Perhaps we should be allowed to vote for the NHS with our feet? i.e. let the people decide whether the NHS should get their money or not on an individual basis.
The NHS is incompatible with the concept of self-ownership that is why it fails.
September 18, 2006 at 5:16 PM
Anonymous
said...
Elections always come down to one basic issue don't they: jobs.
September 18, 2006 at 5:16 PM
Anonymous
said...
Check your sources - can't be right. After all, this is the NHS's "best year ever...." Patricia Hewitt told us so.
September 18, 2006 at 5:22 PM
Anonymous
said...
Of course he'll get support from patients (scared of dying), hospital workers (scared of getting the sack) and the local press (hopes of a big news story). He can't lose.
Emotive, single issue, gesture politics of the worst kind.
September 18, 2006 at 5:30 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido,
Any early odds on this seat? A spot of the Wyre Forests, perhaps.
Outlook for Independents at the next general election quite good, I would think.... where is my carpetbag....
September 18, 2006 at 5:33 PM
Anonymous
said...
Is this NuLabs plan for marginals identified on the so called 'heat maps'? Form extra opposition parties to woo floating voters from the tories and libs? Will they stop at nothing?
September 18, 2006 at 5:36 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, i was of course only being sarcastic. You do not need to be so defensive.
Am amused by the current hospital closures or 'reconfiguration' as is the new synonym. The right don't know whether to blame blair or the EU and the WTD. And the left are doing nowt.
Yours,
Jimmy M
September 18, 2006 at 5:37 PM
Anonymous
said...
What happened to the Labour leadership chart? I could have sworn I saw it here a few minutes ago. Or did I have had too many Cobras in the Kennington Tandoori...
September 18, 2006 at 5:48 PM
Anonymous
said...
Have heard medical staff are looking at this around the country. The Royal Cornwall Trust based in Truro, was one of the first to declare budget shortfalls and some 32000 people marched in protest at Hayle Three weeks ago. Their budget shortfall is said to possibly reach £55 million to £74 million by next April 2007 and the general feeling is emotional in Cornwall.The Trust are proposing the closure of potentially two hospitals and outsourcing its bureacracy to India.Clerical staff are going mad and proposing strike action.Truro and Falmouth is a newly restructured seat at the next general election which the liberal democrats are likely to keep/hold/win in normal circumstances with the tories only having an outside chance if they are able to pick somebody local and popular.I hear that consultants are already discussing,the possibility of finding a candidate to fight "TO SAVE OUR HOSPITAL" With the popular mood down ere' they are clearly on to a winner.
September 18, 2006 at 6:03 PM
Anonymous
said...
The NHS losing £500m/year is bugger all. Don't the government spend many times more than that on overpaid consultants, spin merchants of one type or another, all sorts of quangos and other hangers on and tosspots.
Nurse Hewitt needs to extract her head from her arse, wake up, smell the coffee and do something constructive for once in her life. Sack all of them and build a few more hospitals.
Of course, it won't happen... How sad is that?
September 18, 2006 at 6:22 PM
Anonymous
said...
Patrick Hall said in his maiden speech that ''With rising expectations and greater public interest in politics and our national life, it is now all the more important that we open up our democracy so that all voices can be heard" I dare say he may radically change his view on the benefits of "opening up our democracy" at the next election.
Join with me in prayer that another NuLabour sinner may fail to find electoral salvation
September 18, 2006 at 6:22 PM
Anonymous
said...
Bedford Libdems have clambered aboard this bandwagon already - they're running a Save Bedford Hospital petition
September 18, 2006 at 6:29 PM
Anonymous
said...
The NHS is incompatible with the concept of self-ownership that is why it fails.
B.S.............it is hard to build a business on sick people, and its core customer base is female and often old.........
The bulk of NHS costs go on the old and on the female -
The German Health Service employs at least 2 million in the various Kassen and hospitals - and it has low paid doctors on strike and is bankrupting employers with healthcare costs
September 18, 2006 at 6:30 PM
Anonymous
said...
"Nurse Hewitt do something useful" The Aussie moroness could take a trip to Switzerland and check in to the Dignitas Clinic. Will only need one way ticket.
September 18, 2006 at 6:44 PM
Anonymous
said...
To play party politics with our health service is I suppose what we should expect of NuLabia. They hold us, the electorate and their indirect employers, in contempt, only interested in their own greed. If we were to insist on the minimum wage for MPs. Firstly we would have considerably more money for our health service. Secondly we would have MPs who were in it for their beliefs and not for what they can get out of it. It's about time the pigs had their snouts pulled out of the trough. Perhaps more independent MPs might be able to undo the stain NuLabia have left upon our country.
September 18, 2006 at 6:55 PM
Anonymous
said...
During the 2006 local elections the "Save Westmorland Hospital Group" fought 4 seats on South Lakeland District Council in protest at ward closures at the local hospital. In total, 2812 votes were cast in the 4 contested seats, and the SWH Group received just 150 of these (5.33%). This was despite the ward closures being a big local issue that weeks earlier had thousands attending a protest march through Kendal.
