Ben Maxwell

Consultant anaesthetist

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@megha_lilly 32+ years practice as an anaesthetist (UK equivalent of anesthesiologist)

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@megha_lilly The risk of a general anaesthetic for most people is comparable to driving in a car for an equivalent period. You should be ashamed to frighten people like fhis

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@JakeHawke2 @megha_lilly A spinal anaesthetic does not involve puncturing your spinal cord with a needle. The chances of any nerve damage (e.g. a numb patch on your leg) is less than 1:1000. Of something similar lasting more than six months easily less than 1:10,000

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@foolmealex @megha_lilly No. Very unusual. I am sorry. I wonder why?

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

Why do we make all communal and important spending decisions like this as though there is no money, yet holiday abroad and drive fancy cars?

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

The NHS is remarkable: we have low lifetime health costs, and a high life expectancy. And free at the point of use and universal.

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

And some scary awful shortcomings. I am frightened of needing Emergency Care. We all should be because private healthcare (if you can afford it) doesn't cover this. Not fixing it is a choice. And old style General Practice was a luxury I miss now it has gone.

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@airBaltic So stupid but I just left a green carrier bag on BT871 arriving at London Gatwick. I'm still before baggage claim. Is there anything I can do?

[Dr Steve Taylor @DrSteveTaylor]

Time for the beans again🤔

RESIDENT DOCTOR - PAY EXPLAINED

2008 - 24 Tins of beans an hour (£9.60)

2026 - 14 Tins of beans an hour (£18.67)

ASKING FOR 16 Tins of beans an hour 😉 (£22)

(Heinz Beans are still £1.40)
#PayRestoration

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@neilorpen @DuxVul To be clear: the private policy will cover non-emergency treatment of non-chronic conditions. The amount you pay for the NHS in tax funds all of this and the care of all the long-term sick and disabled people

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@DrSdeG Normal out of hours rates for overtime (I worked more than 120 hours a week, and the work was hard) were 1/3 of daytime pay. Mad

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@DrSdeG Goodwill is gone. Years ago we felt complete responsibility to cover for absent colleagues, at normal rates (ie 1/3 of normal!) despite crazy long hours. It was wrong then but we did it

[Mike Henley 🤨 @trentconsultant]

Get that ballot paper in the post! 9 out of 10 members of the public believe consultants pay should be competitive, it's half the level of the national health service in Ireland. #DemandBetterVoteYES

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@siobhanworld @trentconsultant The NHS is incredible value for what it provides. If only it had even a decent fraction of the £££££ we would have to pay if it did not exist. If only it still covered simple needs universally like comprehensive dentristry and ear syringing

[Orion @TheOmeg55211733]

@NoFarmsNoFoods imagine is all the freeways had solarpanels on the sides. panels and transmissoin lines running beside the freeway

[le sociologue grincheux @OhHowByronic]

Spot on.

[Tom Holland @holland_tom]

"For there's nothing as powerful or as great
As when a husband & wife, united by oneness of mind in their thinking,
Keep their home together—a great bane to their enemies,
A blessing to their friends, & their renown is on everyone's lips.”

Odysseus' great praise of marriage.

[Ben Maxwell @drbenmaxwell]

@kevverage @JohnRentoul Does our low spend look even lower if you take out health spending?

[Kevin Hague @kevverage]

to show on one graph, here’s the UK’s fiscal performance vs other OECD countries* over time

y-axis = revenue/GDP
x-axis = spend/GDP

green area = surplus
red area = >3% deficit

4/5

[Kevin Hague @kevverage]

of course the result of tax and spend is fiscal balance

so here’s the UK’s deficit as share of GDP vs other OECD countries* over time

3/5