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First of all, sorry for this.
Just a quick note to give you some perspective.
I work in a medium security forensic mental health unit.
I'm 53 and it's the best job I've ever had. I just like looking after people.
The money has little to do with it.
I love my job.
I've been back on the ward for four months after a year at Uni. It's changed.
We don't have enough nurses to staff the wards. We work 12 hour shifts without a break. Staffing is so bad I often have to stay for a few hours. With commuting I rarely get six hours sleep between shifts.
Our patients can be violent and it's only our experience that keeps everyone safe.
Agency nurses don't have that experience. Our patients and all our staff are at risk. We have had several staff injured so badly they will never return in the past 8 weeks - broken limbs, eye sockets, knees, cheekbones, even brain injuries. This would not have happened with experienced staff.
In the last few weeks I have seen consultants, HCAs (The very best of us, minimum wage, front line staff) and hardened Ward Managers break down. Covid, we coped with that. But the lack of staffing is killing us. Seven of my colleagues resigned last week, because they couldn't cope with not being able to keep their patients and themselves safe.
Please, I'm begging you, don't believe the media stories regarding militancy.
We just want to be able to help.
Thanks for listening.
Please, I’m begging you, don’t believe the [s]media[/s] Tory gov stories regarding militancy.
we don't.....
Tbh I'm amazed you've all put up with it this long. You all have my full support fwiw. Take care.
Doctors tried to highlight the situation in 2015 but the nation didn’t want to hear.
The situation has been getting slowly worse since and now it’s on a precipice.
It’s not just a Tory thing, successive governments have done things that have impacted the NHS. You don’t see anyone in the public criticising the removal of the 1% NI increase
The fact is wages and conditions are just too bad to retain doctors, nurses and social care staff. It’s not about Tory or Labour policy, it’s about whether society is prepared to pay people to look after them, and unfortunately so far society doesn’t appear to want to put its hand in its pockets. If it did the Tories and Labour would jump at it
Del
Full Member
Tbh I’m amazed you’ve all put up with it this long. You all have my full support fwiw. Take care
I am so proud to be registered with the RCN.
I earned that and no one will ever take it away from me.
Please, I’m begging you, don’t believe the media stories regarding militancy.
We just want to be able to help.Thanks for listening
I don't, and thank you.
You have my full support.
Social Care worker here. You have my full support.
Absolutely.
We are really struggling just now, as are other trusts going off what I can see on my screen.
It really tests my pride facing possible industrial action, I’m off on Wednesday so won’t be effected. However, I’m in some of the other planned dates. I’m going to struggle.
School teacher here. You have my full support. Clapping won't pay the bills.
FWIW full support here. Having been an all too regular customer of the NHS it's obvious things are being run down before even getting to pay levels.
And yes clapping doesn't pay the bills
Folk who work for the NHS are amazing. I hope things improve for you.
Drac
You are one of the reasons I joined the NHS.
Thanks.
Fully support, and thank you.
No, thank you. I’ve loved my time with the NHS but I’m tired now. It’s had an effect on my health, particularly my mental health. Still enjoy my job, especially now I have a lot more clinical again.
Full support from me. One daughter is a nurse another a junior doctor so I have some insight… but I would support anyway.
it’s about whether society is prepared to pay people to look after them, and unfortunately so far society doesn’t appear to want to put its hand in its pockets. If it did the Tories and Labour would jump at it
Opinion polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of voters fully support tax increases to fund the NHS and social care.
If the Tories and Labour don't jump at it, and let's be fair the reluctance is primarily on the part of the Tories, then it is simply because they would rather spend the money on other stuff, like expensive hardware designed to kill people, or spunk it on private sector providers (as eloquently proposed recently by the Labour Shadow Health Secretary)), not because they feel voters would not approve of more resources for the NHS.
Although there has been a long standing political campaign by some to discredit the NHS as being wasteful and squandering of resources it doesn't seem to have achieved much traction with the majority of voters.
