I had thought about that, WV, but found a couple of cracks in the plastic so decided that it might be best to just replace the lot.
 

It was inevitable at some point that Brexit would severely damage the NHS. 

The first damage was consequences of the 'immigration issue' being pandered to, leading to a mass loss of staff. That's ongoing.

Another is the result of our weakened position, ex EU, with regard to Trumps US pharma prices, with the result that we are about to see a huge hike in drug prices, having been held over the fire of tariffs. A terrible deal for a weak UK, something I expect almost no Brexit voters have the foggiest about.

7 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

It was inevitable at some point that Brexit would severely damage the NHS. 

The first damage was consequences of the 'immigration issue' being pandered to, leading to a mass loss of staff. That's ongoing.

Another is the result of our weakened position, ex EU, with regard to Trumps US pharma prices, with the result that we are about to see a huge hike in drug prices, having been held over the fire of tariffs. A terrible deal for a weak UK, something I expect almost no Brexit voters have the foggiest about.

 

Until they look like being one of the excess deaths, but even then I can almost hear them crying "fake news" when told the reasons, followed by words along the lines of Brexit was worth it, taking back control.

4 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Until they look like being one of the excess deaths, but even then I can almost hear them crying "fake news" when told the reasons, followed by words along the lines of Brexit was worth it, taking back control.

Thing is, the fact that the medicines we get free of charge may have tripled in price, is not something people will immediately notice, because they've no idea what medicines would cost, in an unregulated capitalist market like the USA. The answer is they'd cost your house, car, holidays and everything else you have. 

But, those that voted for it wont know this, they dont know what their treatment costs, and you can bet none of the media that they built their opinions on will tell them. They'll carry on trumpeting shite about 'freedom' as everyone else picks up the huge inflated costs for their decomposing health issues. And laugh about it as they head down the  pub on the scooter with flags on it.  

I seem to remember a bus with a big slogan about £360m a week for the NHS - well that just vanished into the billions that the NHS now has to pay for drugs that only huge US pharma companies control. Diabetes, heart pressure, those sorts of drugs, as well as the new exotic drugs. Locking ourselves out of the EU bargaining power here was a totally bad move. 

14 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

But, those that voted for it wont know this, they dont know what their treatment costs, and you can bet none of the media that they built their opinions on will tell them.

 

But when NICE decides a new drug, or even an old one, is not cost-effective they simply won't get it unless they pay for it themselves. That is when they might notice, and how they will shout.

Starmer is rumoured to be eyeing the head of NATO job, as his next gig. Hence locking in a big UK war budget increase for his successor as PM. Giving Trump and the US pharmacautical companies a much more lucrative NHS drug deal could be part of the job application too. 

 

30 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

But when NICE decides a new drug, or even an old one, is not cost-effective they simply won't get it unless they pay for it themselves. That is when they might notice, and how they will shout.

I welcome fact based correction,  but I think the essence of the 'deal' struck to avoid Trumps's shakedown on Steel, Scotch, and anything else we actually export to USA, overrides NICE on drugs that have become normalised.

Yes, I understand you will have to go private for new stuff. Much like dentistry, where 'British Teeth' are becoming a thing again. 

The whole thing has been hidden away, and smokescreen by bigger news. Effectively, faced with USA power, with no negotiating power at all, the UK govt has had to cave in to USA pharma profit-seeking. 

This has not happened in the EU, and had we been members, we could have stood united and secured a better deal for our people. 

None of this will mean a thing to the donkeys chasing the carrot though will it. Craping in the house is just what donkeys do. 

 

Ten years lol

 

 

I had my first drug shortage with my last script. Had to check a couple of Pharmacies until I found stock and then get a new script  for that med. Sensibly I carry 3 months supply** in stock at home so I'm alright for a while.

Whether this is due to Diaper Don or Brexit I can't say, but I suspect it's Donnie's fault.

 

** Easily built up if you always order meds on the first day you are allowed to (day 20). You build at 1 week a month so after 12 months you have 12 weeks supply in hand.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-uk-brexit-poll-rejoin-europe-b3052436.html

 

All but four constituencies in Great Britain would support reversing Brexit and rejoining the EU, new polling has shown, as Andy Burnham seeks a “deeper relationship” with the bloc and to win over voters.

 

New constituency-level polling of 11,927 UK voters found EU membership was by far the most popular policy option, with 35 per cent of people stating it as their preferred government proposal when it came to Britain’s approach to the bloc.

 

Edited September 21Sep 21 by IanD

🥱 Over ten years. Hilarious. Once a losing minority voter, always a losing minority voter I suppose..... And its the votrs what counts not supposition 😁 

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

🥱 Over ten years. Hilarious. Once a losing minority voter, always a losing minority voter I suppose..... And its the votrs what counts not supposition 😁 

OK, lets put it to the vote then. After all you don't vote a political party into power and that is it forever do you? (thankfully not yet anyway unless Reform get to follow the path of Trump)

30 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

OK, lets put it to the vote then. After all you don't vote a political party into power and that is it forever do you? (thankfully not yet anyway unless Reform get to follow the path of Trump)

Reform will not get the reins. 

