Get rid of ambulance response time targets, that way we wont send an ambulance, a car and a supervisor (as the only qualified paramedic) to teenagers having panic attacks and we can focus on patient care instead!
Also, greater allowance for staff to work in different areas... i.e train everyone to HCA level so when one area is quiet staff can move around or help out, drives me mad when A&E is run ragged and staff are sitting about to SFA upstairs on wards!
Anyone injured through a DIY related accident should only be provided with the materials to patch themselves up.
but as an educated person i am appalled that the NHS spends this money on "snakeoil". i would much rather the money was wasted on something else
Counter intuitive though it may seem, spending more on 'snakeoil' may cut overall costs 
I think (haven't looked for stats but have anecdotal evidence from GPs) that many people visit their doctor simply for reassurance and a bit of attention, if more "counselors" (for want of a better word) were employed medical admissions/prescriptions may be reduced.
On a less controversial note, perhaps increasing health education/promotion may be more cost effective than medical intervention as a result of avoidable health problems ?
Oh, and make people financially liable for irrelevant use of emergency services.....
Abolish "protected salaries"
Remove the target system that means doctors don't offer advance appointments and get paid more.
24/7 utilisation of every major asset where possible. MRI scanners and the like.
Increased employment. Seriously. There are people walking around that look like the living dead. I don't care what they do, so long as they're doing something, and sober for at least 8 hours a day.
Some research on the price elasticity of booze and a minimum price / unit if it will actually cut consumption.
Proper home economics taught in schools.
Massive sentences for drug dealing.
Improved road design. 300 people a year croak it after driving into trees at the side of the road.
I suspect the big savings are to be made in cutting demand...
shoot smokers?
"Massive sentences for drug dealing."
Untill smoking is banned I find this morally wrong. It's the user's fault if they die not the dealer.
Why do we have to cut one of the western world's cheapest healthcare systems anyway?
Promote smoking!
Cut back on treatment for smoking related illnesses though. Let 'em die and we may have found a solution to the pension crisis too.
4 million is 0,004% of the budget.
Well reduce it to 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000004%
and it will start to work. it' clearly to concentrated.Reduce the money and it will take on magical properties.
Having just spent 2 days in hospital (I now have type 1 Diabetes - woohoo!!) i would suggest that it may help if patients are charged for meals. Just a token charge of 50p per meal must go a long way to raising a fair bit of revenue. The NHS doesn't pay for my meals at home so why should it pay for them when i'm ill? And at a maximum of £1.50 per day each i can't see anybody having a reasonable excuse not to be able to afford it, after all, do many people exist on less than £1.50 per day for food?
Well if 60% of it really goes on salaries, I feel a blanket 10% pay cut might save 6% overall - which is a lot.
As this seems a little harsh on the lower paid employees it should probably be applied on a sliding scale such that the highest paid individuals get the highest percentage cut.
Saves cash with no reduction in service.*
*with the probable added benefit of the flying pig display every night, 'cos politicians will not have the guts.
igm,
To be fair, cut everyones wages in the whole country by 10% and put all that money into the service. 
As a few have said there are treatments that do little and can be cut, but there will be a high personal cost for some. Who would want to tell someone that his treatment is expensive and statistically only gives a short term life increase - I do believe that there's someone on the forum in this position at the moment.
Personally I think his chance to a few more years with the missus is worth a lot more others having extra disposible income to buy xtr rather than xt and a new HDTV.
Close the fast food restaurants in hospitals as they're really only contributing to increased obesity.
Increased promotion of healthy lifestyles, stopping the use of obesity as an excuse.
Untill smoking is banned I find this morally wrong. It's the user's fault if they die not the dealer.
It's a bit of an oversimplification to equate the drugs trade with the tabacco one. I certainly don't class the local newsagent who sells cancer sticks as being on the same moral plane as a dealer who may sell drugs using very dodgy tactics to very vulnerable people.
