This week, the NHS handed us two belated Christmas presents that we could well have done without. First, the Minor Injuries Unit at the Tyrrell Hospital (along with that in Bideford) was closed for several days because of staff sickness. Second, we have the now-traditional winter black alert at several hospitals in the region, with the result that all operations, other than those to deal with life-threatening conditions, are postponed; and let us not forget the occasional unfortunate incident where someone dies whilst waiting for an ambulance that takes too long to arrive, or where they die on a trolley in a hospital corridor because the harassed and over-worked staff have not been able to get round to them.
Let’s get a few things out of the way. One, I am not attacking the medical staff of the NHS, for whom I have the utmost respect and sympathy – they do a vital job, under conditions which would probably break most of us. Two, given the circumstances we have now, there was little else that could be done. It makes sense to concentrate limited resources where the need is greatest, and prioritising the most urgent cases minimises overall suffering. However, I do not believe we should be in this situation. Three, I am not criticising the Conservative Party or even the Conservative government as a whole. I am criticising a series of policies carried out by successive governments, which have left us in the position we are now. Indeed, I am doing the Conservatives a favour by pointing out that the strength of feeling about the state of the NHS is such that it could lead to their worst nightmare at the next election – Jeremy Corbyn and his “Marxist cronies” in No. 10!
Britain spends less as a proportion of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) than most other developed countries, and that proportion has decreased rather than increased in recent years, despite the increased burden on the NHS resulting from our aging population. My brother, who lives in Spain, tells me that the Spanish Health Service is enormously better than ours, without the delays and restrictions that we suffer. Yet Britain is a much wealthier country than Spain, so what is wrong? One answer is that considerable sums are spent on things other than medical, for example the Private Finance Initiative so beloved of the Blair/Brown government and advertising and marketing for the internal market.
Together, those two items consume a substantial and growing proportion of the total NHS spend. Without them, I suspect that many of the problems of the NHS would disappear.
However, at the moment, we seem to be sleep-walking into something akin to the American system, and, believe me, you will not like that if it comes about. The USA spends almost twice as much on health care as we do, as a proportion of GDP, and yet a substantial percentage of its population suffer worse health care than in many third world countries.
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On to something much happier. Regular readers will know that I am a great fan of Thomas Carr and his Olive Room restaurant.
Britain spends less as a proportion of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) than most other developed countries, and that proportion has decreased rather than increased in recent years, despite the increased burden on the NHS resulting from our aging population. My brother, who lives in Spain, tells me that the Spanish Health Service is enormously better than ours, without the delays and restrictions that we suffer. Yet Britain is a much wealthier country than Spain, so what is wrong? One answer is that considerable sums are spent on things other than medical, for example the Private Finance Initiative so beloved of the Blair/Brown government and advertising and marketing for the internal market.
Together, those two items consume a substantial and growing proportion of the total NHS spend. Without them, I suspect that many of the problems of the NHS would disappear.
However, at the moment, we seem to be sleep-walking into something akin to the American system, and, believe me, you will not like that if it comes about. The USA spends almost twice as much on health care as we do, as a proportion of GDP, and yet a substantial percentage of its population suffer worse health care than in many third world countries.
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On to something much happier. Regular readers will know that I am a great fan of Thomas Carr and his Olive Room restaurant.
He now plans to open a second restaurant in Ilfracombe, in the old Lamb Hotel building in the High Street. We have lost several good restaurants in the last few years, so the news that a new one of impeccable quality will open must be welcomed with open arms. Moreover, with luck, it will attract more visitors to visit the High Street. It could even act as catalyst for the rejuvenation of the High Street. Mr Carr is attempting to raise some of the finance he needs by crowdfunding at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1707832409/thomas-carr-seafood-and-grill-ilfracombe-north-dev.
At the time of writing, he has reached his initial target, but he says that the more he raises, “the bigger, better and quicker we’ll be able to launch”. Something to look forward to. Remembering that Rick Stein’s prevalence in Padstow has led to it being renamed Padstein, does Mr Carr aim to have our fair town renamed IlfraCarr? There could be worse fates.
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I had a very pleasant meal the other day at Sawmills Inn. The brisket of beef was delicious and worth the journey all by itself, although I have to say the chips were very average. They also had two excellent New World pinot noir wines, so I was very happy.
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I had a very pleasant meal the other day at Sawmills Inn. The brisket of beef was delicious and worth the journey all by itself, although I have to say the chips were very average. They also had two excellent New World pinot noir wines, so I was very happy.
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