Smart watches on the NHS for some says Streeting.

Reading back not riding back..

I agree with your general points Doodledog.

Riding back through the thread I think there has been enough personal testimony on here about the value of the watches for some conditions for some people to show it's a very useful tool.

As regards data collection its our choice whether to take part or not.

Not read everything here but I think it’s a gimmick and an excuse to expand the lack of healthcare.

After all, what is the point of tracking your health if when something goes wrong you can’t even get seen by anyone?

It’s also all about data and tracking your every move, therefore it’s also about control!

maddyfour

Please don’t leave, we need all views represented on here.
At times, to be honest, I’ve thought of leaving too, but like you, I enjoy the company of my online friends.

I wasn’t looking for requests to stay, but thank you anyway.

I am so fed up with the constant negativity on here though. This thread is a case in point - a cheap and modern solution to the problem of having people taking time off work and clogging up appointments is seen as costly and gimmicky when the moaners don’t even understand what the watches can do. It’s relentless, as is criticism of everything the new government suggests. Many people won’t even refer to them as ‘the government’ but insist on ‘Labour’ as though they are still an opposition party- it’s almost comical.

The libellous comment that Wes Streeting must have shares in smart watch companies passed almost without comment 🙄.

There are so many more edifying places to talk online that this one (fond as I am of many posters of all political persuasions) is losing attraction for me. Threads like WWM’s valiant attempts to remind people of the positives get hijacked by posters picking on one comment, such as mine about sahm’s expecting a pension for life just for cleaning their own houses when their children were at school. The whole thread was derailed by that, when we used to have reasonable discussions about it with varying opinions. That’s the sort of thing that puts people off making a comment on political threads.

PMs suggest that many others feel the same about the current inability to debate, suggesting that if everyone concerned moved on it would leave GN as a nest of vipers, moaning and sniping to one another instead of discussing and debating respectfully.

That would be a shame IMO, as older women have a lot in common, regardless of their political views, and it would be a shame to lose a forum where we can talk about our commonality because ’some people’ (deliberate choice there😂) snipe and pick at the posts of anyone who dares to disagree with any aspect of those people’s live choices.

I do recognise that many older women were taught not to speak up, so learnt to be passive aggressive and hint at things, dig and jibe etc. This resulted in the view that women make bad ‘bosses’ and round and round it goes. It is true that women who speak out get a hard time. But here we are (largely) amongst ourselves. There is no need for Mean Girls behaviour - spiteful ‘😂’ emojis to disrespect the views of others, playground ‘Gotchas’ and so on. Why can’t we just say what we mean and defend it against any criticism?

Please don’t leave, we need all views represented on here.
At times, to be honest, I’ve thought of leaving too, but like you, I enjoy the company of my online friends.

Thank you Doodledog, no problem.
Glad you didn’t mean me.

Not you in particular maddie. I genuinely wasn’t referring to you, but I do understand how you might have thought so, given the tetchy nature of GN just now. I have also been accused of taking things personally (when I was directly quoted) so yes, I do abhor the ‘some people’ thing when used passive aggressively, but I wasn’t doing that in your case. I would just come out and say it if I meant you, as I think you know, really 😀. I am blunt, which means I will never be popular, but I am not sly, and I don’t pretend to be something I am not.

The tone on here has shifted dramatically since the election. I am seriously considering giving up on the place, but enjoy the virtual company of many posters so haven’t jumped ship yet. It probably won’t be long though.

I am all for debate and disagreement but am weary of the carping and moaning that accompanies every step the government takes. It is blindingly obvious that self-interest drives so many posts, and the hypocrisy that pretends otherwise is sickening.

That’s useful information Elegran, thank you because I always got confused.

Doodledog, please don’t lump me in with a lot of people because it appears I may have made a mistake. I have owned it, and said I may have formed the wrong impression. As you say, hopefully the budget will make it all clearer.

You often say you dislike the words some people used on here, but you’ve just done that yourself. A lot of people but you appeared to mean me.

👍

Allira

^As an aside, my cousin’s daughter (I never know whether that means she’s my second cousin or first cousin one step removed!)^

First cousin once removed FriedGreenTomatoes

The removed refers to her being one generation different to you.

