Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Benefit cuts (sanctions) are driving folk to suicide :(

MPs report: Benefits cuts driving poverty-stricken people to suicide - Mirror Online

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Scum,vermin,Drug dealers, criminals, work shy (deleted)......That's right the new season of benefit street has started.
Do these folk really find any excuse to avoid having to work or are they just being portrayed that way?

I'm not sure how many of you watched it but one guy in particular fitted the above description to a T.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

This is toxic TV.
It is not entertainment.
It is like taking a trip to Bedlam to watch the inmates.
I won't be watching it...It is cheap TV which hopes to set people against each other.
The producers look for the biggest wastrels and the stereotypical 'scrounged' for effect.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

You don't have to watch it, just as you can choose not to mix with such folk.
Surely though it's a reflection of our society that education hasn't reached these people? Who would choose to live like this?

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I'm not one to fall for the divide and conquer propaganda either M,but as Less pointed out it has to be a reflection of our society that these sort of folk exist....


.....Looks like the police have been looking at the tool I mentioned earlier:-

Benefits Street: Police to examine drugs scenes as controversial show returns for second series - Mirror Online

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Those who live like this do not want to have to get up and out to earn a living.
They (the producers would have us believe) prefer to live off the earnings of others....or steal to get by....that seems to be all the education that is needed.

It is really about self esteem and worth.

And you cannot choose not to mix with these people... They are out and about every day in town.
Choosing not to socialise with these people is something else.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Of course you can choose not to mix with these folk. If they sit next to you just move away if you find yourself in an establishment that only seems to cater for such folk don't use the place. I admit it would be better that these people treated us all as if we should be welcome in the places they occupy but it's not going to happen, they were brought up ignorantly selfish and will remain that way.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I don't go many places where I sit next to folk......on the bus I am with my other half.....I sit with him.
I would not go into places frequented by these people.
I don't go out much...That is one of the things about elderly people(of which I am one)we go out to shop....We go home and we lock the door.
As you get older your social world shrinks.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Can you believe the NHS spends 116m on junk food?

Just think what life saving operations etc 116m could buy...welcome to benefits Britain 2015 folks :rolleyes:


NHS spent £116m on gluten-free pizza, cakes and biscuits - Telegraph

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

This story is a non starter. People who have coeliac disease who require these prescriptions rarely eat junk food.....because most junk food is not gluten free.
An occasional treat of a donut, a pizza or a biscuit is something which really IS a treat for them because they cannot eat foods which contain gluten.

I know that there are some gluten free products in supermarkets, but these are usually at prices far higher than normal non gluten free products.

There is much trash written about the obesity crisis..Lazy journalism most of it.
Coeliac sufferers are rarely(if ever)obese....their diet is much healthier because it contains no wheat.....most processed foods contains wheat or wheat derivatives( maltodextrin,complex starch, thickeners )
Being coeliac or even gluten intolerant is no pleasure at all.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

They don't get free pizza - pizza bases, yes, cakes, no, biscuits & crackers yes, breakfast cereals, bread, flour, yes. We pay a much higher price for many food items than standard items e.g. Cornflakes almost double, Madeira cake, more than double, and the list goes on and on.
Coeliac is not a disease that is brought on by over indulgence of junk food, alcohol or the use of illegal substances, perhaps you have more experience in those areas. It is a medically diagnosed auto-immune disease and is incurable and can only be controlled through sticking rigidly to a wheat/gluten free diet - and that even applies to things like malt vinegar, chip shop chips, normal beer amongst many other things.
You, who have obviously no idea of what you are talking about - as usual, should do a some research before pasting sensationalist leads from various newspapers.
There are a number of diseases/conditions which arise due to the inability of people afflicted to control their urges, be it drugs, inappropriate diets, sex, failure to take preventative medication - however that does not apply to everyone with any of those diseases/conditions - I do not question the right of those afflicted to receive medical care - and neither should you.
You should also be aware that Coeliac disease can manifest itself at any time of life and you will not be aware that you are susceptible to it until you do - good luck if it does happen to you.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

"pizza bases, yes, biscuits & crackers yes, breakfast cereals, bread, flour"

