There was at least a reasonable level of support available for vulnerable women under Labour. Now anyone who is not in a current position to contribute economically is treated like a parasite.

Labours New Deal was successful and let's not forget in 1997, large swathes of the country were still recovering from Thatchers hatchet job, which turned many communities into drug ridden, poverty stricken armpits in the first place!

As for immigration, those from EU are net contributors - yet despite their input, the public get nothing back from a greedy government, hell bent on pursuing the trickle down idealogy that results in boom/bust and doesn't work for the young or working classes.

Non EU immigration is a different matter though, but nothing to do with EU membership. The Tories have seen more immigration in the last 7 years than Labour did in 13.

I assume that you are being deliberately provocative, with your party political nonsense.
Of course there were issues previously and there will still be problems in the future, regardless of who wins the election.
However, the cuts that we've had over the last 7 years have hammered social services and had a massive impact on help for all types of "at risk" groups

Despite Mrs Mays commitment on mental health over the weekend, there is little help for anyone suffering with acute anxiety or depression and you just about have to be hospitalised before any treatment is given.
The root causes of problems just aren't deemed important enough to warrant treatment.

Blaming immigrants is just shocking, Nigel, you need to give your head a shake.
First of all, you need to look closer at the swingeing cuts in social care which we can all expect more of, over the next 5 years.
Of course, this isn't an issue and you can afford to go private

Ahh, well there we go. I'm alright Jack - screw everyone else. Tory voters are so predictable.

No one is calling for state of the art treatment for every minor ailment to be paid for by a magic money tree. But as a society we have an imperfect system and we can afford a bit more to help those who struggle within it.

Quote: Sal Paradise "Yes I can afford to go private because I consider my health important enough to makes sacrifices in other areas to pay for cover - maybe I should waste my money on beer and cigarettes an expect the state to sort me out? Nobody is blaming immigrants so you need to get off your high horse. What I am trying to point out is increasing pressure put on those services when the population is increasing at c500k a year. What is your solution where does all the extra finance come from so that everyone who has depression/anxiety gets state of the art treatment immediately on tap?'" Just climbing back on my high horse. You said "how many of the issues you quote have been worsened because of the numbers of immigrants flooding here from differing cultures" I suppose that you were just asking out of curiosity ?? Also you quote 500k immigration, without including those leaving the UK which halves your figure. The Tory government keep on telling us that there are more people in work than ever before and surely they will all be paying tax and NI and vat etc and they also said that immigrants make a net contribution to the UK economy. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/05 ... -ucl-study So, please, stop trotting out the Tory/Daily Mail propaganda by blaming immigrants for all of the country's woes, it's tiresome. By the way, congratulations on your private health insurance. It hasn't stopped you from being unable to see past the lies and deceit of the current government and it's friends in the media and really, you shouldn't judge people in need and tar them all with your blinkered right wing views. Of course, some may drink and smoke and contribute to their own situations but, many do not and if you could actually be bothered to see what is taking place, you MAY change your views, although, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Quote: Sal Paradise "Yes I can afford to go private because I consider my health important enough to makes sacrifices in other areas to pay for cover - maybe I should waste my money on beer and cigarettes an expect the state to sort me out? Nobody is blaming immigrants so you need to get off your high horse. What I am trying to point out is increasing pressure put on those services when the population is increasing at c500k a year. What is your solution where does all the extra finance come from so that everyone who has depression/anxiety gets state of the art treatment immediately on tap?'" Just climbing back on my high horse. You said "how many of the issues you quote have been worsened because of the numbers of immigrants flooding here from differing cultures" I suppose that you were just asking out of curiosity ?? Also you quote 500k immigration, without including those leaving the UK which halves your figure. The Tory government keep on telling us that there are more people in work than ever before and surely they will all be paying tax and NI and vat etc and they also said that immigrants make a net contribution to the UK economy. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/05 ... -ucl-study So, please, stop trotting out the Tory/Daily Mail propaganda by blaming immigrants for all of the country's woes, it's tiresome. By the way, congratulations on your private health insurance. It hasn't stopped you from being unable to see past the lies and deceit of the current government and it's friends in the media and really, you shouldn't judge people in need and tar them all with your blinkered right wing views. Of course, some may drink and smoke and contribute to their own situations but, many do not and if you could actually be bothered to see what is taking place, you MAY change your views, although, I wouldn't hold my breath.

