http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/19/nhs-hospital-waiting-times-longer
Latest performance data reveal number of English patients waiting more than 18 weeks has risen by 26% in last year.
New NHS performance data reveal that the number of people in England who are being forced to wait more than 18 weeks has risen by 26% in the last year, while the number who had to wait longer than six months has shot up by 43%.
In March this year, 34,639 people, or 11% of the total, waited more than that time to receive inpatient treatment, compared with 27,534, or 8.3%, in March 2010 – an increase of 26% – Department of Health statistics show.
Similarly, in March this year some 11,243 patients who underwent treatment had waited for more than six months, compared with 7,841 in the same month in 2010 – a 43% rise.
Hmm. The austerity mindset makes things worse. Who'd-a thunk?
AntwortenLöschenProfound analytical prowess knows no bounds. Wow!
AntwortenLöschenI understand the article but has the poster got an opinion or is he simply waiting for someone to make a comment he can disagree with?
AntwortenLöschenThe problem in the UK is the NHS and the country is in a state of flux caused by a (coalition) government that doesn't have a mandate from the electorate to make the cuts they propose.
Most people in the UK recognise there has to be economic pain as a result of the banking crisis but feel the government is cutting too fast, too deep. Not only that, they are frontloading it so that most of the pain comes in the first year.
Only two departments budgets have been ring-fenced and these are Overseas Development (Aid) and the NHS. For Overseas Aid this is a winner as it means our contribution will rise to 0.7% of GDP. For the NHS however the ring-fence is coupled with an expectation that they can make £20 billion in cuts/savings. Most would agree savings can be made but at the same time the government are trying to implement a complete overhaul of the system and the system within.
You have a party who have been in opposition for 13 years in coalition with partners who have been out of government for almost 100 years attempting to impose cuts of 20% (some say the reality is 19%) across every government department with serious consequences for every local authority. You could call it Thatcherism with a scattergun approach. So far it's not been successful as the government has already backed down on the sell-off of forests, cutbacks in the coastguard service and are finding cuts by local authorities being challenged in the High Court. Suddenly most of their plans are on hold and being put out to consultation, lol, I'd be worried if most of my plans in life were so questionable.
Don't get me wrong, while I don't support the government I do support much of what they propose (some with modifications) but unfortunately they are trying to do it all at once and the country simply will not accept it.
All have seen what happened when Thatcher privatised the utility and transport infrastructure and few are prepared to see the NHS go the same way.
Sorry if I seemed to rant but, when I was young the elderly were well cared for in local authority homes and now the only option is private (for profit) homes understaffed by well-meaning employees on the minimum wage.
Either a society cares or it doesn't. It's up to us which we wish to live in.
This is pretty much what Conservatives here are satisfied with.
AntwortenLöschenUnfortunately that's true. Whether or not they'll be quite as satisfied in six months time is another question. The biggest mistake they've made is to target everyone at the same time and that can only lead to a general backlash.
AntwortenLöschenWhat a lovely thought: A huge NO from "everyone at the same time."
AntwortenLöschenWhile it's a nice thought it is going to cause a lot of unrest and the government wont be able to put it all "out to consultation". They've hit the savers (low interest rates), they've hit the borrowers ( banks simply aren't lending), they've hit the disabled (by casting a net so wide there's got to be consequences), they've hit public service workers (where the economy of the poorest parts of the country depend on it). They've hit the police budget, the NHS and defence. Every one of them, in isolation, would have consequences but to try to do it simultaniously would lead to disaster.
AntwortenLöschenI predict a general election within 12 months followed by a new reality in British politics.
Sounds a lot like what's going on here in the US.
AntwortenLöschenWe WILL be having a presidential election in a bit more than 12 months.
I hope the Republicans keep up that type of nonsense. The backlash here will mirror yours i suspect.
Ever the optimist, Jen.
AntwortenLöschenI LOVE how I post something about the NHS (British) and Jen turns it into "I hate Republicans in the USA."
AntwortenLöschenWhat?
You never disappoint Jen!
Yes, Randy, because you were in no way posting to make a point about socialized medicine and why it would be bad in the US.
AntwortenLöschenAnd Jen couldn't possibly be making a valid comparison between similar conservatism in different places.
How come no criticism of the comments about how conservatives, not the NHS, are the problem? That undermines your point in posting, too.
My daughter lives in London and works for the NHS. She counsels people after they are recommended for counseling by the GP. She tells me today to see her is a 18 month wait, and to see the GP about getting counseling, is another 18 months. So i you have serous mental issues its 3 years before you get help! This is typical , none emergency care is really bad and impossible by USA standards. The system in the UK is being cut dramatically, and the underlining idea is to some day go to a private system for many things and the government to try to get out of many health care areas. While this is not official its in the minds of all the top NHS people.
AntwortenLöschenThis is not always the case. A few years ago, I was referred for counselling on the NHS by a GP (doctor) and it was only about six weeks later that I got a letter in the mail inviting me to come in. It probably varies from region to region.
AntwortenLöschenIt is called a "Postcode Lottery".
AntwortenLöschenIf we were in the United States, it would be called a Zipcode Lottery for the same reason!
Whoo Hoooo. I just can't wait for Obamacare!!!!!!!
AntwortenLöschenCould the reason things are taking longer be because there are cuts being made to funding (if so probably by conservatives) with resulting cuts in staff, etc?
AntwortenLöschenI've been hearing a lot about the recent "austerity" issues.
Sounds like the cons (as cons here) don't like taxes going to health care, just as there were recent cuts to education there as well.
Do the rich and the corporations get as big a breaks as they do here?
Here we'd rather give the haves a break and continue to soak the poor and middle class and let them go without decent health care coverage.
Jen
AntwortenLöschenI think its a variety of reasons, but the present system there is not sustainable given the costs. The new government is a coalition of liberal and conservative. The other problem is the large amount of non-residents and and illegals getting care with out contributing anything back.
That's a common myth in the US, but undocumented residents actually pay taxes here. Is it different there?
AntwortenLöschen