September 18, 2006 at 7:00 PM
Anonymous
said...
What's that little white dot doing at the top of your banner?
Ian Dale has a black dot in the same place on his blog site.
What are you two up to?
September 18, 2006 at 7:04 PM
Anonymous
said...
The NHS is a classic example of what you get when you pour £17,500,000,003 into an organisation led by likes of Frank Dobson.
Now Blears is involved the NHS is as good as sunk.
This is Blair's true crime - he let know idiots have power.
September 18, 2006 at 7:15 PM
Anonymous
said...
Kidderminster,Bedford Truro who next.Are we going to see a sea change in politics as we know it?We all know that people are sick of lying untrustworthy MPs.This may be the great peoples drive to independent politics based on the nhs, the greatest political punch bag of all time. It looks like our political parties as we know them are going to be hung drawn and quarterd and you Guido know how that feels. If I was Dave,Tone or Gordy I would be getting worried. Which other HOSPITAL AREAS are going to declare next. WELL DONE GUIDO FOR THIS SCOOP.
September 18, 2006 at 7:46 PM
Anonymous
said...
Privatise it completely once and for all, give all nurses a wage increase and rename them second doctors or something to acknowledge their importance. Get bankers to run it, and a public watchdog to audit. The auditors change regularly to minimise the risk of mischief-making. The patients report to the auditors on the service, consistently poor service over a period of time and the bankers get the heave. UK HS plc enhances UK's position on the world stage, world leader in health care, everyone wants to invest and be involved because of it's glowing reputation etc...
Bad idea?
September 18, 2006 at 8:26 PM
Anonymous
said...
Bankers like loans & debt, it's how they make their obscene bonuses. I wouldn't let them near any privatised NHS.
What you need to run a good business is a good business man.
There isn't one good business man in NuLabour.
(don't anyone even consider saying Sainsbury)
September 18, 2006 at 8:50 PM
Anonymous
said...
What's that little white dot doing at the top of your banner?
I presume that's a web beacon. Naughty Guido.
September 18, 2006 at 8:56 PM
Anonymous
said...
Sainsbury :)
September 18, 2006 at 9:07 PM
Anonymous
said...
The bankers under the watchful eye of the er, watchdog, are starting from the premise that they're yes providing a service but profit isn't their reward, oh no, it's the satisfaction of healing patients. Just think what it would do for their cv.
*Saved the NHS and Britain's health and economy by turning round the once dwindling service into a right and proper service
Also
*Made tea
*Cleaned the loos
*Could interact with people at all levels
*Learnt to make a bed
*Learnt how to make custard
September 18, 2006 at 9:15 PM
Anonymous
said...
its becoming increasingly obvious that state control of the NHS has resulted in a never ending black hole that just consumes more and more taxpayers money.
privatise the lot of it. introduce a Medicare insurance scheme for the poorest of society, and the rest of us ,can just sort out our own insurance policies ourselves. Allow current trusts to be fully fledged companies , which can float on the stock market if they so wish.
its about time the political elite of this country got its head out of the (socialist) sand.
Need to do one in Crawley where A&E and acute services are threatened. The sitting NuLab MP is on a majority of 37 over the Tories. The time is fast coming to turf these bastards our from the trough.
September 18, 2006 at 9:37 PM
Anonymous
said...
Of course, it would be interesting to know which party so many of the NHS staff from top to bottom voted for at the last three elections.
To my knowledge, a significant percentage voted Labour in the deluded belief they would 'save' the NHS - do I want any of this one-interest only lot in Parliament? NOT AT ALL THANKYOU!
September 18, 2006 at 9:52 PM
Anonymous
said...
If you wanted to keep it funded by the taxpayer then you could have a realtime balancesheet available online for all funders ie taxpayers to see. There are plenty of seriously capable accountants about who'd at a glance know if the public was being fleeced.
Then again, that I'd assume it could evolve anyway, public or private or both.
September 18, 2006 at 9:56 PM
Anonymous
said...
Only three 'astroturfers' on this one so far?
A very live duck indeed! Well done Guido!
September 18, 2006 at 10:26 PM
Anonymous
said...
((( Juvenal said...
Bedford Libdems have clambered aboard this bandwagon already - they're running a Save Bedford Hospital petition )))
Good, then we may rid of another New Labour/Labour fucker.
Apologist.
September 18, 2006 at 10:36 PM
Anonymous
said...
Behave, Rick. One day you will be old, and possibly a female (perhaps even on the NHS).
September 18, 2006 at 10:42 PM
Anonymous
said...
((( Anonymous said...
Bankers like loans & debt, it's how they make their obscene bonuses. I wouldn't let them near any privatised NHS.
What you need to run a good business is a good business man.
There isn't one good business man in NuLabour.
(don't anyone even consider saying Sainsbury) )))
Of course Sainsbury is a good businessman...he invests a few million in New Labour and gets tens of millions back in science grants, plus millions in expenses through the masses of quangos he has been made chairman of...
Google Red Star Research and put his name into the serach engine there for all the gory details, and it isnt even up to date!