It's a tad hypocritical to complain about people contracting disease through drinking and smoking when the consumption of processed foods and animal proteins over a medium to long period of time has been found to be as damaging as smoking in terms of causing stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and dietitians, but I bet most people don't consider that whist chelpimg about smokers and drinkers during their Sunday roast.
Like all public services, the NHS is being asked to provide a higher standard of service with less resources. Of course the standard of the service will drop, to blame immigrants is nonsense .

To answer your question NO.
Changes in population numbers should make zero difference on the provision of care for the those in need.
This assumes that we maintain levels of service based on said population.
You may have seen on the news over the weekend that the Tories are planning a further 10,000 mental health staff by 2020, which is good news.
However, you will also have seen that these numbers have reduced by 6600 since 2010.

Do you think that the 6600 fewer mental health staff will have had a positive or negative effect on the treatment of mental health over the 7 years that our "fair society" party have been in power.

Come back when you have thought is through properly

In 2010 the coalition inherited a massive financial hole and some funding cuts had to be made. Perhaps because the issues with mental health are not as tangible i.e. if you are having a heart attack it pretty obvious and the need for treatment immediate. Mental health issues are more subtle so perhaps they don't shout as loud?

So I can understand why mental health would be a poor relation to other clinical areas. We come back the point of how do fund NHS properly whereby the service they offer is representative of the demands put on it - what are its priorities?

I was myself very fortunate to received cognitive therapy for a problem I had been carrying for nearly 35 years so I am in awe of what mental health professionals can deliver. How a buzz in each hand can rearrange the electrical function of the most complex organism known to man is beyond my comprehension.

I would consider myself quite a compassionate individual but I am not blinded to the avoidable abuses that contribute to the pressures exerted on the NHS e.g. missed appointments, vists to A&E that are not appropriate etc.

We can agree I hope the current government is putting more funding into the NHS than any government before it.

Was your "care" on the NHS or through your privileged private health care ?
Also, you say that we have to agree that this government has put more funding into the NHS than any government before it ?
In actual cash, yest they have but, in real terms (allowing for inflation), no it hasn't and as a proportion of our GDP, its actually reducing.
Dont be fooled by promises of future spending, they don't always happen and with Mrs May calling an early election, all of those promises of spending by 2020 will be wiped clean and they will come up with some more empty promises.
The 10,000 "extra" mental health nurses will be an interesting test, although, having already butchered the service it shouldn't be hard to improve it, even if it's only a modest improvement.

We keep hearing about our "strong and stable" economy and how it's essential to pay for public services but, the truth is that our economy is fragile and the move out of the EU makes it massively unstable but, I know that you'll be alright so, don't worry about it, you can leave that to the poor and needy, after all, they have probably brought it upon themselves

Let's not forget that they've removed over 6,000 MH nurses - so a big chunk of their 'extra' 10,000 will only be replacing what we've already lost; and there has been a quiet admission that the 10,000 will be paid for by existing NHS funding - so no new money.

I mentioned this to our "friend" in an earlier post but, "he" has the opinion that those most in need are in that position because they drink and smoke and "he" probably thinks hat the increase in people using food banks are just greedy people wanting seconds.

The smoke and mirrors being used by the May government has been very effective and with Corbyn such a lame duck, she will increase her majority and squeeze the live (in some cases literally) out of some of those most in need.

For some of the fat cats in our society, the poor and needy are just a drain on resources and they couldn't give a toss about anyone but themselves.
A philosophy straight out of Thatcher's little blue book.

That's not true. The Health Sec on Marr on Sunday said there will be additional money made available above the £6.5 Billion set aside yearly for the NHS.