While the Conservative leadership contenders bicker over whether human rights are a good thing and whether we can still say the word “mother”, one has to sit back and wonder: can they not see the more immediate problems facing this country? We are approaching the hottest week on record here in the UK, with some predictions suggesting we may see temperatures climb to 43ºC. On Friday, it was reported that energy bills could reach more than £3,300 a year by January 2023 – with no end to the energy or cost-of-living crises in sight.
Of course, some of these issues are part of broader problems that require international cooperation, but there are other pressing crises emerging that start, and finish, at home. At present, there are around seven million people across the UK on NHS waiting lists. A&E waiting time are the highest they’ve been since records began – with over 25 per cent of people waiting four hours or more to be seen. And Bowel Cancer UK has reported that, alone, the cancer care backlog currently affects more than two million people across the country.
At the end of June, the NHS announced it would offer patients who have been waiting more than two years for surgery the chance to travel to receive treatment, in an attempt to speed up access pathways. But, for some, this is simply not enough. The leader of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, warned last month that little could be done to address the “once-in-a-generation backlog of unimaginable proportions” without addressing the lack of staff, burnout and a shortage of beds. He pointed out that there were already 100,000 vacancies in the NHS in England, and doctors were “utterly exhausted” as their well-being was at “rock bottom”.
Back in April, the House of Commons health and social care committee warned that delayed treatment and diagnosis in cancer services will “almost certainly” lead to many preventable deaths. Spotlight reported that “without sufficient action, more than 340,000 people between 2019 and 2028 may miss out on an early cancer diagnosis, which the committee deemed “the single most effective way to improve overall survival rates”.
The backlog is in part due to staff shortages, but also a lack of beds, facilities and equipment. According to Siva Anandaciva from the King’s Fund think tank, since the 2008 financial crash, the NHS has fallen into a “vicious cycle”, where various “hard-fought gains” – such as meeting the four-hour A&E waiting time and the 18-week standard of referral for treatment targets – have eroded.
Our political leaders’ refusal to engage with these crises will result in millions of people being plunged into poverty and many unable to access the care so desperately needed. A navel-gazing focus on waging culture wars, bragging about supposed tax cuts and pledging to scrap net zero is not just petty leadership politics – it will have real, catastrophic consequences for the coherent policymaking this country so desperately needs.
The Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, dubbed the contest an “arms race of fantasy economics”, and he is not wrong – the Tory contenders care more about appealing to the right wing of the party, and the backbenchers, than they do about the UK.
Boris Johnson’s resignation was an opportunity for those in the governing party to refocus their minds in a time of crisis. Instead, the leadership contest has become a self-indulgent battle that illustrates just how out of touch much of the party has become.
Because you can’t cut taxes, reduce public sector spending by 20%, and generally appeal to Tory party ~~donors~~ voters by talking about the NHS.
They aren’t trying to market themselves to the public, just the smaller percentage of people who’ll vote them in to replace Johnson.
Because the NHS is for plebs. As soon as the NHS is gone, the plebs will follow. Then the billionaires can eat each other or something.
Probably because their party has been in charge while it’s all gone to shit ?
Why ? Because that’s the wrong magic money tree.
Because they really couldn’t care less about us.
Because they’re too busy managing the construction of those 40 new hospitals, obviously
It’s pretty simple. It’s not an issue anyone can win on.
So they don’t want to talk about it.
Because they selling to their american mates slowly and secertly.
Because they all want to let the NHS fail. Can’t promise fixes.
they only need to get elected by the Conservative party membership so it’s not a relevant issue, why waste the time campaigning on something that 20,000 rich white middle class old men don’t care about
What would be the point?
Too many people in the UK and not enough staff. Even giving them all big pay rises is no guarantee you’ll attract any more people into the profession.
Why are vacuous tory failed-state proponents monopolising televised political news and debate after their corrupt leader has been found unfit for office?
Every single one of the lying twats vying to replace the one on his way out the door of shame actively supported and made excuses for him right up until they knew the gig was up and the lies wouldn’t work any more.
The whole shambolic shitshow needs throwing out on its arse, never mind all this horseshit about finding a “suitable successor” from within it. There fucking isn’t one and the country ought to be screaming blue bloody murder for better.
I was watching The New Statesman the other day, and one of Alan B’Stard’s policies sounds increasingly realistic: dismantle the NHS and let all the poor people die – hey presto, you’ve eradicated poverty!
Tom Tugendhat talked about A&E waiting times. However, tax cuts will mean longer waiting lists, regardless.
Because they don’t care, they want to abolish the NHS and use the cash saved to cut taxes for the very wealthy whilst we all pay 1000s in an American style disgusting ripoff big pharma system.
Same reason they’re not talking about COVID, they don’t want to bring up the things they’ve mismanaged and fucked up.
Because Tories go private
Cause there’s nothing good to say about it and if they did say anything at all it would be a tacit admission the Tory method if operating the NHS is dogshit so they won’t admit it.