The NHS is doomed. After NuLab have spent truly epic sums of our money, more money the NHS was capable of spending, after having massively increased Doctors' incomes for less work, after setting completely unrealistic expectations of the NHS transformation with the public through their hifalutin' rehtoric, after failing to win over the public sector unions who oppose all "reform", after planning to spend £20Bn est. on an IT system Tony Blair designed on a napkin and finally after completely and utterly failing to deliver any material improvements in health provision any future government will conclude that some other healthcare structure is required to meet public need. If they have the courage
September 18, 2006 at 10:57 PM
Anonymous
said...
Just to let you know that in response to the Consultants putting up a candidate to SAVE TRURO HOSPITALS I can say that like our colleagues at Bedford, our MP Matthew Taylor is already spearheading a campaign against the cutbacks. Matthew is regarding the matter with the utmost gravity and is happy to talk to medical staff in all areas about their concerns.The Conservatives have no spokesman as they are dithering with self promotion of a new Candidate.The hot favourite being Howard Flight, a true to be made self cornishman at heart and a future non termer kicked out of his last seat and soon to be kicked out of Cornwall.
September 18, 2006 at 11:06 PM
Anonymous
said...
Ming Campbell... claimed that the Lib Dems won the Bromley by election (on newsnight a minute ago)...
oh dear.
September 18, 2006 at 11:07 PM
Anonymous
said...
The bankers aren't managing it for profit, they're employed to manage it because of their ability and they're on a fixed income: perhaps a fixed bonus if they really need it - yawn. They're doing it because it's a good thing to do. Britain leads the way in care. Bankers are human. All that.
September 18, 2006 at 11:09 PM
Anonymous
said...
Can anybody tell me why Matthew Taylor is trying to save the life of Truro hospital? Is it because its going to die or because he is going to lose his seat.
September 18, 2006 at 11:13 PM
Anonymous
said...
I can confirm that Royal Cornwall Trust Consultants are considering a SAVE TRURO HOSPITAL candidate for the next election.A further candidate is being proposed for the St Ives seat and also in Plymouth which have similar closure problems.
September 18, 2006 at 11:21 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, will you be painting your map as doctors announce intentions to stand on save our hospital tickets.This an exciting political prospect as it puts all parties on political quicksand.As an earlier blogger said you may have a top scoop here.
What a bunch of tossers. What better way to help Labour win a marginal seat than to split the anti-vote. Even in the utterly improabable event that they pull a Wyre Forest and win, what will they be able to achieve - that's right nothing at all. Last time I looked Kidderminster hospital A&E (the reason that Dr Richard Taylor ran for parliament in the first place) is still closed with no sign of ever realistically opening again. There is no more utter and pointless waste of a vote than to vote for independents or protest parties - the only thing to be said in their favour is that they keep the votes of some idiots from having any great impact in our electoral system.
The mystery of Guido and Iain's spurious dot is solved.
There is the same software bug in both web page's HTML; the cache-contol tag line to be precise. So Guido and Iain either share the same web designer, or one steals the other's source code.
Sorry for being so dull - I'm pretty ashamed of knowing so much about something so nerdy. I blame my Catholic upbringing - too much criticism of self-abuse as a worthy pass-time led to an unhealthy interest in computers.
Incidentally, Patrick Hall, the sitting Labour MP for Bedford must win the, rather specialised, prize for parliamentarian married to the woman with the most ridiculous maiden name - who was apparently improbably called Claudia Caligula.
September 18, 2006 at 11:45 PM
Anonymous
said...
Similar story in Plymouth where local MPs have been on tv giving their thoughts not only on Derriford Hospitals staff lay-offs and 50 bed closures(which according to the plonker in charge won`t affect patients)but also about the possibility of Devonport Dockyard being closed.All that is except the divine Ali Seabeck in whose constituency the dockyard is(honest Ali,take a look at a map sometime,it`s next to the wiggly blue bit)who was only available on the phone,not actually living anywhere near here.To be fair she is due here next week,the press have been briefed and a local guide on hand to steer her in the right direction.One minor detail Alison love,the meeting you`re attending is in Bretonside,which isn`t actually in your constituency,it`s in the one next door.Look for the cranes on the horizon ,you cant miss them,though with you for an M.P. no-one`s quite sure how long that situation will last.
September 19, 2006 at 2:07 AM
Anonymous
said...
Alison Seabeck is actually so well-liked in her constituency that an appreciation of her is on the front page of a local news-sheet.As she`ll never get near enough to ever see a copy maybe someone could pass this link on the country`s most dismal "local M.P." http://devonportcolumn.org.uk/pdf/DevCol6web.pdf
September 19, 2006 at 2:46 AM
Anonymous
said...
if/when any of these hospitals/wards close in Tory/Liberal constituencies, what is to stop local citizens making formal complaints to the police/courts - ie that 'heat maps' were used in coming to these political decisions.
The govt has a duty to run the country, looking after the interests of the country as a whole. If heat maps are introduced to the decision making process, then the police should be called in.
