W H A T  I S  P U R P L E  G R O W T H ?

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HANDOVER CEREMONY - Alberto Laplaine Guimarães is presented with a gift of maritime art from the children of Burgas and Ruska Boyadzhieva. Alberto is the Secretary General of Lisbon City Council and Ruska the Deputy Mayor of Burgas, Bulgaria. Bulgaria reinforced their commitment to blue growth in a ministerial statement to conclude this superb event for which the City of Burgas should be rightly proud. Copyright © photograph June 1 2018 Cleaner Ocean Foundation.

Purple Growth, or the purple economy encompasses care activities and services, such as education, health, women empowerment, and communication. Clearly, there is purple regression in the UK at least. A bit of a shambles, linked to Government borrowing, that is now trying to pay back interest on debts that would not exist, but for boastful election promises and marked underperformance from ministers and policy makers. Some of which have second jobs taking time from their ministerial and administrative duties. And actually not doing anything at all when working from home.

UNEP REPORT OCTOBER 2021 - Plastic pollution in our oceans is set to double by 2030, with recycling not enough (we told you so) and global cooperation needed (we told you so again). Don't let the politician spin doctors protract enacting a solution any longer. If shoppers were to boycott plastic wrapped products, apart from the fact they may starve, supermarket suppliers would be forced to switch to paper, glass and metal packaging - or face bankruptcy. The fact politicians allow them to continue as they are tells us that it is the policy makers who are to blame. And, they like it as it is, lots of money for them, backhanders (dividends) or not, taxes as income from plastic products is akin to procurement fraud - for any government involved.

WHAT IS THE PURPLE ECONOMY ?

The purple economy is a multidisciplinary approach to economics that encompasses a diverse array of key social issues that should improve everyone’s quality of life. This includes care activities and services, such as education, healthcare. It champions the interests of vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. 

This type of economy pays heed to cultural realities through its support of human capital. The purple economy is an approach to sustainable development that emphasizes diversity and cultural good. It focuses on rights like maternity leave, life balance, flexible work arrangements, fair pay, and the gender pay gap. It also supports moving away from traditional measures of wealth like growth and GDP in favor of measures like livelihood.

Sadly, the reality is that Governments have been raiding NHS piggy banks for over 30 years, to pay back interest on borrowings that the public would never have agreed to, had they known what was going on. The almost total lack of transparency being the embers of corruption, now fanned to flames of discontent.

THE ENEMIES OF PURPLE GROWTH

At the moment the common enemies of purple growth are government corruption, where National Insurance taxes have been misspent, with procurement fraud a major issue. Especially with a corrupt Prime Ministers like Boris Johnson at the helm, lack of accountability and a Cabinet of chums, that eventually deserted the sinking ship, when the PartyGate scandal finally found its mark. But that departure is no cure, for years of mismanagement of our National Health Services.

DENTISTS

The NHS dentists scandal in the UK is a serious issue that affects millions of people who are unable to access affordable dental care. According to a BBC investigation, nine in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK are not accepting new adult patients for treatment under the health service. In some areas, there are no dentists taking on adult NHS patients at all, and people have to drive hundreds of miles or resort to DIY dentistry to deal with their dental problems.

The reasons for the shortage of NHS dentists are complex and multifaceted, but some of the factors include:

- A lack of funding and investment from the government, which has not increased the budget for NHS dentistry in line with inflation and demand.

- A flawed contract system that pays dentists based on the number of units of dental activity (UDAs) they complete, rather than the quality or complexity of care they provide. This creates a disincentive for dentists to take on more challenging or time-consuming cases, and encourages them to focus on high-volume, low-value treatments.

- A high level of bureaucracy and regulation that imposes heavy administrative and clinical burdens on dentists, reducing their efficiency and profitability.

- A low level of morale and satisfaction among dentists, who face high levels of stress, burnout, and litigation risks.

- A shortage of dental workforce, especially in rural and deprived areas, where it is harder to recruit and retain dentists.

