Who should foot this bill?

[anotheoldgit]

To all those that supported the NHS charging parking fees for parking one's car at the hospital.

Do you now also support the translating costs to the NHS of �50m per year, or could this money be better spent?

If these services are necessary, why should the NHS foot the bill?

Perhaps they should be paid for from all the other called financial benefits that we are constantly told the UK derive from our immigrants?

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/78375 /Translating-costs-NHS-50m-a-year

[jno]

so what are you suggesting, that people who don't speak English should be refused treatment because they can't say what's wrong with them?

That's less than �1 a year from everyone. I think I can cope.

[Ethel]

How do you equate parking with translation services? The two are not connected in any way.

Good communication is vital in the treating of patients - which is the sole purpose of the NHS.
The NHS is not in the business of providing car parking.

[sqad617]

I agree with Ethel, but have a lot of sympathy with the comments of AOG

I am sure that Aneurin Bevin in 1948, didn't envisage a Muslim population of over 40% many not speaking a word of English and had this idea of NHS for the British.

[Rollo]

There are people with very strange views out there!

Scarey, or what?

[LazyGun]

A muslim population of over 40% in the UK sqad? Where is that figure from?

[Rollo]

So, are people only to get NHS services if they happen to have a certain religion?

Do muslims in the UK not pay taxes, and NI contributions?

[sqad617]

Lazygun....sorry 4%.....just got carried away.

[sqad617]

rollo...I am not saying that they shouldn't get treatment and many immigrants (foreigners) do NOT pay IT and NI.I only said that I "have a lot of sympathy with the comments of AOG"

"There are people with very strange views out there!

Scarey, or what?"

Just because you do not agree with these people, do not necesarily invaldate thier opinion.

[Rollo]

There are many white (possibly christian, possibly not) people in the UK who don't pay taxes or NI contributions too!

People who hold strange views are entitled to do so, and to express them, and I am entitled to call them "strange" or "scarey" if I think that's what they are.

[sqad617]

Rollo, I think that we may have got off on the wrong foot here, my fault entirely.

1) I said that I have �a lot of sympathy� with AOL, which is different from saying that I totally agree with him.
2) I gave �Muslims� an example of foreigners and realize my mistake in embracing a religious sect�..my apologies.
3) Yes you have every right to call the scary or strange���in my opinion, not helpful choice of words.
4) AOG was only pointing out that PERHAPS �50,million a year could be better spent in the NHS��.and it is that that I have a lot of sympathy for.
5) When you go to another country and can�t speak the language, it is indeed a problem for the Doctor and health care workers and perhaps you should take that into account before emigrating to the UK. I many parts of Spain, a doctor will not see you unless you take an interpreter or that you can express yourself in Spanish. You, must provide the interpreter, not the State.
6) This will be a disincentive for immigrants to learn the language after deciding to live in the UK.

All AOG was saying��perhaps this money could be better spent in this cash strapped NHS.

[China Doll]

A lot of NHS Trusts actually have a list of internal translators amongst the staff who can be called on to come and translate if necesasry. Also family members often translate for patients. It's a bit of a last resort amongst some hospitals to use the service unless it's a particulary sensitive piece of information they're giving or receiving.

It should also be pointed out that other languages that the translator service provides would include sign language for the deaf and those with neurological issues with their speech and language.

[bednobs]

i help run the translation service at my PCT. Our biggest outlay is for sign language, despite the fact it is not the most commonly asked for translation. Are you suggesting that deaf people should not find out whats going on with them health-wise

[sqad617]

China Doll...that I would support as being efiicient and worth while, but ANOTHER �50 million is questionable.

[eastern]

Whilst I do not want to get caught up in any race or PC issues "bednobs" answer made me think of the two astronauts that met to discuss how they solved problems during their two space races. The american said "we solved the problem of writing in zero gravity by developing the space pen at a cost of millions of dollars" what did you do? The Russian said "We used a pencil". No sign language there then!

[eyebrows]

i wish i could 'opt out' of the nhs.....id go private if i ever needed anything.....as it happens i have to pay most of teh time i go dentist of docs, so what do i pay �200 a month for?

[anotheoldgit]

sqad617

Thanks for your support, it can be quite hard work at times, trying to get some on AB to understand where one is coming from.

They had said that the car parking fees where very useful to the NHS budget, and I agree, it must be.

But then I was comparing the �50m per year taken out of the NHS budget for translation costs.

I then suggested that perhaps this cost could be taken from another Goverment pot, thus saving the NHS's stretched resources.

Told you it was hard work.

[China Doll]

The parking for most hospitals is privatised and not part of the income to the NHS.

[anotheoldgit]

China Doll

Doesn't the land belong to the NHS, and don't the private companies pay the NHS for the priviledge of conducting their business from it?

[China Doll]

Well at one hospital I worked in the University actually owned the land (an often disputed fact) so no, the hospital didn't get any money for it. The other thing is that staff have to pay to park as well so hospitals generally don't get much if anything from this. Hence why most of us want to see it gone.