The police have enough problems finding the money to pay for the work done on the abortive amalgamation...its almost impossible to find words to describe this scum Government
...and why is it that all the contentious development projects like crowbaring hundreds of homes into villages in west sussex are in Tory/LibDem constituencies? Perhaps there's a trend here? Are there contentious housing development heatmaps? Shirley we should be told
September 19, 2006 at 9:53 AM
Anonymous
said...
towcestarian - Mysterious spot etc.
How do you explain the cavity in Guido's front tooth on the image by the map. Does he need to go to the dentist? Or is he morphing into Count Dracula?
September 19, 2006 at 10:28 AM
Anonymous
said...
Good, lets make politics local and get rid of the professional tossers who seem to think they have a god given right to a job for life in westminster with all the perks and trappings but no responsibility. Vote Bedford Hospital.
September 19, 2006 at 10:36 AM
Anonymous
said...
er.. John Trenchard
"introduce a Medicare insurance scheme for the poorest of society, and the rest of us ,can just sort out our own insurance policies ourselves"
Insurance is a business - i.e not a charity. Unless you work for a big employer whose mega policy allows the insurer to even out risk, you will find that insurance is only affordable if you have no serious "pre-existing conditions" or if those conditions are excluded from cover. If you do work for a big employer and do have a pre-exisiting condition you may not dare to change job and will be more than usually terrified of redundancy/the sack. You don't have to be down and out (and therefore eligible for medicaid) to be unable to afford adequate health insurance as many US citizens know only too well.
The bottom line is that quite a lot of people draw the short straw in life and develop serious illnesses. Amazingly, they can do this without being obese alcoholic smokers. These people tend to have a lot of financial worries but at least they don't have to be in the gutter - as you advocate- before they can get any kind of treatment.
September 19, 2006 at 10:54 AM
Anonymous
said...
well said, Anonymous @ 10.54am
The American medical insurance system is a failure and we don't want it coming here.
One American friend of mine (John) developed a very serious illness 3 or 4 years ago. He struggled to get any company to provide medical insurance. Only one company in north america would provide it and they were asking premiums of several thousand dollars (yearly). He could not afford to pay such bills.
He emailed his friends (including me) asking if we were interested in buying his treasured memorabilia and bootlegs of the Beatles. That was a massive and emotional step for him. He was trying desperately to raise money. His presciption bills each month were also a massive drain on his resources....one or two hundred dollars per month. And sometimes, we suspect, he went without his tablets due to not being able to afford them.
John was found dead in January 2005 in his home. He was slumped on the floor, and had been dead for 4 to 5 days before being found. He was 44. He was the kindest soul you could hope to meet and an extremely talented musician.
I don't know if there was/is some fallback healthcare system that John could have used. If there was,maybe he was too proud to use it. I don't know. But it sure seems an awful system. All the folks that I know in the USA tell me of the awful cost each month to pay their medical insurance.
And what is the point of a system whereby if you develop an illness, medical insurers don't want to renew your policy?
And this is the system that Bliar and his regime want to introduce to Britain? They are barmy...or are they. Yates and his mates need to follow the money trail.
Wish they'd close my local hospital; its shit. sadly I don't live in a marginal, typical.
September 19, 2006 at 12:29 PM
Anonymous
said...
Hall is toast.
September 19, 2006 at 1:00 PM
Anonymous
said...
Anon at 11:55.
How is medical insurance a failure? Your friend, it would seem from your note, was quite happy to live without it until he developed his illness.
That's not a failure of medical insurance but a lack of prudence on his part.
If he hadn't developed the illness would he have gone through life happily surviving with his income boosted by not paying premiums?
The point of insurance is you take it early and keep paying the premiums not seek it out after the event.
And premium and prescription costs are not magicked away by a tax-paid system; they simply get loaded onto the prudent and imprudent alike through tax with extra costs to cover the huge fat-laden bureaucracy of the State.
The choice is not between a universal healthcare system and one that is accessed only by the privileged but in designing a universal one that is responsive to individual need, is effective and value for money.
The NHS fails those tests. We need to go back to first principles and start again.
September 19, 2006 at 4:13 PM
Anonymous
said...
Geoff..
"The point of insurance is you take it early and keep paying the premiums not seek it out after the event."
You would thinks so Geoff wouldn't you but then you clearly don't know how the medical insurance system works - refer please to my post of 10.54. If you are one of the poor sods who pays their own insurance (rather than it being paid for you by your employer) you are stuffed with whatever premium you are quoted for renewal each year (like car/house insurance). If you have developed a health problem within the year you don't have the choice to shop around for a better quote because you've now got a "pre-existing condition". If you are in a company scheme but then change employer you have to start again with a new policy which may not cover your "pre-exisiting" condition. This means that the Nu Lab and Tory vision of no-one having a job for life would also mean no-one having health insurance for life unless they stay healthy which rather negates the point.
By the way it is deeply offensive to suggest that people with, say, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, MS etc etc etc are "imprudent" they are just bloody unfortunate. Or perhaps you know what they could have done to prevent it as you are clearly such a prudent person.
The NHS actively subsidises and thus encourages unhealthy choices (just like every other part of the welfare state disaster). It funds itself largely by punishing financial success and thus impoverishing the nation.
