General Chat

couldn't have put it better myself - a pompous know it all!!!

Yes, because the owners want to get rid of conductors, and expect the drivers to close the doors.
Personally, I think there is a Health & Safety issue.
What if the emergency cord is pulled?
On modern trains, the driver can communicate to hear what the problem is and whether he needs to do anything.
On older trains, the driver would have to stop the train, then gets out of the cab to see why the cord has been pulled, leaving an empty cab.
If someone needs first aid, does the driver then have to stabilise the passenger, before then getting into the cab, on older trains, re-setting the brakes (usually done by the guard) and heading for the nearest station?

I don't care what political party Rollo supports. He's rude, patronising, 'classist' and a misogynist who has an 'I'm all right Jack' attitude to others.
Political beliefs don't determine whether you're a nice person.

Edit: Maybe I misread your last point IPG - are you indicating that as he's a 'Socialist', and you assume I'm one, that I shouldn't disagree?
Just asking.

Isn't the problem with the trains in the south because the unions keep calling strikes?

P.S. I believe Rollo is a supporter of left handed politics and whilst he can appear annoying at times, he is also annoyingly correct most of the time!

Oh, I forgot, I'm a woman - must just accept what the (mainly) male (old boy's club) 'CEO's give us.

Oh yes, we can all see what a MARVELLOUS job Hunt, Johnson, Duncan Sh*tface et al have done to this country.
Well, they MUST have done, they' ex public schoolboys aren't they?

No doubt, they, like you, Rollo, rarely use public transport, have private health insurance and fork out for 'other' TV providers, and I expect their mummies and daddies use their Winter Fuel Allowance to by the odd bottle of plonk - far too difficult to means test it.
Meanwhile, we'll stop those disable scroungers in their tracks - how dare they still be living with a disability - cut their money.
'We' of course, will put our spare millions in offshore accounts so we can avoid tax, but still use the facilities.
It's called being out of touch with the average person. and not giving a shite if it doesn't affect you. Then when the 'rabble' object - just call them whingers.

Strange that condoms can be obtained free, yet sanitary protection is considered a luxury isn't it?

Mega whinge wot next? 8

Rollo 'states': "The English & Welsh just seem to have lost the capacity to do anything else but whinge whether it is the NHS, railways, EU, BBC and so on and on. In the land of OZ they are famed for it".

You're probably unaware that the NHS in some areas is now charging for essential services, such as check ups on the feet of diabetics.

I also don't suppose you've tried getting a train in the South lately.
The trains are ultimately run by a French company - Keolis. I say run - we provide the trains, various other companies are responsible for the track, so Keolis just takes the profit.
I was going to visit my daughter in Brighton a few weeks ago - it would have taken over 3 hours to get there. I notice it's now back to one and a half hours - but for weeks, the journey was over 3 hours - not good if you need the train for work - or even a day visit.
In the end my son in law drove my daughter and grand daughter up here.

As for the BBC - well since the Tories started 'taking an interest', programmes have, on the whole become dire. Personally, I like entertainment, not propaganda masked as 'reality' programmes, and cheap 'what road workers do', and such pap programmes.
I grew out of 'Public Information' programmes as soon as I left school and thought that was the end of it - but no. The BBC now feels a need to patronise, and charge a licence fee to show such cr*p.

I won't mention the EU as you are under the illusion you're the only person who voted to remain, as, apparently you seem to believe you, and only you, know about other countries.

The NHS continues to charge for serious RTA via insurance companies. There is a well established system, charges may continue for a long time with the same RTA until it is settled. The system is not remotely like that which might be created for other procedures and that also applies in the rest of the EU.

The Care Quality Commission does carry out unanounced inspection of NHS and private hospitals on a regular basis. Such inspections may not cover a whole site Staff, esp junior staff, would often not be aware that such an inspection had taken place.

As a % pf GDP the UK spends rather less than many other countries on health suh as France and a great deal less than the USA. The NHS is far from perfect and quite possibly a lot bigger than the capacity of modern management. Much the same accusations can be levelled at Railtrack and EDF France.

Nevertheless compared to other countries the NHS gives users a very good deal indeed. The English & Welsh just seem to have lost the capacity to do anything else but whinge whether it is the NHS, railways, EU, BBC and so on and on. In the land of OZ they are famed for it.

The NHS does (or did) charge for some hospital treatment. One of my sons was twice involved in RTAs as a child - hit by cars and both times we received a bill from the A&E dept. I believe it was standard practice to bill anyone involved in a RTA to be charged for treatment which is recoverable from driver's insurance. If this is still the practice, it shouldn't be too difficult to include charging non-UK citizens.

One way the NHS could save money would be by not announcing when inspections are to take place. At the moment hospitals are given notice of an inspection a long time before the event. At the hospital my daughter works in an enormous amount of money was spent on sprucing the hospital up in time for the inspection. This in a Trust that has a huge budget deficit. I worked in banking and the first indication that an inspection was to take place was when the doorbell went at five minutes after closing time.

Our pharmacists, by law, are the ones who watch over the drugs you are prescribed.

It's understandable ..................

Pharmacists have spent years learning their trade. A licensed pharmacist in Canada has at least a 4 year bachelor's pharmacy degree from one of 10 Canadian universities; then, has completed a national board examination through the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) (with the exception of Québec); has practical experience through an apprenticeship/internship program; and, has passed fluency exams in English or French.

