Is austerity working- and will it ever end?

I'm no expert on things pharma but aren't new drugs protected by some sort of licence to help the companies get their investment back? So generic "new" ones don't exist?

Patent, yes. Drug companies don't give away drugs for free when it costs millions to develop and test over many years. If they did, new drugs would never be developed as no one could afford to do so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_drug

From memory, it's something like 90% of drugs in use are generic.

That said, why does it cost the NHS £9 (or some similar figure) if you are prescribed paracetamol when they can be purchased off the shelf for 25p.

The NHS should be using it's purchase power to get them for 10p! Not paying 4000% more.

That said, why does it cost the NHS £9 (or some similar figure) if you are prescribed paracetamol when they can be purchased off the shelf for 25p.

The NHS should be using it's purchase power to get them for 10p! Not paying 4000% more.

Alternatively if they're only 25p why are they being prescribed at all? Why not just tell the patient "This is what you need,go to Tesco and get some"

(Cue all the flak now )

Alternatively if they're only 25p why are they being prescribed at all? Why not just tell the patient "This is what you need,go to Tesco and get some"

 

(Cue all the flak now )

No flak from me.

Because we're pensioners we now get free prescriptions, but wouldn't dream of asking for generic painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Anything that can be bought cheaply over the counter should not be prescribed except in cases of hardship.

---------- Post added 18-10-2018 at 11:13 ----------

Again. I think that's because few people trust the government, or indeed politicians. They do not have the interests of the people or the country at heart, and we know it. We have gone from Responsible capitalism to Rampant Capitalism which favours only the few.

 

I haven't heard anyone say that the NHS doesn't need reform. When we can trust politicians to work for everyone, they will be able to do unpopular things for the best of reasons, and take the country with them.

 

We don't need compulsory insurance - we already have it; National Insurance. It needs to be ring fenced for health, like it was originally intended, and it needs to be increased. If it is increased we should be able to see quantifyable improvements, eg closed wards brought back into use etc.

 

IMO, a lot of NHS services need to return in-house, and those that can't, should be put out to public tender. All this should be transparent and above board. An Institution as big as the NHS should have massive bargaining power, so any contracts should reflect that, be watertight and in the public's favour.

 

Waste should be minimised, eg heating in hospitals could be turned down by a couple of degrees, and procurement should come with guarantees that it is value for money. Drug companies and Pharma need to be tamed; generic medicine rather than branded be used. Foreign people using our health system should have to pay full costs unless a reciprocol agreement is in place. Nurses should mostly be trained on the wards, then those that wish to, go on to degree level courses.

 

There's loads that can be done cheaply to improve cost effectiveness, whilst still maintaining the basic NHS principle of 'Free at the point of use.'

I agree with some of your points, particularly around the waste of resources. There are 'nursing' staff without degrees, they are generally called health care assistants, whose more basic level of nursing care can free up the reducing numbers of qualified and specialist nurses to be more clinically effective.

But we also need to educate those members of the public who make appointments and just dont turn up. This happens not only in GP surgeries, but in hospitals where expensive procedures have been booked. We need to also educate people not to use A&E as their 'go to' unless they genuinely need to. Unsure? Ring 111 for advice first. Calling an emergency ambulance for anything less than an emergency situation puts yet more more strain on an already stretched service. Charging foreign nationals for treatment up front should be standard.

Are expectations unrealistic? Does the NHS need a complete restructure? Should non life threatening procedures such as cosmetic surgery in non extreme cases, or IVF, be reduced, or charged for? How do we encourage better self care and less dependence?

Alternatively if they're only 25p why are they being prescribed at all? Why not just tell the patient "This is what you need,go to Tesco and get some"

 

(Cue all the flak now )

Because some patients literally don't have 25p to spare (and need more than a pack of 16).

But rather than facetiously saying why don't people buy it themselves, consider that if a very cheap generic like paracetamol costs the NHS 4000% more than it should, what the impact might be for more expensive drugs, even generics can be quite expensive, so if the NHS always pays well over the odds then there's a serious problem isn't there.

Paracetamol is just an excellent example where people can easily see the overpayment.

The Tories have just covered up a Government analysis of the impact of Universal Credit.

No doubt it shows how it is devastating people's lives.

This information is a matter of public interest and should be available to the electorate.

UC is coming to Sheffield before Christmas, and will cause a huge increase in the use of foodbanks (in other areas where it's been rolled out foodbank use has gone up by 35%)

It's also a major cause of debt and homelessness.

Another example of the Tories utter contempt for the poor - and that includes the working poor, and the disabled who will also be impacted by the switch to Universal Credit.

