£2.7 billion a year NHS bill for dealing with pissheads

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Restrict opening hours reduce alcohol volume, encourage media to make boozers feel the shame they were mafe to feel of yesteryear.

Elias wrote:

Restrict opening hours reduce alcohol volume, encourage media to make boozers feel the shame they were mafe to feel of yesteryear.

What I will never grasp Elias is this desire to get smashed outa their brains on shots as soon as possible and then fall around drunk all night. Beyond my comprehension and its ONLY the Brits who do it

Its not a question of being only young once. I was young we had 6-8 pints our big group bit pissed and we went home. Now the buggers drink that amount in pre loading sessions just bonkers

Don't forget that with alcohol being taxed at about 80% you could argue that with that and the tax on fags it's the pissheads that smoke that pay for your NHS treatment, add the VAT on takeaway food and you've got most of your NHS funding right there. As for why people feel the need for oblivion live in their shoes for a day.

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely not.

It is the bed rock of the NHS that people who need treatment get it whoever they are and whatever treatment they need. This must never be compromised because if it is then a line has been crossed that will destroy the NHS.

Alternatively if you actually want to destroy the NHS this would be a brilliant domino to topple first.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely not.

It is the bed rock of the NHS that people who need treatment get it whoever they are and whatever treatment they need. This must never be compromised because if it is then a line has been crossed that will destroy the NHS.

Alternatively if you actually want to destroy the NHS this would be a brilliant domino to topple first.

I didnt say deny whatever treatment is needed I suggested billing them as are by the way many foreign nationals from outside the EU who use the service of the NHS. The recovery rate is piss poor though I believe less than 10% nevertheless they are billed

Why on earth should some pisshead hell bent on killing themselves on booze get equal treatment to a cancer sufferer who cannot receive the best drugs available because the NHS is short of funds

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely not.
It is the bed rock of the NHS that people who need treatment get it whoever they are and whatever treatment they need. This must never be compromised because if it is then a line has been crossed that will destroy the NHS.

Sad to say but your line has been crossed many times over the past twenty or thirty years, dentistry, minor surgery which used to be carried out by GPs, Elderly care, prescription charges etc.

I'm sure others can list many more.

Won't be long before kids who play sports will have to pay for their broken limbs. After all, they're asking for it playing those dangerous sports. And as for smokers, just let them die on the pavements, let the fat pay for their diabetes management. The list is endless.

Lord Melbury wrote:

Sad to say but your line has been crossed many times over the past twenty or thirty years, dentistry, minor surgery which used to be carried out by GPs, Elderly care, prescription charges etc.

Is it really that difficult to grasp. 20 or 30 years ago the population of the UK was approximately 47 million. It is now over 65 million. Lifestyle choices and personal responsibility must become a factor. Life threatening illnesses clearly should be untouchable.
Moral question, should an overweight person pay for two seats, eg; on an airplane, if it’s needed?

Earwegoagain wrote:

Don't forget that with alcohol being taxed at about 80% you could argue that with that and the tax on fags it's the pissheads that smoke that pay for your NHS treatment, add the VAT on takeaway food and you've got most of your NHS funding right there. As for why people feel the need for oblivion live in their shoes for a day.

Very true Earwig. Watch out, the puritans are coming back to a parish near you. Clean your filthy shoes and get yourself down to church and ask for forgiveness. From whom or what I'm not sure, but just do it, and collect your free NHS monthly pass on the way out.
Won't be long before there's a thriving black market in blood test tubes that don't show a smoking/drinking indicator.
Plenty of money for war though.

Lord Melbury wrote:

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely not.
It is the bed rock of the NHS that people who need treatment get it whoever they are and whatever treatment they need. This must never be compromised because if it is then a line has been crossed that will destroy the NHS.

Sad to say but your line has been crossed many times over the past twenty or thirty years, dentistry, minor surgery which used to be carried out by GPs, Elderly care, prescription charges etc.

I'm sure others can list many more.

That's right-wing know-the-cost-of-everything-but-the-value-of-nothing asshats for you. We could have any level of health and social care we decide upon but they rage against a single penny going onto income tax to pay for it. "Do more with less" and all that. Tally up the cost required and the bleat about "not being able to afford it" but there's always money to sweeten a coalition deal or pay for Brexit or a war or... I'm sure others can list many more.

They need to be opposed. They only get away with it because we let them. The only reason the elderly do not get the care they deserve or there's homeless people dying in the cold on the streets is because we permit it to happen and vote for parties with policies for which it is the only logical outcome.

Not that I would but many, far too many, are happy to.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

They need to be opposed.

