obese people
 
Four issues

1) ageing population with people living longer
2) people's lifestyle choices
3) increasing population inc the taboo topic of migration. UK had a net migration of 230k last year despite that figure being the lowest in 10 years. That's the size of a small city folks
4) NHS budget has not been adjusted accordingly to cope with the above
 
Kill_Phil said:
Four issues

1) ageing population with people living longer
2) people's lifestyle choices
3) increasing population inc the taboo topic of migration. UK had a net migration of 230k last year despite that figure being the lowest in 10 years. That's the size of a small city folks
4) NHS budget has not been adjusted accordingly to cope with the above
Click to expand...

It's hard not to laugh when people say this. It ain't a new thing.
 
V F said:
It's hard not to laugh when people say this. It ain't a new thing.
Click to expand...

I didn't say it was :confused: clearly went above your head.

What is an issue is the life expectancy increase. Just compare the 90s to now. It's not hard to see the nhs is unsustainable in the current format
 
One issue for the next 20 years: Diabetes.
We are as a nation able to provide a service which prevent mortality but allows for life to continue in ever increasing circles of morbidity.
We need to start regulating or taxing the hell out of certain food choices, vat and double vat on food might have to be applied, then people can have the choice to eat whatever they like, just as long as they are subsidising their own healthcare with addition hidden taxation.
Or we start to state, if your 3 monthly average diabetes test is above value x, you have three months to get it down, or lose the right to services x, y and z.
 
Destination said:
One issue for the next 20 years: Diabetes.
We are as a nation able to provide a service which prevent mortality but allows for life to continue in ever increasing circles of morbidity.
We need to start regulating or taxing the hell out of certain food choices, vat and double vat on food might have to be applied, then people can have the choice to eat whatever they like, just as long as they are subsidising their own healthcare with addition hidden taxation.
Or we start to state, if your 3 monthly average diabetes test is above value x, you have three months to get it down, or lose the right to services x, y and z.
Click to expand...

How long would that last when the first blob with 4 kids goes on national TV stating that the NHS has sentenced her to death?
 
Kill_Phil said:
I didn't say it was :confused: clearly went above your head.

What is an issue is the life expectancy increase. Just compare the 90s to now. It's not hard to see the nhs is unsustainable in the current format
Click to expand...

I would have said you specifically. Watch the news, listen to radio and political programmes for years. "The ageing population"
 
AzureStacker said:
How long would that last when the first blob with 4 kids goes on national TV stating that the NHS has sentenced her to death?
Click to expand...

Plenty, as fatty would die on fly on wall fatty documentary and others would sit up and take note.
Happens in the US, all the time. It not great, but at least I'm not paying to keep fatty on the cigs and sugar.
fatty can pay for it herself with a healthy dose of heavy taxation on items which cause diabetes.
 
The NHS it never ever going to work whilst the demand is ever increasing, as people become ever more entitled and people live longer.

Sort the demand side, and its got a chance.

How about some ideas?

- £10 to see your GP. £20 to be seen in A&E. Would absolutely sort some of the wheat from the chaff.
- Completely remove all over the counter medicine from free prescriptions.
- Miss an appointment without calling. Get billed for it.
- Anyone from outside the EU has to have travel insurance, and the NHS need to check it and bill them.
- Anyone from inside the EU gets the same as a UK citizen so long as there is reciprocal benefits in place for us.
- All medicines should be bought centrally, with a view to more central purchasing of other items.
- All this decentralised commisioning done by doctors should be killed off. They are not purchasing professionals, and dont have any incentive to not spend the budget.
 
Kill_Phil said:
Four issues

1) ageing population with people living longer
2) people's lifestyle choices
3) increasing population inc the taboo topic of migration. UK had a net migration of 230k last year despite that figure being the lowest in 10 years. That's the size of a small city folks
4) NHS budget has not been adjusted accordingly to cope with the above
Click to expand...

Point 3 is a contradiction of the others. The immigrants pay more taxes and use less services on average. They are needed to pay for the aging population.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom