It seems that Labour simply can’t improve their position in polls, no matter what they do. Even when they try to turn the conversation to a topic on which they should be strong on if they are on any topic, they lose.
Even though they had a good run with their Twitter tag, that only really had any impact with the already politically aware and pretty much already-decided. But with the general public, it just gave the Tories an free opportunity – and they took advantage of that, and managed to …

In the time I’ve been muse-less, and as such on a blogging hiatus, the world has kept turning…
 
The NHS
Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan made a few comments about the NHS and a bit of Twitter-storm followed, which has meant that the Conservatives are having to vigorously defend their position on the health service. Though it pretty damn obvious that everyone supports the principle of universal healthcare free at the point of use – they just think that the instititution of the NHS needs reforming to properly do its job.
Labour have been …

“That’ll be £20 please.”
Well, it will be if this idea gets put into practice:

Patients should be charged £20 to see a GP in a bid to limit demands placed on the health service, a centre-right think-tank says.
The Social Market Foundation said forcing people to pay a fee for an appointment could help the NHS cope in the tight financial times ahead.
The group said it would not breach the values of the NHS as charges already applied to dentistry and prescriptions. (BBC)

No no no no no. Doctors are different to dentists; …

According to the chairman of the BMA, the NHS “is not a toy“.

Dr Hamish Meldrum urged Andy Burnham, the new Health Secretary, against any part privatisation of the health service, exhorting him to look after the organisation, end the internal market where doctors and hospitals compete for patients and to ditch the use of management consultants and private finance initiatives…
Dr Meldrum told the BMA annual representatives meeting in Liverpool that a target-driven culture has ‘infested’ the NHS, leading to financial outcomes for trusts being put ahead of clinical outcomes for …

Yesterday was what is commonly known as "Black-Eye Friday". Final Friday before Christmas – so lots of office parties, several last days at work before Christmas shut-downs, it becomes one of the biggest "nights out" of the year. With the predictable effect on people going out and drinking, and then doing what people unfortunately do when they’ve had one Bacardi Breezer too many.
That’s those that are able to still have co-ordination after drinking too much. The rest end up sat on the pavement feeling (and generally looking) very sorry for …

Patients are using private hospitals at the expense of the NHS. However, this is a good thing. Despite the claims by doctors this is “losing” public money to the private sector:

This is money that is being lost from the NHS.
That can compromise services and patients should be told that by going private in this way they are potentially putting care they may need in the future under pressure.

They really aren’t understanding the issue, are they? This money isn’t being “lost”, it’s being spent in a more efficient way.
When they go …

Infertility is, I am sure, an absolutely horrible thing to experience. A terrible infliction to be affected by, to want to conceive a child and not being able to for whatever reason. However, I can’t help but think that this not something that should be an NHS priority.
The NHS is there primarily to deal with injuries and illness that affect that person’s ability to live their own life, not to dedicate scarce resources to something that ‘only’ prevents them creating another life. IVF is certainly not a treatment that should …

How much is a life worth?

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Guidelines (Nice) has ruled for the first time that saving a life cannot be justified at any cost, in a review of its ethical guidelines.
The ruling – made by the board of the controversial organisation – contradicts advice it received from its own ‘Citizens Council’ which offers advice from a representative sample of the general public…
It has now rejected the so-called “rule of rescue” which stipulates that people facing death should be treated regardless of the costs. The …

That’s what David Cameron wants the Conservatives to be:
[The NHS] is an institution I acknowledge and respect as a Conservative – and for that matter, an institution I am really proud to use as a father…I feel passionately that Labour has badly mismanaged the NHS.I’ve said before that in their drive to ‘modernise’ the NHS, Labour haven’t improved it, so much as simply ripped out its heart and installed a malfunctioning computer instead…A Conservative Government will pursue… empowering patients and empowering professionals…[A] Conservative Government will scrap all centrally-imposed process targets, …

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has signalled his intention to press ahead with a constitution for the NHS.It would set out for the first time the rights and responsibilities linked to entitlement to NHS care. (BBC)
Rights and responsibilities for entitlement to NHS care?! We pay our taxes which pays for the NHS. So why on earth should we have any “contract” with the NHS that requires that we change our lifestyles in order to receive the healthcare which we have already paid for?!
Whether you smoke or are overweight, so long as …