Malcolm
Well-Known Forumite
Agree with the last couple of posts and I value an NHS free at the point of NEED. So yes, reduce waste and charge people for taking the p..s with appts, etc. But as suggested earlier, the more services offered, the more demand there will be and the bigger the NHS money-eating monster will grow. At some point, with a growing, aging population, the founding principle of the NHS becomes an impossibility. We've no doubt reached that point already. It can not be free to all whatever the cost any more.
Times have changed since 1948 - so has the population. Significantly higher taxes (which is what the NHS needs) will always be unpalatable to the electorate (regardless of their politics and regardless of people not realising how important the health service is until needed. At a general election people tend to want a tight ship more than anything else in my opinion). So rationalising the service and / or means-testing users and / or privatising parts of the NHS will become a necessity, won't it..?
As for the future of Stafford's hospital - the writing's been on the wall since the disgraceful scandal talked about all over the country. Changing the name of the hospital won't change anything. It's buggered and that is a disaster for this town.
Times have changed since 1948 - so has the population. Significantly higher taxes (which is what the NHS needs) will always be unpalatable to the electorate (regardless of their politics and regardless of people not realising how important the health service is until needed. At a general election people tend to want a tight ship more than anything else in my opinion). So rationalising the service and / or means-testing users and / or privatising parts of the NHS will become a necessity, won't it..?
As for the future of Stafford's hospital - the writing's been on the wall since the disgraceful scandal talked about all over the country. Changing the name of the hospital won't change anything. It's buggered and that is a disaster for this town.
