“I have had a little experience of the NHS over the years

Comment on General Election 2010 Poll Results by David.

“I have had a little experience of the NHS over the years some good and some bad. I just think that there shouldn’t be waiting lists at all, if you need treatment you should just get it and not have to wait until you’re half-dead or have bits falling off you before it’s treated; this is a problem because the NHS is a bureaucratic, over-subscribed public service.”

The above does show your lack of knowledge about the NHS today Sarah, it’s not like that anymore, that was what it used to be like under the Conservatives and one of the reasons why I’d never vote Tory. The have the “I’m alright Jack” attitude, because they can afford to pay for private health care!

Great if you can pay for private health care treatment, but what about the hard working British families who live on national minimum wage levels?

I had an operation just over 12 months ago and though it took time from first consultant appointment to actual operation, my operation wasn’t an emergency. Probably took about 18 months from deciding to go for the operation, having a minor procedure to confirm which disc needed fixing to the day of the operation (so wasn’t a straight forward, hello Doc, I need an op, OK Dave, here’s the date :-)) and that included a 2 months delays I caused: I was ill and had to put the operation off and got an appointment ~2 months later (I was a little worried it could be another 6+ months as I cancelled it).

And my operation was just before the latest waiting list targets kicked in, which means I’d have got my operation even faster today.

In 1997 the NHS waiting lists was a joke, people would die waiting for emergency treatment because the Conservatives did not invest in the NHS. As Helen has pointed out, if a hospital etc… fails to meet the minimum standards for treatment (patient had to wait too long) they get fined.

Ill people would wait months for cancer treatment under the Tories with no recourse, under Labour it’s weeks and if they fail they have options like forcing the NHS trust to send them to Europe for treatment if they can’t get it in the UK quickly enough.

When it comes to the NHS there’s no comparison between Labour and the Conservatives, Labour actually care about the NHS.

I’m afraid in this instance you’ve been away from the country too long to understand what it’s like now Sarah. It’s a hell of a lot better than it was in 1997. It’s not perfect by any measure, but it is improving continuously.

The complaints about the NHS have gone from waiting lists being way too long and people dieing on trolleys in passageways! under the Conservatives to patients wanting the new (expensive) treatments and hospital hygiene under Labour. Waiting lists are no longer the issue they used to be under the Tories.

Tories want to change the working time directive so junior doctors can work longer hours again. Under Labour it’s illegal for anyone to work unreasonable hours, do we really want to go back to over worked doctors being on call for 72 hours at a time?

I consider the NHS one of Labours biggest success stories and the Conservatives biggest failures.

David