A system whereby the HEALTH premium was subsidised up to the healthy level (for your age and sex) would be a million times better. I've heard lot's of people say I'll have that cake "'cos the NHS will be paying", maybe they would think different if they had to pay?
September 19, 2006 at 4:56 PM
Anonymous
said...
Anon at 4:45.
My word, you are quick to make assumptions aren't you.
The other Anon related how his unfortunate friend appeared to search for insurance AFTER the event. That's all I was pointing to.
How is that hurtful to "people with, say, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, MS etc etc etc "? And why couldn't they, too, have secured insurance BEFORE the onset of the condition?
So their premiums may rise afterwards? So what? Don't your car and household rpemiums rise after a claim?
What you seem to advocate is a system where those with a need are paid for by those who don't.
It's what we have now. And it doesn't work properly.
You will note that I was not resiling from the need for a universal healthcare system but merely suggesting that we need to find other ways to operate and to pay for one.
One that encourages individual responsibility and is responsive to individual needs.
What we have now is an NHS that works principally in the producer interest and not the patient's.
September 19, 2006 at 6:39 PM
Anonymous
said...
"What you seem to advocate is a system where those with a need are paid for by those who don't."
61 comments:
Good grief Guido,
Just pilfering political betting dot com today. That's two out of three stories.
You won't retain your no.1 spot with that attitude.
Still the map is witty, will forgive your tardyness.
Yours,
Jimmy M
Actually the press release was sent out yesterday, just Mike was quicker to act on it.
Perhaps we should be allowed to vote for the NHS with our feet? i.e. let the people decide whether the NHS should get their money or not on an individual basis.
The NHS is incompatible with the concept of self-ownership that is why it fails.
Elections always come down to one basic issue don't they: jobs.
Check your sources - can't be right. After all, this is the NHS's "best year ever...." Patricia Hewitt told us so.
Of course he'll get support from patients (scared of dying), hospital workers (scared of getting the sack) and the local press (hopes of a big news story). He can't lose.
Emotive, single issue, gesture politics of the worst kind.
Guido,
Any early odds on this seat? A spot of the Wyre Forests, perhaps.
Outlook for Independents at the next general election quite good, I would think.... where is my carpetbag....
Is this NuLabs plan for marginals identified on the so called 'heat maps'? Form extra opposition parties to woo floating voters from the tories and libs? Will they stop at nothing?
Guido, i was of course only being sarcastic. You do not need to be so defensive.
Am amused by the current hospital closures or 'reconfiguration' as is the new synonym. The right don't know whether to blame blair or the EU and the WTD. And the left are doing nowt.
Yours,
Jimmy M
What happened to the Labour leadership chart? I could have sworn I saw it here a few minutes ago. Or did I have had too many Cobras in the Kennington Tandoori...
Have heard medical staff are looking at this around the country.
The Royal Cornwall Trust based in Truro, was one of the first to declare budget shortfalls and some 32000 people marched in protest at Hayle Three weeks ago. Their budget shortfall is said to possibly reach £55 million to £74 million by next April 2007 and the general feeling is emotional in Cornwall.The Trust are proposing the closure of potentially two hospitals and outsourcing its bureacracy to India.Clerical staff are going mad and proposing strike action.Truro and Falmouth is a newly restructured seat at the next general election which the liberal democrats are likely to keep/hold/win in normal circumstances with the tories only having an outside chance if they are able to pick somebody local and popular.I hear that consultants are already discussing,the possibility of finding a candidate to fight "TO SAVE OUR HOSPITAL"
With the popular mood down ere' they are clearly on to a winner.
The NHS losing £500m/year is bugger all. Don't the government spend many times more than that on overpaid consultants, spin merchants of one type or another, all sorts of quangos and other hangers on and tosspots.
Nurse Hewitt needs to extract her head from her arse, wake up, smell the coffee and do something constructive for once in her life. Sack all of them and build a few more hospitals.
Of course, it won't happen... How sad is that?
Patrick Hall said in his maiden speech that ''With rising expectations and greater public interest in politics and our national life, it is now all the more important that we open up our democracy so that all voices can be heard"
I dare say he may radically change his view on the benefits of "opening up our democracy" at the next election.
Join with me in prayer that another NuLabour sinner may fail to find electoral salvation
Bedford Libdems have clambered aboard this bandwagon already - they're running a Save Bedford Hospital petition
The NHS is incompatible with the concept of self-ownership that is why it fails.
B.S.............it is hard to build a business on sick people, and its core customer base is female and often old.........
The bulk of NHS costs go on the old and on the female -
The German Health Service employs at least 2 million in the various Kassen and hospitals - and it has low paid doctors on strike and is bankrupting employers with healthcare costs
"Nurse Hewitt do something useful"
The Aussie moroness could take a trip to Switzerland and check in to the Dignitas Clinic. Will only need one way ticket.
To play party politics with our health service is I suppose what we should expect of NuLabia.
They hold us, the electorate and their indirect employers, in contempt, only interested in their own greed.
