NHS / Bits On The Side

MORE NHS

Right, look I know I’ve been going on about this every single day for the last week, but its a subject quite close to my heart. If I had any problems with that heart it would be even closer. The NHS bill may get passed today. I’m honestly not sure to what extent, as after watching some of the Lords debate it appears that there are just as many Lords saying how disgusting the proposed changes are, as there are Lords who have a financial investment in a medical company that would benefit from privatisation.

NHS REFORMS D-DAY ARTICLE 

Yes, I’ve linked to the Mirror. That’s how bad things are. Even a paper that has a moral high ground lower than the Low End Theory being listened to in a pit, realises that what’s happening is bad for everyone. Sorry, not everyone. The rich, once again, escape unscathed. Even if they were scathed, I’m sure their private healthcare will sort those scathings out rather quickly at a high cost. So, look, I’m not going to harp on anymore about why the NHS are amazing – in fact Nathaniel Tapley did a blog that says it much better than I ever could:

NATHANIEL TAPLEY – SAVE THE NHS

Nor am I going to go through all the indiscretions in the bill that absolve Parliament of any blame or responsibility over what will happen. Instead, all I will rant about is my inability to understand the people that don’t see why this is wrong. I’m not talking about those who have financial interest in this reform going ahead. I have a feeling many of them can see why its wrong but much like the effects of the ring in Tolkien’s saga, their money possibilities have twisted them to a level of enjoying the schadenfraude of other’s suffering. Maybe. Even if it hasn’t, imagine it has. It just makes them more loathsome. The people I’m talking about are those who don’t seem to care or mind that it’s happening. This is the country’s healthcare system. If it goes to shit because of Andrew Lansley, we are going to suddenly find ourselves with a lot of people unable to afford to keep themselves alive due to medical costs. How is that remotely right? How can you put a price on life? Unless you’re a bounty hunter?

I honestly can’t get it round my head why someone wouldn’t just sign THIS or didn’t want to come on Sunday or even just doesn’t care at all what happens. Sure you can ignore youth services closing if you’re too young or old for that to be an issue, sure you evade any care about prison sentencing, libraries, education or social care if none of those things affect you in your little haven in a village somewhere. But even if every other area of cuts doesn’t have any inkling on your life in any way, then surely the NHS does? Surely you’ve needed healthcare at some point in your life and not even spared a thought for the costs of your anti-biotics/ intensive surgery/ defibrillator use? And it doesn’t bother you that next time that happens, if it happens and ill health happens to the best of us, you’d have to lay out your already debt ridden credit card before they even think about handing over the nebulizer?

If that really doesn’t bother you, if I’m accidentally blogging to invincible readers then I’m sorry. If not, then all you have to do is sign the petition I put above. That’s it. Sure it might not stop things but it puts wheels in motion to show people give a shit about staying alive. Hopefully this bill will only pass with severe examination and changes and prove that we can make a small difference. Then when the Tories attempt another go at really hurting the British people, we might have a bit more of a united front against it. Fingers crossed. Right that’s all my steam released. Releasing steam? Hmm. That’s not right. Maybe I should go see a doctor while I still can…..

 

BB BOTS

In opposition to everything I’ve written above, I’m going to be on Big Brother’s Bit On The Side tonight. Yes, I know beloved fans. One moment I’m doing a protest gig to save a national institution and the next I’m on 5* harping on about which bellend should be evicted from a bunch of bellends. I’m going from condemning big brother to supporting Big Brother. Amazing huh? To be fair, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m on with Shola Ama – remember her? She did that one song. You know that one about needing somebody? Needing somebody to buy her records? Yeah. No, she’s done nothing since – and that one from ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ who I expect to mop the floor with. Arf. I don’t. She seems nice.

I have no idea what I’ll be doing on it, but expect some banter from me about the exploits of all the housemates and I will attempt at some point to say that Anton ‘couldn’t intellectually defeat a cupcake’. I’m not sure why. I’d just like to say it. Keep your peepers peeled at 11pm on 5* for my fizzog. Ta.