Some of these people who purport to be concerned about wastefulness should perhaps focus more at looking at the added costs to the NHS of delaying necessary and effective treatment, and also helping private providers make healthy profits out of sick people.
Solidarity, 100% - thank you all for all you do.
Full support.
The tories showed their hand early this week. Underfund it, get the public angry about its state, sell it off. I think the public are starting to see the truth, I hope so anyway.
I’ve come off Twitter cos I was just getting a constant stream of right wing bullshit, most responses destroyed them but so what- if people read the R wing press they don’t see the counter argument.
If it was warmer there would be people in the streets, rioting.
Where is the "like" button?
I fully support you!
Thank you to everyone who works in the NHS - you have my full support in your quest for decent wages and working conditions!
Ive always, always told my son that one of the absolute defining reasons I have never voted Tory is that they fought against the creation of the NHS and have tried to undermine it pretty much ever since. Labour are not without some blame but only the Tories treat the NHS as a total liability rather than an incredible and near universal safety net for the whole population when it is needed.
It is the greatest defining achievement of any peace time government this country has ever had.
Above all the other reasons I detest the Tories is their treatment of the NHS and its staff. They will literally kill people to save cash and to follow an almost Darwinian ideology. They have nothing but contempt for the institution, its staff and those that use it.
The Tories are absolute satanic, greedy, ****ers and I absolutely and totally support those that are striking.
Yeah, I'm a little pissed off and I don't even work within the NHS, though my partner does, the poor cow.
Civil Servant here, married to a social worker.
Total support for you and your colleagues. Pay is the issue the government and press are focusing, staffing and patient/client safety are the real underlying issue behind a lot of the strikes.
I'm reasonably well paid. Except I'm probably doing two peoples work, with no experienced staff to support us. To do that in a life critical service must be horrendous.
Whilst I support all the strikes going on at the moment I think it's the nurses & ambulance drivers strike that the government really fears - if they think spouting made up numbers on TV will be enough to get the public to side with the government they're even more clueless than Liz was with her budget.
I’m reasonably well paid. Except I’m probably doing two peoples work, with no experienced staff to support us. To do that in a life critical service must be horrendous.
+1.
I work for a local authority. Each year the budgets shrink and have to stretch further. It is systemic within the public sector.
I am finding my own situation more and more untenable, if I knew my actions were life critical then that level of responsibility would probably break me.
100% support to the Nurses, and everyone else striking because this government(s) have monumentally ****ed things up. As per the J Pie video, they jhave squander (and doled out to their mates) much much more than what the Nurses are due. I think some people are still suffering from the envy that they weren’t essential during the pandemic when the likes of bin men, posties and shop workers were deemed key workers.
I think you're pushing against an open door here Pete, I don't hear many decenting voices anywhere on this question. Apart from my sister in law, but she's an arsehole.
Same for all the other striking workers after a fair, (not even good!) wages and conditions deal.
My full support is with the NHS and nirses
They will literally kill people to save cash and to follow an almost Darwinian ideology
It's not Darwinian. Darwinism demonstrates why helping others helps all...what you are taking of has another name. Don't misuse the science or put down the scientist.
Full support here.
No need for tax raises. If the money was spent properly, the service would be in great shape. Instead, it's creamed off by layer upon layer of parasites.
Ignoring that, and blaming the front line workers of militancy, is utterly piss boiling.
The NHS and the tireless, under appreciated, over worked and under paid people that work in it are amazing. The help and phenomenal support we received when Funk Jr was ill as a baby was priceless. I’d happily pay more tax to help support them.
Full support here too, the tories need kicking out!
Until I went off sick earlier this year (fairly valid reason) I worked as an OT on a Low-Secure Psych Unit. I called in last week and the difference on the unit was shocking. Over half the original team had left over the last 6 months. It was understaffed with newbies or agency workers. Patients were frustrated and it's clear it's about to go very wrong there.
I almost cried when several of my old patients asked, "When are you coming back?"
My new experience on the other side (terminal illness) has been very poor. Lots of poor-communication, things not getting done, failed appointments, staff not having time (or some that clearly just don't care), etc has all increased the stress on me and my family. Today I am speaking with PALS to consider a formal complaint. But what good will it do?!!
