[Politics] Health Inequalities

[dejavuatbtn]

The report is talking about the rapid mass withdrawal of public spending on benefits -- aka 'austerity' -- rather than the decline in NHS spending vis-a-vis growing demand.
And, contrary to the view you've stated, we will be able to fund the NHS if we want to. It's a political choice. It'll probably mean increasing the tax revenue somehow but, then again, that's also a political choice.

I think that was my point - we are responsible for putting the decision makers on spending into power.

 

[Billy the Fish]

If you're so interested in providing serious conversation, you're welcome to offer some. One place to start would be to offer an analysis of why life expectancy has stalled for the first time in about two centuries, and fallen into reverse for certain age groups. The author of the report seems pretty clear as to what are its reasons (if offered with caution).

The causes are obvious: there's a direct link with financial means and education. It's the same for all of society's problems. That link will always be there and to narrow the gap needs investment, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to look at the life expectancy graph and come to the conclusion that 10 years of austerity has had a detrimental effect.
Austerity happened because of the global financial crisis that Labour caused*, I personally think the Cameron government cut too deep and cutting things like Sure Start was ridiculous. There's always going to be a detrimental effect in times of financial or political turmoil, the fact that in general we have pretty poor education about diet in the UK compared to other European countries probably just adds kerosene to the fire. Can life expectancy keep increasing exponentially? If we're getting close to the top end of what modern medicine can achieve you might find that a natural plateau has been an aggravating factor toward the current numbers.

Going forward the rhetoric coming from the current government indicates they realise investment is needed, they've got 5 years to back it up. The opposition need to sort themselves out to hold Boris to account. The report suggests that local government have recognised the problem and are trying to do something about it.








*That's a joke!

 

[Hastings gull]

[tweet]1205478520224387072[/tweet]

And would it not have happened if it had not happened, but it might have happened but probably didn't happen.

 

[Machiavelli]

Non-NHS public spending has declined by over 25% over the last decade:

https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14721

Meanwhile, median wage levels have fallen since the start of the millennium. Let's see how Johnson gets on with his 'leveling up' which, in all likelihood, is just mystification.

 

[Lush]

Life expectancy has stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and even reversed for the most deprived women in society, according to a landmark review which shows the gap in health inequalities is yawning even wider than it did a decade ago, in large part due to the impact of cuts linked to the government’s austerity policies.

This sort of data makes it even more astonishing that a government packed with the architects and flag-wavers for austerity managed to make such electoral inroads into the very areas worst affected.

This is just a symptom of what will end up killing all of us, which is the relentless desire of the oligarchs/1%-ers/billionaires to have all the wealth and power for themselves at the expense of the rest of us.

They've bought the Tories through party funding and personal kickbacks and now we're all on the runaway train.

Part of the strategy is to ensure that their men - Johnson/Trump etc - are up against the most beatable candidates at election time. Witness the current and sudden 'enthusiasm' for Bernie Sanders in the USA (left wing and similar to Corbyn) Trump has a much better chance of beating him than most of the other Democrat candidates.

Then once their preferred opposition candidate is selected, it's about ruining the opposition's chances through Facebook ads/the media they own etc. and boom! Another four years of power, bringing in tax cuts for the wealthy and throwing out laws and policies that lose them money, but protect and care for us all.

I am not hopeful about the future.

 

[Hastings gull]

Hand on heart - did you read those stories first before you replied? Because your two replies are barely related to the thread subject, it's just another dig at the government.

Most of the replies are a generic dig at the government, nothing to do with the OP. You could start a thread saying "GDP is down 0.1% for the month" then transplant the replies to this thread and nobody would notice.

There must be factors involved other than a Tory government but nobody is interested in that. Like most political threads these days it's not a serious conversation, it's just the same people doing competitive Tory hating.

Exactly. the usual suspects are not really interested in getting to the truth, or any real balance -just desperately trying to fit everything into their one-sided narrative. Strange how on this thread, not one person has mentioned that declining levels of life-expectancy might just be due in part to record levels of obesity and associated illnesses, such as diabetes.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Exactly. the usual suspects are not really interested in getting to the truth, or any real balance -just desperately trying to fit everything into their one-sided narrative. Strange how on this thread, not one person has mentioned that declining levels of life-expectancy might just be due in part to record levels of obesity and associated illnesses, such as diabetes.

Go ahead and find us the figures.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/tran...eedomofinformationfoi/deathratesduetodiabetes

 

[nicko31]

I don't want to be too simplistic about this but you are what you eat.

A good start would be making Home Economics / Cookery / Food Tech or whatever you call it compulsory to GSCE level. Getting the nation cooking proper food from scratch, there's plenty of cheap healthy ingredients available, its not like the US where the only cheap food is junk (well not yet!!)

Yes there will be those on the breadline, but most are not. A family of 4 can live on £50 a week if you know what you're doing

 

[Lush]

I don't want to be too simplistic about this but you are what you eat.

A good start would be making Home Economics / Cookery / Food Tech or whatever you call it compulsory to GSCE level. Getting the nation cooking proper food from scratch, there's plenty of cheap healthy ingredients available, its not like the US where the only cheap food is junk (well not yet!!)

Yes there will be those on the breadline, but most are not. A family of 4 can live on £50 a week if you know what you're doing

I'd like to see education including essential life skills - how to cook, how to manage money, how to look after your health including your mental health etc. Even at the expense of more traditional subjects if time is short.

 

[nicko31]

I'd like to see education including essential life skills - how to cook, how to manage money, how to look after your health including your mental health etc. Even at the expense of more traditional subjects if time is short.

Completely agree, everyone needs this from top to the bottom of the class, rich or poor. The pay back would be massive.