You're right. Although as we have a hopelessly incompetent opposition it's difficult to see who will oppose our equally hopelessly incompetent government.

Edited to add corrupt as well as incompetent, whatever colour the rosette.

I was at Treliske A and E earlier and there was 8 trolleys in the corridor and 6 ambulances waiting to handover their patients. Something needs to be done and fast. I seem to remember reading that NHS can claim from insurance companies after RTA's? Was I dreaming?

It needs to be properly funded. That's what it needs. It is already the most efficient health service in the developed world.

There's people on trolleys because people don't think it'll ever be them on the trolleys and they vote in their droves to keep their taxes down because they are tiny-minded, selfish, me me me me me scum who don't give a damn about those less fortunate than themselves.

And proud of it.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

It needs to be properly funded. That's what it needs. It is already the most efficient health service in the developed world.

There's people on trolleys because people don't think it'll ever be them on the trolleys and they vote in their droves to keep their taxes down because they are tiny-minded, selfish, me me me me me scum who don't give a damn about those less fortunate than themselves.

And proud of it.

Not far off it really. I hadn't been up to A&E for years so the stories I got was from the news. I've now seen it for real and heading up there again now unfortunately. The staff work incredibly hard.

They also get paid feck all thanks to a) always having been low paid to begin with and b) as a direct result of the Tory wage freeze for public sector employees which is now into its 8th consecutive year.

We have a Health Secretary who once co-authored a book entitled "Direct Democracy: An Agenda For A New Model Party". It called for the de-nationalisation of the NHS. In any sane society that would bar him from ever being in charge of it but in ours it is telling.

Basically the right-wing despises the NHS because: a) it delivers; b) it is efficient; c) every day it disproves  the belief that privatisation delivers better outcomes.

You only have to look at the USA where the market rules and millions have no health care at all to see which system delivers.

So the long-term, but unstated, plan is to underfund and undermine the NHS at every opportunity that arises. The drunks-to-pay-for-their-treatment is one manifestation of this; people waiting in corridors on trolleys for treatment is another; increased internal marketisation another. Basically it is death by a thousand cuts.

And, sadly, due to the volume of people using the NHS and the sheer size of it there will always be something that can be criticised as being blatantly awful or, at least, that could have been handled better and there is always likely to be a tragic, heart-rending result that lands a heavy emotional hit.

Eventually there will be a crisis, carefully engineered and worked towards for many years - a flu epidemic or some other major disaster - and the response will be "we can't afford the remedy; it is simply too expensive" and there will be an even greater headlong rush into the market place because "there is no alternative" and "we'd need to put 5% on income tax - can't possibly do that" and so on.


In totally unrelated news many of our MPs and Lords, mostly but not exclusively Tories, hold highly lucrative positions in companies that provide private health care or are happy to accept campaign donations from them.

This is out of date now, not that much will have changed other than the details, but you'll soon get the idea.

Quote :

1. David Cameron – Prime Minister (Tory)

Handed a peerage to nursing and care home tycoon Dolar Popat, who has given the Tories more than £200,000 in donations.

2. Andrew Lansley – Former Health Secretary & architect of privatisation (Tory)

Received a £21,000 donation in Nov 2009 from John Nash, the former chairman of Care UK.

3. Harriet Baldwin – Tory whip (Tory)

Former executive at JP Morgan, a major player in private healthcare.

4. Greg Barker – former Energy Minister (Tory)

Held shares in Quester VCT 5 plc ,a venture capital firm with multiple investments in healthcare companies.

5. Henry Bellingham (Tory)

Former director of Lansdowne Advisory Ltd, which has shares in private healthcare company Circle.

6. Jake Berry (Tory)

Has registered interests in legal firm Squire Patton Boggs, which workd with multiple NHS trusts on PFI and PPP programs.

7. Graham Brady (Tory)

Former advisor to PA Consulting, a management consultancy company which has worked with the NHS’s new Clinical Commissioning Groups.

8. Simon Burns – former Health Minister (Tory)

Attended an oncology conference paid for by Aventis Pharma – a five-day trip to the US funded by a leading drug firm.

9. Nick de Bois (Tory)

Was the majority shareholder in Rapier Design Group, an events management company heavily involved with the private medical and pharmaceutical industries.

10. Steve Brine (Tory)

Received almost £15,000 in donations from James Lupton, the chairman of investment bankers, Greenhill Europe which has a global network of corporate relationships in the healthcare sector.

11. Aidan Burley (Tory)

Received six bottles of wine from Hitachi consultants for a speech in 2011. Hitachi Consulting UK built an online ‘portal’ for NHS commissioners to help them monitor performance.