You have my empathy and vote.
Total support from me.
My sister works in NHS MH services and I've been hearing the same things from her for some time.
Another one here supporting things.
I've a sister, sister in law and (retired) mother in law who are nurses.
It is about the working conditions for them - my sister as a community nurse has an emergency button device she wears - but every month someone tries to save £20 and cancels the SIM on it, she provides her own printer cartridges to print patient records, and she has an old dining chair as an office chair as her trust doesn't see why they need office furniture...
With the absence of an effective opposition it is for the people to represent themselves.
Striking is democracy.
You and your colleagues across the sector have my full support and admiration. All power to you whether striking or not.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't support this. But then, I do. I've fallen out with friends in recent years over their stand point on things like this. Complete selfishness, i'm-alright-jack, zero empathy mentality, and there are plenty people like that.
I don’t anything main stream reports now and thank you for doing a great job.
Hiya,
I think it is obvious we are being manipulated by the right wing media. This has been going on for years:
Ali -G summed it up a few years ago. I have cousins that have resigned from the NHS I can only think the Tosser Tory's are doing this to deliberately wind up some services and as an excuse to have the running of the services privatized, well the ones they haven't already. You only have to see the way some of the health corporations are lobbying some of the MPs and Lords to see the whole plan...
BR
JeZ
Thanks for all you do, keep the faith, there has to be light at the end of this tunnel?
The scumbags need to realise that their voters are the ones waiting 8 hours on the floor for an ambulance.
Mrs zip’s mum can no longer bring herself to vote for them.
The ****s are just grabbing everything they can before they are booted out.
Absolute support and solidarity. We get to hear similar stories from our 3 who work in the NHS. So glad to have left Tory Rutland a year ago, I would have been in chains in the Tower by now for throttling reactionary ignoramuses. You have to fight your corner and don't give in.
Support to you and all of those taking action in seek of fair pay for their hard work.
Thanks for your dedication in such a thankless role.
Just seen someone on twitter whining about TikTok locums being evil, and leaving the NHS (£13 an hour) to go and work as a locum (£35 an hour).
No idea how anyone can consider £13 an hour for what Doctors (or any NHS medical staff) do to be reasonable, esoecially when you consider the shifts, unpaid overtime, 70-80-90 hour weeks and so on.
I'd be starting with double that, and going from there. (Might not need to be spending all that NHS cash on Locums if you had a properly staffed and paid NHS in the first place!)
Pete most of my friends that includes you, and what family I have work in either direct or community NHS work.
The level of utter exhaustion with the present situation is glaringly obvious to me, my only hope is this is a turning point?
But its no good those of looking on just agreeing with you we already know. The more of us that can make people see what is really happening then it can only be for the good.
Might not need to be spending all that NHS cash on Locums if you had a properly staffed and paid NHS in the first place
That's what I don't get, see it in social work as well. Can't be beyond the wit of (wo)man to square that circle, surely?
Opinion polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of voters fully support tax increases to fund the NHS and social care.
Problem is, they usually mean they support tax increases on someone else, like 'corporations' or 'the rich' or something else nicely amorphous. When they're actually asked to personally pay more tax, suddenly they're not so keen.
You have my full support - I have seen the difference in care provided over the past few years.
In Cornwall there is an 8 year wait for NHS dentists. 8 years. How has that been allowed to happen?!
NHS has put up with these awful conditions for far too long. I just hope there's a decent result for all you amazing people after this strike action.
Problem is, they usually mean they support tax increases on someone else,
That is not how the question is usually framed. The question usually asked is whether they are willing to pay more tax to fund the NHS. And for years opinion polls have shown that voters are, eg :
You would struggle to find an opinion showing otherwise.
Public opinion on taxation has shifted dramatically in recent years anyway, generally people are now far more prepared to accept that decent public services and provisions should be funded by taxation.
Which is why austerity is now such a vote loser and also why even right-wingers who once used the term with ease will no longer use it.
