Things the NHS doesn't do

[Silverclocks]

In the last couple of months I've spent the following on necessary (?) treatment and I'm not even ill!

• ear syringing £65. I was in lot of pain, drops weren't helping, but GP surgery told me it's not done on NHS, although I now understand it can be where there's a medical need, they obviously didn't want me to know that.

• Dental hygienist £95. Apparently essential to protect the health of my gums, but not available on NHS. I'm supposed to go 4 times pa....

• Eye test/check up £70

• £50 podiatrist. Infected ingrown toenail. GP prescribed antibiotics, but told me it would keep recurring without being seen to, but the NHS doesn't do podiatry. So they're prepared to prescribe anti biotics every few months forever, but not treat the cause.

• £50 x 4 Osteopath to treat a slipped disk. All fixed now. I might have been able to get it treated on the NHS eventually, but the first step was a telephone consultation with a physio and and the wait for that was 6-8 weeks. I was in agony and unable to work.

Thankfully I was able to have all these things done, but it must simply be out of the question for so many people. It makes me want to cry.

Things it does do:

Charges you £9.35 for medication, even if it’s actual value might be £100.

Will offer X-rays, MRI and Ultra sounds which can cost hundreds of pounds and you pay nothing upfront.

I honestly think people think the NHS should be a never ending pit. We actually get a lot out of the NHS and still we expect more and more.

@alloalloallo

Apparently, 24 hour, ambulatory EEGs for children.

My daughter needs one, but they only offer short, 20 minute tests on the NHS. She’s had 3 so far and, unsurprisingly, they haven’t picked up any seizure activity. You’d have to be pretty lucky to have one in that short, 20 minute window.

They don’t offer the 24h, ambulatory EEGs on the NHS, so we can either pay for one privately or keep having the 20 minute ones until we hit the jackpot.

Flashing lights set her seizures off so we suggested using flashing lights so we were more likely to pick something up - they don’t do that

This is really interesting @alloalloallo.

Sadly this is not a recent thing. We were in the same situation with DD 15 years ago. We didn't even get offered a mini one. Fortunately we could pay, and surprise surprise a diagnosis was immediately identified.

Regarding warts on the NHS, if you can get your GP to reaxribe Aldara, it worked brilliantly for getting rid of both my DCs warts. Had it prescribed originally by a consultant. It's actually for genital warts but it worked a treat. DS had about 50 warts across both hands and they cleared within 2 months.

Also I pay into the Birmingham Hospital fund which covers all my costs for physio, podiatry, eyes and teeth in a usual year unless I need something extraordinary.

*Prescribe

Things that the NHS doesn’t do:
Look at ways of retaining staff
Pay fairly

The NHS in its form now isn’t fit for purpose

Look at the way European countries work it’s a middle ground from the NHS and the American way.

Sadly things won’t change for the good and it will just be a fucked system forever or until a government puts the final nail in the coffin.

Of course it would help if our government stopped throwing money at their mates 🙄

Oh and I am sick to death of being told it’s free
It’s not free I pay for it via my taxes…
It’s just free at the point of use

I developed excess breast tissue in my armpits during pregnancy. It was scanned and all normal and was told it would go away, but it hasn't. It is really unsightly and has massively impacted my confidence and I can no longer wear a lot of clothes. I'm a normal BMI. To have it removed on the NHS is classed as a cosmetic procedure so I need to save to have it removed privately.
On a more serious note my brother has stage 4 bowel cancer and the only positive is that he was diagnosed pre covid so is in the system, I feel terrible for those still waiting for diagnosis/treatment

@JungleBungles

Oh and I am sick to death of being told it’s free It’s not free I pay for it via my taxes… It’s just free at the point of use

Indeed.

Varicose vein treatment.

I have one in my thigh that I get infected thrombophlebitis in at least 3 times a year. But it’s seen as a cosmetic issue.

Ouch! I'm not in the UK but I had my varicose veins treated in the country I am in on the national health service (in Italy). Things I have paid for myself:

• dentistry/hygienist
• podiatry
• eye tests (waiting list really long except for emergencies)
• blood tests (could have had this done for free but no appointment near me so worked out cheaper to pay than pay for transport)
• getting annoying skin tag removed (did google how to DIY but chickened out!)

@rookiemere

I'm confused about the eye test, I thought everyone was entitled to a free one every 2 years, I've always had them for free at Specsavers.

If there is glaucoma in the family as a pp said. But I only paid £30 for a routine test and that was including the imaging photo, it's £20 otherwise.

Hygienist has got super-expensive, I used to pay £30 not that long ago and paid £66 last week! I know covid and PPE and all that but £66!

If there is glaucoma in the family as a pp said. But I only paid £30 for a routine test and that was including the imaging photo, it's £20 otherwise

They’re free here - whereabouts in the UK are you?

I agree @itsjustnotok.