If we were to insist on the minimum wage for MPs. Firstly we would have considerably more money for our health service.
Secondly we would have MPs who were in it for their beliefs and not for what they can get out of it.
It's about time the pigs had their snouts pulled out of the trough.
Perhaps more independent MPs might be able to undo the stain NuLabia have left upon our country.
During the 2006 local elections the "Save Westmorland Hospital Group" fought 4 seats on South Lakeland District Council in protest at ward closures at the local hospital. In total, 2812 votes were cast in the 4 contested seats, and the SWH Group received just 150 of these (5.33%). This was despite the ward closures being a big local issue that weeks earlier had thousands attending a protest march through Kendal.
What's that little white dot doing at the top of your banner?
Ian Dale has a black dot in the same place on his blog site.
What are you two up to?
The NHS is a classic example of what you get when you pour £17,500,000,003 into an organisation led by likes of Frank Dobson.
Now Blears is involved the NHS is as good as sunk.
This is Blair's true crime - he let know idiots have power.
Kidderminster,Bedford Truro who next.Are we going to see a sea change in politics as we know it?We all know that people are sick of lying untrustworthy MPs.This may be the great peoples drive to independent politics based on the nhs, the greatest political punch bag of all time.
It looks like our political parties as we know them are going to be hung drawn and quarterd and you Guido know how that feels. If I was Dave,Tone or Gordy I would be getting worried. Which other HOSPITAL AREAS are going to declare next.
WELL DONE GUIDO FOR THIS SCOOP.
Privatise it completely once and for all, give all nurses a wage increase and rename them second doctors or something to acknowledge their importance.
Get bankers to run it, and a public watchdog to audit.
The auditors change regularly to minimise the risk of mischief-making.
The patients report to the auditors on the service, consistently poor service over a period of time and the bankers get the heave.
UK HS plc enhances UK's position on the world stage, world leader in health care, everyone wants to invest and be involved because of it's glowing reputation etc...
Bad idea?
Bankers like loans & debt, it's how they make their obscene bonuses. I wouldn't let them near any privatised NHS.
What you need to run a good business is a good business man.
There isn't one good business man in NuLabour.
(don't anyone even consider saying Sainsbury)
What's that little white dot doing at the top of your banner?
I presume that's a web beacon. Naughty Guido.
Sainsbury :)
The bankers under the watchful eye of the er, watchdog, are starting from the premise that they're yes providing a service but profit isn't their reward, oh no, it's the satisfaction of healing patients.
Just think what it would do for their cv.
*Saved the NHS and Britain's health and economy by turning round the once dwindling service into a right and proper service
Also
*Made tea
*Cleaned the loos
*Could interact with people at all levels
*Learnt to make a bed
*Learnt how to make custard
its becoming increasingly obvious that state control of the NHS has resulted in a never ending black hole that just consumes more and more taxpayers money.
privatise the lot of it. introduce a Medicare insurance scheme for the poorest of society, and the rest of us ,can just sort out our own insurance policies ourselves. Allow current trusts to be fully fledged companies , which can float on the stock market if they so wish.
its about time the political elite of this country got its head out of the (socialist) sand.
Need to do one in Crawley where A&E and acute services are threatened. The sitting NuLab MP is on a majority of 37 over the Tories. The time is fast coming to turf these bastards our from the trough.
Of course, it would be interesting to know which party so many of the NHS staff from top to bottom voted for at the last three elections.
To my knowledge, a significant percentage voted Labour in the deluded belief they would 'save' the NHS - do I want any of this one-interest only lot in Parliament? NOT AT ALL THANKYOU!
If you wanted to keep it funded by the taxpayer then you could have a realtime balancesheet available online for all funders ie taxpayers to see.
There are plenty of seriously capable accountants about who'd at a glance know if the public was being fleeced.
Then again, that I'd assume it could evolve anyway, public or private or both.
Only three 'astroturfers' on this one so far?
A very live duck indeed! Well done Guido!
((( Juvenal said...
Bedford Libdems have clambered aboard this bandwagon already - they're running a Save Bedford Hospital petition )))
Good, then we may rid of another New Labour/Labour fucker.
Apologist.
Behave, Rick. One day you will be old, and possibly a female (perhaps even on the NHS).
((( Anonymous said...
Bankers like loans & debt, it's how they make their obscene bonuses. I wouldn't let them near any privatised NHS.
What you need to run a good business is a good business man.
There isn't one good business man in NuLabour.
(don't anyone even consider saying Sainsbury) )))
Of course Sainsbury is a good businessman...he invests a few million in New Labour and gets tens of millions back in science grants, plus millions in expenses through the masses of quangos he has been made chairman of...
Google Red Star Research and put his name into the serach engine there for all the gory details, and it isnt even up to date!
