The reform party has agreed to continue the triple lock

ronib

Other countries have much shorter waiting lists for health treatment than here. There’s nothing remotely ridiculous about not having to wait months and months for treatment. Reform is going to get votes if it comes up with a plan to make the private sector even wealthier than it is now…..

Which other countries "ronib"?

I imagine there are some shorter waiting lists in the US - some people would simply not be able to afford the treatment so never get near the list. This is exactly what Reform want for our country.

Cossy

twaddle

Is calling people "Virtue Signaling Wokes" rude?

I think it’s very rude whilst at the same time being utter nonsense, so chose to ignore it!

"Rude" has no meaning in the context of the wide mixture of cultural differences on a forum such as this. Calling people names is, however, a personal attack on another member - sometimes because of those cultural differences - but I'm not sure GNHQ care about this any more. They did at one time.

Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Denmark, Italy. Abu Dhabi has exceptional care. DAR

Casdon

The Reform plan will not work ronib, because there is not additional untapped capacity. It’s a systemic problem in the UK, which requires investment to increase the number of doctors and support services to meet demand, not a sticking plaster job.

There could be a lot more capacity if those that could afford it paid more, not through general taxation but direct into health care. That would free up space for those that cant afford it

Iam64

I’m seeing a consultant five days after my gp referred me. I had the choice of waiting 18 weeks for an initial (nhs) appointment at our excellent local hospital, or 7 days to be seen at our local private hospital within seven days

The NHS has been using private hospitals in this way for years.

That is similar to our experiences.

My sister initially saw an NHS oncologist, one week after her initial GP appointment, then a private one (who is also working in the NHS) removed the melanoma, now she is receiving treatment from the NHS, and every bit of it has been brilliant.

No waiting lists for emergency heart of course and frankly the NHS is second to none in this field.

I waited 1 month for the process towards gall bladder removal after my initial A&E emergency - it had been removed within two months.

Before those supporting Reform finally put their X in the box, I think that they need to ensure and be quite confident that they can afford private health insurance. They also need to be clear what happens if they can’t afford health insurance. Look at the USA model - I believe that this is the model favoured by Farage? - so not just at what the private health is like in the USA, but what happens to the many millions who can’t afford it.

BlueBelle

No they need to take a long jump, they are vile, misogynist, far right, racist and a huge blot on our country, they could give me a million pounds and I d still never feel different.

Absolutely. I agree 100 per cent.

Private health insurance eventually runs out.
Ask your friends and family in the USA.
How many people in the UK went bankrupt last year because of medical debt? None.
How many in the USA?

ditto BlueBelle

Chronic illnesses are the main cause of bankruptcy in the US and if you can't work you don't have insurance. It's a dreadful system. Very experience and has poor outcomes, the system is designed to bleed patients of their money and make doctors rich.

Expensive not experience!

David49

Casdon

The Reform plan will not work ronib, because there is not additional untapped capacity. It’s a systemic problem in the UK, which requires investment to increase the number of doctors and support services to meet demand, not a sticking plaster job.

There could be a lot more capacity if those that could afford it paid more, not through general taxation but direct into health care. That would free up space for those that cant afford it

No, it wouldn't because the number of staff wouldn't magically increase. It's a myth that using private healthcare frees up space in the NHS.

Ronib you assume that all can afford a good private insurance package ! I cannot!!
My brother in Australia still has to pay for health care as well as insurance and his dental bills are enormous! The grass isn’t always greener plus I wouldn’t trust Farage ! He doesn’t understand what days work is! Ask his constituents where he has not even held a surgery ! He cannot fulfil his job as MP !!!

Reform will never get my vote but neither will the Greens. I dread the results of the May elections.

ronib

Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Denmark, Italy. Abu Dhabi has exceptional care. DAR

Germany's care isn't quite so exceptional as you might think. Moreover, Germans pay a health tax, which isn't that different from paying NI. The main difference is that the "Krankenkassen" are operated by private organisations. The big (and critical) difference is that Germans pay a higher percentage of their income on healthcare.

I’ve heard that Spanish healthcare/ hospitals are very good too.

ronib

Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Denmark, Italy. Abu Dhabi has exceptional care. DAR

And I'm supposed to accept that just because you say so ronib. Lists like that often reflect reputation or anecdote rather than a balanced look, so let's have a few facts, a grounded look at the main downsides of each.

Switzerland
Very expensive: It has one of the highest healthcare costs per capita in the world. Mandatory private insurance premiums can be a heavy burden.
Complex system: Highly fragmented with many insurers; navigating it isn’t always simple.
Equity concerns: Lower-income residents may struggle despite subsidies.

