AIBU to think the NHS is bloody brilliant sometimes?

When you are very unwell it’s incredible.
Recently had a 1.5 week stay in hospital with DC, sent to A&E by the GP and we were seen and given a bed within 5 minutes. Scary but incredible.
The number of medications and medical devices DC now needs is insane, and having to fund them would be crippling.

Yes
Sometimes

I’m very grateful to the NHS and very grateful to Aneurin Bevan. Anyone who doubts our good fortune should look on Instagram at Dr Glaucomflecken and at Aaron Laxton @ aaronthesocialworker

My mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer 8 weeks or so ago and since then the NHS has been amazingly brilliant - even at 2 in the morning when she had to rush in to A&E following chemo complications. I can't imagine what it must be like to be in a county where you can't take these things for granted or have to worry about which of the prescribed drugs you can afford.

so you are denying the multiple experiences just on this thread alone

Ds has complex needs and has spent a lot
of time at various hospitals and NHS care and 90% of the time it has been good to absolutely amazing.

yes it’s very frustrating at times but on the whole for us thankfully it’s been great

It’s bloody brilliant most of the time.

It's not. Ask the people who work there and have been pleaded for reform for years.

Totally agree. I called 999 at the weekend when my son went into anaphylactic shock and stopped breathing - we had a first responder here in literally 2 minutes and an ambulance 90 seconds later. They stabilised him and rushed him to hospital where they were absolutely brilliant, we saw the allergy consultant the very next morning. Can't fault it

How are you now @Ted27 💪

Yes it sounds it from what you describe
and it definitely wouldn’t have been “off label”

Just home after spending the whole day in ED (expected) with my husband due to heart issues. Kept updated by the ED doctor who saw us throughout. Seen by cardiology specialist nurse. Had a treadmill stress-test, and it was satisfactory enough that his remaining three cardiac investigations will be as urgent out-patient. Then rung after we got home by the ED doctor who saw him earlier to ensure he knew of his follow-up. They were busy ALL day, and were polite, professional and great to all.

I will say though, my experience of primary care, both for myself and others, has been dangerous. Thank God for ED.

The NHS does well on some metrics and poorly on others. Good for universal coverage at low cost (well if you ignore eyes, teeth and mental health); bad for cancer survival. Bad for asthma, diabetes, epilepsy - particularly total lack of any joined up care for children in school with those conditions, given that school nurses are rarely seen these days.

Unfortunately the issues and conditions my family have suffered from have all been ones on their "meh" list. I've probably spent about £15k out of pocket getting decent gynae and varicose vein treatment (not cosmetic - DVT risk) and on various things my daughter has needed. And DH waited so long for removal of skin cancer this year we had to pay for that too.

The NHS aren't interested in anything proactive to keep people well. It's a national ILLNESS service!

Our elderly parents have had good care though except for when they totally missed MIL's heart condition (which a private consultant spotted immediately).

Our GP is excellent but referrals almost always bounce back or take forever.

Personally I would really like a social insurance system or at least some kind of state backed health savings account. It's crazy that you either seem to wait for years or if you pay, they can see you almost instantly. A middle groud is needed!

Ive just finished 12 cycles of chemo which I worked out cost over £150,000 plus the pre meds, plus PPE. Ive had umpteen scans for numerous things and weekly blood tes
Now on a cocktail of drugs for the rest of my life at goodness knows what cost.
I see so many American cancer patients on Social media, I assume trying to monetise to help pay for treatment

The nurses in my chemo suite were lovely, tea lady had supply of ginger nuts and cake.
Dr's mostly very good. One I wasn't very happy with so I won't see him again.

I think a lot depends on the service you are accessing and the indiviual staff.
Apart from a few minor niggles Ive been very happy with my care. My friends old and frail MIL has been in the same hospital over the last few weeks and her care has been very poor.

A few weeks ago, out running, I fell very badly: 111 sent me to emergency care. 45 mins later I'd had an x-ray, knee glued, and tetanus jab. Amazing.

DS has T1 diabetes. First in the UK to get an artificial pancreas. Went from 50% in range to 99% overnight, and has had normal blood glucose for over a year. His monthly treatments and tech costs would be '0000s in the US. His long-term outlook is ... well, the same as someone without T1. It's genuinely life-changing.

My DM had a horrible accident in the spring, bleed on the brain, blinded in one eye. Was told she'd never see out of that eye again. Referred to a specialist eye hospital, she's just had the follow-up to an operation where she was told she'll recover full sight. Miracle.

My DF had incredible end of life care: proper pain relief, someone to sit with him at night to give my mum a break (he died at home), hospital bed and morphine driver delivered within 20 mins of request. He died peacefully, at home.

Yes, we've had shitty doctors and shitty experiences (mental health care is not good). Yes I've had to read up, advocate and sometimes push hard to get the care my loved ones needed. But honestly? On balance TF we have it.

Remember - in the US, insurers incentivise NOT paying out. They don't cover all your costs even when they do. And insurance is often tied to your job. Lose your job, lose your cover. For people like my DS with an ongoing, expensive condition, living somewhere like the US is unthinkable.

We should fight tooth and nail to preserve and protect - and improve where it needs it - a healthcare system that is genuinely there for us all.

Do you not realize that health insurance is a part of your whole pay/benefits package for many many workers in the US. Skewed better towards middle class professions, to be sure, but I wish people wouldn't go on as if every single inhabitant of the US had no health insurance.

And it cleared up fine?

I had an amazing experience when I broke my
toe .

Not so good for me:

The other day I had an insect bite on my finger, took antihistamines, looked after it over night, next morning whole hand and wrist swollen red and hot, as suggested went to pharmacist who said it needs antibiotics and probably steroids and he can't prescribe says you need to go to gp. Walked back to gp, and receptionist says that looks nasty but I can't see a gp no appointments fully booked, I did argue a bit but no deal although there was only one patient in the waiting room and apparently 3 gps on duty. Tells me to call 111 and they will send me to drop in centre in various towns around not mine. Gave up and went home a couple of hours trying to do what the NHS tells you to do a huge waste of time. Do they not know that a huge reaction to a bite and spreading infection can be a medical emergency? Fortunately getting better but next time straight to A&E.

It’s bloody brilliant most of the time. Happy people rarely post online to say how good it is. Of course some things aren’t good but I think overall it’s really great and we are so lucky to have it.

In some respects, yes. But I’ve sadly found that if you need something non urgent but important to you, you need to pay to go private and then go back into the NHS system.

Two tier healthcare is here. It probably helps in the long run as you free up initial appointments but it’s useless if you can’t afford to pay.

Absolutely im alive because of the nhs. However they have also nearly killed me a few times so im a bit torn.

Possibly, but it was probably a good choice by my GP I guess at the time.

And yet, when my mum was dying in a Welsh hospital two Christmases ago, the hospital didn't have enough blankets and I had to take some in because she was so cold.

There is NOTHING on planet earth where “everyone” has had excellent treatment and there never will be.

Only if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it. And if the insurance company agrees to pay it. And if your deductible isn’t too high. And…

That's the US healthcare system. European models are different. Better.

It's all very well saying you've had excellent treatment on the NHS. That should be everyone's experience. It's not and that's not acceptable. It's free at the point of use but is funded by taxation. We pay for it.