What’s the point in the NHS?

@younknow, I can only hope you're not real because nobody can be so ignorant and entitled at the same time.

This is the most ridiculous comment you have made so far - you are completely wrong! I have hip osteoarthritis and have been offered a full hip replacement. I saw the surgeon last week and he said it will be done within 3 months. I am not remotely bed bound but I am in some discomfort. I am very grateful for our NHS.

I think it's fair to say this thread has gone disastrously for the OP.

OP, do you want to ask for it to be deleted? it's quite outing, you know.

No of course she won't, she is finally getting the attention she so desperately craves.

This. Listening to the vet prices segment on Jeremy Vine yesterday, where someone paid £000s for care for their dog, I said to DH “that’s what it would be like if we didn’t have the NHS”. 20k for hip replacement etc. OK you can pay for private health care insurance, but that would be very expensive if you were born with something wrong with you, for example.

I do think however it is no longer fit for purpose - it was intended to keep folk working/help with industrial injuries etc - but now we have hugely expensive chemotherapy treatments for example, which might add only months to a person’s life. And robotic surgery, radiotherapy, etc which are hugely expensive. And people living longer costs a huge amount for health and social care.

I do think it’s crap at times, especially in non-urgent/life threatening situations but we’d miss it if it was gone.

@younknow - you gave yourself a bad sprain - not sure what follow up you expected? There wasn’t really anything seriously wrong with you, although yes, painful and upsetting, but I don’t think it sounds like you required intensive physio, scans and follow up. But I hope you’re on the mend soon.

Surely if we’re being directed to A.I. for healthcare we shouldn’t be charged so much in tax to pay for a service that’s not fit for use?
They only direct people to use AI who think they know better than professionals. The vast majority of patients respect the advice of the experienced professionals who are treating them.

Both of my dad and my aunt have had joint replacements. My sister in law is waiting for a new ankle. They were/are hobbling, certainly, but absolutely not bed bound. SIL (a nurse!) is still working while she waits.

Cured my cancer. Saved my life.

Why are some waiting 2 years then

‘We’ aren’t. One employee said this to you on one occasion.

What treatment do you think you should have got for your sprained ankle, OP?

To the best of my knowledge, the treatment is rest, ice, compression and elevation, all of which are easily managed at home.

I've been unwell for about two years. My original GP thought it was a condition and ran some blood tests which came back negative. I saw a different GP who blamed it on menopause and said put up with it. I went back to the original GP who still thought it was the original condition and referred me to a specialist.

I've waited nearly 18 months for a consultant appointment. In the mean time, GP wouldn't entertain testing for anything else until I'd seen consultant.

Consultant doesn't think it is the condition but took some bloods and is sending me for a scan. She said she'll probably refer me back to the GP after that.

So two years later, I'm still no further forwards as to why I'm unwell all the time.

@younknow

Ankles were discussed on the Radio4 programme What's Up Docs? They waffle for a bit so you can skip to 5 minutes in. link

OMG she has a sprain. Yes a sprain hurts. Yes it swells. No it doesn’t require immobilisation all day. It requires support, a figure of 8 stretch bandage or elastic slip on sleeve from a chemist. Paracetamol / Ibuprofen for the pain and keep moving. Movement helps the swelling dissipate so limp on it and know the pain will lessen.

Ice and elevate the leg when home. And massage it.

Really for minor injuries people must educate themselves and manage it once the investigations have been done. The information is out there so source it and learn to cope.

I have hyper flexibility and have had soooo many ankle sprains over the years.

.

Having worked until recently in A&E for a substantial time, 20 years. We never scan for a suspected sprain, X ray yes, maybe re x ray if symptoms getting worse. But we would provide crutches and I agree referring to chat GPT is not great. But really I cannot imagine other countries doing more unless they are insurance based healthcare providers that make
money out of unnecessary investigations as frequently happens in the US.

Whether OP is real or not, I do worry about how children are being brought up and whether society will be full of people just like OP.

