Is enough being spent on the NHS?

[Northerner]

The figures are eye-watering. Last week it emerged NHS trusts in England were overspent by £2.2bn at the three-quarter mark of this financial year.

By the end of March that figure could rise to close to £3bn. To put that into context, that's more than the entire unemployment benefits bill.

It is, arguably, the most serious financial crisis in the history of the NHS. Regulators and ministers are talking tough, telling hospitals (which are almost entirely responsible for the deficit) to get their house in order.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35653455

The government have no clue about how to run a society, showing total ignorance of how external factors can affect any other section. They've pulled the rug from under so many areas that then have a knock-on impact on the NHS, yet they continue to speak of the NHS as though it is somehow separate There is no coherence in the society they have left us with after their relentless, ideologically-driven cuts

 

[Pumper_Sue]

There is probably more than enough spent on the NHS unfortunately though a very high percentage is wasted on unnecessary expenditure, i.e. high costs of locum Drs and nurses and pen pushers.

 

[trophywench]

... and holding expensive vendettas against people who blew a whistle. - suspending the one I'm thinking about - a cardiac consultant surgeon on full pay for many many years and creating delaying tactics at every turn, agreeing to re employ him so he withdrew the proceedings, then saying things had moved on so he needed to retrain, so he had to wait nearly 12 months to get a place (away from home) and had to do that - he did one year then they withdrew everything without bothering to tell him until he was packing to go back to the Uni in London - but they'd notified the Uni in good time so his place had already been taken by someone else! - so he's been sat at home, ever since (again) waiting for his Constructive Dismissal case to come to Court - with Solicitors advising him NOT to hand his notice in, eventually he had a nervous breakdown - and would you believe the hospital moved heaven and earth to be able to say they were miraculously ready to go to Court with their side of the story and giving Press Interviews to demonstrate that HE was now holding THEM up - they very recently settled with him - a 6 figure number. It has been going on for getting on for 10 years - he's well in his 50s now. And of course - they had to employ someone else to take his place too over all those years.

It has cost MILLIONS and MILLIONS to prevent him helping people - and there was never even ONE slight murmur of complaint or criticism from any of the people he treated over the years.

That's just OUR hospital - how many are there?

 

[HOBIE]

Just ask Labour to get us more into DEBT. Free money tree 🙂

 

[KookyCat]

Just ask Labour to get us more into DEBT. Free money tree 🙂

Actually Hobie, debt is a non partisan issue, there's very little difference between any party in terms of national debt. This isn't really about debt anyway it's about allocation of funds and who controls it. None of the parties are really trying to reduce our debt, they are all trying to give good headline.

Paying a premium for temporary staff is what happens when you reduce the training budget, that has been systematically eroded for many years, why? Coz it gives good headline. Imagine a politician, any flavour you like, standing in front of flashing camera bulbs, saying we've reduced the NHS deficit by 2 million. Sounds lovely on your CV does that, no mention of what happens in ten years when you've got no Doctors and nurses because you've slashed the training budget in half. Short termism people. Get the NHS out of the hands of grubby self serving politicians.

 

[Northerner]

Just ask Labour to get us more into DEBT. Free money tree 🙂

Debt has actually tripled under this government and the coalition - they have spent more in 6 years than Labour did in the previous 13 years! Don't believe the spin Hobie!

Investment in the Health Service is an investment in the country as a whole, as we need a healthy workforce. The way cuts have been applied have meant MORE waste of public money due to people receiving treatment in the wrong place (old people in A&E), or not being able to leave hospital due to lack of social care/funding (bed blocking). It's a veneer of saving, but doesn't consider the overall impact