Do you want to discuss boring politics? (23 Viewers)

[Como]

Politely, I'm not sure I can agree with that. You could argue the problem is that it's badly run, but the counter is that it's been substantially underfunded for a long time now, and the problems now are primarily down to that issue.

(See below a report from the FT, hardly a lefty rag.)

As for chemists, haven't they always been private entities? Regardless, if independence and/or privatisation solves the problem, why are we suffering so badly in terms of dental health?

UK health spending over past decade lags behind Europe by £40bn a year

Health Foundation points to scale of NHS cuts, while NAO shows service struggling with inflation and staff shortages

www.ft.com

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/uk-dental-system-decays-surging-numbers-seek-treatment-abroad-2023-12-11/

I had a friend who was a Dentist, now this was some years ago but it made no sense to be paid by the NHS and accept NHS patients so he did not. I forget the details but how they paid was weird.

I certainly did not pay for dental care beyond a tooth brush and I think that is somehow more a national trait for reasons I do not know. Personally I have memories of bad Dentistry from a child and that probably influenced me.

Now not a UK thing but quite a few people in the US go to Mexico for major stuff, much cheaper and you get a holiday included.

Most NHS spending occurs in the last few years of life, logically that makes no sense. Spending should be concentrated on where you get the biggest impact. An old fart like myself or someone with their life in front of me, we have our priorities back to front.

 

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[shmmeee]

I had a friend who was a Dentist, now this was some years ago but it made no sense to be paid by the NHS and accept NHS patients so he did not. I forget the details but how they paid was weird.

I certainly did not pay for dental care beyond a tooth brush and I think that is somehow more a national trait for reasons I do not know. Personally I have memories of bad Dentistry from a child and that probably influenced me.

Now not a UK thing but quite a few people in the US go to Mexico for major stuff, much cheaper and you get a holiday included.

Most NHS spending occurs in the last few years of life, logically that makes no sense. Spending should be concentrated on where you get the biggest impact. An old fart like myself or someone with their life in front of me, we have our priorities back to front.

There was a dentist on QT recently I think who went into a bitnof detail. Something like they get paid for a block of say 1000 NHS patients and they get paid the same even if they take more. It was very complex and absolutely ludicrous from what he was saying with no incentive for dentists to take up the work and perverse incentives for what they do do.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

There was a dentist on QT recently I think who went into a bitnof detail. Something like they get paid for a block of say 1000 NHS patients and they get paid the same even if they take more. It was very complex and absolutely ludicrous from what he was saying with no incentive for dentists to take up the work and perverse incentives for what they do do.

I’ve always thought it really strange that optician and dentistry are not part of the nhs. Especially as someone who’s had glasses since they were 3 and being a dad of a family who all wear glasses

 

[ovduk78]

I’ve always thought it really strange that optician and dentistry are not part of the nhs. Especially as someone who’s had glasses since they were 3 and being a dad of a family who all wear glasses

I think it's strange that opticians can diagnose things on their high tech equipment but can't write a prescription (definitely not in Scotland, not sure about rest of UK). When I had my cataracts done and needed some eye drops I had to get a prescription from a GP who was no part of the process of diagnosis through to operation. I also had to get a sick note from my GP!

 

[JAM See]

I’ve always thought it really strange that optician and dentistry are not part of the nhs. Especially as someone who’s had glasses since they were 3 and being a dad of a family who all wear glasses

I'm pretty sure I had NHS glasses as a kid. Free but shit.
Until The Smiths came along.

I remember the first time I played football with contact lenses (aged c.20). Fucking amazing!

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

I'm pretty sure I had NHS glasses as a kid. Free but shit.
Until The Smiths came along.

I remember the first time I played football with contact lenses (aged c.20). Fucking amazing!

Could never get on with lenses
Was just short passing for me on the pitch

 

[fernandopartridge]

Applicable to the BOE equally



Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

[CCFCSteve]

Applicable to the BOE equally



Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

Its an interesting and valid point. I suppose it all depends on which areas the central banks are seeing as inflationary. In the recent US breakdown I think one of the main areas in core inflation was shelter (which as suggested would be worsened by higher rates) and from memory, motor insurance which was a crazy high number. In addition oil has been been rising again

Not sure what our last breakdown showed but if total CPI is being distorted by high shelter inflation you’d hope that would be taken into consideration and if anything encourage reduction in rates sooner rather than later

Think I’ve said before US inflation is a bit different to ours. Also they have 30 year mortgage rates so I don’t really know that’s how that factors into their inflation…I know high rates has massively slowed their housing market though

 

[fernandopartridge]

Its an interesting and valid point. I suppose it all depends on which areas the central banks are seeing as inflationary. In the recent US breakdown I think one of the main areas in core inflation was shelter (which as suggested would be worsened by higher rates) and from memory, motor insurance which was a crazy high number. In addition oil has been been rising again

Not sure what our last breakdown showed but if total CPI is being distorted by high shelter inflation you’d hope that would be taken into consideration and if anything encourage reduction in rates sooner rather than later

Think I’ve said before US inflation is a bit different to ours. Also they have 30 year mortgage rates so I don’t really know that’s how that factors into their inflation…I know high rates has massively slowed their housing market though

Yeah, not sure how it factors in. According to a site I looked at, in the US individual credit card debt is at a record high as at Q4 2023 at $1.12t

UK credit card debt is around £70bn at Jan 2024.

US credit card debt is about 26 times higher per head of population than the UK.

 

[CCFCSteve]

Yeah, not sure how it factors in. According to a site I looked at, in the US individual credit card debt is at a record high as at Q4 2023 at $1.12t

UK credit card debt is around £70bn at Jan 2024.