When kids are told to question everything professionals say. When they are told to stay home because they have gave a cold, made such a fuss over a big bruise, made to believe that they know as much as people who have trained for years to become experts ,this is the adults they become.

Problem is as with much of the public sector is mismanagement and waste. Too many "suits" wandering around with clipboards doing bugger all. Too much beurocracy.
Too much focus on political correctness. Expectations that female staff have to tolerate changing in rooms with a burly 6 foot 5 "woman" staring menacingly at them.
Trying to get a GP appointment is harder than plaiting custard.
Too many people getting treatment that they have no entitlement too, and being allowed to leave the country without paying the bill.
What government will ever have the balls to sweep away all the nonsense and get a proper service into action, ie: actually treating patients?

What do you actually want? Self treatment for a sprain is standard and a pharmacist can suggest a suitable support. You can ask your gp to refer to physio (or you may be able to self refer) but usually ice, rest and gentle movements to mobilise(draw letters in the air with your toes) is the treatment. Your taxes funded a free xray and consultation on this occasion.

I had a totally different experience to you @younknow

I fell down the stairs, hurt my foot, called the ambulance, when I was in A&E the foot was x-rayed, ice pack given, given a boot and crutches with instructions on how to walk with crutches, given advice of how to look after the foot and they told me that I would get an appointment for a MRI scan and a referral to physio within 4 weeks.

I got an MRI, met with the consultant in the physio department who told me that I had a small broken bone, extensive tissue damage and hairline fractures all over my foot. I had 6 physio sessions plus 6 group sessions. From the fall to the end of the group sessions was about 10 months in total.

All the staff were brilliant, dedicated and lovely.

My foot will never be the same. It is still weaker 2 years later. But it would have been a lot worse without the NHS.

For those of you who might ask, “Why did you call the ambulance for hurting your foot?”, the ambulance crew said that I absolutely did the right thing. If you had seen my foot, you would have probably said the same.

My child has a complete rupture of a ligament, the x-ray showed no bone damage as expected but did indicate ligament damage as it showed a joint effusion, excess fluid and blood in the joint space which triggered an MRI scan. They’ve had 9 months of one to one physio weekly and two weekly 1 hour small group sessions in the hospital gym with a physio for the last 6 months. They will need an operation once the joint and surrounding area has recovered sufficiently through rehabilitation, all through the NHS. My point being x-rays do indicate if there is a serious problem with a ligament and trigger a follow up scan if needed.

A&E doctors don't handle referrals OP.

You need to see your GP and ask for this or for their advice on follow up treatment.

Unfortunately it isn't always the case. FIL hip replacement wait was more than a year and that was more than 20 yrs ago.

I can’t speak for others but this is literally my experience - maybe I have been extremely lucky. I was diagnosed with OA just over 12 months ago. I was initially given physio and monitored which helped a little but not much. I went back 12 months later (which was last week) and I’ve been offered a full hip replacement within 3 months. I am mid-forties.

My point was that the OP is completely wrong stating that joint replacements are only being offered once a patient is bed-bound. I am far from bed bound.

It isn’t perfect. Funds are often displaced or there is not enough to go around an increasing population.

Aren’t you lucky that you could go to get an xray and advice in urgent care within a day.

There is plenty you can do for yourself at home with a sprain. Your GP can help.

Had you been in Ireland, you would be waited a lot longer, in the big standard A&E behind very sick patients, estimated waiting time, 24 hours. You would have paid €100 at reception before sitting your bum down.

When I fell down breaking 3 ribs. I was grateful for the x-ray, advice and strong pain killers.
I followed up with my GP. Another 70 euro for public health care.

If you want the gold standard treatment you take out health insurance.

Most people who can afford private insurance in Ireland has cover. I don’t. It’s a few thousands a year for a family policy.

Yeah. They haven’t seen my DH who is so crippled by pain he’s been off work 9 months and is housebound. Specialist referral in Feb. No appointment date still. It’s like being told you’ve got a soft landing spot and finding out the landing spot was made of concrete after all.