Keir Starmer Says NHS Must ‘Reform Or Die’

Keir Starmer warned that the ‘broken’ NHS must ‘reform or die’ after a damning report found billions of pounds in extra investment has failed to boost performance.

The PM gave a sobering speech about the health service’s challenging future and emphasised the necessity of taking immediate action to reduce wait times and increase access.

He will stress, though, that adding more funds is not possible without first making root and branch adjustments.

Instead, he argued resources must be shifted from inefficient hospitals to community care, preventing illness from developing.

‘We have to fix the plumbing before turning on the taps. No more money without reform,’ Sir Keir said, suggesting the process would take a decade. 

In a round of interviews ahead of Sir Keir’s keynote speech, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS ‘unquestionably’ wastes money and could go ‘bust’ without fundamental change.

He also criticised the British Medical Association, which doubles as a regulator and industry body, for ‘sabre-rattling’.

Professor Sir John Bell, who was a member of the Covid Vaccine Taskforce, echoed concerns about the BMA, saying it has been a ‘major drag’ on reform. 

The radical approach is being unveiled after a damning new report by Lord Darzi, a pioneering surgeon and former Labour health minister, concluded the NHS is in a ‘critical condition’.

In just nine weeks, the quick evaluation was completed to support the government’s ten-year reform plan.

Tories have accused Mr Streeting of ‘trying to chase headlines while laying the groundwork for tax rises at the Budget’.

According to medical professionals, the government needs to immediately lay out a strategy outlining how it will react to the review.

Lord Darzi, who now sits as an independent peer, said he was ‘shocked’ by the scale of the failings he unearthed.

His 142-page report reveals that waits for routine care and A&E have gotten longer, people have gotten sicker, and progress in tackling some major conditions has stalled.

It continues, adding that the NHS has grown less effective with the funding it receives and is mired in red tape.

Responding to the report at the King’s Fund think tank in London, Sir Keir said, ‘What we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform—major surgery, not sticking plaster solutions.

‘The NHS is at a fork in the road, and we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands.

‘Raise taxes on working people to meet the ever-higher costs of an ageing population—or reform to secure its future.

‘We know working people can’t afford to pay more, so it’s reform or die.’

The National Health Service (NHS) has significant challenges. Its head of management, which is growing at an exponential rate, is nearly as large as the frontline personnel who interact directly with patients. These managers earn high salaries and spend their days in meetings.

There are meetings about meetings. Hours of long meetings on every level, back and forth about topics that could have been effectively communicated with a short email.

Senior staff members are rarely present when patient-facing staff members are alone since they are always in meetings and are the only ones who can make important choices. The incredibly bureaucratic nature of the NHS is the other problem.

Front-line staff spend very little time on actual patient care. Still, they spend plenty of time documenting, reporting, uploading, and registering information on so many incompatible systems and databases, and staff members barely have any time to deal with patients.

“No more money without reform” means that Labour is going to finish what the Tories started and that’s the privatisation of the NHS.

Sculpture Of Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Philip

A bronze sculpture that was supposed to show Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, and two corgis has angered some because they believe it doesn’t resemble the real people.

The contentious monument was made by North Belfast artist Anto Brennan, who is well-known for his chess sets featuring notable politicians from Northern Ireland. It was inaugurated on Saturday in Antrim Castle Gardens.

But locals hit out at the piece, with one saying, ‘Whoever signed that off needs their eyes tested’.

Others said the prince and dogs ‘look nice’ but the figure meant to be the late Queen doesn’t look like her and there’s ‘something not right’ about it.

Comments on a Facebook post announcing the sculpture have been turned off after a flood of mocking remarks, with one person saying the Queen looked more like Mrs Doubtfire from the 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams.

Comments on a post announcing the sculpture have been turned off after a flood of mocking remarks, with one person saying the Queen looked more like Mrs Doubtfire from the 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams (pictured).

