Boris along with a new invigorated one nation government backed by 365 conservative MPS, one for each day of the year, are preparing to put in place the mechanisations required to get things done, including Brexit.
Acres of columns across the media and ‘expert’ views on the airwaves, are stacked with ‘advice’ as to how the Prime Minister should go about the task of putting in place ministers, policies and funding across the board.
All of this fills the pages and broadcasts with no doubt well-meaning if not biased opinions, but we can be sure that Boris already has in place a blueprint for taking the country forward into this new decade.
He has been thinking and most probably dreaming about such a scenario for years, although possibly never really expecting it to happen. However, with his clear vision, charisma and ability to pick up the mood of the nation, thus getting the country behind him, he is already prepared to pick up the baton of opportunity. He has on his team a very professional squad of advisers, experts and hardworking action men and women.
His now loyal MPs will support his premiership and ensure his programme and policies are conveyed to their constituencies and beyond, and more importantly that we the public are listened to and our opinions and concerns are reported back to No 10 Downing Street.
Alongside Brexit the NHS was high on Boris’s list of priorities during the election. Not only will his team ensure that extra funds are targeted as promised in the right direction, but even more importantly they will ensure the money is spent wisely and hopefully also staunch the flow of waste so prevalent across all sections of the NHS.
We the public have an important role to play in supporting our hospitals and emergency services including the ambulance service. As Ron Attley said recently, “The NHS has been in trouble for a long time because it simply cannot sustain the level of use. You want to save the NHS? Then educate yourselves, stop going to the GP for stupid reasons, stay out if A + E unless it’s an actual emergency. Start taking responsibility for your health and your families. Don’t drink or take drugs to such an extent that your organs fail, and stop eating so much that you become a health hazard. I’m not saying everyone needs to become a doctor, just be a little less ignorant. Start paying for medication like paracetamol and Ibuprofen instead of just having it for free because you can.”
This heart felt plea has been endorsed and shared by thousands who work in A + E and across the NHS. When you consider that 35% of 999 calls requesting an ambulance are actually non urgent and result in non-conveyance to hospital, this demonstrates how the public are lazy at best and at worst abusing the system.
Ambulance crews regularly attend 10 calls each day, only one or two at most warrant their attendance. What a waste of resources and time for these highly trained invaluable paramedics. We should visit our GPs or pharmacies and free up the ambulance service to deal with real emergencies.
Increasingly there are out of hours medical consultants who can give advice over the telephone or who will make home visits. It is time the public who are too used to calling for a home delivery of pizza as they sit watching TV rather than cooking a cheaper and healthier meal, stop treating the NHS as their free personal health service and denying genuinely sick people the service they need.
I wish all WSG readers a very Happy and more prosperous New Year.