And why the Kwarteng-Truss tax-slashing mini budget was such a catastrophic electoral liability for the Tories.
Just seen someone on twitter whining about TikTok locums being evil, and leaving the NHS (£13 an hour) to go and work as a locum (£35 an hour).
No idea how anyone can consider £13 an hour for what Doctors (or any NHS medical staff) do to be reasonable, esoecially when you consider the shifts, unpaid overtime, 70-80-90 hour weeks and so on.
I’d be starting with double that, and going from there. (Might not need to be spending all that NHS cash on Locums if you had a properly staffed and paid NHS in the first place!)
Posted 49 minutes ago
I'm one of those evil locums.
I do also have an NHS job.
Nurse. 14 years qualified. Climbed the ladder and came back down to ward level as a band 5 as the demands became intrusive in our home life and I've lost any passion I had for the job (I said it).
When I started we were great. Wasn't perfect but it was a 1000% better in terms of meeting patient's needs, staff morale was better and we actually had colleagues.
For the 39 people in my cohort there was 1 job available in our large NHS trust for a newly qualified nurse. 1. What happened???
I loved looking after people. Seeing people get better, making difference to people's lives. Now it's mostly damage limitation and firefighting. It's so very sad to see.
I don't think the nurses wage is a bad wage compared to what some people take home. I'm not destitute or choosing between heating and eating. I have an expensive hobby that is mountain biking which says enough.
I just don't think the wage reflects the job, especially in its current state.
Back to locum:
I work 24 hours NHS and 12-24 hours a week in various other god awful trusts for double the money. Why?
It doesn't however pay to work full time in my NHS job. I need to provide for my family.
Money goes nowhere these days and I'd like my kids to have more opportunities and life experiences than I did, nothing extravagant but paying for swimming lessons and karate has to come from somewhere.
I could work even more hours in my NHS job but the "profession" drains me both mentally and physically. I don't want to work 50-60 hour weeks with a crippled back at 39 and poor mental health.
Unfortunately self preservation now comes first and I have to do what is best to meet our household needs whilst still being present as a father.
The thing is, in my opinion the money is there for a reasonable pay rise.
As agency nurses we DO drain the system. If you are paying me £35 an hour to pick up a shift then you are also paying my agency another £30 an hour on top for profit. £75 an hour for for a band 5 nurse who doesn't have to fit in, doesn't have to get involved in the running of the place and who you may not see ever again.
It's endemic in the system. I'd say 1/3 of my NHS nurse colleagues on my unit are now part time NHS and part time agency elsewhere.
You go to wards/hospitals where there is NO NHS staff on shift and are expected to work together cohesively when nobody knows who is who and what is going on. Leads to poor patient outcomes. The whole system is broken.
I will say that most of us (there is good. And bad everywhere) give 100% effort on shift but it's still not right. Though as I said above, self preservation for the family and my own wellbeing means you do what you have to do.
I sit typing this feeling guilty for admitting that I'm part of the problem but hey.
Looking at the spend on agency staff in the NHS it must be cheaper to entice people back or even into the role as an NHS employee by paying a few more £ an hour, no not £35-£44 an hour, but not £13-£16 either?
Invest in people so they can invest their time in you no?
Thanks for all you do, keep the faith, there has to be light at the end of this tunnel?
Unfortunately not at the moment. We are now getting to the point where it is imploding as described above. Those that are left in the NHS have been working very hard for the last few years and not been listened to. Many people have left for easier better paid work, or there simply isnt the new staff coming through. Every doctor / nurse I know is actively encouraging their siblings, friends not to go in to the NHS.
That means those staff that are left are having to fill more shifts, work harder in the shifts they are doing and all the time safety is slipping and patients are suffering despite everyone trying their best. Some overseas staff are coming through, but they require time to get up to UK standards, and no one has the time to train and coach them properly. Once they get fully trained they then disappear.