The proposal for the sculpture of the late Queen and her corgis came in January 2023, adding to the likeness of Prince Phillip, which was already there.

The Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Paul Dunlop attended the unveiling. He said: ‘It’s down to personal taste; everyone has their own opinion but it is what the sculpture represents that is important.’

But when the sculpture was unveiled, the mayor, Neil Kelly, described it as a ‘beautiful statue’.

When the council posted photos of the statue on Facebook, locals jumped at the chance to express their opinions.

The council posted: ‘The sculpture captures Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness, and lifelong dedication to public service.

‘One of the first of its kind in the UK, the sculpture was created to commemorate Her Late Majesty, who passed away two years earlier, on 8 September 2022.

‘It fittingly stands adjacent to the statue of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, on display at the Parterre Garden within Antrim Castle Gardens for the public to enjoy.

‘To complete the scene, the royal couple is joined by two of the more than 30 dogs that Her Majesty owned during her lifetime.’

But one sassy comment said, ‘At least the dogs look good’ and another joked: ‘Think you need to ask [discounted online retailer] Temu for your money back.’

A third posted: ‘Looks more like Mrs Doubtfire than our late Queen.’

Another slammed the art piece as offensive and said: ‘Both need removed, melted down and redone. That’s actually offensive.’

This surpasses even the terrible Diana statue that was presented. The best action would be to conceal it in a garage and begin over.

The expressions on their faces would have been hilarious, so it’s a shame they are no longer with us. Queen Victoria would not have been amused! And I can’t imagine what jokes Prince Philip would have come out with.

Do these so-called artists have to show any of their previous work to ensure that the final work will at least bear a passing resemblance? Or is it just bodge it and run? But this is just typical of councils, squandering large amounts of money by employing someone local who doesn’t quite live up to expectations, then they try and defend their substandard work before eventually having to concede and pay even more money to have the work re-done properly.

This is dreadful work and a lost opportunity to create a legacy. The stance is correct, but the figures are static, rigid, and formless, almost Soviet-like, and the features of the Queen bear very little resemblance to her, and the Duke fares little better.

Princess Of Wales Completes Chemotherapy

Kate Middleton has announced her joy at having completed her chemotherapy and her eagerness to resume public appearances.

The 42-year-old Princess of Wales declared in March that she was resigning from public life and would be receiving preventive treatment following her cancer diagnosis.

In a deeply personal statement to the nation, she revealed that her family has navigated ‘stormy waters’ and her full focus is on being cancer-free.

The moving statement read:

‘As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.

‘The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.

‘The cancer journey is complex, scary, and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.

‘With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.

‘This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.

‘Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes.

‘I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.

‘Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.

‘William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy, and compassion has been truly humbling.

‘To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey, I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.’

We are all delighted for the princess and hope the best for her, I’m sure.

It is good that she’s finished treatment because cancer affects the entire family, and just because she is a princess, cancer does not discriminate, and it can happen to anybody. Perhaps she should be telling Keir Starmer this!

However, cancer is a sneaky thief, and it’s always lurking in the darkness.

There is good news; there is great news, but this is brilliant news.

Keir Starmer: NHS Waitlist For 800,000 Children Is Broken

More than 800,000 children are stuck on lengthy NHS hospital waiting lists, it was revealed as the Prime Minister says the health service has been left ‘broken’ in an ‘unforgivable’ way.

In an interview conducted, the prime minister made this allegation before the release of a review about the treatment of children.

It’s anticipated that an assessment by a distinguished surgeon and impartial peer, Lord Darzi, scheduled for publication on Thursday, would demonstrate how the health system is failing youngsters.

It is expected to show that 175,000 children are waiting between six months and a year for treatment and 35,000 more than a year, the Sunday Times reported.

Additionally, it will show 100,000 infants waited more than six hours to be seen in accident and emergency departments last year, with waiting times for the under-twos rising 60 percent in the past 15 years. 

