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Originally Posted by Damien
Because we've underfunded it for years compared to other similar countries: https://www.ft.com/content/f752a1ad-...9-4909974c6a2c
It's not a surprise that with that underinvestment we're also seeing much longer waiting lists since 2010: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60305502
And again this started before COVID hit. COVID made it worse for sure both the virus itself and the subsequent delayed treatment from the year lost but when you run a health service that can't meet the demand it already had, there is no capacity at all to deal with a crisis.
Look at that BBC article about cancer waiting times. The number of people urgently seen for cancer has dropped from 90% in 2010 to 80% by 2017 and now 70%!
The NHS has got measurably worse. I don't know why we're just accepting such declines. |
Exactly.
People are accepting it because:
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Populism There's still a spill-over of populism. "If the NHS was more efficient with its money then there would be no problems." "We need more nurses and fewer admin staff. Once that's done, it will improve."
The we-can-have-our-cake-and-eat-it belief.
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Taxation People don't want to pay higher taxes in order to get a better service. More so with other costs rising. Apart from higher borrowing, that's what they will have to do. If you've got good private healthcare, you may be happier with the lower tax, lower NHS service trade-off.
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Party loyalty. Party loyalists will obviously defend their Party in almost all circumstances with an anecdotal, approach. "X party couldn't do any better." "Everyone's been complaining about the state of the NHS ever since I was a toddler."