Should I just stop paying N.I. and take out a lifetime subscription of Painkillers?

[Allen]

Firelord, totally agree with you about the charging. BUT, how can a hospital member of staff determin whether the individual is someone who's drunk and had an accident from his own stupidity, and someone who's had a nice drink but been mugged on the way home, for example?

As usual there's no easy answer to the problem and there's rarely a right or wrong answer. But people seem to be more and more opinionated these days that in someone's eyes you'll be right, in others you'll be speaking out of your a-hole.

Also, about your asthma and going to the pub comment, I think it's wrong to force smokers to stop smoking in he pub, but some pubs should take it upon themselves to ban smoking for those who want it, like yourself. I sympathise with your situation, but if I had bad enough asthma that smoking really agitated, I wouldn't go to a smokey pub.

[Marcos]

Anyone brought in under the influence (whether it be alcohol or drugs) should be billed for their balatant waste of NHS time and money and that can then be put to helping genuine cases

Thats the point I was trying to make on page 1 somewhere, i totally agree, seems a fair way to do it, and a good deterrent

[Allen]

Thats the point I was trying to make on page 1 somewhere, i totally agree, seems a fair way to do it, and a good deterrent

But as I said, what about the genuine, non-alcoholic, celebrating his birthday who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

[M@rco]

To be honest I think smoking should be banned wherever there are non smokers who don’t want to be exposed to cigarette smoke, if you want to kill yourself…...great, but don’t kill others and for god sake don’t make others uncomfortable because of your dirty habit...my 2p and my rents are both smokers lol

[Marcos]

But as I said, what about the genuine, non-alcoholic, celebrating his birthday who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Live by the sword, pay for your injuries

Alcohol makes you lose control, thats your choice to take, wherever you are. It would be a great deterrent to those who take no resposibility when they drink, im sick of hearing terrible stories of people who just had a little too much drink etc.

The UK is the only country i know of that are so bad at handling alcohol, ask the rest of Europe, they know what being 'social' is, here people just get pissed and call it 'avin a laff'.

[Allen]

Marcos, I totally agree with that, but your still missing the point I make. How can hospital staff tell the difference between someone who's been totally irresponsible and got themselves in a mess, to someone who's been responsibly drinking but had a simple accident which wasn't due to their alcohol intake?

[Knoxville]

To be honest I think smoking should be banned wherever there are non smokers who don’t want to be exposed to cigarette smoke, if you want to kill yourself…...great, but don’t kill others and for god sake don’t make others uncomfortable because of your dirty habit...my 2p and my rents are both smokers lol

And I think people that endlessly whine at smokers that quote statistics at us endlessly should be banned from public places, If you don't want to be exposed to things you don't like then you've made your choice and should go elsewhere, I don't wander into meetings of people trying to quit smoking smokin a huge cuban cigar so why should smokers walk into my local and declare it a no smoking area because they don't like it. Its all about give and take and I've given about as much as im going to and am sick of it, I already have to smoke outside in the freezing cold, I already have to pay £4 a pack because of ludricrous government taxation and now Its getting to the stage where I can't have a quiet pint with my mates in "The smoking section" of my local because apparantly extractor fans that could pump out an olympic sized swimming pool every ten minutes aren't enough to shield the delicate nasal hairs of those that don't smoke, I think people need to take a step back and see how considerate they're being towards those that DO smoke as I did when I was a none smoker, if I wanted a pint i'd deal with the fact that I'd smell of ciggies when I woke up, the juice was always worth the squeeze as far as i was concerned.

Just to clarify this is not aimed at you or anyopne else in particular on these boards, its a drunken rant and i've not read it back so I tbh can't remember exactly what i've gone on about for the last 5 minutes but my point stands, now im tired so im gonna go to bed have a cigarette and a cadburys cream egg which is on my desk for some reason and go to sleep.

[Snaga]

We (Im a nurse in the ITU) cant tell the difference. Thats why we treat everyone exactly the same. Unfortunately whether your illness is self inflicted or not, we will provide the best possible care for you. Now remember that if you end up on an ITU, it will be costing the NHS anything upward of £1000 per day (and thats if you are quite well!!!)

Oh and Bupa is good!! All the other Insurers follow Bupa guidelines. i have used it for years. Means you dont have to wait forever for treatment.

[Marcos]

We (Im a nurse in the ITU) cant tell the difference. Thats why we treat everyone exactly the same. Unfortunately whether your illness is self inflicted or not, we will provide the best possible care for you. Now remember that if you end up on an ITU, it will be costing the NHS anything upward of £1000 per day (and thats if you are quite well!!!)

Oh and Bupa is good!! All the other Insurers follow Bupa guidelines. i have used it for years. Means you dont have to wait forever for treatment.

ITU = Critical Care?

I've worked in one of those units too, though not as part of the NHS , I have much respect for your line of work

[Zak33]

what worries me most is the amount of Anti Depressants being handed out

that really does scare me. People being given anti depressants for migrane, for moodswings, for ahaving a bad day and havinghigh blood pressure the day they visit the doctor.

Worries me more by the day

[Snaga]

ITU = Critical Care?

I've worked in one of those units too, though not as part of the NHS , I have much respect for your line of work

ITU= Critical care. and thanks.