AIBU to think the NHS is bloody brilliant sometimes?

I’ve been unfortunate in the past two decades to need quite a lot from the NHS. My daughter was born prematurely and has cerebral palsy as a result. Her care has been nothing short of amazing. I dread to think what it would cost us.

One relative had a cancer that was found by absolute chance and was entirely removed within a couple of months. He had a secondary cancer found during a follow up scan after 5 years and again, that was dealt with swiftly, no further treatment needed.

Another had a heart attack, was treated at a hospital that was going through a very difficult time due to some equipment failure, surgeries being cancelled all over the place. He still had his surgery at the right time and is here years later to tell the tale. The follow up care provided by community nurses was excellent.

For the vast majority of people, when they really need the NHS it is there for them. It isn’t perfect and has its problems, but by and large it does the job pretty well.

That IS bloody brilliant and it's great you received such efficient treatment.

However it is not the norm in my experience.

I’ve had mixed experiences - I think if you are on the brink of death the NHS are fabulous and in a real emergency situation they’ve saved my family members lives. However, I’ve also known two women close to my age (mid thirties) who have died of very treatable cancers because they weren’t listened to early enough. And getting a GP appointment remains an ordeal.

It was all brilliant when I was in hospital a few years ago - pneumonia and pleurisy - from ringing 111 to the ambulance arriving quickly, bluelighted to hospital. In for 3 weeks, 5 weeks of ABs, follow up appts.

Re the US, my sister cut a finger very badly, needed an ambulance. I said, Well, at least you’ve got insurance.
She said you’re joking - there was a $2000 excess.
And she was paying a bomb for insurance every month, for herself and her dd.

Exactly
often it’s done on the basis of co payment

insurer pays up to 75% only

I and family members have received excellent care in our local area for a number of different conditions. GP surgeries have an efficient triaged online booking system and you get a same day phone or face to face consultation. I honestly can’t fault it.

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…

I'm forever grateful we have the NHS. Yes, there are issues with short staffing and lack of funds, but it's a fantastic institution and I wouldn't want to be without it.

I've had my life saved on several occasions. Private health insurance is too expensive for most families/elderly people and we are very fortunate not to have to take this out.

It took ten years from me seeing my GP for gynaecological issues (and two emergency admissions) before I had my hysterectomy. And only because I ended up paying for it privately since I was so ill at that point that I was facing having to give up my career.

A couple of years ago, my mother spent seven hours in an ambulance waiting to go into A&E, followed by 56 hours in A&E (in a bay with two aggressive male patients who had to be restained by security) before she was moved to a ward. Once on the ward, it took them six days to organise the tests she needed; she was basically blocking a bed for all that time.

I don’t see how any system that produces these inefficiencies and suffering is brilliant.

So by off label you mean incorrectly prescribed?

Not really for anything other than its intended purposes ie psychotic behaviour.

Absolutely, yes, it is still used for these, but used for insomnia isn't a first line treatment.

Unfortunately, all other options had been exhausted in my case (sleeping pills, antidepressants, diazapam etc), and she had no choice apart from probably sectioning me (or the crisis team). I was really very mentally unwell, and I had to have something different to help quite a desperate situation.

What do you define “off label” as?

Mine did. An antipsychotic drug that is mainly for the most serious of schizophrenia patients shouldn't really be given for severe anxiety, distress and insomnia (as in my case). So, I think if we are being pedantic, perhaps it was off label 🤔😞

Well, yes. This too. My friend told me that she waited in her stairs for 5 hours for an ambulance when she fell and broke her leg with a knee injury a few years ago. She had excellent care in hospital after, but whether she thought this at the time when waiting in agony is not likely!

@ForeverDelayedEpiphany a GP wouldn’t have been able to prescribe an “off label” medication

I think it is unfortunate that so many people in the UK only speak English, and as a result when they think of systems other than the NHS, they overwhelmingly think of the US system.

