It is a political hot potato, and no one party is brave enough to say that we need a a radical rethink about how we go forward with the NHS. It is something that we all use, and even the most right wing free marketeer supports the free at point of use principles. The comments made by many, both on here and on Question Time etc about administration and costs associated with it, all fail to recognise that without the targets, and cuts to services, there wouldn't be the need for ward managers, and admin staff on every corner. If you watch any of the real life hospital programmes you will see surgeons lined up ready to operate, patients all prepped, and some poor soul of a bed manager trying to move another patient out of ITU into a general post surgical ward, a bed which is occupied by a 'bed blocker' ( horrid term). The problem seems to be at the back door so to speak, rather than the front. So, yes, we need funding, but perhaps better directed, not just flung at it. Funding of social care, convalescing wards perhaps, would move everything along. An expensive surgical team can be standing around for hours, waiting for the ITU bed to become available before they are able to operate. There is also a fair bit of waste in the NHS, on emergency admission, my DH had the foresight to take his current medication with him. Not only was it not used on the ward, it was thrown away. A terrific waste of money. We all know the eye watering costs of USA medical care, but what about closer to home? DH was chatting to a fellow cricket fan last week as they sat in the sun, and the other chap told him about having an attack of cellulitis whilst on holiday in Guernsey. The hospital admission, treatment and medication cost £7000!