It is also expected to identify declining immunisation rates and increases in children’s hospital admissions for eating disorders and ADHD medicines.

In the interview broadcast on Sunday morning on BBC One, Sir Keir said: ‘Everybody watching this who has used the NHS, or relatives have, know that it’s broken, they know that it’s broken, that is unforgivable, the state of our NHS.’

The Prime Minister claimed the health service’s problems stem from ‘the money that was taken out of the NHS, particularly in the early years of the coalition from 2010 onwards, the (Andrew) Lansley reforms, which were hopelessly misconceived. And then, of course, Covid on top of all that, which has put us in this awful position for the NHS.’

Sir Keir also held the previous government accountable for the NHS’s failings, as he has done with regard to the UK’s economic situation.

The Prime Minister added: ‘Our job now through Lord Darzi is properly understand how that came about and bring about the reforms, starting with the first steps, the 40,000 extra appointments.

‘But we’ve got to do the hard yards of reform as well. And as I say, I think it’s only a Labour Government that can do the reform that our NHS needs and we’ll start on that journey.’

Responding to the Prime Minister, shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said Labour had sought to ‘politicise children’s health rather than provide solutions and reform of our NHS.’

She added: ‘Labour knows that the Conservatives brought more doctors, more nurses, and more investment into the NHS, including in mental health services, as well as long-term funded plans to reform the NHS and expand the workforce.

‘We have always acknowledged that there are pressures, including the impact of social media on young minds, a growing reluctance in some parts of society to vaccinate children and an increase in diagnoses of ADHD. To find solutions to these issues requires serious and sober thinking, not headline-chasing.

‘Sadly, all Labour has done in health since the election is issue press releases, appoint cronies, and give a budget-busting pay rise to striking junior doctors, with no plans for reform.

‘I will work constructively with anyone who wants to improve our nation’s health; Labour should stop politicising our children’s health and the NHS if they are serious about reform.’

The previous 30 years have significantly decreased, mostly due to hiring personnel from other nations whose standards differ greatly from ours. Also, management staff across most areas are woefully lacking in skills, and most middle management work from home most days of the week and spend half their time in team meetings; meanwhile, the wards are in shambles.

A 22-Year-Old Mother Found A Mushroom On The Ceiling Of Her Own Home

After a massive 20-centimetre mushroom sprouted on their bathroom ceiling, a couple has taken to using face masks in their own house.

Bella Lavin, 22, has also taken her 12-month-old daughter and their cat to live with her mother because she thinks the mushroom is a Coprinopsis picacea, a dangerous fungus.

The mushroom’s growth is attributed by Bella, who also resides with her partner Jordan Burton, to a leak in the apartment above her Cross Heath, Newcastle-under-Lyme, house.

She claims that Aspire Housing’s prolonged removal of the mushroom has negatively affected her mental health and she is dissatisfied by this.

Bella said, ‘It was just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I was in floods of tears because I am visiting my daughter—she’s only one; she’s my first baby—and my disabled partner had been feeling ill, and I felt so hopeless. 

‘Aspire is letting people live in places where something like that can be allowed to grow. There are people worse off than me living with top-to-bottom black mould in their flats. It’s a crisis that no one is dealing with head-on.’

Bella added, ‘Since this situation occurred, I’ve been trying to get away as much as I can.

‘I went to visit my daughter and I started to cry as I went to come back because that’s my baby; I want to be able to live with her.

‘Because of this thing, I can’t be her mum, and it hurts me. She’s my baby, and she couldn’t come home.’

Bella and Jordan had waited seven months for the flat. But Bella says she will ‘demand a rehousing’ if the mushroom returns.

She added: ‘I want people to see that this is a reality. I felt like no one was listening to me. People were saying to me, “Why don’t you just rip it out and put bleach on”it?”—but it’s not that simple.’

Aspire Housing’s head of transformation, David Jones, said: ‘We are aware of an issue with damp in Ms Lavin’s home as a result of a leak and have taken steps to resolve this. 

