NHS

The argument that institutions like the NHS are worse managed than a private company of equal size doesn’t hold water I am afraid. It is just another silly argument put about by those who hate the idea of the state being involved in anything.

These ‘apologies’ we keep hearing are positively insulting especially to those whose relatives have died. When is the electorate going to stand up and say ‘Enough is enough’?

When indeed Old Meg? We need an opportunity to do that but I can't see the government giving us the opportunity

This is something the French are very good at Iam64 - that is coming out onto the street to protest. Middle aged wife’s will join students and OAPs to let their government see them express their displeasure,

Of course they are willing to pay a much higher rate of tax and therefore expect good value. Whereas us Brits whinge if there’s a £5 rise in council Tax.

I suppose you gets what you pay for. Though to be fair, a poll a couple of years ago found that most of us would be willing to pay a bit more in tax if it was ring-fenced for the NHS.

We shouldn't need to if we are going to get £350 million a week, OldMeg.

I hope your grandchild is improving Iam. It is indeed a frightening thought that as the NHS becomes more fragmented and sold off to private companies we could return to pre NHS days, when those who couldn't afford to pay very often died. If privatisation was such a great thing the US would have one of the best health care systems in the world, not one of the worst. It is very demoralising for those working in the NHS who are struggling to do their best under awful pressure. Some of my ex colleagues have been informed that they must reapply for their jobs, and some will be downgraded if unsuccessful. This is after giving more than 20 years service at their present grade!

I think we probably all need to complain to our M.P.s (although ours is a waste of space) and join in a demonstration. Strangely enough that is exactly what D.S. was saying to me yesterday! He does not believe in the power if the ballot box.

Re comment up thread about making the rich pay up and cracking down on companies who do not pay enough tax, in order to boost the coffers of the N.H.S. Would this work or would the rich just find more loopholes/move themselves and their businesses overseas?

That's been said lots of times, Morgana. If people have already put their money in tax havens, we are not getting anything from them anyway.
Country by country reporting will ensure that they pay tax in the country that the transaction takes place, so there will be no tax havens.

Money laundering is actively encouraged by the government. More people should know about this.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/09/why-is-the-uk-government-so-keen-to-help-money-launderers/

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/09/why-is-our-government-is-so-keen-to-turn-a-blind-eye-to-financial-crime/

From the Panorama programme last night.

I also believe Murphy is correct here. Hunt begged to continue his privatisation.
Murphy's wife is a GP, by the way.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/09/please-let-me-continue-with-my-privatisation-of-the-nhs-theresa-please/

theconversation.com/fact-check-are-there-more-beds-available-across-the-nhs-89664

May told fibs again about NHS beds.

Thanks Lazigirl for your kind words and also, for pointing out that if privatisation was so good, the US would have the best, not one of the worst health services.

Friends who visited the cardiology and eye units for arranged appointments at our local hospital this week talked of people sitting on the floor, or standing because the clinics were so busy. These are planned, not emergency clinics.

A usually non political neighbour told me today she believes we should all take to the streets to get this government out and the NHS protected. Morgana - my Labour MP is old school, a great local representative and very supportive of our local public services, particularly the NHS. I suggest we write to Mr *unt and the PM, copying in our MP's and asking all three to respond in full to the points we raise in our letters.

I do begin to feel slightly despairing though about the impact of protests or demands on government. The last election gave the Conservatives a message, which the PM said she'd heard and would act on. - GO ON THEN!

She said she'd listened to the people on Sunday, Andrew Marr's show, Iam.
That's why she is not going to have a vote to repeal the fox hunting!

www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/nhs_fix_it

We sadly have a safe Tory seat here so our MP is able to treat constituents concerns with contempt as does his leader!

www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/ellen-lees/brexit-isnt-only-thing-parliament-needs-to-demand-vote-on-right-now-nhs-is-too

This is what you need to write to your MPs about.
Hunt could use Henry V111 powers to get through ACOs.

A judicial review, by the way.

999callfornhs.org.uk/999-judicial-review/4593838706

Which I have mentioned before, and to which I have contributed financially - you know what they say, put your money where your mouth is.

By the way, if you think you are on your own, read the comments on the review/crowdjustice page.
Cheered me up no end.

There's also another rally in London on 25th January with Corbyn and Ashworth.

skwawkbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/nhs-rally.png

Warning, Pie swears a lot ...

but he is spot on - just as Chomsky describes the process of privatisation, undermine the system so it does not work, wait long enough for people to suffer and become desperate- then privatise. It is so simple

www.facebook.com/JonathanPieReporter/videos/1434433863346169/

I love Jonathan Pie Thanks dj and so true!

They're not going to listen, are they? As long as this lot remain in power, they're simply not going to listen.... Let's face it, as long as they keep getting voted in, why should they?

So much for democracy. It pops its head up every five years or so, then whoever's in Government does what they like till the next election.

I'm not sure if I'm more or more . Both.

The biggest issue now is if Hunt also has social care, does he have the extra money to go with it? Only if not his budget will be stretched even further, which is appalling.

At present the money goes to the LAs - so we should expect a huge cut to LAs ministers budget?

whitewave, I share your concerns and also feel the biggest issue isn't whether he gets the funding needed to fun social care but whether he will approach privatisation of all social care services in the way he has Health.

Local Authority budgets are already stretched to the point front line services are being significantly reduced. I fear you're right though and we can expect further huge cuts to their budgets.

What kind of PM rewards someone who refuses to move with another very important area to foul up?