Stark Juxtaposition

Don't worry, Granny23, when it's all been privatised it'll be fine. The poor will stay away in droves because they won't be able to afford the cost of treatment; hospitals and doctors' surgeries will be empty - problem solved....

As it belongs to the State and not HM personally, should this be posted on the 'OK, who's got it' thread? Whoever borrowed it to wear to the GN Christmas party could have a sore neck though, and be in need of A&E.
Although, I don't think, if sold, it would go that far towards the running of the NHS

[sigh] privatising doesn't mean that it will not still be free at the point of delivery - it could be more or less efficient, who knows?

Jalima, your post of 10.48. What are you smoking?

the cost of PFI deals would end up costing taxpayers more than £300bn.

Oh dear, we are now reaping the sad rewards of Blair and Brown's policy of PFIs which is costing the NHS dear.

"Well , here's another fine mess you've gotten us into" leaving others to pick up the pieces and pay the bills.

Oh dear, we are now reaping the sad rewards of Blair and Brown's policy of PFIs which is costing the NHS dear.

Which seems to me to be a perfect illustration of why we should not be going down the privatisation route. We should learn from mistakes, not repeat them.

Umm, I just looked this up Jalima. PFI was implemented in 1992 by John Major's Conservative government and carried on by the subsequent Labour Government.
Both equally to blame?

Every service that has been forced down the privatisation/outsourcing road has become fragmented and less efficient and accountable. It is all a disaster and someone somewhere has to set about dismantling it. Political dogma overriding common sense.

Eglantine, yes and attacked by the Labour party in opposition - who then picked it up and ran with it enthusiastically when in power.
Sadly, it is going to take vast sums and resources to get ourselves out of the huge financial hole this created and is perhaps impossible Luckygirl.

I wonder how much the unavailability of GPs contributes to the A & E crisis? Closed for Saturday, Sunday, Monday over Christmas and the same for New Year. I don't know anyone who has had a home visit in this vicinity, but heard of two who were refused.
When the children were very little we frequently arrived at the Doctor's surgery on Bank holidays; he would always see them if we could get them there.

My DGD2 (9) was very poorly over Christmas with acute tonsillitis. GP's surgery closed. Walk in centre closed down. Pharmacist advised urgent need of antibiotics. Where to get them from? Only A&E. Absolutely ridiculous.

BTW the GP surgery was closed from midday on 22nd December through to Tuesday 2nd January.

I bet if any of the royals needed to see a doctor over Christmas they would have one within the hour!

Can they not put a GP oncall into A&E departments to take care of non-emergencies? That's what they do at my nearest hospital - but then I am not in the UK.

I like that idea, cold.

The NHS has changed in my lifetime. When I was a child, our GP ran his surgery at his own house. This continued when there were two GPs too. It wasn't until the practice expanded a lot that it was moved to a purpose built place. Our dentist ditto re using a room in his house for his dental surgery, and another as the waiting room.

The GP did things like putting a couple of stitches in a child's ear-lobe after she tore it on the school playground fence. Being a responsible eleven year old and there not being a member of staff available (small school) I was chosen to walk her up the road to the GP's house from school and back again after one of the teachers phoned him.

The NHS is a completely different animal now from what it was a generation ago.

I'm sure I will be shot down in flames, but this is a genuine conondorom in my head,:- If is often the same Dr who performs a private operation/ treatment as the one who does the same operation on the NHS, some patients are asked if they would like to go private & if they do they are seen within days. So would it be reasonable to blame those Drs for cashing in on a nice little earner? and adding to the waiting list Or do I just not have enough knowledge about how it all works?

I thought they were doing that Cold, at least in some hospitals.

That's what my dad always used to argue, bridgeit. I think there is some taking advantage going on, sadly.

DH argued that too; however, rather than wait 2+ years for a hernia operation he paid (after 18 months of pain). There is the logic that he is now not on the waiting list and someone else has moved up it.

So I was thinking if they are doing private ops , they don't have enough hours in the day to do NHS, so the waiting list gets longer ?

Even is someone has come off it as in what you Jalima

Sorry, as in what you said Jalima

I know, it is Catch 22.

Don't some Consultants allocate one or two days a week to private work and are contracted to work the other days for the NHS?
So it is on a regular footing.

Ahh yes I see,but this still must cause a shortage of available Drs for NHS patients thus a long waiting list?

There seems Something wrong with a system that allows a doctor to run a private business using NHS facilities. My sister used to work a few hours per week (On top of her NHS job) booking appointments for one of her usual consultants private patients. Held in the same hospital, same room etc as is NHS clinic. Only difference is you can see him within days if you pay, several months if you don’t.