‘Ms Lavin contacted us through our online portal to report a damp and mould issue, and a repair visit was scheduled.

‘Following a phone call to highlight further concerns, we escalated this to an urgent appointment and attended Ms Lavin’s home the next working day, carrying out initial mould treatment works the following day.

‘We have scheduled a further appointment to address any damage from the leak that was identified in the home above and then we will continue to support Ms Lavin until these issues are fully resolved.

‘We understand that problems with damp and mould can be very worrying, so we would encourage customers to report these issues as soon as they are identified. 

‘We are dedicated to providing safe, decent homes and want all our customers to feel at ease in their homes.’

No matter how well she cleans it, the persistent issue appears to be a result of a leak. In addition to creating health issues, the mould problem should also be investigated by the council to see whether there is a ventilation issue. Although the council does not think that this is their concern, they do have a duty of care.

Household sprays and bleach will not reach this kind of mould, and spores can emerge through cracks and holes. The leak is from the flat above. This woman could have dealt with part of the problem, but with a baby she needed the underlying cause fixed as well.

Perfume From Vaginal Discharge TikTok Trend

Doctors are warning against a new viral TikTok trend that sees single women use their vaginal discharge as perfume.

‘Vabbing’—which involves smearing fluid behind the ears and neck—was popularized by American TikTokker Mandy Lee, whose original video has racked up 1.5 million views.

Proponents claim it increases the chance of attracting men by spreading their pheromones—chemicals made by the body to attract mates in some animals. 

Physicians, however, caution that there is no proof that this phenomenon occurs in people and that there is a significant risk of vaginal infections, particularly thrush, associated with this tendency.

MailOnline was informed by London-based private gynaecologist Dr Paraskevi Dimitriadi that it may also result in issues with conception.

According to Dr Dimitriadi, bacteria on women’s fingers can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, a condition in which the germs travel from the cervix to higher organs.

This may cause the fallopian tubes to become scarred, which would make it more difficult for fertilised eggs to enter the womb.

Vabbing—a combination of the words ‘vagina’ and ‘dabbing’—was first used as a hashtag on TikTok in June.

Since then, videos with the slogan have received millions of views.

The act itself is not totally dangerous, according to Dr Dimitriadi of the Centre for Surgery, a private cosmetic surgery facility in Paddington.

But ‘the question is how you collect the discharge’.

She said, ‘If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge, you can not only potentially traumatise the tissue in your vagina but also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease. 

‘Dirty fingers could also cause bacterial vaginosis or thrush. 

‘If you have bacterial vaginosis or thrush, your discharge can be malodorous and will not help you attract a partner.’

Author and sex guru Shan Boodram developed the term “vabbing” in 2019 and claimed to have been using it for more than ten years to attract men.

‘I am certain that every single time I employ it, it makes me feel like an enchanted goddess with a delicious secret,’ she wrote in her book, The Game of Desire.

In June, a TikTok video featuring Mandy Lee rekindled the craze among younger viewers.

‘I swear if you vab, you will attract people, like a date, a one-night stand, or you’ll just get free drinks all night,’ she said in the video, which has since been deleted by the platform.

God help the next generation. Get ready for the next disease pandemic because this is a foul thing to do—it’s a waste product. Put it behind your ears and you’ll end up with infected ears. Put it anywhere that touches anything else and you have a disease event. What is wrong with people? Don’t they teach basic hygiene anymore?

A nasty culture has been spawned by social media.

What moron came up with this idea in the first place? More importantly, what group of troglodytes would do anything this repulsive and disgusting?

They now have a new perfume out; it’s called Eau de Pousse!

A Pensioner, 70, Worries About The Winter

A pensioner has said he is ‘scared for the winter’ because he can’t afford to put the heating on as Labour prepares to scrap the winter fuel allowance from millions.

Simon Moss, a 70-year-old retired customer service assistant, is facing a harsh winter ahead in his cold housing association bungalow.

