Thursday, May 26, 2011

Save our NHS

People of Purbeck may be interested to know that there is to be a petition (38 Degrees ) being presented to Richard Drax MP for Dorset South. The petition is opposing the government's NHS reforms and is part of a national campaign to save the NHS.

Details are:

Friday, June 10, 2011 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Location: D'Urberville Village Hall, Wool, D'Urberville Centre, Colliers Lane, Wool, Wareham, United Kingdom BH206DL
Directions:
Colliers Lane runs between the A352 and Wool High Street.
Suggest meeting in The Black Bear Inn (on High Street BH20 6BP) before the meeting, say 1.45-2.00pm.

This is being organised by a retired GP and more details can be found on:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/event/
detail/saveournhspetitionhandins/w5z



Posted by Sue to swanageview at 25/5/11 11:30 PM
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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't see what the problem is. It was just the same when the GPO was privatised, -predictions of calamity. It turned out great: lots of competition in directory enquiries etc. No more state monopoly. Will the Cottage Hospital disappear? Will uninsured people be left dying in the street? Best thing would be if one doesn't get the care thought appropriate and in good time the GP's desk is there to thump on. Accountability with responsibility.

26/5/11 9:49 am
Anonymous said...

Firstly, the GPO wasn't privatised,BT was.And as for that turning out great,well I suppose if all you require is more competition in directory enquiries,then maybe it did.However,creating a privatised monopoly,which is what BT now is, has been a disaster for this country.BT are responsible for all the telephone lines and as a consequence the UK has one of the worst broadband networks in the developed world,slow speeds,erratic connections and whole areas still reliant on dial-up.And all because BT have to pay out dividends to their shareholders rather than improve the network for British residents and businesses.

As for the rest of the privatisation programmes of the '80's,well rail privatisation was a resounding success - but only if you don't want to travel on a train,which are generally even more expensive,overcrowded and unreliable than they were under BR.

Gas,electricity and water?All pretty much owned by foreign investors whose only interest is making as much profit as they can whatever it's effects on the UK.

And now you think we should privatise the NHS?

26/5/11 10:22 am
Anonymous said...

"And now you think we should privatise the NHS?" There is no suggestion of that. But do they do their own laundry?

26/5/11 11:55 am
Anonymous said...

At the Panorama meeting on 12th May, the Panel/Team declined to agree with my question; "that the proposed changes to the NHS are designed to favour entrepreneurial, not vocational doctors".

RobO

26/5/11 4:41 pm
Anonymous said...

Re-Nationalise The Bank of England, referred to as the 'Agent of the Treasury'.

Mrs Thatcher privatized it in 1979 after Priminister Atlee Nationalized it in 1947.

The Bank of England was formed in 1694 as a private company, the names of its shareholders protected by a Royal charter.

26/5/11 4:50 pm
Anonymous said...

it cant get any worse 23 days for a letter from poole hospital, the old chestnut of doctors phoning you, 3 weeks wait for appts at the medical centre, swanage hospital as much use a a chocolate firegaurd. infections, poor food god it goes on. so why not try something different. the money that organisation wastes is criminal need sorting out.

26/5/11 4:52 pm
Anonymous said...

A good open meeting at New Swanage last night re the future of the Health Services in Swanage. The presenters voiced a request that 'everyone would be needed to work together'.

Its our town but do we know what is planned for it? Do we care?

There has been a suggestion that each group in Swanage should be represented and for there to be a cohesive Neighbourhood plan.

Decentralisation and Localism Bill:

'The Bill introduces the right for communities to shape their local areas by creating "Neighbourhood Planning Authority" (NPA). The NPA could be based on existing parishes - or a group of parishes or by an organisation designated by the Local Planning Authority as a "Neighbourhood Forum. " The neighbourhood forum, once designated will take effect for 5 years.
http://www.cgms.co.uk/blogpage/Decentralisation+and+Localism+Bill_159.html

Should this be happening for Swanage?

26/5/11 6:02 pm
Anonymous said...

"It can't get any worse."

Haha,you must be joking.Just about every privatisation has made things worse.

Infections - that's because cleaning in hospitals was privatised and went to the lowest bidder who makes a profit by paying the lowest wages so temporary/part time staff don't give a monkeys.


Poor food,ditto.


As for treatment.I've had treatment over the last few years and never had a problem with Swanage hospital appts or with my gp.Maybe I'm lucky,but I think the vast majority of people have had a decent service.

26/5/11 7:51 pm
Anonymous said...

Infections - that's because cleaning in hospitals was privatised and went to the lowest bidder who makes a profit by paying the lowest wages so temporary/part time staff don't give a monkeys.

so the cleaners put the infection in my body then mmmmmmmmmmm ok if thats what you think. some people do have a good experience of the nhs lots dont tho. do you realise the nhs is one of the biggest employers in the world wallmart and the chinnese army being bigger i think its a gigantic machine that gobbles money. it is inefficient and needs to be sorted.

26/5/11 11:04 pm
Anonymous said...

