I read with trepidation your article in Mature Times June Issue “Can we afford our NHS”.
We must afford the current NHS. Have you thought what an alternative would have to be? I do not think we need another complete reorganisation costing billions.
An easy solution to ‘patients being kept in hospital due to lack of outside care facilities‘ would be to bring back convalescent homes. These were places where people went when they no longer needed full nursing care after hospital treatment. This would reduce the number of NHS staff needed to look after those almost better and ready to go home or into care.
I was born five years before the NHS was formed and predictably the population has risen year on year. We have more people needing the NHS and we have more people paying into the system.
A large number of overseas nationals have come to Britain to work in the NHS, often because there are not enough British people who are willing or able to take up employment in it.
Obviously there could be savings in the current system without wrecking the NHS. Just a few thoughts from a supporter.
Arthur Davies by email