It is possible to survive healthily without eating any of these.
Rice cakes are a reasonable substitute for crackers.
I never eat pizza, biscuits or breakfast cereals (other than porridge- no gluten there)
I do nibble a few bread sticks (grissini) now and again but I don't ever buy bread or flour.
I am not coeliac but have noticed that those gluten items cause my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) to flare up so I avoid them.
I say that avoidance. rather than the NHS substitution of these foods, is a perfectly reasonable option.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Margaret, there is a huge difference between your choice to avoid the foods that cause your IBS to flare up and coeliac disease.
And yes it is possible to substitute other foods, but it is not an easy way to live.
Many pre prepared foods have substances in them which are derived from wheat, or could be contaminated by wheat products.
And while you may not mind having porridge and rice cake I stead of bread and cornflakes, others may not enjoy such foods.
I hate anything which has oats in it and although I don't mind rice cakes.....it is not a pleasurable way to live when you have to scrutinise all labels for suspect ingredients because if you eat them they make you ill.
I would prefer my taxes to be used for people who need this help, than being given to drug addicts or alcoholics.....now that may be very un PC but I am being totally honest.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Porridge? - made from oats and therefore contain gluten as do bread sticks, as you are not a Coeliac you should refrain from pontificating on the subject - you choose your way of life, don't attempt to inflict it upon others.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Marion (littlepom), says thank you for your understanding and support:)

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Evening Enoch....What can i say,you kinda missed my point (as usual) :rolleyes:

Point being, some of these patients are helping to bleed our country dry and that money could be better spent on folk who need it.


"The NHS has been accused of spending nearly £116 million on gluten-free food in one year, including biscuits, doughnuts, pizzas and burger mixes.

The health service wrote 211,200 prescriptions for low protein or gluten-free food last year, according to figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The figure, twice as much as a decade ago, does not even include handling fees, while can reach up to £40 per order, the Daily Mail reported.

Gluten-free food is currently prescribed to coeliac sufferers at the discretion of doctors, but includes items many would consider junk food such as jelly, cake mix and a variety of biscuits.

One GP called the measures "irresponsible", claiming some patients were providing a "shopping list" to feed their whole families."

Now, if this trash is to be believed, 'some patients' are getting their shopping for free on prescription and feeding their families.One woman was even getting flour 'in bulk' and running a cake business.
Obviously,I can understand a limited amount of benefits to help people with allergies etc (I don't have a issue with that) But when the NHS is dishing out flour 'in bulk' so much that she can set up a cake business and make money through it....i think thats taking the mick....hence "welcome to benefits Britain 2015"

I kid myself believing the NHS run by good folk who care when in fact its run by businessmen and their underdogs who know sod all about real care.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

These people have a genuine need...they are not bleeding the NHS dry.
If someone is getting enough of the flour to set up a cake business then that is the fault of the prescriber and I am pretty sure that this would be spotted and looked into.
Since when has Jelly been junk food...and if you are coeliac then you do not eat pizza, buns or any of these products on the same basis as you or I would because you have to make them yourself...this involves planning and effort...unlike going into Greggs for a donut or a sausage roll.

As I said in a previous post those unfortunate people who are afflicted with coeliac disease are not fuelling the obesity crisis......in all my career(which spanned 30 years) i never saw an overweight coeliac patient.
Again Jason you are making a thread out of a contentious headline that if looked at properly would warrant no interest at all.

It would be better to complain about those who misuse other NHS services...drug addicts, alcoholics and those who get treatment free when they should be paying for it...and skip the country before they can be made to pay.

The patients who need low protein supplements need them because they are probably suffering from kidney problems...maybe even waiting kidney transplant

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Reminds Reminds me of the owd saying " Yeh can't see the wood fer the trees" Planks are wood as i recall.;)

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Perhaps our resident cretin has forgotten that there is a charge for prescription items - around £8.00 for each item - unless you are over 60, receiving certain benefits or are under 16.
Jellies are not on the list, nor are doughnuts, but who would pay £8.00 for a jelly, bread certainly is and is far more expensive - you can see it in Tesco at over 3 times the cost of a Warburton's Toastie, the problem with getting bread on prescription is that the supplier will only supply 8 loafs, they don't have a long Use By Date and so one needs another freezer for them. Flour is supplied in 1 kg bags, not particularly good so we buy from Lakeland, not cheap but better quality. If people are in fact getting enough flour to set up a bakery business then the fault lies with the GP who has obviously over prescribed.
A discrete preparation area must be kept clear of contamination - even one crumb can precipitate an incident - I wouldn't wish one of those even on you.
You yourself admit that this whole story is trash - if that is your belief then why promulgate it?
I bought a GF Madeira Cake at the weekend - 450gm £3.00, jellies were standard price - Rowntree Jellies are naturally gluten free, and the strawberries & blueberries were from the market.
Perhaps you should watch BBC Breakfast at 0740 tomorrow when the CEO of the Coeliac Society will respond to the newspaper stories.

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The "resident cretin" has had his whinge and is having a better day....


