# Is the NHS safe in his hands?



## Northerner (Apr 28, 2013)

THE END will not come quickly and there will be little dignity. The National Health Service has been placed on the political equivalent of the Liverpool Care Pathway and its demise is now inevitable. Peers signed the death sentence when the House of Lords voted 254 to 146 in favour of Section 75, new rules which force GPs to put any and every health service out to competitive tender.

A health service which was once the envy of the world is slowly starved of funds and drowned in paperwork. As staff and services are stretched to breaking point, the politicians who want to privatise it will sit back and say: "We told you so, the NHS is not working."

Perhaps we should have seen it coming. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is said to have authored a report which described the health service as a "60-year mistake" and the lobby group Spinwatch claims 40 peers have a vested interest in privatising it.

You don't need a degree in economics to know that private firms are in it for profit not patient care. Private providers will take simple cases which convert to quick profits, while the NHS will be left to care for the more complex and costly ones while being starved of the bread-andbutter work which funds specialist staff and services.

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/395338/Is-the-NHS-safe-in-his-hands


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## Riri (Apr 28, 2013)

Very worrying reading.


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## ypauly (Apr 28, 2013)

There is at least one ex labour health minister and peer lord Warner that believes differently to the point he voted in favour. They (labour)were going to cut the health budget by 20% so maybe this is a lesser of two evils. He went as far to say that this is just a continuation of labour plans when they ere in office.

So in answer to the question maybe there are no such things as safe hands just one group of bungling politicians or the other.


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## Northerner (Apr 28, 2013)

ypauly said:


> There is at least one ex labour health minister and peer lord Warner that believes differently to the point he voted in favour. They (labour)were going to cut the health budget by 20% so maybe this is a lesser of two evils. He went as far to say that this is just a continuation of labour plans when they ere in office.
> 
> So in answer to the question maybe there are no such things as safe hands just one group of bungling politicians or the other.



That's possibly true, but the Tories would never have been voted in (partly, anyway) if they had put these reforms in their manifesto and I suspect a Labour government might have been more inclined to listen to objections rather than forcing things through as the coalition have done


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## ypauly (Apr 28, 2013)

Northerner said:


> That's possibly true, but the Tories would never have been voted in (partly, anyway) if they had put these reforms in their manifesto and I suspect a Labour government might have been more inclined to listen to objections rather than forcing things through as the coalition have done



They may have got in because Labour had put the ?20 billion cuts figure into their manifesto while Call Me Dave said he would continue increasing the budget.


I can honestly say I don't think any of the big parties have any idea how to provide a healthcare service that's fits the present yet will be good for the future.


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## Northerner (Apr 28, 2013)

ypauly said:


> They may have got in because Labour had put the ?20 billion cuts figure into their manifesto while Call Me Dave said he would continue increasing the budget.
> 
> 
> I can honestly say I don't think any of the big parties have any idea how to provide a healthcare service that's fits the present yet will be good for the future.



I'm sad to have to agree with that Paul. The NHS needs to be addressed with a social conscience, as well as economic practicality, and all major parties seem bereft of that  Too much politics!


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## Lauras87 (Apr 28, 2013)

I won't say what I said when I read it as it made a sailor blush.

Someone I know said to scrap the NHS & that we should all pay for our prescriptions as they have lost confidence in their doctors


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## HOBIE (Apr 28, 2013)

There was a thread on hear about sharps bins last week. Can you think how much it is costing for a few guys in vans going door to door collecting this stuff.  After 47 years I have never had a "Sharps Bin".  The money that is wasted is bad.  If everyone used a bit common sence


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## AlisonM (Apr 28, 2013)

Social conscience is something most political parties are sadly lacking, expedience is the name of the game. They rely on the remarkably short memories of most folk who can be bothered to vote and the distressing lack of interest of those who can't, be bothered that is.

Unless a miracle occurs and Clegg develops a backbone it will be too late by the time the next election comes round to save the NHS.


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## StephenM (Apr 29, 2013)

With the forthcoming local elections I have questioned the door knockers about other issues besides local ones. The only person who gave a creditable answer about the NHS was from UKIP. All the main parties waffled and the lady from the Green Party seemed totally confused! So it will be UKIP for me on Thursday!


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## Northerner (Apr 29, 2013)

StephenM said:


> With the forthcoming local elections I have questioned the door knockers about other issues besides local ones. The only person who gave a creditable answer about the NHS was from UKIP. All the main parties waffled and the lady from the Green Party seemed totally confused! So it will be UKIP for me on Thursday!



After seeing their Party Political broadcast, methinks they are the new Raving Loony Party!  Still, as long as they split the Tory vote I don't mind  What is their policy on the NHS?


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## StephenM (Apr 29, 2013)

Northerner said:


> After seeing their Party Political broadcast, methinks they are the new Raving Loony Party!  Still, as long as they split the Tory vote I don't mind  What is their policy on the NHS?



Here's the link: http://www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies/2843-health-ukip-policy


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## ypauly (Apr 29, 2013)

Northerner said:


> After seeing their Party Political broadcast, methinks they are the new Raving Loony Party!  Still, as long as they split the Tory vote I don't mind  What is their policy on the NHS?


A recen survey suggested that they were picking up as mnay votes from Labour as conservative. UKIP's big advantage of being the only anti europe party.

The growth of UKIP I see as the same as the growth of the greens as people want to aligne themselves on the left or right having had enough of the middle ground.

I can see the greens and UKIP gaining maybe 5 to 10 seats each at the next general election as their growth has been quite remarkable.


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## Northerner (Apr 29, 2013)

ypauly said:


> A recen survey suggested that they were picking up as mnay votes from Labour as conservative. UKIP's big advantage of being the only anti europe party.
> 
> The growth of UKIP I see as the same as the growth of the greens as people want to aligne themselves on the left or right having had enough of the middle ground.
> 
> I can see the greens and UKIP gaining maybe 5 to 10 seats each at the next general election as their growth has been quite remarkable.



Yes, I think these local elections are going to be interesting to see where the votes go - hope people turn out and vote! I don't have a vote for these elections, none in my area.


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