Retirement

[Richard Barrett]

Yes Rob, hope all works out well for you.

As for the NHS and in particular the way it's being set up to fail as a prelude to wholesale privatisation, don't get me started. Of course with an aging population and with more sophisticated treatments for more conditions, it's going to cost more as time goes on. But isn't it worth it? Do we really want to end up with a system like the USA has? (Answer: no we don't in general, but if we did there are a few people who could expect to profit mightily from the result, quite a few of whom by some strange coincidence happen to be in the government.)

[Beef Oven!]

Yes Rob, hope all works out well for you.

As for the NHS and in particular the way it's being set up to fail as a prelude to wholesale privatisation, don't get me started. Of course with an aging population and with more sophisticated treatments for more conditions, it's going to cost more as time goes on. But isn't it worth it? Do we really want to end up with a system like the USA has? (Answer: no we don't in general, but if we did there are a few people who could expect to profit mightily from the result, quite a few of whom by some strange coincidence happen to be in the government.)

The scary thing about the US system (pay attention those who go on about funding levels) is that not only is it heavily private sector tuned, it has a much higher government spend, per capita. Licence to print money.

[Richard Barrett]

The scary thing about the US system (pay attention those who go on about funding levels) is that not only is it heavily private sector tuned, it has a much higher government spend, per capita. Licence to print money.

Indeed.

[P. G. Tipps]

No UK Government would ever dare 'set up the NHS to fail as a prelude to wholesale privatisation' when future votes are at stake. That is clearly nonsense. By popular consent a public NHS is probably the safest institution in UK society even before the Monarchy!

[ahinton]

Indeed.

I guess that it's not especially often that you and I and Beef Oven! find ourselves to be in agreement but this is certainly one instance of that and on a very important subject.

[Beef Oven!]

Lord give me strength

[teamsaint]

The scary thing about the US system (pay attention those who go on about funding levels) is that not only is it heavily private sector tuned, it has a much higher government spend, per capita. Licence to print money.

And a scary thing about our system is that back in the day, we were always told how high administration costs were, ( when they were around 5% of income, )and yet it turns out that this was rather good level of cost by modern standards.

https://weownit.org.uk/evidence/nhs

[EdgeleyRob]

....keep walking that dog if that's what the doc allows....and be careful to keep physical muscle condition....hard to get back if you loose it....

Thanks everyone (8o,Dave2002,Richard Barrett,doversoul,hope I haven't missed anyone))for your kind thoughts and good wishes,they are heartwarming .
I am managing to remain quite active,just short walks for the hounds,my son takes them out for occasional long hikes.
I tire very easily though.
Didn't mean to start a war,nothing but the highest praise for the NHS from me

[mangerton]

Not good news at all - just the govt. reassigning the responsibility for underfunding.

The whole Northern Powerhouse con is exactly that - a con.

It certainly is, and in more ways than one. The very name Northern Powerhouse is a con. If UK MPs talk about the north it seems not unreasonable to infer that they should be referring to the north of the UK, not the north of England.

But they're not.

[ahinton]

Lord give me strength

He might - you never know...

[Serial_Apologist]

He might - you never know...

Yes - wouldn't it be terrible if we managed to iron out our most important differences,using intelligence rather than prejudice, and reached some levels of agreement. What would be the point of living?

[BBMmk2]

I was hoping to retire in June but that's not going to happen! probably, I hope, another five years time!!

[P. G. Tipps]

Yes - wouldn't it be terrible if we managed to iron out our most important differences,using intelligence rather than prejudice, and reached some levels of agreement. What would be the point of living?

Now, that's a bit rich for/from a solidly uncompromising Marxist ... ?

[ahinton]

Now, that's a bit rich for/from a solidly uncompromising Marxist

Would you care to try to explain why you assert so?

And, while you're at it, could you also identify the difference between a solidly, a liquidly and a gaseously uncompromising Marxist and provide examples of particulars in which an uncompromising Marxist - solid, liquid or gaseous - might be seen to differ from a compromising one?

Thank you in advance for your eagerly anticipated enlightenment in these matters.

[P. G. Tipps]

... a gaseously uncompromising Marxist ...

Ahinton, you are a veritable genius!