Fund the NHS adequately

[Calahonda 11]

I do think it's wrong but in what way is it fraud? Presumably the NHS know what it's buying.. ie the rubber gloves will be sold as such..maybe the buyers should be having a good look at themselves...for something as standard as gloves this shouldn't be a problem..bit more difficult for "special" drugs/equipment I suppose

 

If my memory serves, there were no gloves, just an invoice, as per my post.

[truman 10]

If my memory serves, there were no gloves, just an invoice, as per my post.

 

Sorry that wasn't clear in your post...

[alchresearch 214]

Not sure if its the same story or similar:

 

NHS spends £16 on rubber gloves which can be bought for 35 pence

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/08/nhs-spends-16-rubber-gloves-can-bought-35-pence/

 

If I had to guess why this is, I'd say its because buyers have to buy so much stuff they just go for the easiest purchasing option and don't spend time shopping around.

[Calahonda 11]

Not sure if its the same story or similar:

 

NHS spends £16 on rubber gloves which can be bought for 35 pence

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/08/nhs-spends-16-rubber-gloves-can-bought-35-pence/

 

If I had to guess why this is, I'd say its because buyers have to buy so much stuff they just go for the easiest purchasing option and don't spend time shopping around.

 

I joined a company circa 40 years ago, the chief cashier sent me a plethora of invoices for goods that he’d paid for on receipt, in order to benefit from early settlement discounts. On further investigation I discovered that all of the goods invoiced by one particular company had never arrived. On this occasion the company in question supplied me with copies of delivery notes signed by the dispatch manager, I ended up calling in the police, only to discover that the dispatch manager had circa 6 ‘helpers’, who ignored the none delivery of goods ordered by their departments.

 

I wager that there are similar scams going on within the NHS, not to mention the none existent invoiced goods.

[Resident 1,185]

So a poll suggests that the UK believes the NHS will collapse.

 

Many believe the mainstream belief that it is under-funded and that this is why it will collapse.

 

Personally I don't. I believe that it has the money it needs and more besides. However the majority of funds are being wasted.

 

• Unnecessary management posts
  
• Paying massively inflated prices for basic items
  
• Performing elective, unnecessary cosmetic surgeries
  
• Allowing NHS nurses to quit to become agency nurses at inflated wages. I've heard, from NHS nurses that agency staff are on upto £50 per HOUR depending on dept.
  

 

I have ideas on what needs to happen

 

1. Public review into all management positions to determine viability. Also within the inquiry review performance of all management personnel as with all management roles there will be those that are simply 'coasting'
    
   
2. Public publication of NHS spending down to the penny and review of purchasing rules
    
   
3. NHS patient ID cards. Issued only to UK citizens. Emergency treatment will still be provided without but ongoing and non-emergency treatment will be denied without payment/insurance to prevent health-tourism
    
   
4. Put GPs on clock-cards and ‘fine’ them for persistent lateness. Most GPs are great but from personal experience some are terrible. My current GP surgery (only on in village) the sole GP has appointments booked in from 8am however he regularly strolls in up 45 mins late.
    
   
5. Ban on employing agency nurses working for NHS if they've worked for the NHS directly within a certain number of years, say 3. If they quit the NHS and wish to rejoin with a direct position again then this can be done with no restriction.
   

 

 

Now I know people will disagree so let's hear your thoughts...

[L00b 441]

NHS patient ID cards. Issued only to UK citizens. Emergency treatment will still be provided without but ongoing and non-emergency treatment will be denied without payment/insurance to prevent health-tourism

If the purpose of such cards is to stop health tourism indeed, then it’s not U.K. citizens you want to issue them to, but UK residents. Who may or may not be British, and wherein foreign-residing Brits (eg Spanish-living retirees) will be similarly prevented from engaging in health tourism back in the U.K.

 

OK with you? (genuine question, because it’s certainly OK with me)

 

If not OK with you, please explain why.

[Daven 10]

QUOTE: 'Allowing NHS nurses to quit to become agency nurses at inflated wages. I've heard, from NHS nurses that agency staff are on upto £50 per HOUR depending on dept'

 

Very many NHS nurses who have substantive posts in the NHS work ALSO for agencies to supplement their wage - often on nights and weekends to make ends meet.

