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Wes Streeting's move against autism - NAS - time to step up

mrs.snooks

I'm aware that this discussion may get a little heated, but I hope that it stays away from getting too much so. I do not mean to cause offense or lead to any arguments. So here goes.

I woke up to this morning's headlines: 

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is to launch an independent review into rising demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services in England.

I haven't added the link to the article as I know this will trigger a delay to having this posted. But I'm thinking you will have seen this this morning. 

I am so angry on so many levels. And I am hoping that the NAS is angry too and can respond to his move with a firm and robust response. Because.

Now, I am going to call it out. Mr Streeting, I think that this is what I would be calling: Discrimination. Discrimination with a big, fat capital D. Discrimination against a marginalised group. A vulnerable group. That deserves your protection and that you should have our back. As the HEALTH secretary. Shame on you. Shame on you.

I may not respond to any responses to my thread, if it gets too heated. And I am happy for the thread to get locked or removed.

It's time to Step Up.

Parents

  • Lets have some numbers.

    The benefits bill is not sustainable, so either it has to be cut for everyone or it has to get more selective.

    1 in 10 working age people get disability or incapacity benefits, having risen by around a third in 6 years, and over 60% in the last 22 years.

    44% are for mental health or behavioural issues.

    75.1% of the working age population work (people aged 16-64), which is 34.22 million, or 49%.

    So each working person is feeding, housing, 2 people.

    Also 53.3% of the population costs more than they put in. 

    60% of all personal tax comes from 10% of the population, some of whom are leaving.

    One of the papers the other day pointed out that for a couple with 3 children living on benefits, they would have to earn £71,000 between the to be worth working. This is unreasonable.

    Motability is the biggest provider of cars now I believe, including providing luxury cars with tax payer subsidies, although this is now being stopped.

    I would stake all my savings on there being corruption too.

    This does not not mean I am against help for those that need it.

    For those on work, if you are out for more than 3 months I think for a mental health issues, the chances of working again drop. I sone European countries intervention is much quicker and people stay in work.

    Children are not served by waiting years for a diagnosis.

    An investigation, based on data, is a good thing to find out what is going on. If more resources are needed to enable more people to be productive, that is a good thing and is brings the cost down and allows those who need help to be supported without cuts.

    The most common reason for a sickness claim has become ASD and ADHD apparently.

    I do not believe, neither did my consultant, that some of the online diagnosis places that charge little and do it in one phone call can be doing a thorough or reliable job. You would have to be naive to think no-one is gaming the system. This helps nobody. I have sone other suspicions, but I can't substantiate them so will not say anything.

    So in summary, to block any investigation is to block improvement in access and will result in a reduction in money per person.

    If everything is above board, then it will have to lead to more accommodation and help to get people into work. Which many would consider a good thing too.

  • in reply to Stuart333

    The benefits bill is not helped by the fact that the rental housing market is bleeding renters dry. And why are so many more people getting mentally unwell? Our society is such that it’s putting people under ever increasing strain and pressure on multiple levels. We had a pandemic whose long term impact on people has not been recognised. Why isn’t Labour taxing the rich, and the big corporations, and at least marginally tackling wealth inequality? This whole thing is very complex - and what I do know is that people don’t CHOOSE to be disabled and mentally ill, or neurodivergent. So we must not create a blame culture where they are held responsible for a failing capitalist economy that they had no role in creating. 

  • in reply to Kate Kestrel
    Kate Kestrel said:
    Why isn’t Labour taxing the rich, and the big corporations, and at least marginally tackling wealth inequality?

    In essence because they are not the Labour party of times past. 

    Tony Blair realised that model was no longer electable back in the 90s and worked on making that party into a Conservative Lite party, just left enough of the Conservative party to be different and right enough to steal their voters. And it worked.

    The same worked for Starmer in the last election and the party is still very much Conservative Lite.

    They are run by their donors, much like all big poltical party.

    They reward themselves with seats on the boards of companies that they enable through the laws they pass.

    Not that any of the competition is any better.

    The solution would be to make the politicians personally liable for their activity in power and restrict them from leaving the counry while any investigations are ongoing.

  • in reply to Iain

    It’s very depressing. My eldest lived abroad for a while and is thinking of leaving in future. If Farage becomes PM I don’t think my son will be able to bear the thought of staying in the uk (if he can manage to find work abroad anyway). 

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