The NHS is doomed. After NuLab have spent truly epic sums of our money, more money the NHS was capable of spending, after having massively increased Doctors' incomes for less work, after setting completely unrealistic expectations of the NHS transformation with the public through their hifalutin' rehtoric, after failing to win over the public sector unions who oppose all "reform", after planning to spend £20Bn est. on an IT system Tony Blair designed on a napkin and finally after completely and utterly failing to deliver any material improvements in health provision any future government will conclude that some other healthcare structure is required to meet public need. If they have the courage
Just to let you know that in response to the Consultants putting up a candidate to SAVE TRURO HOSPITALS I can say that like our colleagues at Bedford, our MP Matthew Taylor is already spearheading a campaign against the cutbacks. Matthew is regarding the matter with the utmost gravity and is happy to talk to medical staff in all areas about their concerns.The Conservatives have no spokesman as they are dithering with self promotion of a new Candidate.The hot favourite being Howard Flight, a true to be made self cornishman at heart and a future non termer kicked out of his last seat and soon to be kicked out of Cornwall.
Ming Campbell... claimed that the Lib Dems won the Bromley by election (on newsnight a minute ago)...
oh dear.
The bankers aren't managing it for profit, they're employed to manage it because of their ability and they're on a fixed income: perhaps a fixed bonus if they really need it - yawn.
They're doing it because it's a good thing to do.
Britain leads the way in care.
Bankers are human.
All that.
Can anybody tell me why Matthew Taylor is trying to save the life of Truro hospital? Is it because its going to die or because he is going to lose his seat.
I can confirm that Royal Cornwall Trust Consultants are considering a SAVE TRURO HOSPITAL candidate for the next election.A further candidate is being proposed for the St Ives seat and also in Plymouth which have similar closure problems.
Guido, will you be painting your map as doctors announce intentions to stand on save our hospital tickets.This an exciting political prospect as it puts all parties on political quicksand.As an earlier blogger said you may have a top scoop here.
I bet! Matthew Taylor is wanting to talk!!
What a bunch of tossers. What better way to help Labour win a marginal seat than to split the anti-vote. Even in the utterly improabable event that they pull a Wyre Forest and win, what will they be able to achieve - that's right nothing at all. Last time I looked Kidderminster hospital A&E (the reason that Dr Richard Taylor ran for parliament in the first place) is still closed with no sign of ever realistically opening again. There is no more utter and pointless waste of a vote than to vote for independents or protest parties - the only thing to be said in their favour is that they keep the votes of some idiots from having any great impact in our electoral system.
Casual observer 7.04
The mystery of Guido and Iain's spurious dot is solved.
There is the same software bug in both web page's HTML; the cache-contol tag line to be precise. So Guido and Iain either share the same web designer, or one steals the other's source code.
Sorry for being so dull - I'm pretty ashamed of knowing so much about something so nerdy. I blame my Catholic upbringing - too much criticism of self-abuse as a worthy pass-time led to an unhealthy interest in computers.
Incidentally, Patrick Hall, the sitting Labour MP for Bedford must win the, rather specialised, prize for parliamentarian married to the woman with the most ridiculous maiden name - who was apparently improbably called Claudia Caligula.
Similar story in Plymouth where local MPs have been on tv giving their thoughts not only on Derriford Hospitals staff lay-offs and 50 bed closures(which according to the plonker in charge won`t affect patients)but also about the possibility of Devonport Dockyard being closed.All that is except the divine Ali Seabeck in whose constituency the dockyard is(honest Ali,take a look at a map sometime,it`s next to the wiggly blue bit)who was only available on the phone,not actually living anywhere near here.To be fair she is due here next week,the press have been briefed and a local guide on hand to steer her in the right direction.One minor detail Alison love,the meeting you`re attending is in Bretonside,which isn`t actually in your constituency,it`s in the one next door.Look for the cranes on the horizon ,you cant miss them,though with you for an M.P. no-one`s quite sure how long that situation will last.
Alison Seabeck is actually so well-liked in her constituency that an appreciation of her is on the front page of a local news-sheet.As she`ll never get near enough to ever see a copy maybe someone could pass this link on the country`s most dismal "local M.P."
http://devonportcolumn.org.uk/pdf/DevCol6web.pdf
if/when any of these hospitals/wards close in Tory/Liberal constituencies, what is to stop local citizens making formal complaints to the police/courts - ie that 'heat maps' were used in coming to these political decisions.
The govt has a duty to run the country, looking after the interests of the country as a whole. If heat maps are introduced to the decision making process, then the police should be called in.
The police have enough problems finding the money to pay for the work done on the abortive amalgamation...its almost impossible to find words to describe this scum Government
...and why is it that all the contentious development projects like crowbaring hundreds of homes into villages in west sussex are in Tory/LibDem constituencies? Perhaps there's a trend here? Are there contentious housing development heatmaps? Shirley we should be told
towcestarian - Mysterious spot etc.
How do you explain the cavity in Guido's front tooth on the image by the map. Does he need to go to the dentist? Or is he morphing into Count Dracula?
Good, lets make politics local and get rid of the professional tossers who seem to think they have a god given right to a job for life in westminster with all the perks and trappings but no responsibility.