...The resident "troll" however would like to add that nowadays most supermarket chains offer a good variety of 'reasonably priced' gluten-free products.
Perhaps,years ago,when gluten-free food was difficult and expensive to source, coeliac patients could expect to receive a prescription for certain foodstuffs. Now, with increased availability and much lower costs it seems appropriate to reduce the number of gluten-free prescription units available and weed out those who are taking the NHS for a ride.
This reflects the 'facts' that gluten-free products are now widely available and that limited NHS resources must be used prudently.
It also reflects the 'fact' that a coeliac patient can enjoy a well-balanced diet and replace bread and pasta with other naturally gluten-free products such as potatoes, rice and some noodles.
For more info on what you can and can't eat please visit:-
List of Foods That Contain Gluten

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

If you take a lot of medication anyway you would be better off with a pre payment certificate and then anything extra will be free including the food mentioned

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

It is still the case that gluten free foods are much more expensive than the non gluten free ones...this is for bread which is a basic staple.
Many other processed foods also contain hidden gluten...so you have to be a very accomplished label reader.

Many coeliacs buy their own flour and make their own bread....but as I said before this takes tie effort and planning...coeliacs cannot walk into Greggs and buy the fast junk food that this story would have us believe is being provided for all and sundry on prescription...and yes it needs a prescription...and a prescription needs a doctor to complete and sign it...so if there is a fault it is with the prescriber...who is a doctor.

I have a friend who has recently been diagnosed as coeliac and she is having to rearrange her whole life...her family are all going to be having wheat free food(paid for by her...not prescribed) as she is worried that should they consume something which has wheat in it and it contaminates a surface or area, then she will be very ill again.
Being coeliac is not pleasant for the sufferer or the family

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Yeh can't educate a plank Margaret,:rolleyes: futile.;)

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

If the resident troll/cretin is going to filch stuff from the internet in a vain attempt to prove his tabloid frenzied point of view....maybe, just maybe..he should have read the whole article which was showing that there had been a reduction in the prescribed monthly units in that area..

WSCCG promotes changes to gluten-free prescription units - NHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning GroupNHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Sorry G,I forgot mention they are the words of a 'chief pharmacist' for the NHS at West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group,thanks for highlighting the fact :rolleyes:.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

You are most welcome..did you happen to read where that 'chief pharmacist' pointed out that the prescriptions had been reduced....didn't see much evidence of people opening cake shops or filling their shopping trolleys..did you? :rolleyes:

I’ll also highlight that once again rags like the Daily Mail and Tory lovin’ Telegraph spout ‘leaked’ figures from tame Harley Street practitioners blaming the NHS and the ill, sick and disabled for all this nations financial problems….£116 million aint even a drop in the ocean to the amount of tax that some tory supporting companies owe this country.

And sheep like you, jump up and down, wave your arms and dance to the tune of this type of government spin and half truth, without even realising that you are being led to the abbatoir.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Oh how i wish!!:D

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

If you read the Daily Telegraph article right to the end, you will see that there is a correction to this story.
The NHS do not spend £116 million on gluten free dietary supplements.....that is the entire cost of dietary supplement...These will include those nourishing drinks for patients who cannot eat normal food due to debilitating long term illness(cancer, Crohn's Disease....those patients who have motor neurone disease and cannot swallow and are fed through a hole in their abdominal wall.....it will also include patients who have other neurological conditions which affect their ability to swallow)....but I guess that this does not suit the purpose of your post Jason...to,demonise those who have a medical,condition over which they have no control, have played no part in(unlike alcoholics and drug addicts).....but you would wish this support(where it is accepted.....many coeliacs do not ask for prescribed foods) to be withdrawn.....remove from these people the rare chance to have a biscuit with their cup of tea. How very mean spirited this is.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

As a non sufferer,It would be easy for me to say it's time those with this disease put on their big boy pants and cut the offending foods out of their diet but I do have a little empathy.
Im also fully aware there are many ways the NHS could save money,like you say,drug users (smokers and alcoholics included) who feel it's acceptable to abuse their body's then turn to the NHS to sort their (self inflicted) problems out, I agree, this too could and should be trimmed.

Maybe its just me being ignorant that I don't see how this 'food' is classed as a (tax funded) medicine or how difficult it is sticking to a strict diet.
Fact is,free stuff usually encourages not only waste but folk to take the Michael and I'm not happy paying for folk who take the p1ss which in turn caused me to post the article....perhaps (like G kindly pointed out) I'm just a "sheep" :D

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

well Jason, I suggest that as you do not know how hard it is to stick to this type of diet...you should go away and research all the things that wheat finds its way into......you will find that many products have wheat in them and for coeliacs it is important that the food they are going to consume is made in an environment which has no possibility of having been contaminated by anything which had wheat in it or come into contact with wheat.
I would also suggest that you try to stick to this diet for something like...well, how about a month? See if you find it easy....see if you get fat off eating wheat free donuts, cakes and pizza.