The mother is your first cousin, and her daughter is one generation from that.

Your daughter would be second cousin to your cousin's daughter - no removes for that, as they are of the same generation.

and so on, ad infinitum.

There are such a lot of cases of people jumping to conclusions when it comes to anything the new government is doing. Headlines in the right wing press, bots online posting on social media and numerous other ‘sources’ are responsible.

I am not in any way suggesting that the government is above criticism, but let’s wait until we hear the budget and the rest of the policies they are putting forward before assuming the worst?

Have you read about this one small element of the plans and how it would fit into wider developments maddyfour because it sounds like you might have the wrong impression?

Reading everyone’s comments, I think I might have formed the wrong impression from what I heard on a news programme, can’t remember which one. I might have conflated two sets of information if I wasn’t listening properly and attentively.

I’m pleased your appointment has come through more quickly than you thought it would growstuff.

Allira

Best tell the BMA they're wrong.

I read the article, but it seemed to be about locums, who are expensive.

GP practices can't afford to employ locums (which is what the BMA is talking about) even if they need them, that's why the work has dried up. They want to employ salaried GPs because they are much cheaper. Locums get paid at a much higher rate than salaried GPS.

Best tell the BMA they're wrong.

There are currently 1,121 GP vacancies on the NHS Jobs website. I can’t attach a saved search from the site, but you can check for yourself.

Casdon

That is nonsense FriedGreenTomatoes2. There are hundreds of GP recruitment websites, I went on just one.
jobs.gponline.com/

But the BMA disagrees.

However, this was from June 2024.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/over-80-of-locum-gps-struggle-to-find-work-finds-bma-survey#:~:text=A%20BMA%20survey%20has%20revealed,patients%20waiting%20weeks%20for%20appointments.

Thank you Allira! I will try to remember now!

As an aside, my cousin’s daughter (I never know whether that means she’s my second cousin or first cousin one step removed!)

First cousin once removed FriedGreenTomatoes

growstuff

Thanks Doodledog.

Am I right in thinking that the smartwatches and obesity are two separate strands? I can't see anything about obese people being prioritised for smartwatches. Of course, it's likely that there is a higher rate of diabetes and heart problems in obese people, but that's not the same as saying the devices are mainly for them.

Yes, I think there are two separate initiatives, with the watches going to people who have conditions that need to be monitored, and the weight-loss jabs to people who are obese and unemployed - in the first instance at least, as there will be a trial first.

My Fitbit measures the usual info and can take an ECG. The data in the app can all be accessed by a GP if necessary. It never has been yet!
But, the main thing I appreciate it for it that it helps to make me accountable.

Apologies then. 😊

FriedGreenTomatoes2

As an aside, my cousin’s daughter (I never know whether that means she’s my second cousin or first cousin one step removed!) is in the last 7 weeks of her GP Training.

10 years of study, practice and training. Guess what? There are no jobs available! The GP Practices in her area (a whole county because she was prepared to travel) have NO funding to set on new GPs because they all took on Physician Associates. (Cheaper doncha know and these GP practices are not under the NHS but are private businesses in and of themselves - so making MONEY is very important).

She thinks that most of her cohort are in the same position. Across the country that could be 1,000+ new GPs. Denied jobs by pseudo GPs with 2 years training.

Our NHS? Just a bunch of bureaucratic fools….

I'm sure there's already a thread about this.

That is nonsense FriedGreenTomatoes2. There are hundreds of GP recruitment websites, I went on just one.
jobs.gponline.com/

As an aside, my cousin’s daughter (I never know whether that means she’s my second cousin or first cousin one step removed!) is in the last 7 weeks of her GP Training.

10 years of study, practice and training. Guess what? There are no jobs available! The GP Practices in her area (a whole county because she was prepared to travel) have NO funding to set on new GPs because they all took on Physician Associates. (Cheaper doncha know and these GP practices are not under the NHS but are private businesses in and of themselves - so making MONEY is very important).

She thinks that most of her cohort are in the same position. Across the country that could be 1,000+ new GPs. Denied jobs by pseudo GPs with 2 years training.

Our NHS? Just a bunch of bureaucratic fools….