Income tax must rise 3p to stop NHS 'staggering from year to year'

[Northerner]

Income tax will have to increase by at least 3p in the pound to deal with the massive pressures on NHS funding and to guarantee future healthcare, the former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake has said.

In a stark assessment of NHS finances, Kerslake said that big questions needed to be asked to ensure that spending kept up with medical advances, an ageing population and the need to invest in hospitals.

Kerslake said: “Health spending needs to rise at least in line with GDP. Arguably, we may need to go faster if we want to match European funding. You might argue there is a discount there because we have a more efficient system. But it’s got to be at least GDP-linked otherwise I don’t think we’ll get there.”

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that increasing NHS spending in line with the growth of the economy, rather than seeing it rise simply in line with inflation, would involve a 3p in the pound increase on all tax bands.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/...e-3p-to-stop-nhs-staggering-from-year-to-year

People need to realise that if we don't pay a little extra to fund the NHS properly we will all end up paying more for a poorer service under privatisation and insurance models

 

[trophywench]

Yup - that's exactly what I've always thought and would be MORE than happy to make the appropriate contribution (providing it was ringfenced from the start) but Dear George and all his pals won't hear of it, will he?

 

[Northerner]

Yup - that's exactly what I've always thought and would be MORE than happy to make the appropriate contribution (providing it was ringfenced from the start) but Dear George and all his pals won't hear of it, will he?

It's very depressing reading some of the comments from the 'I'm alright Jacks' who seem to feel that the NHS is massively overfunded and spends most of its time wasting money and could easily save masses more if only they paid all their managers minimum wage People forget that the NHS is a hugely complicated organisation, and the biggest employer in the world - and for the money paid it's also one of the most efficient. There are bound to be areas where you have people who aren't very good at their jobs in such an organisation and it's run by human beings so yes, there are mistakes. But the current government has done nothing but denigrate and undermine the whole service, and happily push the false notion that it would be cheaper and better for everyone if it was run by invested interests looking to make money for shareholders.

 

[AlisonM]

Sigh.

 

[trophywench]

Yup - and adding to it now, by not letting non-EU graduates even have access to the pool wanting specialisations until they've run out of EU applicants. In any case they can still be out on their ear if the NHS doesn't offer to pay them £30,000 a year, whereas they can pay all the EU people less and NP. The Junior doctors publicity has stated that they get about £27k I think, so if you add the imposed 11% it's £29,970. Oh what a shame - despite everyone saying how bloody good you are having worked here for years - bugger off back to Pakistan cos we don't want you. What's that? you have 4 children all born here? - so they are British? - that's your problem mate, you should have made provision for all this happening before we had even decided it would. Not our fault!!