He already limits his shopping to once a month and has given up alcohol, cigarettes, and holidays, as well as little indulgences like Sky TV. He also has two Universal Credit children, whom he makes every effort to support.

He is one of 11.8 million people in the UK who say they don’t have enough to live on, according to a new report from Christians Against Poverty.

They say their clients are typically £ 273 a month short of what they need to be able to cover their basics, such as food, energy bills, and rent.

Mr Moss, from Sunderland, said, ‘Life is a struggle; I never go out and hardly ever drink anymore.

‘I’m scared for the winter.’

Labour’s plans would see only pensioners on incomes low enough to receive pension credit getting winter fuel payments worth up to £300 this year, despite fears that many will be forced to choose between heating and eating. 

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the government would not ‘play fast and loose’ with the nation’s finances as she defended the decision to means test pensioners’ winter fuel payments.

She told BBC Breakfast: ‘We have to make sure that we can fiscally be responsible so that we can grow our economy so that we can pay for our public services.

‘And we said that in the run-up to the general election. What we didn’t realise is that absolute mess the Tories had left the… state of the finances, and we’re having to make difficult decisions.’

She said the government was taking action to support pensioners, with the household support fund extended to ‘help people who maybe are not entitled to pension credit, who are just above that threshold, who may struggle this winter’.

Protecting the state pension triple lock, which looks set to give an above-inflation rise in line with average earnings, also gives ‘some protection’, she said.

She acknowledged it was a ‘difficult choice’ but it was due to the ‘difficult circumstances because of the previous government and what they did’.

It is of little consolation to Mr Moss, who a few years ago found himself in a difficult financial situation and sought help from Christians Against Poverty (CAP).

With the assistance of his CAP Debt Centre Manager, he was able to go debt-free through a Debt Relief Order.

However, despite this relief, managing his finances remains a constant struggle.

People who have now retired have worked hard all their lives, and their entire weekly income is just over £200 a week. They qualify for pension credits, so they have to pay for everything, and now they are having their winter fuel payment taken from them. It’s okay for these politicians; they don’t have to worry about their winter fuel bills. Why? Because they are wealthy!

And don’t forget our government protects illegal immigrants and wraps them in cotton wool, but for those Brits that were born in the UK, well they can go and do one! What a warped world we live in.

How many asylum seekers will be cold this winter? It’s unbelievable what’s happening to our once great country – we look after everybody but our own. I bet all the immigrants will be nice, warm and toasty in their four-star hotels, with three square meals a day, but our pensioners go cold and hungry.

‘Path To Disaster’ Revealed In Grenfell Report

Grenfell Tower was turned into a deathtrap that claimed 72 lives due to ‘serious deficiencies’ in building standards, ‘dishonest’ manufacturers and a local authority with an ‘indifference’ to fire safety, a damning report has found.

Almost every organisation involved in the refurbishment and management of the 24-story, 120-apartment block in Kensington, west London, was found to shoulder some responsibility for the ‘decades of failure’ that contributed to the tragedy on June 14, 2017.

‘Unscrupulous’ manufacturers involved in the renovation of the 67-metre-tall tower a year earlier—including covering it in highly combustible cladding—were admonished for ‘systematic dishonesty’ and for ‘misleading customers’.

Architects demonstrated a ‘cavalier attitude’ to fire and safety regulations, while contractors and the cladding specialists did not properly concern themselves with the matter either. 

Grenfell United, which represents some of the families, said Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s findings made it clear their lawyers were correct to tell the inquiry that corporate bodies, such as Kingspan, Celotex, and Arconic, were ‘little better than crooks and killers’. 

Sir Martin, who today completed his 1,600-page inquiry report into failures in the build-up to the fire, said: ‘None of those involved in the design of the external wall or choice of materials acted in accordance with the standards of a reasonably competent person in their position.’