19 comments
While the Conservative leadership contenders bicker over whether human rights are a good thing and whether we can still say the word “mother”, one has to sit back and wonder: can they not see the more immediate problems facing this country? We are approaching the hottest week on record here in the UK, with some predictions suggesting we may see temperatures climb to 43ºC. On Friday, it was reported that energy bills could reach more than £3,300 a year by January 2023 – with no end to the energy or cost-of-living crises in sight.
Of course, some of these issues are part of broader problems that require international cooperation, but there are other pressing crises emerging that start, and finish, at home. At present, there are around seven million people across the UK on NHS waiting lists. A&E waiting time are the highest they’ve been since records began – with over 25 per cent of people waiting four hours or more to be seen. And Bowel Cancer UK has reported that, alone, the cancer care backlog currently affects more than two million people across the country.
At the end of June, the NHS announced it would offer patients who have been waiting more than two years for surgery the chance to travel to receive treatment, in an attempt to speed up access pathways. But, for some, this is simply not enough. The leader of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, warned last month that little could be done to address the “once-in-a-generation backlog of unimaginable proportions” without addressing the lack of staff, burnout and a shortage of beds. He pointed out that there were already 100,000 vacancies in the NHS in England, and doctors were “utterly exhausted” as their well-being was at “rock bottom”.
Back in April, the House of Commons health and social care committee warned that delayed treatment and diagnosis in cancer services will “almost certainly” lead to many preventable deaths. Spotlight reported that “without sufficient action, more than 340,000 people between 2019 and 2028 may miss out on an early cancer diagnosis, which the committee deemed “the single most effective way to improve overall survival rates”.
The backlog is in part due to staff shortages, but also a lack of beds, facilities and equipment. According to Siva Anandaciva from the King’s Fund think tank, since the 2008 financial crash, the NHS has fallen into a “vicious cycle”, where various “hard-fought gains” – such as meeting the four-hour A&E waiting time and the 18-week standard of referral for treatment targets – have eroded.
Our political leaders’ refusal to engage with these crises will result in millions of people being plunged into poverty and many unable to access the care so desperately needed. A navel-gazing focus on waging culture wars, bragging about supposed tax cuts and pledging to scrap net zero is not just petty leadership politics – it will have real, catastrophic consequences for the coherent policymaking this country so desperately needs.
The Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, dubbed the contest an “arms race of fantasy economics”, and he is not wrong – the Tory contenders care more about appealing to the right wing of the party, and the backbenchers, than they do about the UK.
Boris Johnson’s resignation was an opportunity for those in the governing party to refocus their minds in a time of crisis. Instead, the leadership contest has become a self-indulgent battle that illustrates just how out of touch much of the party has become.
Because you can’t cut taxes, reduce public sector spending by 20%, and generally appeal to Tory party ~~donors~~ voters by talking about the NHS.
They aren’t trying to market themselves to the public, just the smaller percentage of people who’ll vote them in to replace Johnson.
Because the NHS is for plebs. As soon as the NHS is gone, the plebs will follow. Then the billionaires can eat each other or something.
Probably because their party has been in charge while it’s all gone to shit ?
Why ? Because that’s the wrong magic money tree.
Because they really couldn’t care less about us.
Because they’re too busy managing the construction of those 40 new hospitals, obviously
It’s pretty simple. It’s not an issue anyone can win on.
So they don’t want to talk about it.
Because they selling to their american mates slowly and secertly.
Because they all want to let the NHS fail. Can’t promise fixes.
they only need to get elected by the Conservative party membership so it’s not a relevant issue, why waste the time campaigning on something that 20,000 rich white middle class old men don’t care about
What would be the point?
Too many people in the UK and not enough staff. Even giving them all big pay rises is no guarantee you’ll attract any more people into the profession.
Why are vacuous tory failed-state proponents monopolising televised political news and debate after their corrupt leader has been found unfit for office?
Every single one of the lying twats vying to replace the one on his way out the door of shame actively supported and made excuses for him right up until they knew the gig was up and the lies wouldn’t work any more.
The whole shambolic shitshow needs throwing out on its arse, never mind all this horseshit about finding a “suitable successor” from within it. There fucking isn’t one and the country ought to be screaming blue bloody murder for better.
I was watching The New Statesman the other day, and one of Alan B’Stard’s policies sounds increasingly realistic: dismantle the NHS and let all the poor people die – hey presto, you’ve eradicated poverty!
Tom Tugendhat talked about A&E waiting times. However, tax cuts will mean longer waiting lists, regardless.
Because they don’t care, they want to abolish the NHS and use the cash saved to cut taxes for the very wealthy whilst we all pay 1000s in an American style disgusting ripoff big pharma system.
Same reason they’re not talking about COVID, they don’t want to bring up the things they’ve mismanaged and fucked up.
Because Tories go private
Cause there’s nothing good to say about it and if they did say anything at all it would be a tacit admission the Tory method if operating the NHS is dogshit so they won’t admit it.