12. Damian Collins (Tory)

Spent almost a decade working for marketing agency M&C Saatchi, whose clients include PPP healthcare, AXA insurance, Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Merck

13. David Davis – former shadow home secretary  (Tory)

Received a payment of £4,250 for a six-hour speaking engagement for private health insurance company Aviva.

14. Jonathan Djanogly (Tory)

Received £1,900 from Huntleigh Healthcare Ltd, which manufactures medical and orthopaedic equipment and instruments.

15. Richard Drax (Tory)

Received £14,000 in a series of donations from Derek Luckhurst, chief executive and owner of care home group Agincare.

16. Iain Duncan Smith – Work and Pensions Secretary (Tory)

Has shares in hygiene technology company Byotrol plc, which sells products to the NHS.

17. Philip Dunne (Tory)

Was a non-executive director for investment firm Baronsmead VCT 4 plc, which had multiple investments in private healthcare companies.

18. Michael Fallon – Defence Secretary  (Tory)

Former director of Attendo AB, – a Swedish private health company.

19. Mark Field (Tory)

Was a board advisor to Ellwood and Atfield; a recruitment firm which recruit for NHS positions and private healthcare.

20. Liam Fox – former Defence Secretary (Tory)

Received £5,000 from investment company IPGL Ltd, who purchased healthcare pharma company Cyprotex.

21.  George Freeman (Tory)

Has shares in Hill House Assets Ltd, formally private health firm 4D Biomedical Ltd.

22. Mike Freer  (Tory)

Provided marketing advice to Care Matters, a financial planning company for care homes.

23. Richard Fuller (Tory)

Worked for L.E.K consulting, which has six ‘partners’ in European healthcare.

24. Richard Graham (Tory)

Received £3,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

25. William Hague – Leader of the Commons (Tory)

Received a £20,000 donation from MMC Ventures, which parts owns The Practice plc which runs 60 GP surgeries.

26. Philip Hammond – Foreign Secretary (Tory)

Beneficiary of a trust which owns a controlling interest in healthcare and nursing home developer Castlemead Ltd.

27. Mark Harper (Tory)

Received £5,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

28. Nick Herbert  (Tory)

Received £15,000 in donations from Caroline Nash, wife of former Care UK chairman John Nash.

29. Jeremy Hunt – Health Secretary  (Tory)

Received £32,920 from hedge fund baron Andrew Law, a major investor in healthcare firms.

30. Margot James  (Tory)

Had a key role at marketing giant WPP Group, which had a long list of healthcare clients.

31. Sajid Javid – Culture Secretary (Tory)

Received £11,000 from Moundsley Healthcare Ltd last year.

32. Jo Johnson – Downing Street policy adviser (Tory)

Received £6,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

33. Kwasi Kwarteng (Tory)

Worked as an analyst for for Crispin Odey’s hedge fund Odey Asset Management.

34. Mark Lancaster (Tory)

Former adviser to property venture capital firm Company Palmer Capital Partners Ltd, a funder of Danescroft Commercial Developments, which has worked in the healthcare sector.

35. Dr Phillip Lee (Tory)

Has worked as a freelance or Medical Solutions Ltd, which provided medical cover for events.

36. Oliver Letwin – former shadow chancellor (Tory)

Was a non-executive director of N.M. Rothschild Corporate Finance Ltd, which invests heavily in healthcare.

37. Peter Lilley (Tory)

Non-Executive director of management software firm Idox plc, which provides services to the NHS Health Libraries Group and NHS Education for Scotland.

38. Tim Loughton  (Tory)

Received £350 for training sessions with Cumberlege Connections, a political networking firm that works “extensively” with the pharmaceutical industry.

39. Mary Macleod  (Tory)

Was a senior executive at Andersen Consulting/Accenture, which has profited from big PFI deals.

40. Francis Maude – Cabinet Office Secretary (Tory)

Was a director of PR firm Huntsworth plc, which was part of lobbying group Healthcare Communications Association.

41. Maria Miller – former Culture Secretary  (Tory)

Former director of Grey’s Advertising Ltd, an advertising and brand company which worked extensively with clients in the healthcare sector.

42. Andrew Mitchell – former International Development Secretary  (Tory)

Was a strategy adviser to global management firm Accenture, which has worked extensively with private healthcare companies and the NHS.

43. Penny Mordaunt – Communities Minister  (Tory)

Worked for lobbying firm Hanover, where she had a range of healthcare clients.

44. Brooks Newmark – former Charities Minister (Tory)

Partner in the Allele Fund, which invests in healthcare startups.