Netherlands
Access gatekeeping: The GP (family doctor) acts as a strict filter. Patients often feel symptoms are “dismissed” before getting specialist care.
Mandatory private insurance: Everyone must buy insurance, and premiums + deductibles can still feel expensive.
Mental health wait times: Long delays for non-urgent psychological care.

Germany
Complex system: Dual system (public + private insurance) creates inequality—private patients often get faster access.
High payroll contributions: Healthcare is funded largely through income-based contributions, which can be costly.
Administrative burden: Paperwork and bureaucracy are still surprisingly heavy.

Japan
Overuse of services: Easy access and low costs can lead to very frequent doctor visits and strain the system.
Workforce strain: Doctors often work long hours; rural areas face shortages.
Aging population pressure: One of the oldest populations in the world is pushing costs up rapidly.

Denmark
High taxes: Healthcare is tax-funded, and overall taxation is among the highest globally.
Waiting times: Non-emergency procedures can involve delays.
Limited choice: Less flexibility in choosing specialists compared to more market-based systems.

Italy
Regional inequality: Northern regions offer much better care than southern ones.
Underfunding: Public system struggles with budget constraints.
Long waiting lists: Especially for elective procedures—many people go private to avoid delays.

Abu Dhabi
Insurance tied to employment: Access depends heavily on your job and employer-provided coverage.
Cost variability: High-quality care is excellent—but can be very expensive without strong insurance.
Expats vs citizens gap: Emirati citizens receive more comprehensive coverage than expatriates.

You may have different facts you can put forward but no one should believe the far-right drivel without asking what backs it.

No, no, no! Never voting Reform.

WithNobsOnIt

However vile and hated Reform may appear to some people. They have gained Voters because they talk about issues that a lot of ordinary everyday people are really
concerned about. Especially Immigration and.crime levels

And are.put down by Virtue Signaling Wokes or this awful government for even daring to voice their opinions

Many of their supporters really form a protest vote

Labour have deeply hated their old guard decent White Working Class
Voters since Blair took power and still do with a deep passion.

The Conservatives all look like Yesterday's Men and are almost finished as a party.

The Greens are now a National joke.Especially with that clown Polanski leading them.

Any you know what they say about Liberals. Scratch a Liberal and you get a Fascist

Our local Candidates in the Council Elections are not up too much at all. They are not well informed even about simple matters..

They do not really have a genuine community ethos and sold out years ago to. silly ideologies .

They are not well informed and no longer interested in helping local. people with housing, neighbourhood and other important problems.

They are more interested in getting cycle lanes built which nobody uses. because they still use the pavement as a cycle lane.

I wouldn't vote for any of them.

Personally, I believe that someone who does not vote has no right to express an opinion.

For the 2024 General Election, Reform made a big thing about not using the word "Manifesto" saying they purposely used the term “Contract” instead to differentiate their policy proposals from broken political promises, positioning it as a direct agreement with the electorate.

Two months after the election, they broke that agreement saying the contract, including the promised income tax cut of at least £1,500 per person, was “a philosophy of what the party wants to achieve rather than policy detail”.

I see that for the Welsh Senedd they are using Manifesto not Contract.

Draw your own conclusions but this is the IFS response to the Reform Manifesto for Wales.

Reform UK leans on assumed inefficiencies and cuts to spending it deems wasteful or inappropriate … while Reform UK’s Welsh manifesto is more restrained on its tax-cutting pledges than its plans in Scotland, it has not fully faced up to the fiscal realities facing the next Welsh Government.

Where have we heard this before? Local government perhaps? DOGE? Do they really think they can fool people over and over again?

Well, They would, wouldn’t they - to quote/paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies.

DAR you forgot to mention the cost of the NHS to the taxpayer in your far left? Analysis/drivel?

Ronib, calling people's comments as 'drivel' is hardly going to convince anyone of your view.
Tax payers contribute to NHS already, so I'm not sure what point you are making?

I was referring to DAR’s comment that my comment was drivel… and far right??
UK taxpayers are paying huge amounts in tax which means the NHS is not offering good value in terms of waiting times as compared to the countries I quoted.

ronib

DAR you forgot to mention the cost of the NHS to the taxpayer in your far left? Analysis/drivel?

I didn't "forget" anything ronib. I replied to what you wrote. Expectation of online mind-reading is excessive.

You have not changed my mind. Your comments on each country are not very accurate but a convenient way of saying what you want to prove…. DAR