I work in local hospitals.
It's true the NHS has massive problems. The two biggest are the number of illnesses now amenable to treatment that simply weren't 20 or even 10 years ago. The second is the demographic of the population - people living longer and having more chronic illnesses; many of those with diabetes, heart, respiratory and liver problems have inflicted their illness upon themselves through lifestyle choices.
So, is the taxpayer expected to pick up an infinite bill?
As far as poor quality of care being delivered in individual clinical areas is concerned - there is simply no excuse. Understaffing is largely down to poor management at local level, and from this month all clinical areas will be required to display publicly the number of staff on duty against the number of staff that should be on duty so that relevant action can be taken (a requirement brought in by the current government).
I'd agree that mental health services have deteriorated, but who's to blame for that? The way that people with mental health issues are treated has come about through the Mental Health Acts of 1983 and 2007. Note who was in government in 2007.
It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing, it's more a case of looking at why the problems in the NHS occur and then trying to tackle them without bankrupting the country. Add to that, the inflated egos of senior NHS management and clinicians, and the need for a change in culture so that problems aren't brushed under the carpet. I could go on, but the solution isn't down to one type of political party or another; that's the point I'm trying to get across here. [Post edited 6 Apr 2014 17:09]
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