Its not just unique to clinical areas. Management are getting grief from government, but they simply just dont have the staff to provide patient care and improve things. I had a fellow manager ring me in tears last week the pressure she was under. She was talking about packing it in because its not worth the constant stress.
Everyone who is left now is working very hard and very inefficiently due to the circumstances. Its not good.
WHen politicians come on TV and say the strikers are harming patient care, someone clearly needs to tell them to their face that it is successive politicians over the last few years that are causing patient harm
Full support here and would support more tax to fund the NHS if I could believe the gov would actually use the money for that and not greasing the pockets of their mates.
Thank you to all the NHS staff
Full support from me.
Unfortunately not at the moment. We are now getting to the point where it is imploding as described above. Those that are left in the NHS have been working very hard for the last few years and not been listened to. Many people have left for easier better paid work, or there simply isnt the new staff coming through. Every doctor / nurse I know is actively encouraging their siblings, friends not to go in to the NHS.
That's what I hear too. We're no longer encouraging our kids or friend's kids into a career in healthcare. Mrs a11y's an A&E consultant and sister-in-law's an ITU nurse. Utmost respect for what both do in their line of work - I couldn't do it, I know that for sure. Mrs a11y's departement in particular is chronically understaffed and mismanaged - affected her mental and physical health over the past 3 years especially.
In Cornwall there is an 8 year wait for NHS dentists. 8 years. How has that been allowed to happen?!
I didn't have one for several years, the nearest one to me accepting new patients was 14 miles away. And i had no car.
That’s what I don’t get, see it in social work as well. Can’t be beyond the wit of (wo)man to square that circle, surely?
It's the "somebody else's budget" syndrome. Happens everywhere.
"For a measly 50 pence per item was can fix this incredibly annoying warranty fault"
"we don't have 50 pence in the budget"
"Use the warranty budget, we spend £5 per item overall to fix this issue over lifetime"
"It's not our budget, we aren't allowed to use it"
*idiots*
I just don’t think the wage reflects the job, especially in its current state.
Exactly.
Another here giving my full support to all NHS workers , on strike or not.
THANK YOU ALL for the work you do.
This year once again on Christmas day I will be popping into my local hospital to deliver a tub or 2 of Heroes as my own small thank you to those at work in a difficult job on that day.
I have been doing this for several years now and try to spread my small thank yous around ... this year it will be A & E but in the past it has been all over
I would also encourage others to do the the same or similar,
I fully sort the action taken by the staff - you are all stars.
Would happily pay an increase in TAX & NI to fund.
All that cash wasted on HS2 could have done so much more good by being diverted to the NHS.
Genuine question (and not wishing to start an argument) but how much does 'Health Tourism' cost the NHS each year?
(When my late Mom was in Hospital there were an awful lot of 'tourists' arriving and departing after surgery and treatment).
How much does it cost to treat (legal and illegal) migrants?
Perhaps we need to start making those who haven't paid TAX & NI to have insurance for there health care?
Again not trying to cause an argument but there are fundament issues that need sorting to free up cash and services - like removing the layers of management that seem to exist for no apparent reason.
My riding buddy's wife is ex-peads critical care and had to leave do to stress/MH issues due to conditions etc.
Oh and why make staff pay for parking???
Health Tourism costs around £300m annually, around 0.3% of the total NHS budget according to the BMJ.
Not the toughest Google if I'm honest.
How much does health tourism cost the NHS annually?
How much does it cost to treat (legal and illegal) migrants?
We’re back to those 2016 campaign videos showing the NHS suddenly being wait free and all the faces being white. It’s fantasy land. Migrants are not the problem the NHS is facing… an aging population, sky high inflation for equipment and drugs in the medical sector, refusal to allow and fund the training of enough staff, and deliberate downward pressure on real wages for a decade are what we should be looking at.
@kelvin nah mate it's those foreigners and middle managers to blame.
To the Op, you have my full support. Do what you must to hold these ****ers to the fire to keep staff and patients safe.
Genuine question (and not wishing to start an argument) but how much does ‘Health Tourism’ cost the NHS each year?
