General Chat

IGP. Fascinating (for me anyway) looking at big figures like this.

As a rule of thumb, I reckon official gross wages in UK are £620bn approx. Average per head is now £20,810 apparently and there are just short of 30million working. Probably quite a bit more than £620bn, because there are lots of jobs that are never declared to authorities.

So £106bn is a massive spend on NHS. But against total income of £620 bn is less than 20%. And probably what we think we should be spending on, even in front of police, defence and schools.

The more I look at the figures, the more I think we need a rapid influx of young, childless East Europeans on 5 year visas to get businesses going, pay loads of taxes and then return home. Other alternative is for us all to retire at 80 :-( :-( Or 90 :-( :-( :-(

My calculation was based 106billion / 9billion (today's equivalent of spend in 1948, adjusted for inflation) = 11 times increase.

£50k per household seems very high too, even with two full time incomes. Whilst average salary might equate to £25k, 50% of workers only earn around £15k or less.

Just looked at that post again from IGP and increase in health expenditure was 11x in "real" terms. In actuality about 300X.

So houses are about the only thing that has increased in value along fairly similar lines. Not sure how much yet, but probably 150x to 200x since 1948.

And I cannot see property prices rising by huge amounts unless wages and the economy really pick up. And that will be after 2018, according to ConDems. And I cannot see demand for expensive drugs and treatments not continuing to rise as we get older and healthier.

Merlin One of my girlfriends had an implant for her Christmas present ( I kid you not) it was £3600. She said as they knew the dentist personally he gave her a special rate., but she has a lovely smile. :-D

As has been said previously, try getting an NHS dentist,and try and get Implants for that price,you,ll have a very rude awakening.

Merlin. The most you have to pay on NHS is just over £200. I usually pay £40 for treatment which includes a couple of fillings. Next time it will be an extraction and could posiibly be the highest charge.

And £200 or £300 or whatever is a huge amount. But bet it is less that your "arm and leg". I remember about 2007 (when we had sold our family home in Northants and had some cash,) I went to the best dentist in Towcester and was quoted over £2,000 for treatment. Second best, but my NHS dentist in Northampton charged me less than 10% of that.

John, house prices in that area now have fallen,( According to my Cousin) could be around the 225k mark. I,ve had big houses,rebuilt some of them,downsized twice,this one is a 4bed house.on the vcoast less than half a mile from the beach. Paula+, Actually not much difference,the Teeth cost just over 5k but she,s happy with them, which pleases me.

Ouch! Merlin I bet the bill was more painful than the implants

Merlin. What would 17 Highlands Road be worth today. Have tried to find out, but failed. I did spot that No 10 sold in 2007 for over £400k, but I cannot remember who lived at No 10 - don't think it was that much bigger than our house though.

Current value of No 9 (which was smaller than ours) is £289k. And houses either side of 17 sold in 2005 and 2007 for over £300k.

Not boasting about how much dad's house was worth. Sold my last house in 2007 for quite a chunk of money, but now live in a very ordinary terrace in S Wales valleys - though we do have another small house that we rent out. So not quite poorme :-D

Amazing when you compare how house prices have risen (and now and again fallen) over last 60 years ;-)

I think some people seem to forget,Its National Health Service, Not National Car Parks. and some have abused the Car Parks at Hospitals thus having to make, the charge,As has been said when they are central to the area served some leave their cars there all day and go to work or shopping. As for dental treatment,Just paid two arms and legs for implants etc,and just had the annual fee for Private Medicine Insurance. :-( :-( :-( :-(.However its well worth it.

I joined my company when I was 19, and from then until I retired aged 55, all doctor's, hospital and dental care was free, and annual check-ups compulsory.

Since 'retiring' I've found the NHS GP surgery I attend to be very good - staff are on time, and always aware of what is happening 'behind the scenes'. It's also a very busy surgery.

Dentists!! Try and find one that takes NHS patients around here .....'try again in 3 months', is a common response :-P

:-D

It was sold by my Ex. 4yrs ago for 225k.

Vivid imagination will be right, Merlin. When you go back to places of childhood, they always seem much smaller. I do remember that younger brother and I used to play football on a largish lawn beneath the terrace. Yes, it sounds similar to Claregate and possibly £1,500 is nearer the mark.

But point I was making is that it is worth £300k now (you can correct me if you know different) and was £3k then - 100x increase. You are saying 200x increase which only make my point so much stronger. People have vastly increased assets today - far more than the 11x that IGP stated health costs had risen.

Thanks Merlin ... :-) :-)

I bought a similar house in Claregate Wolverhampton for £1500.in 1958.and the gardens in Highlands road were not that big,you have a very vivid imagination John.Oh and my family Built lots of those Houses in that area. also Penn,Lower Penn, Pennfields Willenhall, Wednesfield and other places around that area,including Shoring up and tempory rebuilding during WW2.**M**.

Shock, horror, MrD:-0 :-0

I read something (about 2008) that said Scottish and Welsh hospitals had decided on free parking :-S :-S I know I never paid two years ago at my local hospital (bad bang on head - yes, I know :-D) or at the larger hospital in Llantrisant which I had to visit many times

parking at UHW will not be free for years as some brain-dead person signed a contract for yonks!!!

Parking at UHW is not free, not even for staff.

Parking is free at e.g. the Royal Gwent and St Woolo's, but you need Valium if you're trying to find a slot :-S

You may be wrong in what he paid for it ? so in other words you simply made it up and got it way out again lol

AnnC I may be wrong about what he paid for it. I was only 5. But it was double what he sold our smartish pre-war semi for. I know dad paid £500 for land, because he would continually complain about price paid to all and sundry. It was a nice 4 bedroomed brand new house with a nice garden to play football in (17 Highlands Road, Finchfield, Wolverhampton if you want a google). Nicest house we ever lived in was Fountain House, 2 Edgeley Road, Whitchurch, Shropshire if you want another google earth search. Lived in more expensive houses since, but that was undoubtedly the nicest to live in.

If it was less than £3k, then that makes my point stronger of course. ;-)