The end of the NHS - Privatisation

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Chris

Not even remotely similar. And, talking of Virgin, they managed to do something BR never did - run 125mph tilting trains on the west coast main line, on a radically different pricing model that allows you to go from the centre of Glasgow to the centre of London in under 4 hours, for less than £30 return.

What time? When I looked up tickets for next Tuesday, returning the same day, the price was £57 each way..

In the absence of evidence of that sort of criminality, that is a reasonable assumption.

Compare the prices of the various energy suppliers. You'll find they don't vary much between suppliers, and almost never go down when fuel prices drop.

Originally Posted by Stuart

What time? When I looked up tickets for next Tuesday, returning the same day, the price was £57 each way..



Compare the prices of the various energy suppliers. You'll find they don't vary much between suppliers, and almost never go down when fuel prices drop.

Without wishing to turn this into a general debate over the merits (or otherwise) of privatisation ...

As with airlines, the best intercity rail fares come to those whose travel plans are made in advance and slightly flexible. But even if you don't get the cheapest possible return price for London-Glasgow (which apparently is £25), you are still getting a cheaper, faster and more reliable service than that offered by BR.

As for the power companies, as I said, accusations of 'cartel' are accusations of criminality and require more than an apparent correlation in order to stand up.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

It has been said that Drs and Nurses are to ballot for strike action - there first ever, and about time.

These employee's are the main line people that we all go an see, and it is to show the government that enough is enough, What the coalition is doing, behind our backs is to privatise it, We already have private companies ie BUPA to have healthcare, the NHS is for everyone, trouble is it gets abuse and big time. You get everyone going there even from overseas. When l was knocked off my bike many years ago, l was sent a bill, and as l had an NHS service, it was free.

These people are worth there weight in gold and they take so much aggro, which is totally wrong.

Strange - I am sure nurses threatened to strike in 2006.....

Link

And in 2009

And in 1972

Must be a new definition of "there (sic) first ever, and about time" I hadn't come across before.....

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Drs and Nurses should go on strike, without them, where will you go.

Bupa?

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

It has been said that Drs and Nurses are to ballot for strike action - there first ever, and about time.

These employee's are the main line people that we all go an see, and it is to show the government that enough is enough, What the coalition is doing, behind our backs is to privatise it, We already have private companies ie BUPA to have healthcare, the NHS is for everyone, trouble is it gets abuse and big time. You get everyone going there even from overseas. When l was knocked off my bike many years ago, l was sent a bill, and as l had an NHS service, it was free.

These people are worth there weight in gold and they take so much aggro, which is totally wrong.

Rubbish ,who is the government selling it to ?in order to privatise the NHS someone has to buy it ,so who is it

same old rhetoric ,same old rubbish

[Osem]

Originally Posted by martyh

same old rhetoric ,same old rubbish

..same old Labour....

Do you think Arthur landed on his head when he fell off his bike?

Originally Posted by Osem

..same old Labour....

Do you think Arthur landed on his head when he fell off his bike?

i think it's stuck in his head going rusty

Originally Posted by Osem

..same old Labour....

Do you think Arthur landed on his head when he fell off his bike?

That's not where he talks out of, though.....

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Hugh

That's not where he talks out of, though.....

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Drs and Nurses should go on strike, without them, where will you go.

If Dr and Nurses go on strike they will lose any sympathy they had. How will they feel when someone dies because of them being out on strike, In fact if they do strike as YOU say and want will you be able to stand tall knowing you supported them. ????

As usual Arthur your spouting bull excreta

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by martyh

I think the only way that the NHS could survive in it's present form is to raise taxes by a couple of pence .Such a huge organisation can only be efficient up to a point ,and then it has to change .The problem in my opinion has been that over the past few decades governments have simply tinkered with an existing system instead of trying to change it to a workable organisation within a budget .Private companies do it all the time ,they change business models to suit available markets and trends or they go bust ,if the NHS doesn't change to suit modern times it will go bust (metaphorically speaking)

The ONS have demonstrated that the NHS has progressively lost efficiency. To the tune of over 13% in the last decade. In other words while its funding has been doubled it has lost 26% of that benefit through becoming less efficient. This is ignoring that outside of carefully arranged statistics the evidence for improved patient outcomes is equivocal to say the least despite the huge influx of money.

I couldn't care less about who owns or runs the NHS so long as the outcomes improve.

I couldn't even care less about it being completely free at the point of delivery, many other systems with much better patient outcomes employ selective co-pay.

Being completely honest I couldn't care less about the NHS, I've no nostalgia towards our 'beloved' health service, I only care about people getting the health care they need, when they need it, at a price be it via taxation, insurance or a combination of both which is as low as possible, to the highest feasible quality.

Realistically why should I, or any other citizen, care how our healthcare may be delivered so long as it is delivered. I really don't get the fondness for the NHS, if the system were that great everyone else would be doing it, the only countries to have had similar systems in modern times have been communist ones.

---------- Post added at 12:11 ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 ----------

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Drs and Nurses should go on strike, without them, where will you go.

In my case Arthur probably here.

[Traduk]

Ignitionnet,

At your age there is probably little you care about other than things that affect you directly.

A relative of mine thought the NHS was an expensive waste of money whilst he enjoyed the trappings of a series of managing directorships.

After retirement and with the trappings of BUPA lost and seriously draconian charges for cover which even he as a millionaire twice over couldn't afford, he now has had a road to Damascus revelation and thinks the NHS is wonderful.

If your views are generated by your current circumstances it is as well to have a plan B because hero to zero is not a phenomenon purely located in the USA. Everything in life is taken for granted until it is suddenly gone and for many health can vanish quickly. I have seen far too many high flyers or purportedly high flyers crash and burn to give much longevity to their views. If you had a few million in the bank your views would be warranted but to base views on pay check to pay check is delusion especially without tangible assets.

[Ignitionnet]

Traduk,

No idea of your age, and unsure of the relevance of my age, I'm more than old enough and have more than enough life experience to have lost the egocentrism of youth but perhaps you'd care to re-read my post? I'll quote the relevant bits and highlight them for you.

I couldn't care less about who owns or runs the NHS so long as the outcomes improve.

I couldn't even care less about it being completely free at the point of delivery, many other systems with much better patient outcomes employ selective co-pay.

Being completely honest I couldn't care less about the NHS, I've no nostalgia towards our 'beloved' health service, I only care about people getting the health care they need, when they need it, at a price be it via taxation, insurance or a combination of both which is as low as possible, to the highest feasible quality.

Not caring about the NHS and not caring about public healthcare are not synonymous. Quite frankly they are quite the opposite now, clinging on to the NHS like some long lost friend is precisely what will hold healthcare back.