Virtually ****ing nothing, it is an excuse and a distraction designed to divide and conquer. Tax avoidance of the other hand costs the country at least 35 billion a year, don't look to blame the poor, sick and desperate, blame the rich and powerful.
Honestly have a listen to this it really expresses how I feel about it. Never loved Sleaford Mods but this is bang on.
But on the good headphones.
We would be marching on Parliament to this in the nineties, why can so many not see what’s going on.
Tax avoidance of the other hand costs the country at least 35 billion a year
vs £300 million, I know where I'd rather HMRC and the Govt focus their attention to generate revenue.
@kelvin - not saying it would solve the problem overnight. I was just curious as to how much time, resource and money it costs.
The same with the 'many layers of management'.
Perhaps we should start charging for certain services? In Jersey you have to pay £35 (might have gone up in the 10 years since) to see the Doctor. Surely that would stop Mrs Miggs from just booking an appointment everyday just so she has someone to talk too?
One of my friends is a nurse who left the NHS to work in Jersey. Sensible hours, full staffing, better pay. Nothing to do with charging in primary care though. Charges for dentistry hasn’t sorted out dental care, has it. Dissuading the poor from getting things checked out as early as possible won’t drive down costs in healthcare. Your little joke about how social care bleeds into primary care is important though. Mrs Miggs needs to be helped. Cuts in areas outside the NHS does impact on the NHS… heavily. The same is also happening in education/schools.
What about a STW ride to one of the big pickets, take cake and shit or do a big barbecue for them.
I’ve had a few bits sewn back on, but they basically saved my life on Friday.
Edit I can’t be there for a whilecos I’m still a bit ****ed.
The same with the ‘many layers of management’.
This mostly doesn't exist. The NHS is probably one of the largest "under managed" organisations there is. When MPs say things like "The money must go to front line services" the end point of what that means is all the normal management functions will now be some-ones "Other Job" that they do for no extra pay in between doing the job they do actually get paid to do. They mostly don't want to do it, they're not interested or very good at it and they can **** things up to a high standard very quickly.
Nurses and other clinical staff have my full support,
As an ex prison officer with a wife who was a staff nurse for 30 years, you all have our full support OP!
Full support as a firefighter with wife in the NHS working in MH.
All I’d add is prepare yourself for the government media slur machine. It’s unfortunately very effective and turns groups from the most celebrated to vilified in weeks. But the reality is the majority will continue to support your fight.
Additionally, whatever the end result try to not treat people who didn’t participate in the industrial action differently afterwards. This has unfortunately been a poison running through the veins of ours and many organisations that takes a long time to fade.
Also Fireservice very likely to take industrial action in the new year. Yay (sarcasm)
I know where I’d rather HMRC and the Govt focus their attention to generate revenue.
We would except we are in the same downward spiral of lack of staff, lack of training, lack of 21st century IT and increasingly unnecessarily complicated regulations.*
Every £ spent on an extra HMRC bod raises £10 for the exchequer, apparently.
*I'm not saying tax inspectors work is on a par with health care, to be clear.
Additionally, whatever the end result try to not treat people who didn’t participate in the industrial action differently afterwards. This has unfortunately been a poison running through the veins of ours and many organisations that takes a long time to fade.
Good point - many people can't afford to lose a day's pay. They need support from those who can, not vilifying as scabs.
Surely that would stop Mrs Miggs from just booking an appointment everyday just so she has someone to talk too?
And when Mrs Miggs doesn't go to the doctor's because she can't afford it and later it turns out she has, say, some form of cancer which now much more advanced, expensive to treat and more likely to kill her?
This mostly doesn’t exist. The NHS is probably one of the largest “under managed” organisations there is. When MPs say things like “The money must go to front line services” the end point of what that means is all the normal management functions will now be some-ones “Other Job” that they do for no extra pay in between doing the job they do actually get paid to do. They mostly don’t want to do it, they’re not interested or very good at it and they can **** things up to a high standard very quickly.
I work with the NHS every day, as my company provides SaaS to NHS organisations and departments.
