The TPU UK Clubhouse

[kurosagi01]

Hypothetically what would actually improve our health care service?
From top to low priority how would you rank these?:
Privatised NHS?
Provide more incentives for future nurses + doctors with the current average salary?
Increase the average salary + offer better incentives?
Continue to try and hire cheap labour?
Improve current facilities?

 

[the54thvoid]

None of the things you mention cover a basic principle of a functioning health system, and that is for people to look after their health. It wouldn't fix the system, but modern culture is practically guided by mass consumerism. That includes alcohol, junk food, sugars, and unhealthy consumables. Folk are quick to cry 'nanny state' when governments try to intervene, but these voices are stirred up by the very same private companies making a fortune out of this very model of over consumption. They literally profit from our over consumption, all the while finding ways to substitute natural (costly) ingredients with synthertic ones.

There are new worries coming though, and those centre around increasing bowel cancer rates in people under 50 - and these rates correlate with changing environmental factors (plastics). Remember - correlate doesn't necessarily mean cause - it means need for further study until the burden of proof is statistically overwhelming.

Above all, sedentary lifestyles lead to a decline in health (mental and physical). It's technically easy to increase our activity, but in motivational terms, it's far harder.

This is posted by someone with 27 years experience in the health and fitness industry.

 

[kurosagi01]

None of the things you mention cover a basic principle of a functioning health system, and that is for people to look after their health. It wouldn't fix the system, but modern culture is practically guided by mass consumerism. That includes alcohol, junk food, sugars, and unhealthy consumables. Folk are quick to cry 'nanny state' when governments try to intervene, but these voices are stirred up by the very same private companies making a fortune out of this very model of over consumption. They literally profit from our over consumption, all the while finding ways to substitute natural (costly) ingredients with synthertic ones.

There are new worries coming though, and those centre around increasing bowel cancer rates in people under 50 - and these rates correlate with changing environmental factors (plastics). Remember - correlate doesn't necessarily mean cause - it means need for further study until the burden of proof is statistically overwhelming.

Above all, sedentary lifestyles lead to a decline in health (mental and physical). It's technically easy to increase our activity, but in motivational terms, it's far harder.

This is posted by someone with 27 years experience in the health and fitness industry.

Yeah I get people should be looking after their health but even if we all do the right thing, what else do we need to do to improve health service?

 

[the54thvoid]

Yeah I get people should be looking after their health but even if we all do the right thing, what else do we need to do to improve health service?

This article looks at it, if you're looking for a proper in-depth read.

The NHS founding principles are still appropriate today and provide a strong foundation for the future

The vision of a comprehensive health service is as relevant today as in the 1940s, but new and different societal challenges require a rethink on how to deliver the NHS as it faces a national health and care emergency The NHS is currently experiencing the gravest crisis in its history. While...

www.bmj.com

As for improving it? Define improve. Regardless, every answer will likely lead to 'funding' or 'cost-cutting.' That's the rub.

 

[Tatty_Two]

Also, the backbone of our health system (infrastructure) was fit for purpose up to the 60's and 70's but are no longer effective enough, without writing a book, the population since 1970 (for example) has gone up by more than 14 million. Another stark comparison is bed numbers (Hospitals/wards), in 1948 when the NHS was born with some 18 million less people there were 480,000 hospital beds, today there are around 122,000.

The data infrastructure is no longer fit for purpose, it managed (just about) when there was 14 + million less patients, Trusts can't access data from other Trusts (when someone moves or has an accident on holiday), Hospitals cannot access data from other hospitals outside their trust and hospitals in the same Trust cannot access GP data from practices within their own trust area. There are plans to rectify the management information systems but this is where the new government is saying it will take 5 to 10 years to achieve anything significant because until there is economic growth there simply won't be the money to fund it and in the meantime Healthcare workers will have to carry on ringing GP practices and hospitals in other parts of the country to try and obtain medical history for a patient who has just walked through the door rather than actually treat patients.

We have many more people accessing healthcare today and despite the large increase in population, as the54thvoid has said, the main reasons are lifestyle choices/poor health, especially for men.

In essence, we are at the point that despite year on year increased investment that without major infrastructure change (including social care) things will only get worse, long queue's outside and inside A&E's in the winter have been happening for the best part of 20 years.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

IIRC, there was an experiment in the US showing that subsidising a healthy lifestyle cost less than treating the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Paying for gym memberships and healthy food, for example. Over here at least, it is a hell of a lot more expensive to eat healthy.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This article looks at it, if you're looking for a proper in-depth read.