He said the fatal choice of combustible materials for the cladding of Grenfell Tower resulted ‘from a series of errors caused by the incompetence of the organisations and individuals involved in the refurbishment’.

But he also blamed the British Board of Agreement (BBA), the trade association, for its alleged incapacity to properly inspect construction materials used in the renovation before granting compliance certifications.

Sir Martin accused successive governments of an at-times ‘complacent and defensive’ attitude to safety, while the response to the tragedy from Theresa May’s own administration and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea local council in the immediate aftermath was ‘muddled, slow, indecisive, and piecemeal’.

Sir Martin said both the council, which owned the tower and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which ran it, showed a ‘persistent indifference to fire safety’, particularly that of its many vulnerable residents.

However, he saved some of his sharpest criticism for the people in charge of the renovation companies.

According to his initial investigation of the events of the fire night, the tower’s cladding panels violated building codes and deliberately contributed to the spread of the fire.

Building codes should be enforced by law, but they won’t be.

Those who are responsible should be brought to justice, and this should also impose a long prison sentence if they’re found guilty, and it should also be done as quickly as possible.

We will be told that lessons have been learnt, but they haven’t.

To have these public contracts approved, these large corporations lubricate the gears, and those tasked with making sure everything is in order merely turn a blind eye out of concern for the men who take them out to steak dinners at the golf course. For this reason, we need to follow the money.

High-rise flats are dangerous. Flats should only be four stories with lifts in them. Pull down all the high-rise flats and build new ones that have the highest building regulations. No cladding, just old-fashioned brick-built flats that can stand the test of time.

In my neighbourhood, there are apartments that are nearly completed. I asked one of the builders when they would finish. It says it all—he was unable to utter a word of English and needed someone to interpret for him. After that, he was clueless!

Doctor, Who Inspired The ITV Show Starring Joanne Froggatt, Reveals A&E Reality

A top palliative care doctor has revealed how she has to speak to dying patients on trollies without even a curtain for privacy as she lamented the ‘broken’ NHS.

Dr Rachel Clarke admitted she ‘can’t really exaggerate how grim and crisis-laden conditions are’ and described conditions in A&E wards in Britain as ‘Dickensian’.

Speaking to Andy Coulson on his Crisis What Crisis? podcast, the doctor from Didcot added that ‘crisis conditions are the norm now and it’s horrendous.’

The book Breathtaking, written by renowned physician Dr Clarke, exposed the reality of working on a Covid ward and was adapted into an ITV series starring Joanne Froggatt.

She also discussed the difficulties in providing palliative care, the misinformation about COVID-19 in particular, and the harassment that she and many other critical professionals encounter online.

Discussing the current state of palliative care in the NHS, Dr Clarke said: ‘You can’t really exaggerate how grim and crisis-laden conditions are.

‘You know, we all see the news headlines. I walk into the A&E handover in the morning and I see a team who look absolutely broken from the night shift.

‘There are ten ambulances queueing outside each with a patient, some of those patients are dying, they literally can’t even get into the hospital. There are patients in corridors on trollies.

‘I might have to have an end-of-life conversation with a patient on a trolley in a corridor who doesn’t even have a curtain around them. It’s horrific; it’s sort of Dickensian. This is how broken the NHS is at the moment.’

She said that such ‘crisis conditions’ are the ‘norm now and it’s horrendous’, adding: ‘So you roll up your sleeves and you go into this chaotic situation, and it feels like fire-fighting, often.

‘You really have to be on your best possible game as a doctor, because you have patients who are frightened, who are in extreme suffering, families who are distressed, and you have to go into that crisis situation and try and make a difference; do the best job you can.’

Dr Clarke said it was ‘unspeakable how bad conditions are’.

She continued: ‘I think if people in Britain—if the public knew that there were people suffering at the end of their life in this way—that was wholly avoidable, that we could fix if we changed the way we are managing the NHS and funding the NHS—they would want to do that immediately. You wouldn’t wish that on your worst enemy, let alone someone you loved.’

