news & politics:discussion

[hodgey123]

2 hours ago, Ozanne said:

I don’t think it’ll be a big single event but loads of smaller ones. The Tories probably hope enough people turn on the NHS that public opinion turns to private healthcare. 

Is that likely though? If people in this country will defend anything - sometimes blindly per my previous posts as it seems exempt from criticism! - it is surely the NHS.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Is that likely though? If people in this country will defend anything - sometimes blindly per my previous posts as it seems exempt from criticism! - it is surely the NHS.

Originally I’d have thought they wouldn’t but we did vote for Brexit so who knows what could happen.

This polling is pretty worrying.

 

[steviewevie]

59 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Is that likely though? If people in this country will defend anything - sometimes blindly per my previous posts as it seems exempt from criticism! - it is surely the NHS.

I expect there's massive criticism for the NHS out there, but ultimately people will blame the government. In the end though people who can afford it will go elsewhere. It's fucked. Needs both money and the way it operates sorting out. There is no quick fix. They can  change to a different system, more insurance based or whatever they have in other parts of europe, but that will be expensive and not an easy transition. So, probably best to keep what we have, but more funds through taxation, and all parts of it better managed, more joined up etc etc.

[Ryan1984]

1 hour ago, hodgey123 said:

Is that likely though? If people in this country will defend anything - sometimes blindly per my previous posts as it seems exempt from criticism! - it is surely the NHS.

There’s a significant portion of the country (outside the efests bubble) that continuously defends this government and their vindictive ways.

I’ve been surprised this week by how many people at my work are against ALL the strikers and can’t believe what ‘Mick Grinch’ etc are doing. Had to calmly explain train strikes on Christmas Eve start at 6pm - when barely any trains run anyway.

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, Ryan1984 said:

There’s a significant portion of the country (outside the efests bubble) that continuously defends this government and their vindictive ways.

I’ve been surprised this week by how many people at my work are against ALL the strikers and can’t believe what ‘Mick Grinch’ etc are doing. Had to calmly explain train strikes on Christmas Eve start at 6pm - when barely any trains run anyway.

Makes you wonder why they called that strike over Christmas, bad PR?

[steviewevie]

Zelenskiy supposed to be in Washington DC today...and US about to send a shitload more dollars and weapons to Ukraine.

[Neil]

Despite the strike my mum has decided to be a drama queen and need an ambulance today, luckily she got one. No big illness, just a bit unwell, ambulance was called by her retirement home. She might end up in hospital over Xmas again. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Neil

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Neil said:

Despite the strike my mum has decided to be a drama queen and need an ambulance today, luckily she got one. No big illness, just a bit unwell, ambulance was called by her retirement home. She might end up in hospital over Xmas again. 

Sorry to hear that, I hope she’s going to be ok. 

[Neil]

8 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Sorry to hear that, I hope she’s going to be ok. 

Ambulance man has got her sorted and she won't be going to hospital team from the hospital will go out to see her . I thanked man for getting there on a strike day and told him that I support the strike. 

[Neil]

9 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Going off what you are saying she wasn't either a priority 1 or 2...  Are they actually on strike ?  Not sure all trusts are.

Guess they were told non urgent. Tho is symptoms (unable to swallow) will have suggested a stroke. She has a mouth infection which is making it uncomfortable for her to swallow. Ambulance man said he was in a less militant part of the union. 

[steviewevie]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

Despite the strike my mum has decided to be a drama queen and need an ambulance today, luckily she got one. No big illness, just a bit unwell, ambulance was called by her retirement home. She might end up in hospital over Xmas again. 

yeah, my dad has decided to get really unwell and his wife called an ambulance for him last night...and they gave him some antibiotics...something that should be done by GP but she has been unable to get through for whatever reason. Bit of a worry for older people this shitty NHS.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

Ambulance man has got her sorted and she won't be going to hospital team from the hospital will go out to see her . I thanked man for getting there on a strike day and told him that I support the strike. 

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the timing like for them getting to you?

Glad someone got to her and yeah I support the strikers too. 

[Neil]

5 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the timing like for them getting to you?

i don't know the timings,

ambulance man called me when he was with my mum  at 5 to nine, i guess the home's carers checked on my mum to then call the ambulance (probably told them not-urgent), i'm guessing they wouldn't have checked before 8am as they probably don't start until 8.

so that was pretty quick, took 24 hours recently for a non urgent ambulance. my mum is keeping the nhs on their toes, shes probably the whole nhs budget. 😛 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Neil said:

i don't know the timings,

ambulance man called me when he was with my mum  at 5 to nine, i guess the home's carers checked on my mum to then call the ambulance (probably told them not-urgent), i'm guessing they wouldn't have checked before 8am as they probably don't start until 8.

so that was pretty quick, took 24 hours recently for a non urgent ambulance. my mum is keeping the nhs on their toes, shes probably the whole nhs budget. 😛 

Sounds like they got to her in a pretty decent time, best wishes for her recovery. 

[Neil]

10 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Sounds like they got to her in a pretty decent time, best wishes for her recovery. 

thanks sounds like she'll be fine, and  i think they did get there fast.

[Neil]

I've got the ambulance station just up the road from my house, and when the wife drove past earlier she gave the picket line a supportive honk. 

[Neil]

When I was in hospital I had lots of rides in ambulances for hospital transfers (including from London to   Surrey and then Surrey to Bristol) and for tests etc at other hospitals. I called them my hospital taxis. Big effect on treatment if they're not happening today. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by Neil
correction of facts

[steviewevie]

oh.

 

[Guest]

The government expect us to be happy with this.

[Neil]

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

The government expect us to be happy with this.

bigger travel subsidy for the wealthy.

[cellar]

2 hours ago, Ozanne said:

The government expect us to be happy with this.

I've not been happy with UK rail prices for a long time to be honest. But I am interested to see how this cap will affect their profits - for 20/21 to 21/22, Network Rail was down £1.3bn with only a £0.06bn drop in revenue. Presumably they will be dropping into negative figures for 22/23, and then even further the following year.

[steviewevie]

2 hours ago, cellar said:

I've not been happy with UK rail prices for a long time to be honest. But I am interested to see how this cap will affect their profits - for 20/21 to 21/22, Network Rail was down £1.3bn with only a £0.06bn drop in revenue. Presumably they will be dropping into negative figures for 22/23, and then even further the following year.

doesn't gov just pay any shortfall via subsidies? 

[steviewevie]

More ambulance strikes announced for next month, and I expect more nurse ones too. Are govt really hoping to win this, to what end? A totally demoralised NHS workforce who will just want to leave and lead to more shortages?

[Guest]

Labour over the 50% mark!

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, Ozanne said:

The government expect us to be happy with this.

Especially if you're unfortunate enough to need Avanti West Coast, who seem to be too distracted with picking a fight with unions to actually run the trains.

Guess it must be particularly galling if you live in Manchester and therefore rely on either this lot for north-south travel, or Transpennine Express for a lot of northern services when their reliability is also in the toilet.