In films, the lives of seemingly random characters often coincide, entwine and lead to a (in my favourites, at least) happy ending. So here are some random quotes, facts and stats from my reading this week: ‘In 1516 Thomas More described the ideal health-care system, where “hospitals are well supplied with all types of medical equipment and the nurses are sympathetic. Though no one is forced to go there, practically everyone would rather be ill in hospitals than at home.” ‘Downing Street has warned health ministers they will have to find savings from their own budget if they want to offer NHS workers more money in an effort to end the growing wave of strikes’. ‘Last year, £2.6bn of bonuses were paid to London investment bankers, the bailout of the banks in 2008 cost an estimated £137bn and the Bank of England has to date spent £895bn on its programme of “Quantatative Easing’”, buying government debt, often termed “printing money’’’. Oh, and ‘Trains in northern England are less reliable than in war-torn Ukraine, figures show’. Just saying. And hoping for a happy ending.
“Public sector borrowing hits highest level since 1960s”
So what does this say for the 10 years of Pre-Pan, Pre-Boris austerity? Has it done any more than cut public services to the bone, with overstretched, privatised probation services losing track of murderers and 6 hour ambulance waits (87 year old client in December, before the strike, broken arm, not unusual)