But setting aside moral arguments, the simple fact is that junkies are expensive. They have to steal an inordinate amount of stuff to get enough money for drugs, they're largely inactive in the official economy, and we have to pay for their treatment. And I am for treatment. It seems rather daft that at the moment the government is so afraid of it that it often employs an ALMO like Turning Point.
Be a good idea to make migrants Who have not paid into the system
to put at least £ 15,000 pounds before they get any treatment
and after 5 years they will recieve free treatment.
a dealer who may sell drugs using very dodgy tactics to very vulnerable people.
That's pretty much my perspective on Tobacco companies.
Withdraw NHS treatment from anyone unless their National Insurance Stamp was up to date?
(theres a nice old fashioned phrase you don't hear any more)
Some fine ideas in here. I think we may be on to something
Reduce the length of NHS gowns by 2 inches. Think of the miles of fabric saved and should be a bit of a laugh (which according to the Readers' Digest is the best medicine of all).
Anyone injured through a DIY related accident should only be provided with the materials to patch themselves up
Both of these should be adopted immediatly
grantway - Member.Be a good idea to make migrants Who have not paid into the system
to put at least £ 15,000 pounds before they get any treatment
and after 5 years they will recieve free treatment
[quote]a dealer who may sell drugs using very dodgy tactics to very vulnerable people.
That's pretty much my perspective on Tobacco companies. [/quote]
I know of someone who's a drug dealer. Amongst other things, he convinces his female customers to become prostitutes, with him as their pimp. I really can't see the equivalence. When I say very dodgy tactics, I mean preying on the vulnerabilities of abused teenagers and the like. Not giving out free jackets that say "Drugs are ace" and sticking their names on Ferraris.
Be a good idea to make migrants Who have not paid into the system
to put at least £ 15,000 pounds before they get any treatment
and after 5 years they will recieve free treatment.
Several EU laws make that impossible for much of our immigrant population. For what it's worth, illegal immigrants often work under someone elses' NI number, so they do end up "paying into the system".
Augustus - surely if we're going to skimp on hemlines, it should be by reintroducing proper nurses uniforms?
More seriously, one of the ways that the NHS could save money long term isfor goverment to restrict or discourage car use*.
The timebomb that we are beginning to see in this country of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and others is not unrelated to the low exercise, convenience lifestyle that is only made possible by mass car use.
* It'll never happen though.
More seriously, one of the ways that the NHS could save money long term isfor goverment to restrict or discourage car use.
Kind of agree. I don't think we need to restrict car use. Just encourage other ways of getting around. Cities tend to have some bike stands, but small towns don't. The other thing that's needed is to remove the fear / threat of crime. I can see a lot of people driving short distances due to that.
Zulu - I don't think me crickey, and dangerous beans will really suit that uniform
tron - every £ spent on treating junkies saves £7 in criminal justice ( I have seen quoted)to say nothing of what preventing illness in them saves.
Another area where what looks like a sensible saving would actually cost the country more in the long run.
I would just give all junkies as much smack as they want - it would be cheaper for the country and would legitimise a cash crop in afghanistan
5th you only have 2 years to live so we're not operating on you unless you pay £2 million up front in cash in 30 minutes.
BillyWhizz - MemberMy suggestion - A big fine for people who make Dr's appointments and don't turn up. According to my local surgery, it averages 170 appointents a week.
The only exceptions would be people who have a Dr's note excusing them . . . .
Can I fine the surgery for messing up my appts too? only fair right?
Hospitals to do half day closing on a wednesday?
Car use is a good point. further subsidy of cycle to work and an increase in cyclist favourable traffic law would be great.
Not so Barclat Augustus
We dont get reinburst or do other countrys give us free treatment
as when we are in other countrys this country requests you to take
what they call a medical passport so when you need treatment abroad
they have some means to claim from other than that they may refuse treatment.
My wife works for the NHS and had many years working in the private sector
But not in medical but in finance.
What she says is unbelievable firstly at the moment the NHS are breaking and splitting the departments to try and save money but take a look at this.
In the offices each department has the below.