My son has to do all 3 Sciences for GCSE, could easily only do two and have the Lifeskills subject instead

 

[portlock seagull]

A recent episode of Last Week Tonight featured an American woman who was forgoing insulin as she couldn't afford both that and her heart medication. The fact that citizens of the richest nation on Earth have to prioritise their vital organs is more than a Governmental failure; it's disgraceful.

Was she obese?

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Exactly. the usual suspects are not really interested in getting to the truth, or any real balance -just desperately trying to fit everything into their one-sided narrative. Strange how on this thread, not one person has mentioned that declining levels of life-expectancy might just be due in part to record levels of obesity and associated illnesses, such as diabetes.

Presumably because obese people would be all over them for fat shaming. Remember fat is the new normal.

 

[BBassic]

Completely agree, everyone needs this from top to the bottom of the class, rich or poor. The pay back would be massive.

My son has to do all 3 Sciences for GCSE, could easily only do two and have the Lifeskills subject instead

This is something me and my dad rage about quite often. It's off-topic so indulge me.

I think the education system is knackered. It's not geared to help people in life. It's geared to help schools meet exam quotas, pass rates, whatever you call them.

I had no idea about pensions or budgeting or savings or taxes or bloody politics even until I got out of school and found out on my own. Why do we not teach economics and politics at GCSE level? We tell 18 year olds "Go out and vote" without actually telling them what it means nor why it's so important. It's on the kid themselves or the parents. It's barmy to me, absolute madness. I spent a year in GCSE history (around 2001) learning about the f**king American West FFS. A YEAR! What use is that?!

If I was going to put my conspiracy theory tin-foil hat on I'd say we don't teach politics at an early age precisely to stop people from being informed. But that hat only goes on when I've had a skinful with my Dad.

And why do we say to 13 year old kids - pick your GCSEs based on what you, a thirteen year old, want to do for the rest of your life. I'm 35 now and I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life. We pigeonhole kids into picking subjects they think they'll need for a career they'll probably not end up doing when that time could be spent teaching them how to be a functioning adult.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

EDIT: Of course it's entirely possible in the near twenty years since I set foot in a classroom that they do now teach politics etc.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I don't want to be too simplistic about this but you are what you eat.

A good start would be making Home Economics / Cookery / Food Tech or whatever you call it compulsory to GSCE level. Getting the nation cooking proper food from scratch, there's plenty of cheap healthy ingredients available, its not like the US where the only cheap food is junk (well not yet!!)

Yes there will be those on the breadline, but most are not. A family of 4 can live on £50 a week if you know what you're doing

This is the sort of thing I meant in my serious post when I mentioned education. Compared to other European countries we have a really really bad relationship with food in this country and it won't change by itself. If you're poor in Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Portugal I bet most are able to knock up cheap fresh food rather than eating processed ready meals.

 

[Wardy's twin]

You may well be correct on Corbyn, but given our press is pretty massively right wing in the main, do you not think whoever Labour put up will be painted as unelectable, and the majority will believe it?

I think he was an easy target and did himself no favours with his handling of the antisemitism combined with his supposed friendship with Hamas. When asked direct questions he either squirmed away or refused to answer them when it was easier to just say yes e.g. the definition of antisemitism.

Whatever is/was the truth he was perceived to the wrong person and not electable by too many people.

I think others would have done better especially David Miliband but to some in the labour party he would be considered a closet/red tory and not a proper labour person. I support a centrist view so he would be fine for me.

 

[darkwolf666]

Life expectancy has stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and even reversed for the most deprived women in society, according to a landmark review which shows the gap in health inequalities is yawning even wider than it did a decade ago, in large part due to the impact of cuts linked to the government’s austerity policies.

This sort of data makes it even more astonishing that a government packed with the architects and flag-wavers for austerity managed to make such electoral inroads into the very areas worst affected.

That’s simple, the dead can’t vote...

 

[nicko31]

This is something me and my dad rage about quite often. It's off-topic so indulge me.

I think the education system is knackered. It's not geared to help people in life. It's geared to help schools meet exam quotas, pass rates, whatever you call them.

I had no idea about pensions or budgeting or savings or taxes or bloody politics even until I got out of school and found out on my own. Why do we not teach economics and politics at GCSE level? We tell 18 year olds "Go out and vote" without actually telling them what it means nor why it's so important. It's on the kid themselves or the parents. It's barmy to me, absolute madness. I spent a year in GCSE history (around 2001) learning about the f**king American West FFS. A YEAR! What use is that?!

If I was going to put my conspiracy theory tin-foil hat on I'd say we don't teach politics at an early age precisely to stop people from being informed. But that hat only goes on when I've had a skinful with my Dad.

And why do we say to 13 year old kids - pick your GCSEs based on what you, a thirteen year old, want to do for the rest of your life. I'm 35 now and I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life. We pigeonhole kids into picking subjects they think they'll need for a career they'll probably not end up doing when that time could be spent teaching them how to be a functioning adult.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

EDIT: Of course it's entirely possible in the near twenty years since I set foot in a classroom that they do now teach politics etc.

You make some good points, so much stuff isn't taught at school. Basic life skills we have all have...

 

[rigton70]

Ten years of Tory tyranny. Scumbags.

If Labour had left any money maybe the last 10 years would have been different.

 

[Bakero]

Definitely agree with the idea that all teenagers should have to study politics, philosophy, economics, and media. I've always found it interesting how media studies is demonised, often by those in the media. Why wouldn't we want the youth, and subsequently the population at large, to understand the (mis/dis)information they're bombarded with? To quote Talib Kweli, "the question is rhetorical, the answer is horrible."

 

[Bakero]

If Labour had left any money maybe the last 10 years would have been different.