'The NHS is ready to collapse': Union boss warns against cuts

The NHS will be left in a "difficult" situation if the government does not make the right choices, the general secretary of Unison has said.

During an interview on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Christina McAnea warned that the health service is "on its knees" and spending cuts to public services are not the right answer.

#SkyNews #Ridge #Strikes #Union #Politics

[tomcunningham]

We are living in a rare time where we are witnessing the fall of Western civilization as it occurs.

[Jimmyk]

Why have MPs taken a £3000 pay increase this year? If they are talking about tough cuts, why does it not start with them?

[wilfredsterling]

We live in a system in the first stages of breakdown / the political system is becoming increasingly morally and strategically bankrupt and broken. The economic and social system is in the early stages of breakdown. Only the government and their disastrous economic and political policies can be blamed. Yet they blame everyone and everything for the beginning of this breakdown and continue to fail to learn from their mistakes as they make things worse. Their attitude is a complete disgrace!!!

[steveparker]

Defund, run-down, then when the service is on its knees make a case for private finance as they've done with every other taxpayer-owned service...

[zkfnd]

Patients are suffering.
While healthcare workers are under-staffed, underpaid and overworked to extreme.
Some have even resorted to food banks.

All the while, the healthcare workers simply quit or leave to work over-seas, in better conditions.
And NHS poaches healthcare workers from poor countries. ( Modern day slavery).

While NHS policy makers and administrators simply turn a blind eye. saying... "Jolly good. Everything is absolutely fine.. No harm's been done here..."

[widervision]

Wouldn't the extra 40 Hospitals & 350 million pounds per week going to the NHS since Brexit help to settle this dispute?

[alangreenley]

stop paying 7 million pounds a day to put migrants in hotels, and use this money to pay the nurse pay rise

[totty]

Where is all the fraud money from covid, oh and what about all the ppe contracts to tory cronies that wasn't fit for purpose, hope they kept the receipts.

[amandawilkinson]

I’ve been left bedridden by NHS for 7 years looking at 4 walls by a trainee who swore throughout a simple op - he left me collapsed after and disappeared. They are not fit for purpose and should not employ such people- my life was ruined by them and there should be a proper system in the U.K. it’s sad as they are very good people there but they are penalised by the sort of idiot that tried to perform a simple op and ruined my life completely - I lost everything and am facing homeless now because of this trainee. I was a healthy athlete before and people like this do not deserve pay at all let alone payrise. Revamp the system and keep the good but dont employ non qualified idiots to ruin lives. I had a great life and now am alone with no help and being left to die. I detest them I’m afraid. The good nurses should leave and get jobs they deserve maybe in private sector- we are better without the NHS

[daffodilfleur]

It would be helpful if there could be an objective news story that would breakdown exactly how this happened to the NHS, and then if the results could be analyzed by the most knowledgeable people possible, some changes could be made and NHS could be saved in some form.

[timsecord]

We have similar problems with our universal healthcare in Canada. There is a significant lobby to bring in for profit private healthcare which alludes to possible gerrymandering by the governments that manage the public healthcare system. Unison is right on the money!

[jennifercando]

As of 2022 the annual salary for Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom was 84, 144 British pounds. This marked an increase of around 2, 212 pounds when compared with the previous two years.Matt Handcock will still get his 84, 144 while he is in the jungle earning 400, 000 ontop i mean come on play fair.

[lesleymariewade]

I worked abroad in Spain for 18yrs, when I left, we had a good functioning NHS, on my return I was appalled the current NHS makes the Spanish Seguridad Social care look like private health care. There's not enough spent on preventative medicine and most research seems to be left to charity donations, from what I've seen and heard from recent visits to Doctors and Hospitals they're all struggling for funding. There are thousands of vacancies and not enough Nurses of Doctors wanting to train due to poor pay. Even though I'm not well myself, I wholly support the medical staff taking strike action, if they get the needed pay increase that all our essential services should receive, including funding for such vital services as the ambulance service and air ambulance service funding would help along with medical research funding, if not full at least part. All this 'Government' has cared about for, for all the years they have not served the people of the UK, is lining their own pockets, the more they privatise the more they can tax and, we the people can be damned. Talking to my GP the other day, who had two medical students with him, a rare occurrence these days, I made the comment we need a change of Government, one that cares about the Country and the people and he totally agreed. We need a new Government that can start to clean up the mess the Tory's have made of our Country, and pay the right people good money.

[HULLDUDE]

decline by design, by the enemy within. 🤔

[mrswintersparrow]

If they hadn't been freezing the nurses pay for 13 years is it a wonder their wage is so far behind inflation.

[anthonywilson]

When hunt says we are a resilient country, what he means is we will put up with a load of crap . Well I hope he will be in for a surprise if he think we have any respect for him and Sunak They will be in for a shock if they take the workers for granted. Hate and Anger are not to be toyed with.

[shoelessjoe]

"The NHS is ready to collapse"
..Which is exactly what the Tories have been working for since 2012.

[chrisosborne]

Finally. Someone actually speaking in a straightforward manner.

[peterrudy]

Never to heal or to cure, but " maintain " your condition with drugs for profit . And for the most profit, surgery of course .

[nikolarosie]

The private companies are already in there and charging absolute unsustainable fortunes to provide their workforce. These agencies are providing cardboard nurses that can’t get access to patients notes or do e-medications administrations. These nurses are costing the NHS 6 BILLION a year. These nurses are not from their own regions as the rules are that u can’t work in your own permanent posts region. So these agencies cost per hour travel costs due to distance to ward they are booked on. Add to that the administration costs to actual book the shift plus at times the nurses accommodation. Add to that the often 3 times the hourly rate to the experienced ward based nurse in comparison £15 compared to £45 per hour. These agency nurses also get bonuses of £100 to encourage them to book short notice. Now can I ask u to understand why nurses are leaving to join agencies in their droves. No school leaver wants to study nursing and no one wants to join the NHS service. These agency nurses are there to promote SAFE STAFFING numbers and are an absolute drain on tax payers money. Not too mention NHS resources and funds 6 BILLION this year alone it’s simply unsustainable and not the answer.