The Directors get in the region of £ 100,000 a year
and then you have a sub Director on around £ 60,000 per person
Then you have the secerteries IE PA £ 80,000. per person
then the office staff approx 4 person plus at around £ 24,000 per person
Also you may have a few contractors brought in for short projects
on around £ 800.00p plus a week.
Also if a Director is brought in from another part of the country the
NHS on top of there salary will pay for accomadation IE Hotel,Houseor
appartment which will average between one week to several months.
Also you have to consider the rush to get PFI funded buildings and boy
the charges are stupid.
Firstly you have the contract of maintainance the contractor here does not do the work but gets in outside contractors to do the work.
And basically with these new buildings the NHS maintanance team IE
in your area cannot do any drilling in the property and any works
you have to right a works sheet on how to assemble a cabinet to work in these new buildings.
Idea of cost to put a picture up on the wall will cost the tax payer
on the new rate of £ 65 pounds this was last year charged £ 80 pounds.
On average the NHS matainance skilled guy say an electrician is paid
in London £ 520.00p per week We pay double for these new PFI buildings.
And the NHS for some reason are trying to get rid of there own maintainance teams My wife thinks its down to them shown as fixed charges
and paying Holidays and sickness pay as with the contractor you dont
But MAD as you will always need maintainance.
Also with the above buildings you will find that the Hospital will close wards because after all the costs etc they shut them as they cant offord the running costs from the contractors.
After all the above charges you then may get your appointment.
Clone Harold Shipman?
Coat, door - don't bother seeing me out
rantway - MemberNot so Barclat Augustus
We dont get reinburst or do other countrys give us free treatment
as when we are in other countrys this country requests you to take
what they call a medical passport so when you need treatment abroad
they have some means to claim from other than that they may refuse treatment.
simply wrong.
Money could be saved if when trusts are allowed to develop and get work done ( ie new buildings) the goverment give the trust the money and allow them control over when to pay the contractors so that defects can be picked up and rectified rather than as it is now, that you have to pay them by a certain date to get the money.
I've been a visiting health tourist scumbag* in Australia, New Zealand and France, without paying any cash except prescription charges, cos of the reciprocal agreements that we have with them.
Well if 60% of it really goes on salaries, I feel a blanket 10% pay cut might save 6% overall - which is a lot.
As this seems a little harsh on the lower paid employees it should probably be applied on a sliding scale such that the highest paid individuals get the highest percentage cut.
Saves cash with no reduction in service.*
I'm not convinced that cutting people's pay by 10% has no effect on how well or efficiently people do their jobs, or how many people apply for the jobs as people quit or are replaced. I reckon if you read up on it, you'd probably find that great big pay cuts have a positive impact for the first few months, but the massive deterioration in morale probably reduces the efficiency and ups the turnover of staff enough to outweigh the advantages pretty quickly.
Joe
*I've had bizarre accidents and put myself in A&E whilst working / on holiday in those countries
With regard to NHS pay cuts - doesn't it just set up a bizarre vicious circle? Let's not forget that the NHS is one of the largest employers in the country, reduce pay and you also reduce tax income, so possibly a little self-defeating.
1.Get rid of the utterly riddiculous response times...as stated earlier an over resourcing total waste of finances!
2.Introduce a payment system for all emergency treatment - if the 'emergency' required an ambulance and was necessary then the payment is refunded (this would take a simple decision by the A and E Doctor).This would dramatically reduce a massive proportion of the dross that our highly trained Paramedics have to break their necks to get to in 8 mins.
3.Integrate the out of hours GP service closer to other services - at the momment they are a law unto themselves and seem happy to take their inflated overtime wages but simply burden other health professionals with their wriggling and visiting avoidance.
4.Now this one really is basic!! All medical attendances by ambulance crews should be forwarded onto the patients GP - it may not stop unnescessary A and E attendance but at least this way someone is monitoring the situation.
With regard to NHS pay cuts - doesn't it just set up a bizarre vicious circle? Let's not forget that the NHS is one of the largest employers in the country, reduce pay and you also reduce tax income, so possibly a little self-defeating.
This topic has been closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