US credit card debt is about 26 times higher per head of population than the UK.

I’ve been saying for a while but things arent maybe as rosy as they appear on the surface in the US. Unbelievable growth but at what cost. Only time will tell

 

[Ian1779]

I’ve been saying for a while but things arent maybe as rosy as they appear on the surface in the US. Unbelievable growth but at what cost. Only time will tell

Have you seen ‘The Handmaids Tale’?

 

[CCFCSteve]

Have you seen ‘The Handmaids Tale’?

I’ve not actually. What’s the link (without spoilers) ?

 

[Ian1779]

I’ve not actually. What’s the link (without spoilers) ?

Dystopian story starting with the fall of America

 

[Como]

I’ve been saying for a while but things arent maybe as rosy as they appear on the surface in the US. Unbelievable growth but at what cost. Only time will tell

I have noticed things are getting nasty in the car industry, they made hay during COVID but now with high interest rates, people under water with their vehicles demand has collapsed, Hybrids seems an exception.

One thong I had not seen since 2008, contractors parked up advertising their services outside a suburban Home Depot.

 

[wingy]

How's the bond's looking to the Chinese?

 

[SBAndy]

This smoking ‘ban’ then - thoughts?

Really tricky one in my mind.

 

[shmmeee]

This smoking ‘ban’ then - thoughts?

Really tricky one in my mind.

Just fucking make your mind up. If you wanna ban it, ban it. Otherwise let adults do what they want TBH. No one will oppose it cos smoking bad.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Just fucking make your mind up. If you wanna ban it, ban it. Otherwise let adults do what they want TBH. No one will oppose it cos smoking bad.

Ban it

 

[Ian1779]

This smoking ‘ban’ then - thoughts?

Really tricky one in my mind.

Feel like there are bigger priorities in this kind of area, such as some regulation on vapes and decriminalisation/legalisation of cannabis.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Ban it

The only reason not to is tax revenue but smoking and alcohol are the worst drugs, they destroy so many lives and families

 

[Sick Boy]

The only reason not to is tax revenue but smoking and alcohol are the worst drugs, they destroy so many lives and families

Smoking is in no way comparable to a drug like heroin.

The UK is falling behind other countries on stuff like cannabis legislation; it should have been decriminalised at least years ago.

 

[rondog1973]

The only reason not to is tax revenue but smoking and alcohol are the worst drugs, they destroy so many lives and families

You'd ban alcohol too?

 

[skybluetony176]

Difficult one. The one thing that did shock me though were the statistics. Two thirds of long term smokers will die from the effects of long term smoking.

 

[fernandopartridge]

The irony of this

 

[fernandopartridge]

Only 12% of the population smoke, a ban is unnecessary imo. The multi-faceted campaign against smoking without an outright ban is successful.

 

[Northants Sky Blue]

 

[Sick Boy]

Only 12% of the population smoke, a ban is unnecessary imo. The multi-faceted campaign against smoking without an outright ban is successful.

Does that include vaping?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

You'd ban alcohol too?

I don’t know what one does it’s like gambling - we act shocked when men take their own lives as if addiction just comes out the blue

I think on balance after thinking about it today that I’d decriminalise cannabis and look at support not criminal sanctions for harder drugs

 

[wingy]

I don’t know what one does it’s like gambling - we act shocked when men take their own lives as if addiction just comes out the blue

I think on balance after thinking about it today that I’d decriminalise cannabis and look at support not criminal sanctions for harder drugs

Like tobacco, let's all do the prescriptive medicine conga?

 

[Liquid Gold]

Prohibition doesn't work and what is likely to happen is dodgy knockoffs hit the market for those that still want them. Will that actually increase strain on the NHS while the tax revenue from cigarettes disappears?

Few people smoke anymore and it's decreasing all the time, let it fall away naturally.

An almost totally separate thought I had was - would it impact tourism? Some of our Mediterranean friends love a fag, do they love it enough to think "fuck going cold turkey during a week in England, let's go elsewhere"?

 

[SBAndy]

Prohibition doesn't work and what is likely to happen is dodgy knockoffs hit the market for those that still want them. Will that actually increase strain on the NHS while the tax revenue from cigarettes disappears?

That’s the bit that I’m hung up on. Ideologically I’m not against the idea of preventing young people making the same mistakes I did/do but you can’t simultaneously hold positions of banning smoking because nanny state and legalising/regulating other drugs because cleaning up the market. The unintended consequences of this could be huge.

 

[Grendel]

Feel like there are bigger priorities in this kind of area, such as some regulation on vapes and decriminalisation/legalisation of cannabis.

Strange to legalise one narcotic substance and not ban another. Many cannabis products are stuffed with nicotine. Making cannabis legal and vaping regulated seems a contradiction

Cannabis is carcinogenic- so legalising another cancer causing product seems pretty dumb really

 

[Ian1779]

Strange to legalise one narcotic substance and not ban another. Many cannabis products are stuffed with nicotine. Making cannabis legal and vaping regulated seems a contradiction

Cannabis is carcinogenic- so legalising another cancer causing product seems pretty dumb really

Sorry let me try and quantify - not enough is known about vaping generally and it’s long term effects, and the use by children seems to far outweigh anything I’ve ever seen with cigarettes - certainly from my experience in schools. Not sure what the exact solution is for that exactly but something needs to happen.

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

Cannabis is carcinogenic

Nowhere near as many carcinogens as cigarettes to be fair.....

and of course, not carcinogenic whatsoever if you do edibles

...I've got some top notch recipes....happy to share.

 

[hamertime]

Farage was on top form today, played a blinder. The Dictators in Brussels had to shut it down because free speech is a crime. And most the morons on here want to be part of that. Sickening