So UKIP....

39 watchers
Oct 2015
3:02pm, 9 Oct 2015
616 posts
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Cheg
Yeah Molesy is right, a lot of these wellness things are meant to prevent higher costs down the line.

Related but tangent is us building the Jamican jail, it's their problem but if we pay part of it, it saves the UK cash long-term.
Oct 2015
3:26pm, 9 Oct 2015
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Surelynot
The problem with the NHS is the model was established to deal with the Health problems of the 1940s. It has been very successful and we are now living longer. As we live longer, we suffer from at least one but generally more long term conditions that require a lot of care.

The model centred on the GP and hospital where you have to go to get treatment is outdated. It is also set up to deal with ill health and not nearly as good at preventative medicine. I think we need much more to be done in the community especially for the elderly, for home treatment/prevention/care.

Was it Addenbrookes that went into special measures recently? The care they are delivering is excellent. The problem they have is there's little infrastructure in place to get people out of hospital and back home quickly. So people stay in hospital longer than they need to. And others have to wait for bed availability.

The model needs to be changed
Oct 2015
3:28pm, 9 Oct 2015
7,310 posts
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rf_fozzy
The model needs to be adapted. Not changed.

It needs governments to recognise that cuts to social services, mental health and care in the community and so forth have feedbacks on "frontline" services like A&E.

It needs governments to recognise that the money needs to be available to these services to avoid the higher costs of the "core" NHS.
Oct 2015
3:33pm, 9 Oct 2015
620 posts
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Cheg
But we also do have some really cool expensive new toys and pills that help people that previously were beyond helping.

Living longer is crushing our pensions and putting a strain on the healthcare system.
Oct 2015
3:43pm, 9 Oct 2015
7,312 posts
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rf_fozzy
That is true (although I'm not sure whether it's "crushing" pensions and is putting the strain on the healthcare system to the extent that is made out) - the ageing population is certainly affecting the landscape.

But, unless we're prepared to go down the Logan's Run route, there's not an option is there?

I certainly wouldn't advocate that.

I do believe that we should be looking to limit global population through birth control, education and so forth to bring us back within our global limits of sustainable resources, but I certainly wouldn't go down the enforced euthanasia route.
Oct 2015
3:50pm, 9 Oct 2015
622 posts
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Cheg
Pensions are to me, what the planet is to you fozzy.

Ok not quite that important but I think my problem and your problems will be top of the agenda in 50 years time.
Oct 2015
6:01pm, 9 Oct 2015
3,624 posts
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Doctor K
My mother in law had a small tumour removed from her liver in her early 80s - about 10 years prior top that she had an op for bowel cancer, she also had in her 70s a hip operation. The liver op extended her life by a couple of years but in the end an auto immune condition of the liver which she had for over 25 years did for her.

Notwithstanding the above she was otherwise pretty fit and lived a good life however it must have cost well in excess of what she paid in. Her notes were the size of a small mountain.

She made choices to have all the surgeries -she lived until she was 83.

My Dad on the other hand was paid for by the NHS in the last 10 months of his life to the tune of hundreds of pounds a week shuffling around with parkinson's and advanced dementia. His life was pretty futile. Most of the time he didn't appreciate it

these decisions are not easy

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