Scary.

[cheadleviking]

I was talking to a mate who is a GP about the cuts, the NHS is the biggest single employer in Europe and on an average day has upto 1,000,000 people receiving care at the dentist, optician, surgery, A&E or outpatients dept.  That is a lot of people for that they need a lot of staff although (i think he said) upto a third of its wage bill isn't on staff to cater for these people.... it is on sick pay??? Now lets not forget also if a person phones in sick how many agency staff or overtime hours would have to be paid to cover?

I was sat in the Casualty ward at Manchester Children's Hospital thinking about the three nurses/staff stood around talking about paperwork and how they could be used to help other departments, cleaning etc, then unfortunately what they hope would never happen to often but sometimes does there was a seriously ill child who lost their little fight for life.  It is not as easy in the NHS as in the commercial sector to staff I suppose its not like you can staff up at a sandwich counter between 11 -2 with it being lunch time or you are behind programme and are about to start brickwork so you bring in more, in the NHS I suppose you just never know when the staff will be needed, how many will be needed but I do think cuts should initially try to be made through bringing staff back to work, from procurement of products and services and none urgent cases being reviewed.

I have been unfortunate to have to visit the hospital a couple of times recently with our little one and it is desperate to our wellbeing that cuts do not hinder life and I am sure that with cuts it will be very hard.

Cuts no, A good remodelling yes.

A point on the side did I hear that the deals with the saved banks by labour are paying off too well, the streamlining of local authorities are been embraced and acted upon and that the Blues are saving more money than expected?

[confusedone]

it sounds like a whole other world 

X 2 !!!

[Peter]

Like I said, don't get sick!  And with the changes in benefits, don't get poor.

[the baron]

simple think back to 97. look at the state of schools and hospitals. if you say things are better, then there you go. if you think things have not got better you need to look again.

[Peter]

I thought you were guaranteed to be able to see a doctor on the same day.
This is something which has improved at my Doctors.
I work away and I used to find it impossible to see a Doctor. If I ring up in the morning at 0830 exactly I will be number 7 in the queue but eventually I get trhough and am able to see a doctor same day.

I can always see a doctor the same day, sometime immediately.

My problem is that whenever I ask for a repeat prescription there is always a note on it asking me to see a doctor. [It is not hypocondriacs who clog up the surgery]. I thhink it must be to see if I am still alive.