I saw a report today that A&E numbers are down by a third. My GP friend is doing most of her work via telephone and she says the number of patients is down as well.

I heard some doctor say he was worried people are scared to get treatment and he may be correct for all I know. The alternative is that there are a lot of time wasters who have decided they don't want to risk getting ill.

I am concerned about people who are having cancer treatment a close friend of mine had to stop due to a low white count she is due to re-start this week but I am hearing reports that the service is patchy I hope it's not true.

One more point

No pubs. They would be the only people there. No hops and too windy for barley so no home brews or whisky either.

Just peat for fires in the 10 month long winter, potatoes and the occasional careless seabird to eat.

Still the land of the free is just over the horizon.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

All about working conditions I suspect. A friend of mine trained as theatre technician in Croydon, left for Saudi on qualifying ( for the money) then emigrated to Australia.

My own experience is primarily regarding nurses from the Philippines but I believe it is a similar situation in the other countries from whom we recruit nurses.

It is a requirement that a nurse spends at least 2 years working locally after qualification before being allowed an exit visa to work overseas, which most want to do.

Nursing is a much prized career in these countries and as the cost of the 5 year course has to be borne by the family it's a very heavy commitment. Which is why most are expected to remit most of their earnings back home. You see a lot of Filipino nurses in our hospitals but very rarely in social settings.

A far greater of young people there though choose nursing as their career than do here. There are also many more colleges. It is taught on an industrial scale because of the demand from countries like ourselves.

I know less about the situation with doctors, but I suspect it is similar.

So yes it bothers me, but it's not a straightforward situation.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Lots of waffle but you have avoided my question

"It feels much better than it ever did, much more sensitive." John Wayne Bobbit

You asked how I stood morally. I answered. What you regard as "waffle" is the background to explain the reasoning.

If you cannot see why then I am sure others can

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.