If nurses were paid what they deserve in the NHS then maybe this wouldn't happen.

You do know there's a shortage of nurses which is set to become worse ?

Edited July 2, 2018 by Daven

[Resident 1,185]

QUOTE: 'Allowing NHS nurses to quit to become agency nurses at inflated wages. I've heard, from NHS nurses that agency staff are on upto £50 per HOUR depending on dept'

 

Very many NHS nurses who have substantive posts in the NHS work ALSO for agencies to supplement their wage - often on nights and weekends to make ends meet.

If nurses were paid what they deserve in the NHS then maybe this wouldn't happen.

You do know there's a shortage of nurses which is set to become worse ?

 

I take home less than a nurse's starting wage. I manage to run a house with 2 children and a car so that begs the question of why does someone earning more struggle to make ends meet?

 

As for being paid what they're worth. Well if they weren't paying an agency nurses 5x the going rate then maybe they could afford to increase salaries.....

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2018 at 13:14 ----------

 

If the purpose of such cards is to stop health tourism indeed, then it’s not U.K. citizens you want to issue them to, but UK residents. Who may or may not be British, and wherein foreign-residing Brits (eg Spanish-living retirees) will be similarly prevented from engaging in health tourism back in the U.K.

 

OK with you? (genuine question, because it’s certainly OK with me)

 

If not OK with you, please explain why.

 

I almost wrote residents but then thought that we'd then have the argument of howong do you have to live somewhere before being classed as resident,

[tinfoilhat 11]

I take home less than a nurse's starting wage. I manage to run a house with 2 children and a car so that begs the question of why does someone earning more struggle to make ends meet?

 

As for being paid what they're worth. Well if they weren't paying an agency nurses 5x the going rate then maybe they could afford to increase salaries.....

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2018 at 13:14 ----------

 

 

 

I thought that, there's an awful lot of NHS staff earning a lot less that the starting £22k a year a nurse earns.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

The UK also needs a well-defined and carefully-planned Social Care scheme for people whose increased lifespans throw extra demands on it and on UK taxpayers. It should start with an obligation to pay one's own costs whilst ever one has funds to do so.

[Calahonda 11]

One problem is that when a Brit needs treatment in say, a Spanish hospital on their EHIC card, the Spanish system invoices the NHS for payment. Sadly the other way round, the NHS treats the Spaniard, but forgets to bill the Spanish health service for the treatment given.

[convert 10]

So a poll suggests that the UK believes the NHS will collapse.

 

Many believe the mainstream belief that it is under-funded and that this is why it will collapse.

 

Personally I don't. I believe that it has the money it needs and more besides. However the majority of funds are being wasted.

 

• Unnecessary management posts
  
• Paying massively inflated prices for basic items
  
• Performing elective, unnecessary cosmetic surgeries
  
• Allowing NHS nurses to quit to become agency nurses at inflated wages. I've heard, from NHS nurses that agency staff are on upto £50 per HOUR depending on dept.
  

 

I have ideas on what needs to happen

 

1. Public review into all management positions to determine viability. Also within the inquiry review performance of all management personnel as with all management roles there will be those that are simply 'coasting'
    
   
2. Public publication of NHS spending down to the penny and review of purchasing rules
    
   
3. NHS patient ID cards. Issued only to UK citizens. Emergency treatment will still be provided without but ongoing and non-emergency treatment will be denied without payment/insurance to prevent health-tourism
    
   
4. Put GPs on clock-cards and ‘fine’ them for persistent lateness. Most GPs are great but from personal experience some are terrible. My current GP surgery (only on in village) the sole GP has appointments booked in from 8am however he regularly strolls in up 45 mins late.
    
   
5. Ban on employing agency nurses working for NHS if they've worked for the NHS directly within a certain number of years, say 3. If they quit the NHS and wish to rejoin with a direct position again then this can be done with no restriction.
   

 

 

Now I know people will disagree so let's hear your thoughts...

 

A good start, however I'd also look at the sickness policies. I know some NHS employees who take off six months (after 5 years of service) sick each year (at full pay), as they are entitled to.

 

http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/agenda-for-change/nhs-terms-and-conditions-of-service-handbook/sickness-absence-section-14aengland