What’s the point in the NHS?

I don't think you are unreasonable at all OP. I've have ligament problems for the best part of a year now and it's only just healing now with custom orthotics, via a ultra sound to diagnose then and private physio/chiropractic treatment. I could barely walk for the first three months and I didn't even bother with the NHS.

I do think it depends on area, my sister has had all sorts of scans and referrals for things, via a GP referral. I really do think a torn ligament should require investigation.

Just one point worth mentioning.
Lots of posters were signposting the OP to ' the private sector'.

Private health care is rarely walk in for things like a sprain.
Yes, there are private GPs (most are £100 for an appt.) You might have to wait a day or so for an appt.
Yes, there is private physio. Ditto. Cost around £80 .

Private health cover will sometimes include a private GP appt (online usually) and some large private hospitals do have a walk-in 'A&E' type of clinic.
Most private cover is for diagnosis of symptoms and surgery/ treatment if needed.
It's not on demand for accidents.

Ifyou sprain your ankle it's highly unlikely you will get to see a private GP on the day, unless you live in a big city with a walk-in clinic at a large private hospital.

So you expect to pay the same despite the coat of everything increasing? That makes no sense to me.

The NHS is clearly struggling, and costs are going up, yet we expect an improvement in service without paying more.

I'm so grateful for the NHS. I rang my surgery one morning last week, and had an appointment two hours later. Doctor referred me for an X-ray, I had a phone call three hours after I left the surgery from the x-ray department with an appointment the day after. Back to docs on Monday for x-ray results.

Similar happened for my hysband a couple of months ago, from initial GP appointment is was less than a week for his appointment with an orthopaedic specialist at the bearest hospital.

We are lucky to have the NHS.

I don't want more spent on the NHS. I want a social insurance service mirroring those in Continental Europe.

I think you have a very rosy idea of what privatised healthcare looks like.

Then I hope you will not be voting for Reform or the Torys and will lobby your MP and the government to start spending more on the NHS in line with other European countries.

Yes. What I'm not prepared to do is to pay more and continue to have the same old NHS. We have a home in France. French healthcare (and Austrian, German, Swiss, Scandinavian) is leaps and bounds better than the NHS.

It’s just a gateway to Bupa nowadays.

France: Has approximately 5.5 to 5.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people (roughly 550 to 580 beds per 100,000 residents), which sits well above the average for wealthy European nations. 1, 2, 3]

United Kingdom: Has approximately 2.4 to 2.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people (roughly 240 to 250 beds per 100,000 residents), ranking among the lowest capacity rates in Western Europe. 1, 2, 3]

But as I said earlier France spends a lot more on healthcare than the UK does and their citizens pay higher taxes to make that happen.

Nothing wrong with wanting the French model but it will cost more in taxes as well as most people needing private health insurance to top it up.

Maybe the UK government could try increasing its healthcare spending in line with countries like France, Norway, Netherlands etc.

Perhaps the NHS would function a lot better if it wasn’t underfunded.

You think its bad now wait until 5-10 years time there won’t be an NHS ! I have private medical insurance but worry for the people that won’t afford be able to afford to pay for treatment

My son had non Hodgkins Lymphoma also 2 years ago. Very similar experience.

I can't imagine worrying about medical bills/charges etc on top of everything else we all went through.

The NHS wasn't set up to treat 70++ million for free and anyone else that rocks up .
It's not working for the majority, it's no longer working as it should.

A friend waited 4hrs in a corridor for a hip x-ray, she was in agony, we can't see a GP and 111 just tell you to go to A&E which is on average a wait of anywhere from 3hrs to 7 hours! At least where I live. Gone are the days when an A&E visit was 30 mins

New mums after care is shocking and almost non existent unless you are on the 'at risk' list or are not British, then you get seen when and how often you like. (That's info from a midwife)

No amount of money will change things , I still can't get my head around why 6 years after Covid we no longer have the NHS we had in before it? What's changed?

It cannot survive as it is, it needs to change, the French system seems to work well , as do other European countries, NHS used to be the envy of the world, but perhaps there's a reason no other country has followed suit !!!

