Drakeford and Welsh NHS

[Pentyrchjack]

He thinks we have too many hospitals and too many beds....Doesn't the lad ever go to A&E or watch the news?

Wales has too many hospitals, says Mark Drakeford

Former first minister tells podcast Wales has too many hospitals and too many beds.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jack_lord]

I am lost for words on this one.

 

[cmajack]

I am lost for words on this one.

Prick of the highest order.

 

[Cooperman]

He may well be correct, but without the badly needed reform that’s required in the NHS, we are unlikely to find out.

 

[rockinj]

They really really really need to go. But this Wales so there’s still a strong chance that they’ll get in.

Please vote someone else. There must be someone you can vote for eg left wing vote green. Centre Lib Dem’s.

Wales can’t go on like this.

 

[rockinj]

I do wonder whether the Welsh NHS will need to be renationalised to Westminster within 10 years. Another 5 years of no reform and I think we’re done.

 

[Neath_Jack]

He may well be correct, but without the badly needed reform that’s required in the NHS, we are unlikely to find out.

That’s where I am with what he said. There probably are more than enough, if the NHS was run properly.

As the temperamental poster says further up though, don’t give them your vote in 2026, give it to Plaid, the only party that truly cares about Wales and not their paymasters in Westminster. Listen to Rhun speak, head and shoulders above any other Welsh politician.

 

[jack_lord]

Some of the facts just don't add up.
There are something like 270 hospital beds per 100,000 in Wales and 170 per 100,000 in England yet there are longer waiting lists in Wales.
There are 19 nurses in England for every one in Wales even though England has a population of 18 times that of Wales so England has more nurses per head.
Wales as considerably less doctors than in England also with a lower number of GPs per capita compared to England meaning there are proportionally fewer doctors in Wales than in England.
So we have more hospitals and beds per capita than England but less medical staff.
If you don't have equitable staff than you are probably going to see less patients I guess, no matter how many hospital beds there are.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

It’s a decent point, clumsily put and badly reported.

 

[MajorR]

He is right that most contacts are in Primary Care, but that’s a very simplistic way of looking at it things. It’s clear that many beds in hospital are taken by people who don’t need to be there, but as care in the community is really poor and there is nowhere for patients to be discharged to what does he expect? Carers get a poor deal and often, with house prices as they are, 2 incomes are required to buy and run a house etc and lots of families struggle to support elderly and unwell family.

Maybe, if care was resourced properly we’d see less bed blocking and with advances in technology more day surgery etc etc and less stays in hospital, he’s failed to mention the lack of scanners etc etc which also slows down patient diagnosis etc. Resourcing care properly is years away.


Too many hospitals, if we were a densely populated area like London maybe, but we aren’t, our population is spread over a huge area and it doesn’t start and end in Cardiff.

I wonder if he thinks we’ve got too many politicians or too many local authorities?

Drakers just needs to retire and @@@@ off.

 

[monmouth]

He is, of course, and as usual, absolutely right in principle. Good for him in trying to shake up the complacent debate. I wish his lot in Westminster would do that on Brexshit. The first thing to do though, is abolish free prescriptions if we still do that. It’s a lovely idea but the scarce money can be spent better. Oh and have fewer politicians on lower expenses, not more on higher.

I’d love to see a Plaid government, but won’t make a smidgeon of difference to the NHS in Wales. Unless they raise income tax in Wales, and God help them then.

 

[Itchysphincter]

It’s a decent point, clumsily put and badly reported.

He’ll probably be looked back upon as revolutionary but he seems to have a mental notch for rubbing people up the wrong way. Instead of blurting out what he believes to be correct in interviews he needs to prime people and present his case in a coherent manner. I read the article and he may have a point but there’s no substance to back it up and it just riles people up.

 

[rockinj]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of his “view” the fella has been in pretty much the whole time and was the bloody leader for years.

There just seems such a depressing lack of vision it’s all about keeping the lights on.

How about having dreams of a world class health service. Just getting by seems to be the mantra of the WAG.

Plaid are probably the only realistic alternative but they've been right in the thick of it for years. I’d happily see them replace Labour but the chances are things will change very little and it’ll just be more “we need more money” just with a bit more vigour maybe.

Wales is in deep trouble though if we carry on on the same path. Maybe it’s too late. Hate saying that but I’ve been warning about this for years and predictably called a Tory boy for saying so.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

He’ll probably be looked back upon as revolutionary but he seems to have a mental notch for rubbing people up the wrong way. Instead of blurting out what he believes to be correct in interviews he needs to prime people and present his case in a coherent manner. I read the article and he may have a point but there’s no substance to back it up and it just riles people up.

Fully agree.

 

[Cooperman]

That’s where I am with what he said. There probably are more than enough, if the NHS was run properly.

As the temperamental poster says further up though, don’t give them your vote in 2026, give it to Plaid, the only party that truly cares about Wales and not their paymasters in Westminster. Listen to Rhun speak, head and shoulders above any other Welsh politician.

Hear hear!