I don't. I think of French, German, Spanish, Scandinavian healthcare which is everything the NHS could be if we adopted their insurance based models.

OP and others wouldn't think the NHS was quite so wonderful if they'd been waiting hours for an emergency ambulance which was queueing to hand over a patient at A&E. Or they couldn't have an operation because the ICU had no beds. Or they spent days being treated on a trolley in a corridor. Or were in agony waiting for a hip replacement.

The UK deserves better.

I've had 3 doctors appointments this year. None were urgent but I didn't need to wait too long to be seen. One of those appointments means that after some 4-5 years I've found a combination of medication that works and doesn't have such horrible side effects (I was put on something in 2014 that left me with hearing loss. I was told it wasn't possible for me to having hearing loss for the bizarre reason that I've got sight loss too)

Yeah, it's amazing. Also, although not free, the vast majority of people will never put more in the pot than they take out.

Yep. They held an MDT meeting for me, did an MRI and numerous scans. Operated with 2 surgeons and spent a full day in theatre fixing my endo
not to mention when I had cauda equina or the £££ drug I’m on so I can exercise without hives

Yes I have recently used the early pregnancy unit and was sadly found to have a missed miscarriage. They were so good, gave me options and when I chose surgical management I was in having surgery 19 hours later. I came away the same day with medication and having had lunch and dinner and lots of cups of tea.

I have been in groups online and other women in countries chose different options due to long wait times and finances. We are so lucky to have the NHS. Wait times in the early pregnancy unit were long but the minute they knew something was wrong there wasn’t any more waiting. I dread to think how much it would have cost if we didn’t have the NHS.

I'm on the fence... it is brilliant in that it saved me as a premature baby, and weaned me off heroin in NICU. Then, as an adult I had exemplary care and an EMCS with my DD, and emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. Probably most likely thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands as a baby), and the very best NICU care at King's College hospital 45 years ago.

Yet.... I was also injured by a GP who prescribed an off label antipsychotic after a head injury and post concussion syndrome a decade ago, without proper informed consent about the side effects. Obviously, she was giving me the most appropriate treatment at the time, but I'm still living with a permanent neurological involuntary movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia now. 😢💔

So, as I said, my life was saved by, yet changed beyond comprehension, by the NHS.

The NHS have saved my arse more than once im very pleased we have an NHS.

Yep, I always feel very fortunate for all the care I’ve had. 2 interesting pregnancies and labours (not text book!), breast cancer treatment, surgery and ongoing care and more recently further tests for gynae cancers which they couldn’t have done more for.
Yes, I may have had delayed appointments but I’m always so pleased to be seen by someone and no one has ever been grumpy even when they’re run off their feet.
I have fed back to PALS as well as I feel we’re good at complaining but not appreciating.

It blows my mind too that doctors and nurses and surgeons who are just human beings are capable of such amazing, life changing interventions.

My son had an in hospital cardiac arrest caused by multi organ failure due to septic shock. He was actually gone for 17 minutes and though they did get him back, I was told that survival was unlikely. He was transferred to a more specialist hospital, he had emergency surgery, all kinds of machines to help his body recover etc all whilst they were still saying they didn't expect to survive and even with several big setbacks, he did against all of the odds. The medical staff involved in his care say he's a miracle.

I am from Ireland but have lived in the UK a long time. I regularly am bowled over by the NHS, I think it is beyond fabulous. Our local GP surgery is stellar, really fantastic. DH filled in a form for DS this morning for a relatively minor issue, they called at 10.30, he was seen at 1.30. All sorted.

I went to the GP not long ago with what I thought was a nothingburger. GP did a very very thorough assessment then sent me for a scan. The upshot is that they found one fairly minor and two pretty serious issues which are now all being dealt with for free. The whole thing has been quite worrying but I did turn to my DH the other day and said 'At least we don't have to worry for one second about what all this will cost.' It must already be in the thousands. I am incredibly grateful for it. Had I stayed in Ireland I would be in deep shit at this point.