45. Jesse Norman (Tory)

Received £5,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

46. Stephen O’Brien (Tory)

Received payments totalling £40,000 from Julian Schild, whose family made £184million in 2006 by selling hospital bed-makers Huntleigh Technology.

47. George Osborne – Chancellor (Tory)

Received donation through Conservative Campaign Headquarters from Julian Schild – see above.

48. Priti Patel – Treasury Minister (Tory)

Worked for lobbying firm Weber Shandwick, which does PR for big healthcare and pharmaceutical firms.

49. John Redwood – former Cabinet Minister  (Tory)

Advised the private equity company which runs Pharmacy2u, the UK’s largest dedicated internet and mail order pharmacy.

50. Jacob Rees-Mogg  (Tory)

Partner of Somerset Capital Management LLP, which has healthcare investor Redwood Emerging Markets Dividend Income Fund as a client.

51. Sir Malcolm Rifkind – former Foreign Secretary (Tory)

Chairman of advisory board at L.E.K. Consulting LLP, which helps private healthcare firms identify “new business development” and “opportunities with the Government”.

52. Amber Rudd – Energy Minister (Tory)

Received £3,000 from hedge fund baron Andrew Law, a major investor in healthcare firms.

53. David Ruffley  (Tory)

Received £10,000 in donations from Caroline Nash, wife of former Care UK chairman John Nash.

54. Mark Simmonds – former Foreign Minister (Tory)

Was paid £50,000 a year as a “strategic adviser” to Circle Health.

55. Chris Skidmore (Tory)

Received £3,500 for speeches to STAC Consultancy, which specialises in the launch of pharmaceutical products.

56. Julian Smith  (Tory)

Received a £2,500 donation from Principle Healthcare Ltd in September 2014.

57. Nicholas Soames (Tory)

Received £2,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

58. John Stanley (Tory)

Consultant on financial services to FIL Investment Management Ltd, which invests in healthcare.

59. Andrew Tyrie – select committee chairman (Tory)

Attended the Ryder Cup as Secretary of the Parliamentary Golf Society, with travel and accommodation paid for by U.S. healthcare services company Humana Europe.

60. Robin Walker  (Tory)

His office received a £2,000 donation from Redwood Care Homes, which owns multiple care homes.

61. David Willetts – former Universities Minister (Tory)

Has shares in Sensortec, a company that owns Vantix which was working on a contract for a new product to detect MRSI.

62. Rob Wilson (Tory)

Had registered shares in Vital Imaging, a private screening company.

63. Tim Yeo (Tory)

Also attended the 2008 Ryder Cup, courtesy of Humana Europe.

64. Nadhim Zahawi (Tory)

Non-executive director of recruitment company SThree, which specialises in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.

65. Menzies Campbell – former leader (Liberal Democrat)

Non-executive director of Scottish American Investment Company plc, which took over one of the care homes when Southern Cross collapsed.

66. Vince Cable – Business Secretary (Liberal Democrat)

Received a donation of £2,000 from Chartwell Care Services, which is 100% owned by Chartwell Health & Care PLC. It also owns Chartwell Private Hospitals plc, which provide day case surgery to NHS patients.

67. Nick Clegg – Deputy Prime Minister  (Liberal Democrat)

Received a donation to his constituency office for £5,000 from Alpha Medical Consultancy.

68. Simon Hughes – Justice Minister (Liberal Democrat)

Received £60,000 donation to his constituency party from the founder of Alpha Hospitals, a private hospital firm.

69. Stephen Lloyd  (Liberal Democrat)

MP for Eastbourne. Received £544.92 aggregated over time for office equipment from Platon Medical Ltd – who provides Ear, Nose and throat devices.

70. Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat)

Has shares in pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.

71. Jo Swinson – Business Minister (Liberal Democrat)

Received a donation of £2,000 September 2013 from private optician firm, Peter Ivins Eye Care.

Dodgy MPs taking part in votes which they have a financial interest in can be reported to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Kathryn Hudson – email: hudsonk@parliament.uk

What have you done harve.

I'll get slagged off for mentioning the NHS in a thread about the NHS soon.

That's how it usually goes.

Always happy to slam dunk the inherent evil, blatant selfishness and inevitable result of right-wing asshats though so thanks for the opportunity, Harve.

Hey Frank, you missed out the one name that sends shivers through my decomposing spine............ JIMMY BRENT. Just why on earth is someone like that, with all his other businesses, got his fingers in our National Health Service in Devon, especially with his appalling level of mismanagement at Citi ? Looking for ongoing deals/ins perhaps ? a bit like the deals he spied when he was part of the now defunct Plymouth development organisation .

