How did the NHS get this messed up and is there any way back?

Actually, international comparisons tend to show the NHS is actually very efficient in global terms — it’s often ranked at or near the top of comparable economies’ healthcare systems for efficiency. However we pay much less of a share of our GDP for it compared to most Western and advanced economies, who largely spend more than we do in terms of percentage of GDP, so one of the reasons it’s efficient is that it does a lot with a comparably underfunded system.

The reality is that it’s been both underfunded and partially privatised in an incompetent way by the last succession of Tory governments. It’s been badly impacted by Tory government policy, Brexit, Covid, and bad immigration and education policy under the Tories. But the answer isn’t to go American-style healthcare: their system inevitably comes way out in top of international GDP spend and inefficiency metrics.

I think it’s an aging population thing lots of people needing lots of care.

And then politicians have the temerity to wang on about too many people being on long term sick leave! Is it any bloody wonder?!

I'm so sorry. The NHS is a shambles. We (touch wood) don't need the NHS often and the GP is usually fantastic. However, DC is on a waiting list at our local Trust and on checking when the appointment will be, it's over one and a half year's long. Ironically the letter said if you don't hear from us with an appointment within 6 weeks, contact us! Maybe they need to rephrase the letters.

Not just for Routine but for Urgent cases as well. They are the words the appointments clerk used. But I can't quite believe that, surely if it's a real urgent case it still wouldn't be a year and a half wait. For a child, or anyone really.

I don't know what the answer is. In the news I see waiting lists are coming down. Not in our experience they're not. There were so many promises made but I can't see any improvement, yet.

Can I just say you must follow this up and keep pushing. I have experienced the same issues with a cancer diagnosis and only managed to make things happen quicker by continually calling. Anyone you can call and put pressure on do as it could make a difference. Even with my pushing I’ve only had the treatment just in time and with delays it could be entirely different

We live too long and when we are too unwell.

The NHS in its current form is not sustainable but it’s a sacred cow and everyone is an angel that works in it so it remains a shit show. Whilst only management is lambasted as the reason it’s a mess by most it’s not the only reason.

same. Only being dealt with quickly as I was admitted acutely on suspicion of something else and now ruling out cancer. Ask your GP to check tumour markers like CA125,CEA, AFP etc.

Im actually more worried that if the outcome isn’t cancer, i’m gonna be left for years on a procedure waiting list and suffering in the mean time. And I can’t believe i even wrote that! I don’t want cancer but equally that’s the only thing that makes them move quickly for gyn.

The entire NHS is an inefficient shitstorm. Before any more money is hurled at it, the whole thing needs reform.

But, it’ll never happen. 🙄

I know this sounds a bit out there but would phoning around NHS trusts to find the shortest waiting time then renting a tiny place or getting an address in that area, registering at the doctors and getting on the much shorter list be the cheapest option. Bit more complicated but a shorter and cheaper time frame.
How much would the cost of the operation be and does the private consultant have a payment plan/loan you can sign up to (bit like dentists for certain procedures)

My.DD is on a 12 year waiting list for dermatology. 144 months. In NI

I was referred for an urgent cardiology appointment last December. I should get to see 'a member of the team" in September, unless it is postponed for a third time.

More worryingly, DH has cancer. We've had a letter which pointed us to stage 4 with bone mets and he's had a conversation with a nurse who says stage 3 with local lymph node involvement, but it will be at least 4 further weeks and more like 6 or 8 weeks before he actually sees someone who can give him a proper diagnosis and a treatment plan.

We are currently 8 weeks into the 28 day faster diagnosis protocol that is plastered all over the hospital website and there is of course the risk that while we are waiting his locally advanced cancer may metastasise.

YANBU.

The NHS is still good for free urgent care. If you end up down this type of path, needing what they class as a non urgent operation, it seems standard that you are left a long waiting list deteriorating in health until they can get to you.

So yes, given the information that you are on the urgent wait list, but that the urgent wait list is up to 50 weeks, you need to decide if you want to wait or pay.

My 83 year old mother has paid for cataract removal and heart surgery so far because otherwise she would have left getting blind and barely able to walk upstairs while waiting. Where as she is now back on 5 mile daily walks.

How did it get this messed up? Answer: a Tory government from 2020-2014!

Blame those who voted for the Tories and for Brexit this whole past fifteen years. The damage to the health service has been incalculable.

Well it has been systematically dismantled over the last 15 years or so. The Tories don't really like the public sector so they essentially made it harder and harder to access NHS health care in the hope that as many people as possible would go private, which is essentially where we are today. Im not sure it can ever recover to where we were before Austerity was imposed. There will eventually have to be a new system (whatever that may look like). Meanwhile people suffer.
My dh has a brain tumour which can't be removed, so he has yearly scans to monitor the growth, every year he has to fight tooth and nail for that scan. He still hasn't had this year's, it was due in February.

yeah it’s a nightmare. I’ve had colorectal issues since December. No sign of my hospital appointment at all - called and it’s a year wait to be seen. Meanwhile I’m having repeats flare ups and many days where I can’t stand up - all I can do is sit in the bath. I paid for a sigmoidoscopy privately (£3k) and now have a diagnosis and a treatment path. Conservative to begin with then surgery if that doesn’t work. I’m still barely able to leave the house but at least there’s a plan now. I have no idea how much the surgery would cost but they have finance available.

NHS staff are all doing their best but the system is broken.

i lived in France for a few years and received such amazing healthcare there, I know it doesn’t have to be this way. I would happily contribute towards costs of treatment like they do there, or have my employers contribute. Having years between onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment is just a more expensive and worse outcome for everyone.

one consultant in the specialist endo centre and she was dealing with emergencies too!
weirdly the pain vanished 8 weeks before my op but she said it needed doing as it was going to come back
everyone on the list with me got cancelled as she spent the full day operating on me

I was given the results during a follow up consultation. Surely looking for endo wouldn't add to the cost, as they are already looking in that area anyway? My surgery was at The Portland Hospital, so it would likely be cheaper elsewhere.

I had a dermoid removed privately, it cost 7k plus the initial consultation fee of £300 and the same again for the follow up. I had no choice as it needed to be removed before commencing IVF for a second baby. NHS were aware of the dermoid but no referrals had been made, they just made a note of it when I had an ultrasound during my first pregnancy.