The one subject no political party wishes to discuss is the plight of our ever ageing population. Like most previous administrations, and certainly as the Who wished for in the 1960's; they would have hoped they had died, long 'before they got old.' Sadly that is not the case, they are saddled by an ever increasing gaggle of wrinkles, all demanding a fair slice of the cake that they have paid into all their working lives.
The NHS
The National Health Service is not necessarily underfunded, in many cases, it is failing because it has become a blatantly mismanaged edifice.
The first priority is to savagely trim the layer upon layer of advisors, assistants, and managers who have been added over the years to shore up a structure that is crumbling from the base upwards. Politicians have forgotten the very people who make it run smoothly, the dedicated Drs and Nurses, most who are overworked, underpaid and undervalued. The second priority is to decide once and for all if we want to save the NHS or privatise it all together. With the attitude of the current Secretary for Health that would appear the route that this government - in its dying days - and probably the next will want to travel. The third priority is the Drug Companies themselves, for far too long it is they who have dictated terms, with regards costs and availability.
They have held to ransom successive administrations and played with the lives of many.Yes, one can argue that it takes millions to develop new methods of keeping us all alive, disease, germs, bacteria or whatever label you wish to put on it, is a very slippery customer indeed. Once we believe we have eradicated one strain another one pops up.
So yes, it costs money to stay on top, but not that much?
The Elderly
As was said previously, no one has given any real thought to the problems of the elderly. Our hospitals are full of what are called, 'bed-blocker's,' elderly infirm patients, most with dementia with nowhere to go screaming out their agonies to the annoyance of all in the ward that has been left with them.
There is a little correlation between the sides in the battle, medical, healthcare, and home care all face a breakdown of communication throughout the UK. It is not about money it is about dying with dignity, being treated with compassion, and handled with care. Almost akin to closing our mental institutions in the 90's, to be replaced with Care in the Community, a much-trumpeted solution to a terrible problem, which in the end raised the fact that no one really cared anyway?
One would hope that as campaigning starts again tomorrow that somewhere in the pages of those manifestoes yet to be unfolded that some party with foresight has already instructed a firm of Architects to draw up plans for Super-Hospitals, meant only for those who at the end of their lives, ones who deserve to meet that dimming light with decorum, calmness, and respectability. It's doubtful though...?
(Part Three) The real solution to the problem. The one no-one wants to talk about...?
