The NHS is a disaster at the minute and we all know why. It needs a root and branch reform, but how do you do that in the middle of a crisis that is spiralling out of control? Throwing more money at it is not a long term and sustainable solution. People are dying unnecessarily and something needs to change.
I'll echo the above, those who work at JCUH (and other hospitals), some of which are my family and friends, are doing an incredible and impossible job.
It is not just a question of root and branch reform, or additional funding.
It is BOTH.
Mervyn King is absolutely right when he said Britain needs to decide whether it wants low tax small state USA style, or higher tax bigger state like Western Europe.
It can't be low tax big state.
I am absolutely clear I want a welfare state to be proud of and state investment on capital infrastructure.
This drivel that our tax burden is at an all time high is shocking. We still have significantly lower tax burden across all taxes and duties than any major European country.
People need to be prepared to fund what they claim to want.
But higher tax alone won't be enough, there needs to be re-distribution of existing wealth.
The root and branch reform of Health and Social Care, Energy policy, Housing policy, Environmental/Climate approach, Education all need long term political cooperation and commitment, not the pitiful party posturing we get now.
I saw for myself in Darlington Memorial A&E across 17 hours into New Years Eve the utter chaos our wonderful medical teams have to work under, the despair and exhaustion they feel. It is so much more critical than many people realise. I hope you don't have to see it for yourselves.
