Can the Tories be trusted with OUR National Health Service

Sorry we need an edit button. I meant to add, one of the reasons our A&E department is so busy is because two other local towns had their A&E departments closed due to austerity, so they now travel a good distance to use the one at our hospital. Ours is under threat, if it closes, that will leave about 6 local towns going to a huge hospital a number of miles away. Nope, that hospital isn't on the tram or train line and using buses to get there doesn't bare thinking about.

The notion of driving 40 miles from Cumbria to the northeast in the winter,when in Labour makes me very anxious. Anyone who knows the narrow, windy, unlit roads and weather conditions throughout the winter months, that is at least 6 months of the year, would be anxious about the risks to mother and baby making that kind of journey.
The NHS is a precious resource. It simply isn't true to say the UK can't afford to fund it and run it more efficiently. Germany pays a larger proportion of its national income into its health service, so has a better health service.
I went by appointment to our local hospital for a knee X-ray yesterday evening. It was a GP arranged appointment. I was seen over an hour after my allotted time because of the number of people sent from AandE who took priority, understandably. I'd expected a delay so took a book with me. The staff were, as always, kind, friendly and professional.

Must ask my daughter how she managed to keep her wealth a secret frm the rest of the family...two children before she was 26!

Whatever, Ana. You always miss the point.

An ageing population should not be blamed for problems to do with maternity units, however you look at it.

"So, much as I hate to say this, if you are going to quote from elsewhere, the links are needed [it hurt me to say that! grin]"

11 links since Monday, Ankers. Lots for you to read.
The articles also link to the original STPs, many of which contain 100 pages at least, for you to read the originals.
You might have a problem with the phraseology.
Happy reading!

Is that the only reason? Rather a sweeping statement, durhamjen.

I thought many were reluctant to give up their careers and only had a baby as a sort of afterthought because they thought they 'should'.

The links are there Ankers. You just can't be bothered to read them.

Anyone who wants to know about the STPs would do well to look at the www.inews.co.uk where all the closures and mergers are listed.

There is a lot of praise for the series from those who work in the NHS; also from Norman Lamb, who asked for a cross-party solution for the NHS. Needless to say, the government said no.
Why? What have they got to hide?

NHS England now admits that trusts are nearly £1 billion in deficit. They had a "control target" of £580 million.

Today should have been the only day when the elderly were not blamed for what is happening in the NHS.
One article was headed "Ageing British mothers add to strain on NHS resources".
12,000 more women aged over forty have given birth each year since 2001. That's what you get for not being rich enough to have all your babies earlier.

Put things in perspective.

That's a very interesting post, Fitzy54.

All the facts I put on here about the NHS are from a series of investigations in the i.

I hardly like to say or ask this, but here goes!

Quoting things from places, I think, needs to be double-checked by others.
[I need to be careful what I say here].

So, much as people dislike links, posters are not prepared to take on face value, what others write.

They also want to read things in context, check out the source, and check out other things.

So, much as I hate to say this, if you are going to quote from elsewhere, the links are needed [it hurt me to say that! ]

If we cant have anymore due to no tax increase, then the NHS is probably at the best that we can expect.

Personally, and this is only personally, I do think we are like little children sometimes and just keep saying more more more.

Also, I have come to realise that we think and definitely expect things to get better and better and better as years and decades and centuries roll by. Why?

There are often threads on gransnet about the young complaining about baby boomers.
But are we not just the same in a way with always thinking and very much expecting that things should always improve.

Apologies. I didn't know the article I posted was behind a paywall. The Times says readers can share their articles, but I guess that can't include social media. In any event, the basic point made was that no matter how hard successive governments have tried, and no matter how high we set tax rates - including the 83% top rates of the Labour govts of the 70s (I think they actually taxed some income at102% - bizarre) we never manage to increase the overall tax take to much over 35% of GDP. Despite its reputation for austerity the current govt. is collecting close to the realistic maximum and is actually spending around 45%. It has to borrow to make up the difference and it can't realistically borrow any more without piling up the debt. We can debate how to split the cake, and ways of increasing GDP so we have a bigger cake (the economy is growing quite well at the moment), and how we spend money within individual budgets, but its hard to see how we can collect a much higher proportion of GDP via taxation. I do agree that a bespoke tax for the NHS might work. If people knew exactly where the money was going they may be less inclined to arrange their affairs to avoid paying more tax - which is a major reason why increasing taxes too much doesn't seem to bear much fruit.

I asked who is talking about you hiding your opinion on this thread.
I asked why you think the NHS cuts have anything to do with Brexit.
Two quite reasonable questions, I would have thought.

Or did you get that as wrong as the speed?

wasn't talking to you there on half the thread jen. but maybe you thought i was?

What are you on about?
What has Brexit to do with NHS closures?
It's no wonder you don't understand me if that's what you think it's about.

Who is talking about hiding their opinion?
I think you are getting your threads mixed up.

I totally get you durhamjen... not . Also not sure why anyone would "hide" their opion. i went for brexit and pretty proud i did too. don't hide it at all.

However, at the moment, it doesn't mean travelling 40 miles to the next maternity unit. It will only mean that if the unit closed. That's why May was asked about it, and did not answer it.
It's on the news now; in the Conservative leaflet the NHS is not mentioned once.

Do you understand all that,saak?
I tried to keep it simple.

We did once think of moving to Cumbria, before we moved to York. Went to see a guest house on the Pennine Way. I then realised I would have been carsick every time we went to the cash and carry, so we decided not to.
My husband was driving very slowly and carefully round all the bends.

Im laughing here, i got that wrong about the mph.

Rural life does mean lack of immediate care.

Im not always sure about what durhamjen means though.

120 mph?? You'll be needing the NHS sooner than you might think SAAK!!
Or the Co-op funeral services

You've got a problem with reading what I say, haven't you? I didn't say I lived in a rural place. That's not what this is about. It's about people who do live in rural Cumbria and their NHS services being cut. I do live in a rural place, but it's half way between two hospitals and takes 15 minutes to get to either.

In fact, it's about everybody's NHS services being cut.

All the facts I put on here about the NHS are from a series of investigations in the i. They are about the 44 STPs which Hunt is railroading through, which the i has managed to get hold of and decipher when it's difficult for anyone else to do it, and put it in language that ordinary people can understand.
44% of the STPs are talking about consolidating services on fewer sites. That means that many of us will have to travel further for our NHS care.

By the way, do you drive? Your fact about driving 40 miles in 20 minutes is slightly wrong, isn't it?

was it your choice to live rural or were you made to? did you not understand what that would mean?

Which facts are you complaining about now, saak?

Have you ever been to the Lake District?
Do you actually drive?
40 miles will take 40 minutes at 60mph. To take 20 minutes you would have to drive twice as fast. In the Lake District? It's illegal anywhere, but dangerous in the Lake District.

My eldest son was born at 2.45 am. Glad I didn't live in a rural place then.

Where are you getting your "facts" from durhamjen? the internet? the newspapers? do you believe all this?