It is definitely not a case of the sufferers putting on their big boy pants as you put it.
If they want a biscuit(something you perhaps enjoy and take for granted) they have to a) bake it themselves.
b) buy it at exorbitant cost from a supermarket
c) hope they can get a packet of wheat free digestives on prescription at £8 a shot.
d) do without.

Do you like lovely thick rich gravy on your dinner?
if your answer is yes....then pity the coeliac as they cannot have this.
very many of the foods that you enjoy are not suitable for these sufferers.

And as for the last bit of your post...yes you are being ignorant...and I do not mean this in a derogatory way(ignorant can mean uneducated)......if you do not know what you are talking about you could either stay silent or you could educate yourself on the privations faced by those who suffer this lifelong incurable condition.

I am not happy about a lot of things.....the people who come here and get treatment to which they are not entitled and do not pay for it.......the fact that we let people into the country who have paid absolutely nothing but they can get all kinds of benefits....the fact that illegal immigrants are treated better than some pensioners(hotels, meals cooked spending money etc).

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Guess it's time to be quite about gluten free fodder then,with names like cretin,troll,plank and sheep I'm developing quite a complex :D.

What about this contentious headline?

NHS to offer e-cigarettes on prescription to help people give up smoking - Mirror Online

I say, if you can afford to smoke (£7+ a packet) you can afford your own ruddy Ecig :D

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

The NHS already offers patches and other items to help smokers give up cigarettes...so this is yet another non story...it is just a different tack to helping smokers quit their habit.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Yes,and the company's who make them be ripping off the NHS in a similar way to those company's who make gluten free products do.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

have you got evidence of that? Or is it just supposition?
I think the NHS puts tenders out for items that they purchase......I know that hospitals do this.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I'm sure I could find some evidence if it's required...if not I apologise for jumping to conclusions again ;)
I'm actually surprised they're even contemplating this very generous offer,saying that at least Ecigs work unlike the gum that tasted like :ooh:.
Personally,I won't be taking them up on their offer as I'm happy spending Xamount off pounds a week on my habit,it's saved me a fortune since I started on it :dancedog:

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Most people I know who have given up have tried the NHS cessation service, but have in the end managed to give by using the e cigs which they themselves have funded.
I never started smoking so I have never been in the situation of needing to give up....my husband stopped smoking by going cold turkey....this is now nearly 40 years ago.

When the cost of cessation therapy is balanced against the ongoing medical needs that smokers incur in the NHS.....the cessation therapy is a cheaper option....now what tools are used to provide effective cessation will vary according to the individual.....but this may prove a cheaper and more effective solution in the long term.
You yourself say that the nicotine gum is unpalatable...well anything unpalatable may have very limited success....making it a more expensive/less effective choice.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Perhaps if they added sweet flavours to the gum, like Ecig companies do,it may make gum more palatable or would that be seen as they are trying to target kids (like Ecig company's are)?
I'm still unsure on this subject as I have little faith in test carried out on Ecigs and I've read stories of folk having bad reactions to patches and gum.
True, the cost of smoking to the NHS is scandalous so something needs to be done,is free Ecigs the way forward though....I think not.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Tax income from tobacco--- £12,000,000,000
Cost of smoking to the NHS- £3,000,000,000

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

That's what it's all about G,do you think this latest generous offer is a attempt to top up lost revenue from sales on normal cigs?

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

If your sick of my tabloid frenzied posts look away now :D


On one hand, the NHS is running out of money and has had its fund for new cancer-fighting drugs cut:-

NHS cuts to drugs fund means thousands of cancer patients in England will be denied life-extending treatments - Health News - Health & Families - The Independent


On the other, if you need a holiday,games console or a new satnav perhaps the NHS can help:-

NHS health budgets funding holidays, Nintendo consoles and a pedalo ride | Society | The Guardian

Is there really a limited amount of money for the NHS or is it just BS? :confused:

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

The money is limited no question, also beyond doubt its run by knobheads.;)

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

These personal health budgets were brought in by Lord Darzi.....a labour politician.....who also was in favour of privatisation in the NHS.
I think that it was in 2008 that he put forward the idea of personal health budgets.

