NHS can't afford the long term sick.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/5v3vrbx

/// THE NHS will be unable to cope with patients suffering from long-term illnesses like diabetes and asthma unless there is radical reform, the Health Secretary has warned.///

What could those 'Radical Reforms' possibly be?

I bet such things as curbing the number of non-British taking out and putting nothing back in, will be among those reforms?

See the link,

http://tinyurl.com/5wy6bps

[seadogg]

You have a point AOG. Having slogged to pay taxes all our working lives we could end up back of the queue.

[Sqad]

Whikerman....this, unfortunately will have to come in the UK, as A&E is being abused, not necessarily by drunken louts, but also by people who abrogate totally the responsibility of simple health care to the state. I do not not entirely blame them as the NHS is totally a Political pawn and as such, the mentality of free health care for all from cradle to the grave is propagated.
This always has been unaffordable and even more so in the present financial climate and certainly in the future.

To fill the financial coffers of the GP´s is total madness, in my opinion, the money should be diverted to specialist centres.

<<<< it costs €100 to attend A&E for any reason here in Ireland. That's the cost to walk in and ask for help, applies to everyone. <<<<

[Zeuhl]

<<it costs €100 to attend A&E for any reason here in Ireland. That's the cost to walk in and ask for help, applies to everyone. >>

That's all very well but, the question we as a civilised society have to ask ourselves is:

If someone is injured or taken seriously ill and they don't have £100, what do we do? Leave them on the pavement and step over them?

Would we really want to do that?
.

[Sqad]

Zeuhl.............all A&E will be treated free, if a UK resident.

BUT,,,the "dross" that is seen who are not A´s or E,s will have to pay.

Who will decide?......the on-call doctor.

[boxtops]

What I understand it to mean is that patients will be seen in their homes or community, i.e. at or by their GPs, rather than expensive admissions into hospital. The cost of admissions has to be reduced, so referrals to hospitals must go down. Many practice nurses and GPs are skilled in the management of long term conditions - if patients also take more responsibility for their health and don't let worsening illness go untreated, the GP can deal with it and the patient doesn't end up in hospital. This radical reform has been in place for some while - the PCTs who commission the services from the hospitals have to save millions in coming month, we are losing loads of staff at the end of this month. It' a very difficult time for everyone in the NHS as there is so much uncertainly about the reforms at the moment - but the NHS must save money, there is no more extra in the coffers.