Dr Clarke also explained how she tries to control her emotions while dealing with tough situations, adding, ‘I allow myself to cry.

‘So at work, I will be hard as nails in the sense that my emotions don’t matter; the emotions of my patient and my family are what matters. So I will not indulge my emotions in a way that stops me doing a difficult job. I’ve got to do it as well as possible.’

She said that if she was ‘talking to a six-year-old about Mummy dying’, she would not allow her emotions to get in the way of the conversation ‘as well as I possibly can’.

But Dr Clarke continued, ‘Then I’ll go and have a cry with my members of my team. We all do that sometimes; we know that we need to look after each other.

‘And I don’t mind if I’ll sit in the staff car park and cry for a bit before driving home, because that’s human. That’s a natural reaction to the unavoidable suffering that’s a part of being a human being.’

She then spoke about new Health Secretary Wes Streeting and his statement that the ‘NHS is broken’ and needed ‘saving’, which was issued shortly after Labour won the General Election.

Dr Clarke said, ‘I was really delighted that he said that because it’s just empty pretence pretending otherwise. That doesn’t help anybody. The NHS is in crisis.’

She continued, ‘It has been for a very long time. And you know, there’s a very simple bottom line here, which is a country gets the health service it is willing to pay for.

‘And if you want a world-class health service, you pay for it one way or another. I favour general taxation; some people favour insurance, but you have to pay for it. And there isn’t really a shortcut.

‘I think at the moment the very fact that we as individuals are good at pretending the bolts from the blue are never going to happen to us. You know, “I know cancer is out there, but I’m never going to get cancer. I know that horrible car crashes are out there, but I’m never going to have a horrible car crash,” and suddenly need hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of NHS care.

‘The very fact that we are good at denying that truth is one of the things that is causing the NHS to fail.’

She also claimed that ‘shaming people because they smoke, they have a bad diet or they don’t exercise’ is not going to bring about healthier lifestyles.

Dr Clarke said, ‘In fact, it’s probably likely to make that individual worse because they won’t want to see a doctor or present if they’re only going to come away feeling shamed.

‘If you are wealthy enough to afford your five a day or your thirty different fruit and different vegetables a week, then you are more likely to have a healthy diet.

‘It is much, much cheaper to buy a McDonald’s and fill up yourself and your kids on tasty, delicious, and sort of nutrition-free McDonald’s than it is to buy expensive kind of guava and chia seeds, quinoa, whatever it is, your nice middle-class Waitrose supermarket basket, and spend two hours rustling up whatever those ingredients would make.

‘And if you’re time-poor, if you’re money-poor, if you’re working three jobs to make ends meet, how do you have time to go running and buy nice, healthy food?’

She said that improving the health of the nation needs to begin with tackling the root causes of problems, so ‘we need to go for the drinks industry, the food industry’.

Dr Clarke also discussed how the country has been moving on from the pandemic.

The NHS’s inefficient and dishonest administration is the issue. Millions and millions of pounds are being pumped into the NHS’s sticky fingers.

Since patients cannot leave the hospital without a care package and there are not enough carers to cover them, funding for social care is badly needed. Carers ought to be paid more since they work long hours and get little in return. Most people couldn’t handle the difficulty of the work, and I have so much respect for those who can.

The NHS seems to be in dire straits, yet money keeps getting pumped into it apparently, but it seems to make little difference. Hospital managers are getting far too much money, and the NHS needs a massive overhaul from the top because something needs to be done. After all, it can’t go on like this, but the more we complain, the more it gives our government a reason to say, “Well, that’s okay; if you don’t like it, we will make it private.”

We should ban tourists from coming here and getting free treatment because there are too many freeloaders in the UK who have never paid a day’s taxes in their lives but receive everything handed to them on a silver platter. If you decide to travel, be sure to purchase health insurance.