On 21/09/2026 at 19:27, mrsmelly said:

🥱 Over ten years. Hilarious. Once a losing minority voter, always a losing minority voter I suppose..... And its the votrs what counts not supposition 😁 

Keep trying -- nobody is convinced, and it now looks like an actual vote isn't too far away, which should keep you happy... 😉

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/half-want-to-rejoin-eu-and-backing-it-could-drive-up-labour-vote-megapoll-finds

2 hours ago, IanD said:

Keep trying -- nobody is convinced, and it now looks like an actual vote isn't too far away, which should keep you happy... 😉

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/half-want-to-rejoin-eu-and-backing-it-could-drive-up-labour-vote-megapoll-finds

Oh dear not again lol. So sad never mind. Its not going to happen. You, like the poor sops that are anti monarchy and your other comrades will go to your graves living in a monarchy free of the eu pox. I suppose you could easily move to your beloved eu if you want to, simply pop over to Ireland, no visa needed and Bobs you Auntie,back in the eu even as a losing minority voter, whats not to like.

51 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I suppose you could easily move to your beloved eu if you want to, simply pop over to Ireland, no visa needed

We have already discussed joining C's son there if Reform ever form a government.

4 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

We have already discussed joining C's son there if Reform ever form a government.

A lovely place, we love it there. Anyone desperate can simply move to the eu no questions asked. County clare is top of our list but much of it is lovely. I dont worry about Reform personaly as when push comes to shove I doubt either extreme will get the reins?

Edited October 4Oct 4 by mrsmelly

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

County clare is top of our list but much of it is lovely.

That's where he lives, just in from the coast near Lahinch.

5 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Oh dear not again lol. So sad never mind. Its not going to happen. You, like the poor sops that are anti monarchy and your other comrades will go to your graves living in a monarchy free of the eu pox. I suppose you could easily move to your beloved eu if you want to, simply pop over to Ireland, no visa needed and Bobs you Auntie,back in the eu even as a losing minority voter, whats not to like.

Would you care to bet on that? 😉

21 minutes ago, IanD said:

Would you care to bet on that? 😉

Have to say that with all the costs now involved, since the leavers flushed the very favourable agreements we had down the toilet, I can't see any rejoining of the EU. If however Canada gets an Associate Membership of it, I could certainly see a favourable view of that.

Ah, remember the days when we were 'promised' a Norway+ deal when we left the EU, if only!! Had we not screwed our own economy over by abandoning the Single Market and Customs Union I could even have lived with being outside the EU like Norway, Swizerland, etc, but no, the usual 'English exceptionalism' (bearing in mind that Scotland didn't want to leave anyway) ruled the roost leaving us in the shit we are currently in having to suck up to a crook in the White House. Sovereignty? Don't make me laugh!!

11 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Have to say that with all the costs now involved, since the leavers flushed the very favourable agreements we had down the toilet, I can't see any rejoining of the EU. If however Canada gets an Associate Membership of it, I could certainly see a favourable view of that.

Ah, remember the days when we were 'promised' a Norway+ deal when we left the EU, if only!! Had we not screwed our own economy over by abandoning the Single Market and Customs Union I could even have lived with being outside the EU like Norway, Swizerland, etc, but no, the usual 'English exceptionalism' (bearing in mind that Scotland didn't want to leave anyway) ruled the roost leaving us in the shit we are currently in having to suck up to a crook in the White House. Sovereignty? Don't make me laugh!!

The big unknowns are what kind of deal with the EU does Labour want, and what kind of deal will the EU accept, and neither will be known until there have been a lot of negotiations -- which at least can seriously start now that Burnham has basically said the "red lines" are gone and anything all the way up to full EU membership will be considered.

It's unlikely that we'll get as good a deal as we had before, but not impossible -- IIRC at least one EU leader has said this might be on the table. It all depends how much the EU wants the UK back in, because Brexit has weakened the EU especially given the current global political climate, specifically Trump's special brand of insanity as well as Putin's.

But Brexit damaged the UK more economically, which puts us in a weaker negotiating position, especially on trade because a much larger fraction of our external trade (around 50%?) is with the EU than theirs is with us (around 10%?) because EU GDP is about 5x bigger. In other words we need the EU more than the EU needs us, which is not a strong position to be negotiating from... ☹️

Edited October 5Oct 5 by IanD

19 minutes ago, IanD said:

The big unknowns are what kind of deal with the EU does Labour want, and what kind of deal will the EU accept, and neither will be known until there have been a lot of negotiations -- which at least can seriously start now that Burnham has basically said the "red lines" are gone and anything all the way up to full EU membership will be considered.

It's unlikely that we'll get as good a deal as we had before, but not impossible -- IIRC at least one EU leader has said this might be on the table. It all depends how much the EU wants the UK back in, because Brexit has weakened the EU especially given the current global political climate, specifically Trump's special brand of insanity as well as Putin's.

But Brexit damaged the UK more economically, which puts us in a weaker negotiating position, especially on trade because a much larger fraction of our external trade (around 50%?) is with the EU than theirs is with us (around 10%?) because EU GDP is about 5x bigger. In other words we need the EU more than the EU needs us, which is not a strong position to be negotiating from... ☹️

Things like Euro currency membership and the budget rebate Thatcher negotiated, back in the 80s. Working time directive opt outs. Good chance they are not coming back.

1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Things like Euro currency membership and the budget rebate Thatcher negotiated, back in the 80s. Working time directive opt outs. Good chance they are not coming back.

Yes, we had a better deal than any other EU member -- and we threw it in the bin... 😭

What we could get back -- if anything! -- is very much unknown. Given the unusually heavy reliance of the UK on the financial/services sector (because we've killed off most of our manufacturing sector...) there are some good reasons for not adopting the Euro, which is one reason the EU agreed to this last time. The other good things, not so much...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_rebate

Edited October 5Oct 5 by IanD