Dear oh dear,are you suggesting that the doctors and nurses "put the infection into" your body?Bizarre.It's generally agreed that the rise in hospital infections is due to poor levels of cleanliness,which have fallen dramatically since the cleaning was privatised.Hardly surprising as part time or temporary staff on low wages are unlikely to feel a great sense of responsibilty.

" some people do have a good experience of the nhs lots dont tho."

This sentence is the wrong way round (as I'm sure you're aware) and should read...

"lots of people do have a good experience of the nhs some dont tho."

The NHS "gobbles money" because there are 62 million people using it.There is absolutely no evidence that the services it offers could be provided cheaper privately.Even Cameron's adviser could not stretch the truth further than "there is some evidence that private companies might be able to"

27/5/11 11:12 am
Anonymous said...

Inefficient compared to what? The US system which spends a third of its income on getting hold of that income?

This old canard about it being the biggest employer this side of the planet neptune has been around for a long time. In fact it is several hundred employers and saying it is one makes as much sense as lumping all the engineering firms together.

27/5/11 8:42 pm
Anonymous said...

what is the point saying the the NHS spends to much, as normal some posters on here look at things through rose tinted glasses package whichever way you like money is wasted in the NHS its whole structure is wrong to many chiefs not enough indians. my self personally and my imediate family have been through the mill with the NHS and it is bordering on insanity the way certain aspects of it is run. The NHS needs more than a sticking plaster it needs surgery!

28/5/11 8:01 am
Anonymous said...

The White Paper and computerising the system during the 80's-did not help. Staff in Hospital Outpatients and Health Centre used to be able to simply tick a name on an arrival list, and to pull notes-it took very few people to run eithr office, now a whole army of people seem to be needed to do the same job, mostly because of the ill conceived perception that computers save time. Staff used to have time to speak to people kindly and to look them in the eye, now few words are spoken a screen seems to be the centre of attention.

Its almost impossible to get an appointment, there used to be one number at the HC to get an appointment, now its become so complicated, I'm surprised that anyone can understand the system. Is any of this progress, I don't think so. Please bring back how it used to be. The service used to be so much more simple, people friendly and efficient!

28/5/11 9:00 am
Anonymous said...

How you can generalise from the dysfunctional appointments system at one practice to the entire NHS beats me. There have been a number of large scale reorganisations over the decades without solving many of the perceived problems which strongly suggests that another one would be futile. Politicians seem to imagine that shuffling the cards in the administration pack will help. Sometimes it is mere slight of hand. Thatchers government had the brain wave of reclassifying ward auxiliaries as nursing assistants thus increasing the number reported as nursing staff by a few hundred thousand and cutting support staff by the same number. She brought Mr Rayner, an M&S director, in to find ways of increasing efficiency and there have been waves of people doing the same thing for the last 30 years. Were they all so inefficient at increasing efficiency that we have to start again or should be recognise that this is a newspaper story on the same level as Lord Lucan, Elvis and whoever else still being alive, which gets run when there is nothing else to put on the front page.

28/5/11 9:54 am
Anonymous said...

Many of the required solutions for the NHS just require a sound element of common sense:
- automate admin processes using best electronic solutions.
- make the service patient centred by having a local user panel with teeth.
-publish bouquets and brickbats together with management responses on the web.
-make local MPs more accountable for the local quality of service

As for who and how its run, it really doesnt matter too much - just make the management more accountable and sack em when it all goes wrong.

28/5/11 11:31 am
Anonymous said...

How you can generalise from the dysfunctional appointments system at one practice to the entire NHS beats me.
this is waht i am on about its not just one health centre its them all the amount of reception/office staff is rediculous. the point about not being helpfull and not looking you in the eye are very real experiences. what is the 1st question im asked ethnic origin!!! ahhhhh. take this from someone who has had over 50 outpatient appts; in the last 15 months.

28/5/11 12:41 pm
Anonymous said...

So, this is for retired people only then? For gods sake could someone please hold a meeting in the evening when those who work can actually attend?! Otherwise you're not getting a full representation are you!

28/5/11 2:16 pm
Anonymous said...

OK, folks.

After 35 years in the UK, with NHS (for good or bad) I retired to the US which has a system of private health insurance. I pay 600 pounds a month for coverage, with 20% co-pay and the first $3000 dollars paid by me (2000 quid). I get 80% of prescriptions paid. I pay 20%

Fine. I can get a colonoscopy tommorow (but I pay 200 quid). I can get a hernia corection tommorow (but I pay 200 quid). I can get a free circumcision - apparently.

But, if I cannot pay 500 quid a month, I get nothing. Zip. Nada. I have to beg charity for the most basic care.

Is that what you really want by making the NHS 'competitive'?? Perhaps you do.

Good luck.

28/5/11 6:36 pm
Anonymous said...

600 pounds a month !!

Who could afford that on the average local income !!

The whole system is doomed and going to implode very soon.

Better prepare for it.

28/5/11 8:09 pm
Anonymous said...

"Doomed, we're all doomed"

Been watching too much Dad's Army?

The last government expanded health spending to a similar level to other advanced but sensible countries. The US spends twice the proportion of national income we do and achieves worse infant mortality rates than Cuba.

29/5/11 10:13 am

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