mad_dr

Me for one - they saved me in 1998! Can't fault the NHS myself!

pslewis

Excellent! That would be under a Labour Government then??

Pete

the moose

Several things

1) 'Twas ever thus ... people have always died of illnesses, and to blame the NHS because they aren't as good as they might be is to ignore the fact that they are really very good, much of the time.

2) Quality services cost money, and since we're a nation of skinflints, we're always going to have a problem. Go to Denmark and marvel at their cleanliness, fantastic education, and amazing public transport service. Be astonished at their healthcare. Then look at the tax bill .... yet the average Dane seems to have a good standard of living overall, drives a decent car, and works fewer hours than in the UK. As a result, I have to ask whether their overall tax burden is really all that much greater than ours.

3) The education system is not all the fault of the government. The reality is that in many cases it's the fault of the parents. My kids go to private schools, and although they're expensive, the value is fantastic - my children are way ahead in achievement compared to the national average, and thoroughly enjoy their school days. Yet the cost per head is actually less than for my local comprehensive, which was until recently on special measures, and which still has an appalling morale problem for both pupils and teachers alike. The difference with my kids' school is that the parents care passionately about their children's education, and will ensure the kids don't act up in class, play truant, or fail to do their homework. If all other parents did the same, the UK's education service would improve massively.

4) People put up with crap. I have a large number of staff, and receive woefully poor emails and reports; rather than just accepting it, and where necessary, I bounce it until it's written properly. Txt spk simply isn't acceptable, and once it's been pointed out to staff, it's rarely an issue thereafter. A large number of people seem to think that this is the norm, but by accepting it, you're validating it, and as a result people are conditioned to believe that mediocrity is the best that needs to be delivered. Little wonder that their kids don't get much encouragement.


Overall, it's just too easy to blame the government (of whichever hue) - we deserve the services we get, and seem to expect that we should be spoonfed. Some people always end up in a poor situation, and the state should clearly help these people. But there are far too many people who simply don't try hard enough - as I seem to have a large number of them as relatives, I'm pretty well qualified to comment, sad to say.

warrenm2

Good to see its stirred up a bit of comment. The 15000 figure was derived from the fact that cardiac and cancer care is crap in this country compared to all other european nations - if the std of care in the uk was that of the european average - then 15000 less people would die. Yes of course the NHS does cure some people - the point is though its not a bvery good system compared to all other developed nations. The NHS actually performs badly, although people seem to be emotionally wedded to it. Check out the website