NHS turmoil due to short term politics

A FAMILIAR statement these days is that the NHS is at breaking point. Industrial action over pay, the pressure on services, ever more technical and expensive medical equipment and increased use of agency staff help explain why so many NHS Trusts have major financial difficulties.

Doctors and nurses have demanding workloads, but strive to deliver an excellent service. Our NHS is a vitally important public service and the present problems and concerns are the result of totally inadequate long-term financial planning by successive post-war governments. They have known the post-war population bulge would have consequences not only for the Health Service, but also for pensions.

Pressure on the NHS has been compounded by the effect of immigration. Unfortunately, politicians are more concerned with short-termism.

The consequence now is that many billions of pounds are needed.

This is one area where a cross-party initiative would make sense.

From: Dr Glynn Powell, Kellington, Goole.

TORY welfare reform minister Lord David Freud’s disgraceful comments, that some categories of disabled people do not deserve the minimum wage pay rate in their employment, should not surprise anyone as the whole ethos of Tory party policy is to reduce unemployment levels by compelling people to work in low paid, menial jobs.

The next target is the NHS and its full privatisation so only the wealthy lead long, healthy lives. To combat such negative thinkers, we must move to a high wage, high productivity economy to eradicate national debt and massive balance of payment deficits. Also, such an economy would safeguard the NHS and decent living standards for society’s poorest.

From: Monica Cook, Parkside Close, Cottingham.

WHERE has all the money gone? Our Government has been selling off this country’s assets so they can pass on a bankrupt nation to the next Parliament.

The cost of this policy is now being realised by all those people who have lost their jobs.

Their qualifications have become worthless. Sometimes they have been replaced with volunteers.

Perhaps this would work well if some of our MPs were treated in the same way!

We were a great nation when this country owned its own assets and the profits stayed in this country to finance new businesses, hospitals and education. We are now the laughing stock of Europe.

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

JUDGING by their conference, Labour is running true to form. The proposal for a mansion tax is designed to create the impression that there is an easy, way to obtain more funds for our public services but there is in fact only one way to get the country out of its hole – to run a successful economy.

From: John Fisher, Menwith Hill, Harrogate.

WHEN politicians voice their concern at the lack of house building, it would be helpful if the public could be made aware of the financial contributions made by the major UK house builders to the political parties.

It would also be interesting to research the number of houses required to house the 260,000 immigrants entering this country each year. If we are unable to provide homes for people born in the UK then perhaps is it time to consider a three-year ban on immigration from outside the EU (The Yorkshire Post, October 21).

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington.

I DO wish those at the head of our Government would cease playing monopoly and print money, as long as that Canadian boss of the Bank of England says it’s alright.

If I was broke, as is the UK, I would be brought to task to pay off my debts. Not Chancellor Osborne and his cronies.

From: Michael Meadowcroft, Former Liberal MP, Leeds.

I AM puzzled that your correspondent Tom Howley of Wetherby (“Abolish Cruel Penalty of Tuition Fees’” The Yorkshire Post, October 16) is apparently unaware that students do not pay any tuition fees up front. Totting up the amount to £50,000 “if her studies are satisfactorily completed” is wholly artificial. No student pays anything until earning £420 per week and then pays just £16. Any amount still unpaid after 30 years is written off. What is the problem?

From: Linda Sheridan, Larchfield, Stockton Lane, York.

I WAS at Ukip’s conference in Doncaster and it was stated quite categorically that Ukip will ensure that the NHS remains free at the point of delivery for all UK residents. Ukip is opposed to charging people to visit their GP. It was senior figures in the Labour Party who were seriously proposing this.

On cruise control

From: Phil Baggaley, Hull.

ONE of the possible reasons that heavy goods vehicles are going faster than Patsy Peacock (The Yorkshire Post, October 17) is that she is probably not travelling at 50mph. I think truck drivers have a sat nav cruise control built into the tachograph, which is usually more accurate than the normal speedometer.