Thanks Arthur, Michael and Stewart for your further thoughts.


The Catholic Church in the Philippines may be rich but may also be losing its power. It had to fight against the Reproductive Health Law for over a decade, and it seems that a majority of Filipinos don’t agree with its stance on contraception.


Making people pay – in addition to their taxes - for " self-inflicted " illnesses / injuries could be resisted, hard to implement. Many illnesses, including cancers and heart disease, have contributory " lifestyle choices ", such as smoking, excess alcohol and food intake, with lack of exercise. Of course there are indirect ways of payment, such as mimimum pricing for alcohol, increasing cost of cigarettes ( and plain packaging ), and " fat taxes " on unhealthy foods.


Andy’s post on healthcare assistants ( HCAs ) is interesting. HCAs provide vital and fundamental care patients, and people in the social care system. There are two proposals being considered ( in England ) :-
• Minimum training standards for HCAs in health and social care. This would improve safety, and allow progression up the career ladder ( for those who wished ).
• Student nurses should spend a minimum period of time ( 3 months up to a year ) doing work usually done by HCAs – “ hands-on caring experience “ to avoid the “ too posh to wash “ accusation that comes with the present academic training.