I am not entirely sure how these health budgets work, but they tend to be applied to patients who have long term health care needs, mental health issues and the like. I do not know how they are regulated, but they are mainly used to buy care packages.
You or I would not be able to go to our GP and get a holiday, fiddle lessons or a Wii fit machine.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I'm better off cancelling my GP appointment then M,Mrs E will gutted she was looking forward to 3wks in Italy :D

To be honest,all these freebies are a drop in the ocean compared to those higher up the chain scamming the NHS for millions.
However,they do like us to think (via the MSM) that it's those in need who are crippling the NHS ;)

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

You are right, they are a drop in the ocean. Much more worrying is the cut in the number of drugs that are used to treat cancer patients.
I know that there is a finite amount of money available, but these drugs give people living with cancer more time.
But you see if we divert peoples attention to those stories where people are spending their care budget on stuff that we might think is unreasonable, then we might just miss the story where Cancer drugs are being taken out of use.

One in three people will suffer from cancer in their lifetime...so 33% of the population may not get the drugs that would allow them to live longer.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

That's a scary statistic,I suspect corruption has a big part to play in our NHS being (deleted) over.
From GP's to the NHS tourist, they've all got blood on their hands :(

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

The adverts tell us that for the first time more people survive Cancer now than die from it, but from my experience of the disease,the living with it is sometimes a poisoned chalice.
And sometimes it isn't living, it is existing.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Like foreign aid, the money is spent on the wrong things.....IVF for same sex couples ( very non PC)......paying for locum doctors.
Paying for expensive agency nurses(bad planning) paying hospital administrators exorbitant severance packages then re-employing them in a similar capacity the day after.....not negotiating countrywide contracts for basic consumables.....paying for signage in numerous languages, paying stupid amounts for interpreters, allowing people who have no right to free treatment to escape without paying.....and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

If the adverts tell us that more folk are surviving cancer than dying from it, I'd like to be the first to call BS on that statement ;)
Cannabis oil and other (real) cures are available for cancer but,as you know,there's no money in cures.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

No, the stats back this up.....well survival is classed as living for five years after diagnosis.....it does not mean a normal three score years and ten lifetime.
Don't get me wrong there are some who survive for a long time....Ma was diagnosed in 2002 and she is still with us.....though her treatment has affected her life in many ways.....but you tell yourself it is better than being dead.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

The NHS is like any organisation - you have a bunch of people at the top telling the ones on the front line to work harder/faster/cheaper.

I've said before, the easy solution for the NHS is to wipe out 80% of the administrative layer and put much of the control back in the hands of the people giving the care. With all the savings from axed executive salaries, you can afford to allow wards to operate with more than the minimum safe staffing levels, and operate with sufficient slack that if there is a sudden need for extra care, there's the capacity on hand to deal with it.

If you bring in managers from business to run the NHS, you bring in a "just in time" mindset where any underutilised capacity is a bad thing. The NHS isn't there to make a profit, it's there to either cure people or to make the final hours or days of those who are at the end of their life as comfortable and dignified as possible. That can't be done with a spreadsheet.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

At a hospital like Blackburn how many actual jobs do you think you could wipe out in administration without causing problems to the running of the hospital? It's ok saying such things but you probably have no idea how many administrators and managers there actually are that you want to sack because you assume they are not contributing anything.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I don't know how many there are right now.....but there were too many in my day Neil.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

Like I said - 80%

You probably have no idea how much documentation nurses have to do to fulfil administrative requirements, rather than spend time actually caring for your sick or dying loved one. (If you're interested in the figure, it's 80% - and only a small fraction of that is documentation of administered drugs, fluid balance charts, observations etc. The rest is designed to cover the trust in case they get sued. It's more "important" for a nurse to tick a box to indicate that they have performed a task than it is to actually perform the task.)

I'm married to a nurse, and I'm close friends with three others. The only way I could be better qualified to comment on the state of the NHS is if I actually worked there.

One of the nurses I know has recently had to go through the process of proving her identity to the admin team. She's worked in the same trust for 30 years!

If this were Golgafrincham, these are the people who would have been on the "B" Ark.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

I love your analogy.....and yes they would be on the B ark.....most definitely.

Re: BENEFITS hmmmm
 

the simple solution would be to make the scottish , welsh and irish pay for their medicine just like good old England does

i find it sickening that cuts to our NHS are been made in england while every other country in the UK gets free prescriptions even if they are millionairs.

its about time the rest of the UK started pulling its weight and started putting their hand in their pockets to pay for prescriptions just like many people in England have to

maybe we wouldnt have postecode lottery's for life saving drugs if teh rest of the UK paid their way instead of leeching off England a country they seem to dislike and want to have Independence from