[WhyIsItGlowing]

> Back in 2004 when I lived in the UK, the NHS was really good. And I remember hearing at that time that it was nothing compared to the NHS in the 80s and 90s.

In a lot of respects, this isn't very accurate. It got pretty bad in the early '90s, anything that needed to go beyond the GP had really bad wait times, people stuck on trolleys in A&E, etc. By 2004 it was much better, so that anything which required a hospital visit would be dealt with much more quickly and effectively but the GPs were coming under more pressure from a growing and aging population so the first point of contact had a less personal touch.

[buscoquadnary]

I have to wonder how much of the current "crises" we are seeing right now are simply because of a massive aging population. Of course the medical system is going to have issues, no matter if it is public or private, if you suddenly increase the demand, as the older you get the more health care you need, while at the same time all your most capable and experienced doctors are retiring.

Another is housing, right now we have one generation coming up right as the most populous generation is towards the end of their life, resulting in an increased demand and price, in 20 years as more and more the later generations start passing on they'll be leaving behind houses and properties, it's not like those disappear when the people do.

I've noticed that the media seems very engaged in making everything the crises of the moment and the focus on looking at things over the course of years or decades is often ignored in favor of sensationalism.

[spiralx]

An aging population is a significant factor, another one is the increasing range of treatments available today - and of course they combine because most medical expenditure happens during the last part of a person's life.