The number of individuals using services who shouldn’t even be here is causing problems for the NHS. The NHS wouldn’t be broken if they stopped giving immigrants and the rest of the world free treatment. British people in the UK don’t get free treatment in other countries, so why should they get it here? Soon our government will make it private health care, so what will non-British citizens do then? Will they go back home because it would cost them a fortune compared to other countries, especially when tax is added to treatment?

Reducing demand or raising supply is the answer. In the previous 30 years, the population of the UK has expanded by 10 million, yet despite this, hospitals and general practitioners have not been able to keep up, nor could they, and NHS funding has increased.

Instead of attempting to control and cure the entire globe, the NHS and the UK should concentrate on taking care of their own.

If a public body like the NHS is struggling, look at it this way: if your bath is overflowing, your first act would be to buy a bigger, more expensive bath. No, that is not the answer; turn off the tap, pull the plug, and let it empty. It’s a shame we can’t do that while they’re crossing the sea!

Putin, 71, Calls For Handover Of Anti-Ageing Research

Russian scientists have been ordered to hand over details of their latest research into anti-ageing remedies in a suspected bid to keep alive Vladimir Putin and his circle of Kremlin cronies.

According to one source, the proclamation came from the ‘biggest boss’ and led to officials scrambling to fulfil the 71-year-old dictator’s supposed instructions.

Putin has long had an interest in anti-ageing but there now appears a new urgency to seek ‘active longevity.’

Independent news sources Meduza and Sistema obtained a letter from his health ministry dated June that demanded the most recent advancements in reversing the biological clock.

According to the reports, renowned medical researchers are surprised by it.

A source said: ‘The biggest boss set a task, and officials rushed to implement it in every possible way.’

An informant revealed: ‘We were asked to urgently send all our developments, and the letter came, let’s say today, and everything had to be sent yesterday.

‘To be honest, this is the first time in my life that I have ever encountered such a thing—usually, any national project or FTP [Federal Target Program] is preceded by a series of meetings with the participation of various specialists, some kind of public discussion,’ explained a doctor from a national medical research centre.

Experts were told to submit ‘development proposals’ to reduce cell deterioration, said the report.

They were directed to emphasise novel technologies that prevent cognitive and sensory impairment, immune system correction techniques, and novel bio-printed medical technology.

The Russian dictator currently has the legal authority to stay in office until 2036 after an extension was voted through in 2020, which means he would remain in power until he is well into his 80s. 

Putin is famously surrounded by a ring of ageing cronies such as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, 74, FSB security service chief Alexander Bortnikov, 72, senior advisor Nikolai Patrushev, 73, SVR spy chief Sergey Naryshkin, 70 next month, and speaker of the Russian senate, Valentina Matviyenko, 75.

‘We received this paper, and frankly, I was shocked,’ said another indignant source.

‘The message itself puzzled me.

‘Well, of course, now we have no one to restore except these old stumps [elderly Russian politicians].

‘That is, right now [during the war], we have to drop everything.

‘This cynicism is even perplexing.’

A source close to the Kremlin said: ‘All the modern research discussed in the national project is quite expensive—it requires a lot of money and expenses.

‘Developing new drugs costs billions, not a single national project can handle that, especially now.’

Some see the hand of close Putin ally, Mikhail Kovalchuk, 77, head of the Kurchatov Institute, Russia’s leading nuclear institute, as being behind the initiative.

Though the media has been saying that Vladimir Putin doesn’t have much time left, he continues to survive despite everything thrown at him and is another international leader who gets away with doing as he pleases.

In addition to being disliked, he has embarrassed Russia and placed it on the worldwide defensive.

However, I see, as many others probably will, a high window and a long drop to his future, and I’m sure there will be many scientists out there thinking of a way to get rid of him.

I never know if the Russians are thick or smart because they’re great with technology and space exploration and bomb-making, et cetera, but then they, meaning Vladimir Putin, go on like a bunch of Neanderthals, but then we are all a delusional race, trying to extend our lives on this miserable planet.

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