Happy Separation Day!

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by jannert, Jul 4, 2014.

  1. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Hi @Lae - the NHS in Scotland is already 'separate,' in that it's one of the devolved powers currently administered in Scotland. The problem is, until Scotland has complete control over its finances, the amount delegated to the NHS by the UK government will continue to shrink. However, the current SNP government has pledged to keep the NHS in public hands, which the UK government is not doing.

    What an independent Scotland will be able to do, once an independence settlement is reached (which should take until around 2015-16, if there is a Yes vote in September) is divert the money Scotland currently contributes to Trident, to the House of Lords etc, into things like the NHS. Right now the NHS is woefully underfunded by a UK government that wants to starve it into submission, and turn it over to private enterprise to run. That's the kind of system the USA has got, and people can barely afford healthcare there, even WITH insurance ...which takes a huge whack from their earnings.

    It's not how much money a country has got, it's how the country chooses to spend it that ultimately counts. The UK chooses to spend theirs on Trident and the House of Lords. Scotland will choose differently.
     
  2. Lae

    Lae Contributor Contributor

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    @jannert i see, if its truly separate then i have no issue with it. I believe most of the English people have no issue with it either, i don't know what the PM is going on about.

    I am interested to see how Scotland deal with Independence to be honest, i would be interested to see how they manage their finance and what currency they end up with.

    I have heard a bit about the NHS issues, my Mrs works in the NHS and often tells me about how its run. In my opinion we must keep it as is, charge non nationals after they have been stabilized etc, stop the health holiday culture, stop the blatant misuse by everyone. (a previous acquaintance of mine had chest implants, not breast enlargement etc as he's male but chest implants on the NHS!)
     
  3. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I used to work in the NHS myself, as a GP receptionist. It was interesting to watch the misuse happening. Sometimes it was through inattention—automatically refilling prescriptions that aren't needed, etc—sometimes through a deliberate sense of entitlement. I do think some areas could be tightened up a bit.

    However, the idea that everybody has to pay £25 to see their GP, or pay for prescriptions when they're chronically ill, or have to mortgage their house if they become ill enough to need a big operation or long-term care? That's what happens with a privatised NHS. All the services cost more as well, because the goal isn't to break even. It's to make profit.

    I've lived under both systems, and I can assure you, I would NEVER want to go back to privatised health care.
     
  4. Lae

    Lae Contributor Contributor

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    I entirely agree. Although i have never lived under a privatized healthcare system, i have no desire to do so. My Mrs is an SLT so she perhaps works in a different environment but i think the waste is across the board. I don't think more management is needed but better management. I wont go about it anymore, at the risk of turning this into an NHS thread!

    Good luck with your independence stuff!
     
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  5. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    I'm getting the distinct impression from some that Scottish Independence is an assured thing, going to happen. It's not. According to every opinion poll I have seen the No campaign has more support, and the battleground is the undecided.
     
  6. outsider

    outsider Contributor Contributor

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    Last edited: Jul 8, 2014
  7. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    I've since learned the Daily Mail is your version of Fox News. I don't watch/read either.

    I don't really have a side to this, but I'm curious about something: When and why did Scotland join the Union in the first place?
     
  8. outsider

    outsider Contributor Contributor

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    I was going to attempt to explain the history behind it but here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707

    The key point that should be taken into account with the above, as I believe has been mentioned, is that the majority of Scots did not have a say in this back then. It was, as tends to be the case with such things, an elite minority that decided the fate of the country based on their own self-interest.

    For anyone else that's interested, further back in time there's this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Arbroath
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2014
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  9. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Oh, it's not an assured thing at all. It all comes down to how Scots vote on 18 September. However, 'polls' can come from anywhere, and are often biased. (I have never been asked my opinion in one.)

    In fact, it turns out the UK government commissioned one about the referendum a while back AND NOW REFUSES TO PUBLISH THE RESULTS ...despite the fact they used public money to finance it. What are they trying to hide? http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/westminster-urged-to-publish-independence-poll-1-3468988

    I seem to remember that back in the 2011 election, the SNP was predicted by the polls to lose the election, or at least lose ground. Instead, they won the first outright victory in any Scottish parliamentary election thus far. Polls are supposed to reflect how opinion stands, but unfortunately they too often lead opinion. I pay no attention to them whatsoever.

    What this election is going to boil down to is how much Scottish people want control over their own affairs. If they prefer to let somebody else make their decisions for them, they'll vote no. If they prefer to stick to the Labour party's position of hating the SNP and everything they stand for—even when the SNP stands for the same things the Labour party claims to stand for–then they'll vote no and be stuck with the Tories for the forseeable future.

    I'm not about to call this result at all. I've not been here long enough to claim to understand the Scottish cultural mind. I've only been here 28 years. My opinions are my own, and I'm not alone in holding them. That's all I know at the moment.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2014
  10. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    Thanks. Will give a read. :)
     

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