I have an nhs dentist and pay standard charges for checkups but pay for a hygienist visit once a year. I'm careful to look after my own teeth in between.

I don't think the nhs should pay for most of the things listed, they are basic personal care. Perhaps means-tested for the retired but not for working people.

If so, you could argue the state needs to feed you or you'll starve. The state needs to clothe you or you'll freeze. Where is personal responsibility.?

Eligibility for free eye tests: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/

@CloseYourMouthLynn

I developed excess breast tissue in my armpits during pregnancy. It was scanned and all normal and was told it would go away, but it hasn't. It is really unsightly and has massively impacted my confidence and I can no longer wear a lot of clothes. I'm a normal BMI. To have it removed on the NHS is classed as a cosmetic procedure so I need to save to have it removed privately. On a more serious note my brother has stage 4 bowel cancer and the only positive is that he was diagnosed pre covid so is in the system, I feel terrible for those still waiting for diagnosis/treatment

I am really sorry that happened to you. In fairness, the NHS performed a scan in order to check it is not a health risk and thankfully it isn't. However, you find it unsightly, so surely that is the very definition of a cosmetic issue?

I think if we want an NHS geared up to treat stage 4 bowel cancer we have to accept that it needs to prioritise life threatening conditions over people with unsightly excess tissue, tiny warts or too lazy to follow a physio's exercise regime.

Ear wax removal is odd. Patients expect it to be provided by GPs when it is often not commissioned from/by/for them in England, is time consuming even before COVID safety and irrigation has no evidence base. Patients are remarkably wedded to it and often refuse to use other treatments. Generally don't complain to CCGs though.

@DownToTheSeaAgain

I think that instead of moaning about what isn't covered by the NHS it's worth considering what is and what the alternative would be without it. We are incredibly lucky in this country to still largely have treatment free at point of need. Americans regularly go bankrupt or have to make the wrong medical choices because of the limited extent of their medical coverage.

I worked in the NHS almost all my adult life and couldn't disagree more. Being grateful for having an NHS which is on its knees and failing is pointless. As is the automatic default of well at least we aren't in America.

Other European countries have functioning health services with much better outcomes than the NHS. We should be trying to emulate them if we want world class healthcare.

[quote Hobbittingaroundtown]Eligibility for free eye tests: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/[/quote]
That’s not for all of the UK

irrigation has no evidence base

It’s cleared mine twice when months worth of olive oil did nothing.

The nhs does do podiatry, dentistry is massively subsidised, I had physio for shoulder issue, not osteopath, but most things listed are free. Not asked to pay.

I had to buy my own stair lift, wheel chair and wheelchair ramp. None are provided on the NHS here.

In our area you are offered an inside manual wheelchair, if you can not pull to standing at all, your house is already wheel chair ready (widen doorways, you have enough space to turn chair around in every room) and if you promise not to use it outside!

Further criteria for powerchairs.

And for all those people who will say my uncle got one and he only limps, good for you. But in our area you self fund or stay house bound.

@rookiemere

I'm confused about the eye test, I thought everyone was entitled to a free one every 2 years, I've always had them for free at Specsavers.

No, they are £32.50 for your average person, such as myself. My dad got his free as his mother had glaucoma.

Eye test/check up £70

That seems very high it was £20 each for us adults.

We do pay about 60 ish pound a month for dental plan as DH and I can't get NHS dentists.

My parents pay for private podiatry - despite dad being diabteic as the appointments are too far apart on NHS and hard to access.

My Mum found they'd paid out hundrends in bandages and wrappers for Dad for ongoing issue - as GP's nurse never had them and told her to order and then take in to her- even the district nurses who come out try this oh haven't got the items - she has to be firm and send them back to pick them up.

Better than FIL who was discharged with a catheta in and no instructions had to get family with experience round to help.

I do get our asthma medication free - me as in Wales - and rest of family get it free long term medication in England due to ages or conditions.

I do think we should look at other systems in Europe - as there is very much a postcode lottery about what is or isn't covered and more transparacy would be helpful with expectations and planning.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

irrigation has no evidence base

It’s cleared mine twice when months worth of olive oil did nothing.

*no published evidence base, although there could well be, sitting on shelves, never funded for publication, perhaps due to interests in other treatments. Medical research is highly politicised.

Also, if it works for one person, then that person has an evidence base, for themselves, which is often all that is needed anyway.

I had to buy my own stair lift, wheel chair and wheelchair ramp.

Il paid for extra handles to help FIL - my parents paid for some and the stair lift but the council did pay for a few handles and did help with assesment.

I had to hire a wheelchair for DH when he'd had operation as otherwise he'd have been housebound for two months - but to get district nurse out to us at all and it was needed for his aftercare we had to first get him to GP. They couldn't get him home from hopsital for a week and he couldn't bend leg and someone kept cancelling the ambulance and booking a taxi. I had to wheel him down to our then GP - no home vsists at all - and only way down there was in wheelchair.