The NHS founding principles are still appropriate today and provide a strong foundation for the future

The vision of a comprehensive health service is as relevant today as in the 1940s, but new and different societal challenges require a rethink on how to deliver the NHS as it faces a national health and care emergency The NHS is currently experiencing the gravest crisis in its history. While...

www.bmj.com

As for improving it? Define improve. Regardless, every answer will likely lead to 'funding' or 'cost-cutting.' That's the rub.

And let's be fair, even with all of it's problems, the general population folks in the UK can at least GET healthcare. Some folks in the US and many other places can't.

 

[AusWolf]

Hypothetically what would actually improve our health care service?
From top to low priority how would you rank these?:
Privatised NHS?
Provide more incentives for future nurses + doctors with the current average salary?
Increase the average salary + offer better incentives?
Continue to try and hire cheap labour?
Improve current facilities?

Incentives, incentives and incentives. There's a labour shortage, people don't want to do anything because nothing pays. Everything is minimum wage. It sucks balls. You can do better staying home on benefits.

Also education. No one can afford to become a doctor unless your parents are doctors too.

Cheap labour and privatisation are a big no, imo. This country as a whole needs to improve on the quality, not the quantity of life.

 

[kurosagi01]

I mean I get what everyone is saying and I agree with you all.
I get the population has increased dramatically but then we have people nowadays don't want to work in the health service. I mean it's hard work and stressful there is no denying that, I just feel there is nothing to incentivise people considering it as a career.
The barrier entry is hard and costly, then the starting average salary isn't entirely massive.
If the average is around 22-45k for a junior doctor, why would someone go through the stress of getting paid that when they could get paid that amount doing a desk job or they will try and get employment in private sector.
Even if we managed to recruit foreign doctors etc, none of them would want to stay here as there nothing to incentivise them and we as people are assholes lol.

 

[the54thvoid]

Even if we managed to recruit foreign doctors etc, none of them would want to stay here as there nothing to incentivise them and we as people are assholes lol.

On the nursing front, immigration policies changed - not sure if it affected numbers. @Tatty_Two might have better optics on that front, given his wife was/is(?) in the profession.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

My feet, big toes are killing me, had both my big toe nails removed last thursday and they still hurt. Went back to podiatrist today and my toes are doing ok, no infection, they look a mess to me though, but to be expected i guess. He put iodine pads (absorbs moisture) on them as he said they looked a little wet. Hopefully the pain will get less over the next few days.

 

[Tatty_Two]

On the nursing front, immigration policies changed - not sure if it affected numbers. @Tatty_Two might have better optics on that front, given his wife was/is(?) in the profession.

As far as I am aware, immigration policies have changed for healthcare a couple of times over the last 3 or so years and there is likely to be more changes with this government, but last year legislation was brought in to allow overseas staff to immediately bring qualified family members with them when they assumed their roles, I think previously they had to work for a year prior to that so it is hoped that will be a positive incentive.

Incentives for nursing degrees have been reduced, bursaries have been cut or eligibility tightened which probably puts some off, to make matters worse there are different rules and eligibility for each of the home nations and of course student loan repayments for some, on the positive apprenticeships are now offered to some healthcare workers (assistants not nurses) where they can qualify as Nurses in the workplace over 1 or 2 years dependant on experience.

One thing that sticks with me was reading a Royal College of Nursing report (one of the Nursing Unions) where my wife was a member before she retired that said in 2022 and 2023 during the worst of the cost of living crisis 2 out of 5 single nurses were having to go to food banks in order to survive.

 

[Caring1]

My feet, big toes are killing me, had both my big toe nails removed last thursday and they still hurt. Went back to podiatrist today and my toes are doing ok, no infection, they look a mess to me though, but to be expected i guess. He put iodine pads (absorbs moisture) on them as he said they looked a little wet. Hopefully the pain will get less over the next few days.

They need a bit of sunshine on them.

 

[AusWolf]

They need a bit of sunshine on them.

Good luck with that in the UK, especially in late January.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Good luck with that in the UK, especially in late January.

Aint no sunshine when she's gone, it aint warm when she's away.

 

[kurosagi01]

As far as I am aware, immigration policies have changed for healthcare a couple of times over the last 3 or so years and there is likely to be more changes with this government, but last year legislation was brought in to allow overseas staff to immediately bring qualified family members with them when they assumed their roles, I think previously they had to work for a year prior to that so it is hoped that will be a positive incentive.

Incentives for nursing degrees have been reduced, bursaries have been cut or eligibility tightened which probably puts some off, to make matters worse there are different rules and eligibility for each of the home nations and of course student loan repayments for some, on the positive apprenticeships are now offered to some healthcare workers (assistants not nurses) where they can qualify as Nurses in the workplace over 1 or 2 years dependant on experience.

One thing that sticks with me was reading a Royal College of Nursing report (one of the Nursing Unions) where my wife was a member before she retired that said in 2022 and 2023 during the worst of the cost of living crisis 2 out of 5 single nurses were having to go to food banks in order to survive.