The consequences of the NHS dentists scandal are dire for the public health and well-being of the nation, as poor oral health can lead to serious physical and mental health problems, such as infections, pain, tooth loss, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and depression5. Moreover, the lack of access to NHS dentistry exacerbates health inequalities and social injustice, as the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are the ones who suffer the most.

The solutions to the NHS dentists scandal are not easy or quick, but they require urgent and comprehensive action from the government, the dental profession, and the public. Some of the possible steps include:

- Increasing the funding and investment for NHS dentistry, and ensuring that it is allocated fairly and efficiently according to the needs and priorities of different regions and populations.

- Reforming the contract system and the payment model for NHS dentists, and introducing a more flexible and patient-centred approach that rewards quality, prevention, and outcomes, rather than quantity, activity, and outputs.

- Reducing the bureaucracy and regulation that hamper the delivery of NHS dentistry, and streamlining the processes and systems that support the dental practice.

- Improving the morale and satisfaction of NHS dentists, and providing them with more support, training, and incentives to work in the NHS, especially in underserved areas.

- Expanding and diversifying the dental workforce, and creating more opportunities and pathways for recruitment, retention, and career development of dentists and other dental professionals.

The NHS dentists scandal is a national crisis that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, before it causes irreversible damage to the oral health and general health of the UK population. The BBC has launched a campaign called Disappearing Dentists, which aims to raise awareness and demand action on this issue.

NHS PRIVATISATION VIA THE BACKDOOR

At the moment, there is an, alleged, move to privatization of the NHS in the UK, though, monies paid in over many years, entitling the payees to treatment, will not be refunded - in respect of the deemed Breach of Contract. It's more Margaret Thatcher, than Margaret Thatcher.

The NHS waiting lists scandal in the UK is a serious issue that affects millions of people who are unable to access timely and adequate health care. According to the latest data from NHS England, the total number of people waiting for routine operations and procedures in England reached a record high of 7.75 million in August 2023. This is more than double the number of people who were waiting in February 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Among those waiting, more than 3 million have been waiting for more than 18 weeks, which is the target set by the NHS constitution. More than 383,000 have been waiting for more than a year, which is the highest figure since records began in 2007.

According to campaigners, for the past 4 decades, politicians have pushed through policies that have enabled NHS privatisation in various ways, but they have never held a public referendum.

Campaigners say that the Government have no mandate to do any of this, and we now have a situation where thousands of NHS services are actually run by external organisations (including private companies). The situation is impacting both NHS patients, and the dedicated staff that care for them.

The NHS is in crisis right now. NHS staff have been treated poorly for many years by the government, and we now have chronic NHS staffing problems. There are almost 8 million patients on NHS waiting lists in England alone. Many politicians are saying that *more* privatisation will help beyond the next General Election, but there is no evidence that privatisation makes things more efficient in the NHS, and the politicians haven’t asked the public what they think. Let alone taken into consideration that they have had the money of millions of clients, with no offer of compensation to tax payers, for now suggesting that treatment should be paid for privately.

PURPLE GROWTH STRATEGY

Purple growth includes hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, the medical supply sector as well as providers of medical equipment, both diagnostic and biomedical. This involves workers with varying degrees of specialization. In the clinical context, this includes doctors, nurses, interns, and other medical workers. It also involves the people who provide personal care assistance as well as other workers in health services and personal care sectors. Sick people are also included in this group as are people with disabilities, and the elderly. This is a broad and inclusive category as it applies to everyone as everyone avails themselves of some kind of health-related service at some point in their lives. The purple economy is primarily concerned with SDG GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being.

There appears to be no strategy to improve healthcare. Just a system in meltdown, with ministers being appointed who don't seem to have a clue as to what they are doing. Presumably, their agenda is to accelerate the deaths of those who should have had medical treatment, by not providing forward operations or other procedures. As a method of reducing waiting lists. But, when it comes to children and dental treatment, how will they reconcile those shortcomings. Will there be an avalanche of claims against the British Government, since children will not just die, to limit claims. But have their whole lives ahead of them to realise compensation.

#HORIZON EU MISSIONS 2030

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