I know many of you, like me remember back to the 1990's when waiting lists in the NHS were astronomical. My Consultant wouldn't even put me on the waiting list for a knee replacement even though the pain was unbearable. I finally insisted that he put me on it and he then said there was a three year wait! :o Fortunately there was a change of Government and I was sent to a private hospital, paid for by the NHS to get the waiting lists down.
Since then, a lot of money has been put into the NHS to bring it up to scratch again. I know there are still some hospitals that have a few problems but by far the majority are now far better than they have ever been before.
Do we now want to see our NHS torn apart when it is working so well? I for one do not. Why change something when it works? There is a petition that is going to be put before the Government shortly to get them to leave our NHS alone. The petition concerning not selling off our forests worked so hopefully this one will too. please sign it if, like me, you are concerned about the future of our NHS. Thanks.
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/Protect_our_NHS_Petition
Done, yesterday.
Edit: Wrong!! First thing this morning. (what day is it??!!)
Done Pauline + comment. ;D
me, too..my daughter is a nurse :-\
I signed the forests petition and I've done this now as well. Thanks for bringing it to my attention Pauline.
Quote from: Paulines7 Fortunately there was a change of Government/quote]
Altough they would never admit it The other party would have been doing the same
Done.
As an ex NHS employee the labour government from 1974-1979 systematically starved the NHS of funding, and it has never really recovered.
Despite Gordon Brown throwing unlimited amounts of (conscience) money at it, it aint all that great. Just up the road at Mid-Staffs hospital (thank goodness we are not in their catchment area). ::) ::)
I transferred to the private sector in the late 70's. All I remember is that I didn't manage to get quite so much knitting done as I had working for the NHS. ;D
valmarg
Quote from: valmarg on March 11, 2011, 20:03:52
As an ex NHS employee the labour government from 1974-1979 systematically starved the NHS of funding, and it has never really recovered.
Despite Gordon Brown throwing unlimited amounts of (conscience) money at it, it aint all that great. Just up the road at Mid-Staffs hospital (thank goodness we are not in their catchment area). ::) ::)
I transferred to the private sector in the late 70's. All I remember is that I didn't manage to get quite so much knitting done as I had working for the NHS. ;D
valmarg
I am not surprised that the NHS was starved of funding in 1974 to 1979 with James Callaghan in power. Compared to him, Blair and Brown would seem extremely left wing. Callaghan may have starved the hospitals of funding but Mrs Thatcher and then John Major made sure that waiting lists got longer and longer. They also put everything out to agencies and that is when the rot set in. ::)
I feel very sorry that the NHS isn't very good in your area, Valmarg, but this is not so in the rest of the country. Perhaps too many nurses are knitting instead of caring for their patients! ::) I can't believe you did that Valmarg; to me it is immoral. >:(
The hospitals in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset are extremely good these days with minimal waiting lists. I can also speak well of the hospitals in Essex who have treated my cousin for cancer. The London hospitals are also top class as another cousin and a friend would testify too. I just don't see the point of disrupting something that is working well.
Oh No! Don't get me started. The NHS has been a target for governments for years, they all think they can fix it and it's left to the hard pressed staff to manage to give care almost against the wishes of managers. GP's are in no position to decide how to spend the money, most of them have barely set foot in a hospital for years, let those who run the clinics run them and then see how it works. Rant over.
Done
Done
/Bump
Exciting times at the Lib Dem spring conference - they could & hopefully will scupper the worst parts of the plans.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12722836
I'm sorry Paulines7. but I wasn't a nurse, I was a medical secretary. The only thing I had to do with patients was type letters about them to their GPs. ;D So I wasn't neglecting them.
I can't fault of services in the village. As we are a bit out in the sticks our GP dispenses drugs and medicines. If you want an appointment to see him the same day we have ring up as soon as possible after 9.00 a.m., and we have been known to have to wait until as late as11.00 a.m. ;D
The scandal at Mid-Staffs hospital has been on the news a lot in this area, but where you live it would be unlikely to get a mention. An action group of relatives of elderly patients who had died in there through neglect called 'Cure the NHS' has after many years of complaining got an independent public review.
The number of people who died runs into the 100s.
The trouble with the public sector is that despite the appaling care these patients received, no 'heads will roll'. Those responsible will keep their jobs, or at worst be moved sideways. It is very rare for anyone to get the sack.
Rant over ;D
valmarg
We sign the petitions too. We managed to halt that factory farm venture. Its about time that we started standing up for what we think is right instead of just accepting things
The idea of market forces in the health service is a sick joke. "I've decided to get pregnant instead of having testicular cancer, I hear Guildford has a great maternity ward...".
It is gradually being privatised by stealth, bits are being outsourced here and there with no overall control or record of what is being done.
The Tories want to privatise it and bring in private health insurance, so their rich chums can make loads of money out of the taxpayer.
Online petitions sadly aren't going to do anything, people need to get up off their arses and protest in the face of the decision makers.
And vote! (You can all start by voting FOR AV in the referendum in May).
I'm involved with another protest group which is actually getting things done by taking to the streets.
Write to your MP too and tell them what you think. http://www.writetothem.com (http://www.writetothem.com)
I work for the NHS. a few weeks ago we went to a meeting where we (naively) thought we were going to be given some idea what was going to happen. Instead they had brought in two blokes to run a sort of forum to ask use to tell them how the new system should work.
How much did that lot cost- we are all supposed to be getting a portfolio of the results as well as our wages, hire of the room, and the two facilitators. Oh and stars and red dots and Nobo boards and all that jazz!
So when they do what they intend to do any way whose fault will it be--mine!!!! because I was there and we were asked and so it's all our fault!!! ??? ??? ???
(signed petition)
And the managers will be paid for your ideas!
Quote from: dtw on March 12, 2011, 17:57:29
And vote! (You can all start by voting FOR AV in the referendum in May).
Not a snowball in hell's chance. ;D
valmarg
Quote from: dtw on March 13, 2011, 00:35:30
And the managers will be paid for your ideas!
My wife is an NHS manager.....she's got all her own ideas ;D