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Over-75s shouldnt have to sit in A&E for 9 hours because they cant get a GP appointment
My neighbour Frank is 81. Last month he had chest pains at 8am. He rang his GP at 8:00 on the dot, 8:01, 8:02, 8:03. By 8:20 he got through and was told there were no appointments left. The receptionist, who was very sorry, suggested he go
Ban private ambulance services from responding to 999 calls
Did you know that when you dial 999 in parts of England, the ambulance that arrives is not an NHS ambulance. Its a private contractor. Paid by the NHS. Often with less qualified staff. Operating on a contract that pays them more if they hit
Drug policy should be based on evidence of harm, not moral panic
Portugal decriminalised personal use of all drugs in 2001. In the 25 years since, drug-related deaths have fallen dramatically, HIV infections among drug users have collapsed, and overall drug use has not increased. This is not disputed. It
Right to die with dignity act
The issue of assisted dying is a complex and emotive one, and it's clear that the current system is not working for those who are terminally ill and wish to end their suffering. It's a matter of basic human rights and compassion, and we nee
Every child should be able to get an NHS dentist
My daughter hasnt seen an NHS dentist in two years. We rang every practice within 20 miles. All full. We ended up going private at 80 quid a checkup. Not everyone can do that. NHS dentistry is in collapse. Dentists are leaving because the
Every school should have a proper counsellor, not just a poster on a wall
A poster saying its OK not to be OK is not mental health provision. It is a poster. Every school should have a trained counsellor available at least 3 days a week. Not a teaching assistant who did a two day course. A qualified counsellor w
Make it illegal to build housing estates without a GP surgery
New estate of 500 homes went up near us last year. Lovely houses. Absolutely no infrastructure. No GP surgery. No school places. No bus route. No pharmacy. No park. Five hundred families all trying to register at a practice that was alread
Fund the NHS Properly for Once
I'm proposing that the government increases NHS funding by at least 10% annually for the next 5 years to tackle the chronic understaffing and underfunding that's crippling our healthcare system. This is desperately needed because we're at a
Fix the NHS waiting lists debacle
Are we really saying it's acceptable that people have to wait months for routine operations, only to be told they might have to go private if they want to get it done quickly. It's madness, and it's not what we pay our taxes for. I think
Cut Red Tape, Not Care: Smarter NHS Funding
I get the frustration with NHS waiting lists, believe me. I see it with my own customers too – people worried about their parents’ health or their own. But comparing it to Roman times or suggesting private enterprise is the only answer just
Scrap the NHS Bureaucracy
I was at the hospital last week visiting my mate who's been waiting for a knee replacement for months, and what struck me was the number of staff wandering around doing nothing, while the doctors and nurses are run off their feet. My mate's
Fund local community pharmacies to provide basic health checks and minor ailment services.
Our local chemists are often the first port of call for people with minor issues, but they're increasingly squeezed. They can't afford to stock everything, and many people end up clogging up GP appointments for things the pharmacist could e
GPs should offer same-week appointments for everyone over 65
My mum is 78. Last time she rang her surgery the next appointment was in 19 days. At her age things change fast. Guarantee same-week GP appointments for everyone over 65. Not triage. Not a form. An actual doctor within 7 days.
Stop the NHS waste: Let's pay tradespeople properly for repairs, not consultants!
We need a new approach to NHS property maintenance. Instead of constantly bringing in expensive external consultants to oversee minor repairs, the NHS should directly employ a core team of skilled tradespeople – plumbers, electricians, carp
Scrap the NHS Bureaucracy
I'm fed up with the state of our healthcare system, it's a joke, my wife's been waiting for a hip replacement for months and they still can't give her a date, it's like they're just not bothered. The NHS is being held back by all the pen pu
This assisted dying bill is a distraction from real needs
Saw Mrs. Price down the village last week. She’s 89, sharp as a tack but frail. Her husband’s been gone ten years, and she told me she’s just lonely. Her GP visits once a month, a nurse calls in twice a week. It’s not enough. She needs more
Stop messing with patient records, just fund the GPs instead.
We need to mandate that all GP practices have a robust, fully integrated electronic patient record system that talks seamlessly to secondary care. This isn't about abstract data concerns; it's about making sure the right information is wher
Dignity in Dying: A Compassionate End to Suffering, Not a Shortcut for the State
It’s absolutely right that we talk about dignity at the end of life. No one should have to endure unnecessary suffering. However, I’m deeply uneasy about the focus on assisted dying as the primary solution. My concern, as a teacher and a mu
Stop Wasting My Taxes on Bureaucracy, Fund Actual Doctors
I'm sick to death of hearing about NHS waiting lists and understaffing, yet when you actually look into it, so much of the money is disappearing into some middle-management black hole. It’s infuriating. Brenda’s had to wait six months for a
Scrap the NHS and go private
I think we should ditch the NHS and move to a private healthcare system, it's the only way to get some real efficiency and choice into our healthcare. The current system is bloated and slow, with too much money being wasted on bureaucracy a