What future for our NHS

 How can the above multi millionaire have any idea what it is like to live in a system where the fact you have joined medicare or have a large amount of wealth can determine whether you live of die early?


The Tories have made it clear they feel the market system will keep the cost of the NHS down... rubbish... this is treasury speak... civil servants do not like a system that has to have a flexible budget.. more people one year may need a hip operation... some care packages are more expensive that others. there are higher overheads in running a hospital in some parts of the country than others.. cost of houses and many other things can be higher... so putting a bunch of doctors in charge of 80% of the health budget is a potential disaster... a few GPs are economy minded but many of them are empire builders and worse than politicians for wanting to be in position of power.

We should be proud of a health survive that provides health care that will not bankrupt you.. you may well have enough to deal with to get better and cope with the stress of being ill.

Quality is vital.. if you provide a cost cutting standard of health care you will find it costs more in the longer term with higher readmission rates and poor long term outcomes. You also have to provide updating opportunities for all medical staff to ensure they follow best practice. There has to be a close integration of services by partners to direct health care, get patients out of hospital as soon as possible to provide home care. Maximum bed use by very efficient system of patient contact. A standard of cleaning that at least matches the dedication of previous times, Allowing the bureaucrats to impose a myriad of form filling when dealing with staff who have to work to a high professional standard and if they do not risk being taken off the register and lose their job. We spend far to much as an NHS in diverting patients to the private sector in a desperate bid to cut waiting lists. There cannot be an open ended cheque book but if restrictions on budgets or treatments are made this decision has got to be seen to be democratic fair and reasonable by a clearly public accountable body. We need to buy in drugs, equipment etc as a nation wide public body to ensure the best possible price is obtained. I also believe that the time is here where we make a contract with a patient that in return for the health care the patient agrees to stop smoking or hit target reductions in weight etc.. giving every support to this patient to help them comply. As a dentist, I do think the first step to restoring the health of a mouth riddled with decay is to get them on a contract to improve tooth cleaning and modify their diet pattern…. With of course assistance and pain relief .

What do you thin?

Regards

Cllr Ian Robertson