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On the first day of a government consultation aimed at reforming the NHS, the public’s wide-ranging ideas for change caught attention, with some suggestions bordering on the bizarre. These proposals included everything from setting weight limits for nurses to replacing ambulance sirens with healthy eating advice. The consultation, launched by Sir Keir Starmer, aims to spark a “national conversation” on reshaping the NHS, collecting ideas from the public, experts, and NHS staff to guide a 10-year health plan. By the first day, more than 800 suggestions had already been posted.

 

One of the most unusual proposals gaining early popularity was the idea of imposing a "maximum body mass index for nurses," while another focused on raising awareness of "fish odour syndrome." These ideas were removed after the Department of Health was contacted for comment, indicating a moderation process to ensure the consultation’s focus remains relevant. Still, many eccentric suggestions remained, including offering lobotomies to residents of Birmingham and opening hospitals earlier to increase productivity. Another suggestion, described as “serious” but equally impractical, proposed doing away with computers altogether.

 

Despite the flood of unusual submissions, the consultation also drew attention to practical and serious suggestions. Proposals that gained traction included charging patients for missed appointments, scrapping paper letters in favor of digital communication, and enforcing payments from foreign patients or tourists seeking NHS treatment. The idea of fining patients who miss appointments has been floated before, with private healthcare companies like Bupa already imposing such fines. The government has shown interest in this concept, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting commenting that he was “open-minded” to the idea if it could reduce the eight million missed appointments per year.

 

A more controversial proposal advocated for medical insurance for tourists or non-residents seeking treatment in the UK. One former NHS nurse suggested that this insurance could be checked at departure airports or upon arrival, stating, “We all know people do and will travel (with serious health issues and pregnancies) just to utilise our free NHS treatments.” They added that such a measure would help reduce waiting lists and free up resources for UK patients.

 

Other noteworthy ideas included the creation of an NHS pharmaceutical brand to produce generic drugs and a call to stop prescribing items like paracetamol, which some patients may not even use. Sir Keir, speaking at the consultation's launch in east London, emphasized the importance of the public's input. “We want to hear from you and from as wide a number of people as possible, both in the NHS and people who are using the NHS, because this needs to be the once-in-a-generation opportunity for you to put your fingerprints on the future – literally to craft the service that you are working for,” he said.

 

While some of the more unconventional ideas sparked amusement, Wes Streeting took the responses in stride. He joked on social media platform X about one suggestion that the NHS install Wetherspoons in every hospital, saying it was a “great idea, but sadly vetoed by the Chancellor during Budget negotiations.” Another person proposed raising funds by firing him out of a cannon—an idea Streeting swiftly rejected with a laugh.

 

The government has stressed that all ideas will be subject to review and moderation. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care stated, “The online platform has a moderation process in place to ensure that content is removed or hidden in cases where it is clearly inappropriate or irrelevant.” Despite the eccentricity of some proposals, the consultation has successfully engaged the public in discussions on the future of the NHS, showing the importance of a wide range of perspectives in shaping health policy for the next decade.

 

Based on a report from the Daily Telegraph 2024-10-23