Quote:
Originally Posted by martyh
But what has any of that got to do with the new contract and the strikes .Whatever you think of the data that Hunt has used and the way he presented it ,it doesn't detract from the fact we still need a 7 day NHS and that the doctors have got what they asked for ,in some cases more.
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I think the Junior Doctors suffered a set-back after the deal was accepted and then rejected. It's harder to see their justification now.
On the 7-day NHS though I do think the Goverment are trying to get it on the cheap. 2 extra days requires more funding surely?
Substantially more funding. Maybe not 40% as I doubt their budgets scale like that but certainly a hefty increase. Then we also need more doctors. How is a 5 day week going to stretch to a 7 day week? You can adjust the timetables so the hospitals are staffed more on weekends but are we suggesting that the doctors sit around doing nothing during the week? If not then the coverage on weekdays will suffer. Spreading the same amount of butter on a large slice of toast will give you thinner..err..butterage.
Personally I would sooner seen the government abandon, for now, the plans for a 7 day NHS until such a time they have a clearer idea of how to fund it and how to staff it. If that requires reform into how we pay for the NHS (separate tax?) then so be it.
I also think any politician who says we can have better services at the same cost is a liar. We already don't push the boat out on spending compared to European countries. For whatever reforms we can introduce to help the solution to this problem is more money.