Reply To: NHS – will it survive?

[Melissa]

The issue the NHS is so huge it’s diffcult to change it in any fundamental way.
People living longer will destroy the NHS unless we get a wiggle on and solve the problems caused by vast numbers of older people.
We have to deal with the system for the elderly so that the care is seamless and there’s no pinch points leaving people in hospital which are not a suitable or cost effective way to care for older people after injury or when they are long term ill.
I don’t think that a system where 100% of the people employed are employed by the state is healthy or efficient it needs to a mixed economy .
I will never ever think again about the health service after the apalling treatment and ghastly hygiene standards I observed when I was unfortunate to end up in a hospital for three weeks .
I would love to think that free at the point of use model would survive but unless some radical change happens soon we are running out of time.
I would have supported the plan where the cost of elderly care up to a limit was recovered from the estate of a person after their death something drastic needs to be done and it’s unfair On the Young just to raise taxes to cover the cost of this elephant in the room.
And yes we need to take care of ourselves better eat well exercise not get fat and Etc etc.
It seems to me that for most of use the most use we make of the NHS will in the last 10% of our lives we need to really think through elderly services and provide them quickly and efficiently and in a way that keeps the old person well and with as much independence as possible for as long as possible.
We can’t solve this issue by just pouring money at it it just won’t work yes it needs more money but it need money that leads to a better system not the same system with more money as that just won’t do it.
On another note from my observation I am not sure that longer life expectancy is really such a great thing if you go through it without the right timely care you need in extreme old age.