Bed shortages

Historically, the NHS has always operated with too few surgeons, doctors, nurses, midwives and beds.: our own GP died after no cardiac bed was available, no cardiologist trained in the diagnosis of aortic distension algorithm

This is by design: good sensible government would fund sufficient resources, kept ready for use...
Treasury capped the number of medic training places, withdrew bursaries, did nothing to avoid staff leaving, disheartened…, hospitals were driven to sell land which could accommodate new wards, free car parking for nurses
Good accreditation hospitals are closed, merged or reduced-not enough training of GPs, surgeons
Independent Sector Treatment Centres do not train surgeons or GPS-they steal NHS trained staff

It is obvious that a system pared to the bone cannot deal with spikes in normal winter illnesses, or staff shortages due to stress, illness, toxic atmosphere or Covid

Compared to say Germany, the UK has far too few beds-with Foundation Trust Hospitals being run and controlled by Marketisers, pushing overwhelmed staff for quicker throughput, faster release to overwhelmed GPs and non existent Social Care sector

PrivateFinance Initiatives make the new hospital smaller, fewer doctors, nurses, midwives-and fewer beds

A good Secretary of State for Health

Is it too much to ever hope a future Minister for the NHS be suitable for the job- an independent thinker, not a banker or spad from another dept entirely,
-say even a qualified doctor (Dr David Owen was surely the last decent SOS Health-his father was a pre 1948 GP who joined to eliminate poverty stopping sick patients receiving good treatment, (Lansley deffo does not count!)
-maybe even a scientist (Merkel), epidemiologist, public health professor,
but no vocational, charismatic, powerful leader would ever touch politics with a barge pole-especially this shrink the state, lower taxes, (for Brexit...) and would never continue to work in a dysfunctional No 10, or in the equally dysfunctional Department for Health… stuffed with Marketisers, privatisers, "destroy the NHS…" ers
-even someone who likes the NHS- God forbid!

Johnny Mercer… a man of principle, not cowed by theWhips… who resigns if a promise is not kept...

Ambulance Trusts

Long waits for patients in pain are caused by difficulty handing in patients to A and E, too few trained ambulance staff, too few ambulances.

If an ambulance Trust is run like a business, compelled to make a prudent surplus by reducing costs (drivers, ambulances etc) results in a stretched service