A Pharmacy Technician has a 1 year training at a vocational college, hands out filled prescriptions to patients, can answer simple questions, fills prescriptions under the control of a pharmacist, does stock control, etc.


Doctors are lucky if they get a 6 week lecture course in pharmacy during their medical training. After that, most of their information comes courtesy of drug salesmen, reading, and short upgrading courses.

We cannot renew our prescriptions through a pharmacy or by phone. A doctor will give you a prescription for 1 year's supply ........ usually written as "(number needed for 3 months) renewable 3 times". Then we have to go to see the doctor to get another prescription.

The pharmacist checks for duplications, multiple prescriptions from different doctors, drug interactions, etc. The pharmacist also meets with you at regular intervals to go over your drug regimen and ensure that you know what drugs you are taking and why, and to see if any changes might be suggested to the doctor.

We have to pay the full cost of medications unless our annual income is below a certain level, or we have private Extended Health Insurance that will kick in after a certain annual deduction has been reached .............. ours kicks in after we have spent $1000.

Doctors do not write prescriptions for over-the-counter drugs ......... we have to pay full cost for those, and cannot claim them on any policies.

Pharmacists in Oz are now allowed to issue sick notes. Not sure of the process as I am now retired and have no need for such things.

That*s it Allan you can Ask pharmacist they are a lot more qualified now ours are very helpful & they wouldn't give anything if you are taking certain drugs .they always ask .even indigestion relief .when you over indulge ,

That's a good point Barbra.

Years ago a Consultant advised me to go on Aspirin and gave me a script for it. When I got to the Chemists staff were horrified and said that the script would cost over $30.00. I could get the same thing over the counter for (back then) $2.50.

Ever since I've bought my supply over the counter. My GP is aware that I take Aspirin

When you look at some prescription items .they can be bought over the counter .a lot cheaper than a prescription item .I should get paracetamol .but buy my own ..the only thing I would say .ask the pharmacist if what you buy affects your scripts .& it should save money for NHS, .come on its not a lot to ask .make sure you only ask for what you need & don't stock pile meds .it does happen .Barbra

Brian does make a good point though.

"all other medication from antibiotics to skin cream to toothpaste to laxatives to cough medicine is also free"

not just the medication needed to treat the thyroid condition.

Brian,
If you look at the list of prescription exemptions, you may notice that it includes any endocrine condition.
Hypo or hyper thyroid can lead to other illnesses or health complaints which is why prescriptions are free.

We live in Scotland where all prescriptions are free anyway.
Daughter and her new husband between them receive treatment and medication for 3 of the conditions on that list although both keep in good health and rarely require other prescriptions

After treatment for hyperthyroidism, my daughter no longer has a working thyroid
= Levothyroxine for life.
She also has type1 diabetes
.= Insulin for life
( both caused by auto immune system)
Her husband has Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia or CAH
= Cortisole and steroids for life

They don't have children yet but, CAH is inherited and the others are familial

A visit to a GP costs $75.00 (in WA, I'm not sure about the rest of Oz but feel that it may be the same) of which $35.00 approximately is refunded to the patient via Medicare.

Some GP's, but not many, will bulk bill patients which means that the patient pays nothing.

Most GP's do bulk bill children and also concession card holders (aged pensioners, low income health care card holders etc.)

Prescriptions can cost up to $38.00 per item or $6.20 for concession card holders. There is a 'Safety Net' for prescriptions:

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/pharmaceutical-benefits-scheme-pbs-safety-net

Treatment at Public Hospitals is free. The effect of this, given the high cost of seeing a GP is that many people take themselves to the A $ E dept. of the hospitals for conditions easily diagnosed and treated by GPs, thus clogging the public hospital system.

However, as with all Conservative Governments everywhere, there is, in my opinion, a move to privatise the healthcare system in its entirety.

fair point Brian

Agreed, Joy.
But it shouldn't be beyond the whit of mankind to devise a system for the exemption to be specific to the life-threatening conditions and not a blanket exemption.
My B-i-l has one thyroxine tablet per day but all other medication from antibiotics to skin cream to toothpaste to laxatives to cough medicine is also free. Why?

Brian
People with life threatening illnesses such as thyroid problems cancer Kidneys problems and diabetics
get their prescriptions free

They could die without their medication

"The NHS was never set up for direct payment by users and does not have any real capacity in its system to make such charges. "

It wasn't envisaged that such expensive treatments would become available, or that people would travel from abroad to get treatment for 'free at the point of delivery'. Even tourists who become ill while in this country fall into that catagory. One person said it was set up to deliver first aid, not for elective surgery. That would include hip and knee replacements.

Just because it was never set up to take payments, there's no reason why it shouldn't change.
"But we've always done it that way" isn't acceptable in industry, and shouldn't be in the NHS.
Take a leaf out the private health care providers and adopt their charging policy.

Band Aid costs £X
Plaster of Paris costs £Y etc
Operating theatre time £Z etc etc.

Produce an NI or NHS number, EU reciprical medical card or medical travel insurance and you'll get the full NHS treatment. If you've none, you'll be temporarily patched up so that you are 'fit to travel' and sent on your way. The Bill will be sent to your Embassy or used to balance off the costs occured by UK citizens n their country of origin.

Loads of people are looking for volunteering opportunites - there's bound to be some would be willing to fill an administrative rota.