Vote Bedford Hospital.
er.. John Trenchard
"introduce a Medicare insurance scheme for the poorest of society, and the rest of us ,can just sort out our own insurance policies ourselves"
Insurance is a business - i.e not a charity. Unless you work for a big employer whose mega policy allows the insurer to even out risk, you will find that insurance is only affordable if you have no serious "pre-existing conditions" or if those conditions are excluded from cover. If you do work for a big employer and do have a pre-exisiting condition you may not dare to change job and will be more than usually terrified of redundancy/the sack. You don't have to be down and out (and therefore eligible for medicaid) to be unable to afford adequate health insurance as many US citizens know only too well.
The bottom line is that quite a lot of people draw the short straw in life and develop serious illnesses. Amazingly, they can do this without being obese alcoholic smokers. These people tend to have a lot of financial worries but at least they don't have to be in the gutter - as you advocate- before they can get any kind of treatment.
well said, Anonymous @ 10.54am
The American medical insurance system is a failure and we don't want it coming here.
One American friend of mine (John) developed a very serious illness 3 or 4 years ago. He struggled to get any company to provide medical insurance. Only one company in north america would provide it and they were asking premiums of several thousand dollars (yearly). He could not afford to pay such bills.
He emailed his friends (including me) asking if we were interested in buying his treasured memorabilia and bootlegs of the Beatles. That was a massive and emotional step for him. He was trying desperately to raise money. His presciption bills each month were also a massive drain on his resources....one or two hundred dollars per month. And sometimes, we suspect, he went without his tablets due to not being able to afford them.
John was found dead in January 2005 in his home. He was slumped on the floor, and had been dead for 4 to 5 days before being found. He was 44. He was the kindest soul you could hope to meet and an extremely talented musician.
I don't know if there was/is some fallback healthcare system that John could have used. If there was,maybe he was too proud to use it. I don't know. But it sure seems an awful system. All the folks that I know in the USA tell me of the awful cost each month to pay their medical insurance.
And what is the point of a system whereby if you develop an illness, medical insurers don't want to renew your policy?
And this is the system that Bliar and his regime want to introduce to Britain? They are barmy...or are they. Yates and his mates need to follow the money trail.
Wish they'd close my local hospital; its shit. sadly I don't live in a marginal, typical.
Hall is toast.
Anon at 11:55.
How is medical insurance a failure? Your friend, it would seem from your note, was quite happy to live without it until he developed his illness.
That's not a failure of medical insurance but a lack of prudence on his part.
If he hadn't developed the illness would he have gone through life happily surviving with his income boosted by not paying premiums?
The point of insurance is you take it early and keep paying the premiums not seek it out after the event.
And premium and prescription costs are not magicked away by a tax-paid system; they simply get loaded onto the prudent and imprudent alike through tax with extra costs to cover the huge fat-laden bureaucracy of the State.
The choice is not between a universal healthcare system and one that is accessed only by the privileged but in designing a universal one that is responsive to individual need, is effective and value for money.
The NHS fails those tests. We need to go back to first principles and start again.
Geoff..
"The point of insurance is you take it early and keep paying the premiums not seek it out after the event."
You would thinks so Geoff wouldn't you but then you clearly don't know how the medical insurance system works - refer please to my post of 10.54. If you are one of the poor sods who pays their own insurance (rather than it being paid for you by your employer) you are stuffed with whatever premium you are quoted for renewal each year (like car/house insurance). If you have developed a health problem within the year you don't have the choice to shop around for a better quote because you've now got a "pre-existing condition". If you are in a company scheme but then change employer you have to start again with a new policy which may not cover your "pre-exisiting" condition. This means that the Nu Lab and Tory vision of no-one having a job for life would also mean no-one having health insurance for life unless they stay healthy which rather negates the point.
By the way it is deeply offensive to suggest that people with, say, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, MS etc etc etc are "imprudent" they are just bloody unfortunate. Or perhaps you know what they could have done to prevent it as you are clearly such a prudent person.
Do you work in the Treasury?
Geoffh,
The NHS actively subsidises and thus encourages unhealthy choices (just like every other part of the welfare state disaster). It funds itself largely by punishing financial success and thus impoverishing the nation.
A system whereby the HEALTH premium was subsidised up to the healthy level (for your age and sex) would be a million times better. I've heard lot's of people say I'll have that cake "'cos the NHS will be paying", maybe they would think different if they had to pay?
Anon at 4:45.
My word, you are quick to make assumptions aren't you.
The other Anon related how his unfortunate friend appeared to search for insurance AFTER the event. That's all I was pointing to.
How is that hurtful to "people with, say, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, MS etc etc etc "? And why couldn't they, too, have secured insurance BEFORE the onset of the condition?
So their premiums may rise afterwards? So what? Don't your car and household rpemiums rise after a claim?
What you seem to advocate is a system where those with a need are paid for by those who don't.
It's what we have now. And it doesn't work properly.
You will note that I was not resiling from the need for a universal healthcare system but merely suggesting that we need to find other ways to operate and to pay for one.
One that encourages individual responsibility and is responsive to individual needs.
What we have now is an NHS that works principally in the producer interest and not the patient's.
"What you seem to advocate is a system where those with a need are paid for by those who don't."
Wow - you've finally twigged! End of debate.