Management and administrative support is vital, as (as quoted above), if they're not there the actual clinicians have to spend more of their time doing it and in general (obviously it's important that the clinicians spend some time doing admin as they have the knowledge and training necessary for some off it) I think it would probably be better if they instead could spend that time doing direct clinical care or not being at work.
Surely that would stop Mrs Miggs from just booking an appointment everyday just so she has someone to talk too?
Is that really a significant reason why there are currently unacceptably long waits for GP appointments?
If so surely the way to stop that would be for the surgery receptionist not to give Mrs Miggs an appointment everyday, rather than assume she is of limited financial means?
And for years opinion polls have shown that voters are
Sadly what they say and what they vote for (lower taxation) is not the same thing. Recall that 40% of UK households do not pay income tax. It's easy to say that "people" should pay more to fund the NHS, and I agree. But often it's "other" people, "the rich", etc. However on a purely economic argument, 1/10 nursing positions are empty. Supply and Demand rules apply to the labour market and clearly there is an issue with recruitment into the healthcare profession that would change with higher wages.
We are spending £100 per person (£6.6bn) more according to the government. This week my FIL spent a night in an ambulance with a life-threatening condition as there was no bed in acute admissions. He was only let into the hospital when the fuel (that ran the heating) ran out in the ambulance!
Health Tourism costs around £300m annually, around 0.3% of the total NHS budget according to the BMJ.
Much like benefit fraud, the papers whip everyone up into a frothing pile of rage and sputum about all the benefit scroungers, Turns out that it's a miniscule fraction of the recipients of benefits are actually claiming benefits they aren't entitled to, and the vast majority of those are actually claiming the wrong benefits rather than scrounging. An admin error. There is a good chunk of benefit fraud investigations that eventually result in more benefits being paid...
Recall that 40% of UK households do not pay income tax.
The point is that increasing taxes to provide extra funding for the NHS has been popular with voters for a considerable time. Even if 4O% of households don't pay income tax it doesn't make the policy less popular.
There is plenty of evidence that a ring-fenced tax (rise or application) to provide extra NHS funding is a vote winner, whether or not as a single issue it can decide a general election result.
It is a fact very much recognised by the populist-seeking Shadow Chancellor :
Even if 4O% of households don’t pay income tax it doesn’t make the policy less popular.
It makes it MORE popular 😉 . The increase in NI for social care (which would be paid by a much larger proportion of workers) didn't survive the first encounter with the enemy https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-the-health-and-social-care-levy
100% support from me. You would think that a Tory government would understand supply and demand, and that so many people leaving the NHS was proof of the problems - but they are determined not to budge. Paying nurses enough to keep the NHS staffed won't even add to inflation, as it would be paid for through tax not consumers.
What worries me is that Jeremy Hunt holds the Government's purse strings, and one of his proudest achievements was settling the junior doctors dispute by forcing them to accept something they weren't happy with.
I'd quite happily pay more for the NHS, but on the caveat it is the NHS not private.
From the medical staff I know there's a lot of variance in pay and conditions. My OH is a band 6 district nurse, £40k pa with 8 weeks holiday and good pension so to be honest that's a bloody good deal for a 37.5hr week. She's a lucky one, but they are understaffed, do extra hours for TOIL which let's face it doesn't help anyone really.
I working conditions seem poor across the board with never enough staff to do the job to the legal standard or safely, this really has to change, quite why none of the political parties are nailing this is beyond me.
What happened for it to get to this stage? I'm lucky, NHS dentist and 6 monthly appointments, however seeing my GP is near on impossible. It's been much harder to see a GP over the last 5 years ago is a pre COVID issue.
I'm involved in hospital condition especially operating theatres, there's a significant amount of investment, but the project planning and management is always appalling, quite how these firms make profit I'll never know. Current project is a year behind, coordination of services a joke, most jobs are completed multiple times, it's infuriating all this wasted money.
@rustyspanner you and everyone else who work in the nhs have my full support (and the newspapers/tory guff etc i take no notice of at all).
they definitely do not speak for me