No flak from me.

 

Because we're pensioners we now get free prescriptions, but wouldn't dream of asking for generic painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Anything that can be bought cheaply over the counter should not be prescribed except in cases of hardship.

 

---------- Post added 18-10-2018 at 11:13 ----------

 

 

I agree with some of your points, particularly around the waste of resources. There are 'nursing' staff without degrees, they are generally called health care assistants, whose more basic level of nursing care can free up the reducing numbers of qualified and specialist nurses to be more clinically effective.

 

But we also need to educate those members of the public who make appointments and just dont turn up. This happens not only in GP surgeries, but in hospitals where expensive procedures have been booked. We need to also educate people not to use A&E as their 'go to' unless they genuinely need to. Unsure? Ring 111 for advice first. Calling an emergency ambulance for anything less than an emergency situation puts yet more more strain on an already stretched service. Charging foreign nationals for treatment up front should be standard.

 

Are expectations unrealistic? Does the NHS need a complete restructure? Should non life threatening procedures such as cosmetic surgery in non extreme cases, or IVF, be reduced, or charged for? How do we encourage better self care and less dependence?

I wonder if it's always the patient's fault though? My granddad is under the care of a couple of consultants for various conditions. Over the last few months he's had that many appointments moved and cancelled it's untrue. He lives a long way from the hospital in a rural area, and has to organise travel through friends and family. It all gets very convoluted. He's not the most switched on at the best of times, and keeping up with all the changes is beyond him! I'm not surprised appointments get missed, especially when you're dealing with poorly and confused people a lot of the time.

No flak from me.

 

Because we're pensioners we now get free prescriptions, but wouldn't dream of asking for generic painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Anything that can be bought cheaply over the counter should not be prescribed except in cases of hardship.

 

---------- Post added 18-10-2018 at 11:13 ----------

 

 

I agree with some of your points, particularly around the waste of resources. There are 'nursing' staff without degrees, they are generally called health care assistants, whose more basic level of nursing care can free up the reducing numbers of qualified and specialist nurses to be more clinically effective.

 

But we also need to educate those members of the public who make appointments and just dont turn up. This happens not only in GP surgeries, but in hospitals where expensive procedures have been booked. We need to also educate people not to use A&E as their 'go to' unless they genuinely need to. Unsure? Ring 111 for advice first. Calling an emergency ambulance for anything less than an emergency situation puts yet more more strain on an already stretched service. Charging foreign nationals for treatment up front should be standard.

 

Are expectations unrealistic? Does the NHS need a complete restructure? Should non life threatening procedures such as cosmetic surgery in non extreme cases, or IVF, be reduced, or charged for? How do we encourage better self care and less dependence?

It needs re-branding from 'Accident & Emergency' to just 'Emergency'

It needs re-branding from 'Accident & Emergency' to just 'Emergency'

Perhaps. I'm from the generation who grew up in the early stages of the NHS, my parents remembered paying for a GP to visit in earlier times. Perhaps thats why many of us try over the counter remedies before visiting a doctor. A&E is a last resort!

I think there needs to be a GP centre attached to A&E, where, after a quick triage, those with non emergency issues can be referred to wait. That could speed up waiting times for real emergencies.

Perhaps. I'm from the generation who grew up in the early stages of the NHS, my parents remembered paying for a GP to visit in earlier times. Perhaps thats why many of us try over the counter remedies before visiting a doctor. A&E is a last resort!

 

I think there needs to be a GP centre attached to A&E, where, after a quick triage, those with non emergency issues can be referred to wait. That could speed up waiting times for real emergencies.

I think one of the issues is that people can't get appointments with a GP so they go to A+E...

I think one of the issues is that people can't get appointments with a GP so they go to A+E...

Or not registered with one. A couple of years ago I went to a walk in centre after a hand injury and a suspected fracture.

They wouldn't see me unless I was referred by my doctor.

I explained that I'd just moved and was 50 miles away from my last registered doctor (who I'd only seen once in 8 years), but they wouldn't budge.

Or not registered with one. A couple of years ago I went to a walk in centre after a hand injury and a suspected fracture.

 

They wouldn't see me unless I was referred by my doctor.

 

I explained that I'd just moved and was 50 miles away from my last registered doctor (who I'd only seen once in 8 years), but they wouldn't budge.

And yet I'm GP registered, but couldn't get an appointment, so went to the walk in centre on Broad Lane. A long wait, but I was seen by a nurse practitioner and treated. No need for A&E in that instance. Perhaps a suspected fracture was seen as an emergency.