Americas health care is horrific. Unless you can pay thousands

as someone who lived there….

also torn ligaments in the ankle there is not much they can do, lots if rest etc, ice etc, you can get crutches on the nhs for sure,

Because sometimes there is literally nothing that can be done & it will heal itself in time.

i completely knackered by ankle last year, basically torn all my ligaments & my foot was basically black. Treatment, paracetamol, crutches & time to heal. You don’t need physio for a bad sprain it’s just a waste of valuable NHS resources & will likely make zero difference anyway.

just use a cold compress & give it time

The NHS saved my life 2 years ago when I had Hodgkins lymphoma. Went on the 2 week cancer pathway when lymph nodes swelled up and wouldn’t go down. Biopsy showed cancer, I was started on aggressive chemotherapy program 2 weeks later.
Didn’t have to pay a penny for the treatment that saved me, the incredible consultants and nurses, multiple hospital stays, pet, ct scans and x rays and so many drugs to counter all the side effects (apart from tax of course!).

I snapped a ligament in 2004, no scan, and no boot or crutches, I was told to try to walk on it as normally as possible (I couldn't at first) and it was better for healing not to have a boot or crutches. It was excruciatingly painful, but I did what they told me to and it healed in time, so I don't think that much has changed. Maybe it depends who you see?
The NHS has it's problems, but they have also saved my life on another occasion! It's a mess and needs both more funding and restructuring but be grateful we aren't in the states!

Well yes, urgent care is just that…..urgent care, long term care or continuing care would be under your GP,

same for A and E,

anything else is through your GP

OP your medical naïveté is showing through.

My son had a grade 3 year on two ligaments. His club physio named the ligaments, the severity and grade. He is an elite athlete and they see this all the time. The physio called it as such.

We went to the hospital in case of break and the doctor called it the same. Exactly the same as the physio. Same level. Same tears. Same ligaments.

The club requested a private MRI (they paid). Guess what? Same ligaments, same grade, same tears..

Experienced physicians don’t need a scan to tell
if a ligament is torn or how severely.

You want treatment that doesn’t exist. You want more attention because you are hurt.

And to double down, I am from a country with universal healthcare and they would have offered you the same.

It's a hard one as I have received excellent care from the NHS when I needed it. However, I can remember my friends Mum when we were in our twenties who was waiting for a Barium Meal scan as she was constantly vomiting and unable to keep any food down. She was sent her appointment back then for six months time - my friend persuaded her to pay to go privately as she felt it was too serious to wait. She had passed on before her NHS appointment date even arrived!! That was 40+ years ago!!

tbh, I honestly find it hard to believe that is all they said/gave you!

My partner came of his bike - fractures shoulder and 3 fractured ribs. He was given a sling, as prescribed some very nice painkillers to go with it. Given a booklet on how to care for himself with a rib injuries and went back 2 weeks after to be xrayed and discharged.

Ive never had them say check chat gpt...

In a commercial health setting how many thousands might that have cost? Ambulance ride included.
People go broke for accidents.

So it is what it is for being as cheap as it is or us (base don contributions we make etc)

I have had a fractured ankle & sprained ankle the sprain was worst than the fracture very little in put into care also had fractured pelvis very little medical input. But my kidneys aren’t working very well consultant rung me Friday afternoon been in for over 24hrs had fluids been reviewed by doctors medication altered. I am an ex nhs worker, it is not always perfect but most staff go to work to make a difference. If your not happy with your care speak to PALS.

You’re complaining that you didn’t get a scan, yet you said in your second paragraph that you had an x-ray. I’ve never known such drama over a sprained ankle. If you want crutches just get some.

You work for an orthopaedic team? You’re admin/clerical, aren’t you? You’ve sprained your ankle. You went to minor injuries. You were therefore seen by an ECP/ACP, not a doctor. You only waited 4 hours. You did not have to go to ED. X-ray was open. What a brilliant service. When your ankle feels better next week are you brave enough to come back on here and eat your words?

People have mentioned France and I think Norway as better healthcare models than the NHS.

A point to remember is that in both those countries they pay more tax in general than the UK. And both countries spend more on healthcare than the UK. And in France most people are paying for top up private insurance and regular 20-30% copays on top of their higher taxes.

Perhaps what is wrong with the NHS is that it is underfunded.

Those who want to end the NHS are you happy to pay more in tax for a better system and elect politicians who will commit more of their budget to healthcare?