Won't be long before the tory but don't think they are tory, working class footy gorms come on here spouting their usual private business is the only way forward nonsense, ably supported by the laughable lonely alt right typist who espouse one and a half left wing ideas in amongst disguised hundreds of right wing myths including the benefit of euthanasia of the poor, disabled and pissed up. They just can't wait, gagging for it, to dispense their summary justice. To some people it's personal, and they lie awake at night dreaming of the day their neighbour gets kicked out onto the street.
In the United States, they spend 2 to 3 times per capita more on health care than we do !! Yet their mortality/longevity rates are lower than here, along with worse child morbidity and many many other datum peg stats. And just look at them, they're even fatter than we are, and that takes some doing.

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely. You'll see how quick the self inflicted alcohol related cases drop then.

oh and with the NHS you could fund it with trillions every year and it would make little difference its had record funding each year under both labour and tories and its made no difference. the funding needs to go where its needed and not where it keeps being wasted. For example several business executives at each hospital with over inflated wages and costly medical trials that come to nothing must drain the funds.

Angry wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Staggering amount of bunce in anyones book
NHS going to introduce "drunktanks" to try to reduce the bill

Surely this is one "ailment" where the individual should be billed for the cost of treatment.

Absolutely. You'll see how quick the self inflicted alcohol related cases drop then.

oh and with the NHS you could fund it with trillions every year and it would make little difference its had record funding each year under both labour and tories and its made no difference. the funding needs to go where its needed and not where it keeps being wasted. For example several business executives at each hospital with over inflated wages and costly medical trials that come to nothing must drain the funds.

Of course it needs to be spent wisely. Of course it does. Nobody in their right mind would suggest anything else.

It is not spending it at all that is the problem.

The sooner some of you caring individuals get ill the better is all I can say. The year before last I lost my sister to cancer, during her illness she was of course very well looked after if you could just ignore the 3 times she had a life saving operation cancelled because there wasn't a bed for her, oh well she was dying anyway so what does that matter?
I also managed to fall over and break my leg, it was my own fault because I was outside, I should have just stayed in I suppose? After the customary 2 hour wait for the Ambulance lying in a field I then commenced my journey into the hospital, remember this was a major trauma and not a bleeding nose or alcohol related THANK GOD! For the first half hour the paramedics managed to keep me on a trolley between the two sets of entrance doors and over the next four hours I crept along the corridoor towards the actual beds in there. I spent seven hours on gas and air before I even got the pain relief I needed. When I finally got treatment I said to the doctor ' guess I picked a bad day to have an accident? Not at all he said its normally mental in here at this time of day.'
Since then I've had the op to remove the metal from my leg cancelled three times.
The other thig you notice when you have to constantly visit hospitals regularly is the price of parking which said profits are rising year on year to hundreds of millions, people on the minimum wage have to pay these exorbitant charges as well as look after families and care for sick children relatives. Tax should be put up to pay for it simple as.
Anyone that still doubts taxes need raising to pay for he health service come and see me and I'll break your legs for you, leave you in a field followed by a longtrolley wait, when you've had a bit of time to reflect you'll be begging for a tax increase.
As a final note before I log out it never ceases to amaze me how selfish, uncaring and just plain nasty most people are, cnuts the lot of you I wish you all long and painful illnesses.

That is pretty much my point: if you vote for low taxation you also vote for fewer and less adaptable services and that goes right across the board. It is inevitable.

It is also inevitable that those with the money to be able to either do without the service, in the case of benefits, or pay for their own medical treatment or educate their children privately don't much care because it doesn't affect them much anyway. It is always those least well off, those least able to provide for themselves, who carry the true cost and often pay with their lives.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

It is already the most efficient health service in the developed world.

Where on earth did you get the idea it's efficient ? It's anything but.
Billions are wasted each year in PFI payments, outrageously expensive maintenance contracts paid out on those PFI buildings, nearly 40% of the 1.2 million employees are non-frontline pen pushers, layer upon layer of managers, administrators & "executives" whatever they are but they sound f'kin expensive. £10 billion wasted on an aborted computer system.
A very recent personal experience of a close family member who's new medication was delivered to Plymouth by taxi from Bristol to be followed later the same day by a specialist nurse to train the family member in administering the new medication from... Bristol. You couldn't make this shit up.

Regarding your list of MPs with their fingers in the pie, you seem to have forgotten to paste the list of Labour MPs doing the same, or was that the intention, or do you believe they are all squeeky clean ?

Find your own list.