Nurses deserve some love too.
On a different note as I was only asking all these things as I am bit stressed trying to manage the health issues my partner is dealing with at the moment.
But she's getting help from the hospital itself now so hopefully we can get something done.


On a different note, which dirty boy sent this? Fess up.

x.com

x.com

Just find the GPs to be useless a lot of times

 

[AusWolf]

Nurses deserve some love too.

Of course they do, just not from the government/NHS themselves, apparently. How I earn more working night shifts in a warehouse than a nurse is beyond me.

On a different note as I was only asking all these things as I am bit stressed trying to manage the health issues my partner is dealing with at the moment.
But she's not getting help from the hospital itself now so hopefully we can get something done.

Have you got any private insurance?

On a different note, which dirty boy sent this? Fess up.

x.com

x.com

Just find the GPs to be useless a lot of times

Bloody hell! I'd send that person the bill for the extermination and deny all further RMA requests.

 

[kurosagi01]

Of course they do, just not from the government/NHS themselves, apparently. How I earn more working night shifts in a warehouse than a nurse is beyond me.


Have you got any private insurance?


Bloody hell! I'd send that person the bill for the extermination and deny all further RMA requests.

Sadly we do not, although I think I might have to invest in getting one for any future "health" issues, only reason I haven't got one for myself + partner is because they won't cover any previous/existing health conditions.
Although it would have come in handy for this issue she is dealing with right now, live and learn I guess.

For sure I would be sending the person a bill for extermination and cleaning the thing itself too.

 

[lexluthermiester]

My feet, big toes are killing me, had both my big toe nails removed last thursday and they still hurt. Went back to podiatrist today and my toes are doing ok, no infection, they look a mess to me though, but to be expected i guess. He put iodine pads (absorbs moisture) on them as he said they looked a little wet. Hopefully the pain will get less over the next few days.

They need a bit of sunshine on them.

This is very reasonable advice. Natural sunlight helps produce a number of the vitamins and organic compounds our bodies need to function well. Sunlight can even help with a healing process. Of course, like with everything in life, moderation. Too much sunlight is bad. About 30 minutes once a day for a few days would likely do the trick. Little bit of Neosporin(or something like it) would help too.

 

[kurosagi01]

Just saw that Ubisoft are shutting down their studio office in Leamington which isn't too far from me and their Newcastle branch too.
Small world that some of these "high" profile studios are actually a lot closer than you think, the Codemasters office is also around Leamington/Southam area as well.

Ubisoft jobs at risk in Leamington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The gaming giant says the closure is part of plans to "ensure long-term stability" at the firm.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[lexluthermiester]

Just saw that Ubisoft are shutting down their studio office in Leamington which isn't too far from me and their Newcastle branch too.
Small world that some of these "high" profile studios are actually a lot closer than you think, the Codemasters office is also around Leamington/Southam area as well.

Ubisoft jobs at risk in Leamington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The gaming giant says the closure is part of plans to "ensure long-term stability" at the firm.

www.bbc.co.uk

Put another way, Ubiosoft is faltering and will likely go bye-bye.

 

[kurosagi01]

Put another way, Ubiosoft is faltering and will likely go bye-bye.

Wouldn't surprise me to be honest.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Wouldn't surprise me to be honest.

At this stage I think the CEO/BoD are deliberately trying to tank the company to make sure they get picked up by tencent.

 

[Space Lynx]

Said goodbye to my friend and the pup I helped raise in Devonshire two weeks ago. Broke down crying. Miss them with all my heart. Most important lesson I have learned in life is if you find happiness, true happiness, don't ever give up on it even if it is only temporary. I have never been with someone where I was constantly laughing, enjoying shows/movies, helping each other out, walking the dog twice a day, and just a genuine happiness. I have only had this level of happiness 3x in my life, and all 3x were when I visited her in the UK, less to do the with the UK and more i just found the right person for me. All my problems would have been solved if she just lived near me back home, or I could figure out a way to get hired in the UK. I wish life were more simple.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Said goodbye to my friend and the pup I helped raise in Devonshire two weeks ago. Broke down crying. Miss them with all my heart. Most important lesson I have learned in life is if you find happiness, true happiness, don't ever give up on it even if it is only temporary. I have never been with someone where I was constantly laughing, enjoying shows/movies, helping each other out, walking the dog twice a day, and just a genuine happiness. I have only had this level of happiness 3x in my life, and all 3x were when I visited her in the UK, less to do the with the UK and more i just found the right person for me. All my problems would have been solved if she just lived near me back home, or I could figure out a way to get hired in the UK. I wish life were more simple.

Find a way back. Where there is a will, there is a way.