What should the NHS not fund?

[Username721]

Saw a thread on IVF for lesbians and some people felt that IVF should not be for anyone on the NHS. So it got me thinking.

Is there anything you feel should be exclusively private treatment? The ones often debated are things like weight loss surgery, cosmetic procedures, treatment for avoidable illness such as smoking-induced ones, liver failure through alcohol abuse, drug rehabilitation…

Thoughts?

The if I've never needed it or if I look down on others who are less fortunate in life they don't deserve treatment. What a disgusting tiny mindset to have. It must be hard being perfect.

Jesus! I was joking but actually you clearly should have a diagnosis. You think ill people should pay for food in hospital and then you think i’m being bitchy 😂 I could explain life to to you and why that would be cruel/impractical/unethical but it’s clear i’d be wasting my time, so I won’t. Have a nice weekend, Dahmer.

People who go out on the town,get pissed and end up in A&E due to their stupidity.

Again, how would this be assessed.

Your in a club, someone falls into you, you fall and break your arm.

You walk out the club, slip on someones sick, break your ankle.

Do you then need to blood test every adult ( that would be costly) that comes into A & E, or would you just asses based on their demeanor, by the time they have been seen they could have sobered up.

Its a throwaway statement without any real thought on how this would be implemented, managed or investigated.

The other issue with the we aren't going to treat drunk people, do you intend to leave them to die from alcohol poisoning?

We were all young and daft, we've all had a day when we've had a few too many, for most it's a one-off and we learn our lesson and move on. Whether is head down the loo or a worse case ending up in hospital.

What if it was your kid who was drunk at the side of the road, who's had a kicking of some thug, would you not want someone to be looking out for them?

Apparently yes we just leave them to due unless they have a valid credit card.

The NHS has limited resources, so it should concentrate on essentials; treating illness and injury. Maternity care should be funded, because leaving babies and mothers to die would never be acceptable in a civilised society. But the NHS can't afford to treat everything that falls under the general heading of 'dissatisfaction with my current life' so individuals should expect to fund their own assisted conception, gender reassignment, breast enlargement etc.

No problem with this but there should be systems to make sure that where elderly or other patients with poor memory are involved that names rellies are notified about the appointment as well. Not infrequently my 90 year old mum gets a phone call for an appointment within days, writes the day down then loses the bit of paper. Or she gets a letter and loses that. If the family know about the appointment we make sure she gets there.
While I'm on it there should be a named person for older patients who's the first port of call for everything. Almost like a health visitor. It would cut down on all the duplication and perhaps if there are several routine appointments they could all be timed for a single morning or afternoon. Or someone could talk to the patient and take more of an overall view on what's useful to do and what isn't. Long term it would save money and resources.

I think if any adult needs support like that they should appoint a Power of Attorney.

One thing that is helpful the hospital my friend works in when they go to book a patient an appointment for anything it flags up if they have another appointment within 4 days of the appointment they are trying to book so the second appointment around the same time to cut people's visits down.

the general heading of 'dissatisfaction with my current life'

This is an important point. Mental illness is very real - I've seen a person experiencing hallucinations before, pretty terrifying stuff. But not everything is a mental illness. Being unhappy or unfulfilled with your present your life isn't an illness. Being anxious about anxiety-inducing things isn't an illness. I'm not sure why this has happened, possibly because the more illnesses are created the more cures can be marketed, but in an extreme example - I was offered antidepressants when my friend died.

I wasn't depressed. I felt awful and was crying a lot. Because my friend died.

Completely agree.

@WeWereInParis sorry, I meant to say 'permanent contraception' vasectomies and tubal ligation. Specifically the latter, costs a lot and isn't necessary.

Fair enough. But these are very hard to get on the NHS already so I doubt they're a big cost. DH tried to get a vasectomy recently and our area doesn't fund them anymore which I don't think is uncommon. And I think it's always been hard to get female sterilisation.

Also, a private vasectomy is a few hundred pounds. Is it cheaper for the NHS to provide me with contraceptives for the next ~15-20 years (not just the cost of the pill/injection/implant themselves but the dr appointments to get them) than to do a vasectomy on my husband? That's a genuine question, I don't know the answer.

I think I should have used quotation marks.. I don't consider some worthy and some not. I was using the voice of the thread, trying to speak against such an attitude,

Someone who is black out drunk is vulnerable, and they should be looked after.
I have come across people passed out in the street, and I called an ambulance for them. I was never told it was inappropriate to do so.

That's another bonkers one, lots of the time sterilisation is requested for health (of the female) or financial reasons.

Pay the money out sterilise the men folk, and in turn save the NHS dealing with unwanted pregnancy or the cost of delivering a baby. And save the child benefit, mat leave, nursery costs etc.

The NHS needs to be funded better and not run on a shoestring

I owe you an apology. I am totally in agreement with what you said and I should have stated that at the start of my post when I quoted you. It was very far removed that you had a disgusting tiny mindset that was aimed at some of the pp that set out some vile reasons on which NHS treatment should be withdrawn from certain groups.

margegunderson

Yes and systems in place for those with SENs, mental illness, 18-25 group and neurodiversity to get support to attend.

At the moment vulnerable young people are given zero support and laws kick in meaning parents are shut out once somebody turns 18.

Re missed appointments, I’ve heard of many cases of relatives of people with dementia telling the hospital that they must also be sent any appt letters, because the person with dementia will never remember and will v likely throw the letter away or hide it.

But because they don’t yet have power of attorney, or have been unable to arrange it, they’ve been told no, on grounds of ‘patient confidentiality’.

My dh was sent to the wrong clinic for a minor procedure - will that missed appt be down to his own fault?
Also, a BiL who’d had cancer for several years, so was frequently attending appts, had an appt letter forwarded from the address he’d moved from 17 years previously!

I can’t help wondering how many missed appts are down to similar NHS inefficiency/cock ups.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

Absolutely I’ve sat in the mental health waiting room and I kid you not most times I’m there somebody in the waiting room is sent away because they allegedly got the time wrong even though they insist they haven’t. Everybody is desperate for appointments. It’s countdown once you get them.

The huge amount of disorganisation in the NHS re really important meetings such as CPAs that we’ve experienced has been shocking. No other sector would get away with it. Not following protocol, no minutes, last minute cancellations, key professionals just not turning up,no RSVP, no reasonable adjustment for disability…..The nhs don’t care because they can and do get away with it.

Do don’t talk to be about patient non attendance. It cuts both ways.

Is hat really they don't care or is it that they are understaffed and need to make judgements about what can and can't be done

I’d charge people from other countries who need to use the nhs whilst here.
The rest is such a minefield, it needs an enormous restructure.

I agree with IVF, basically anything elective or aesthetic procedures.

If you watch the helicopter medics programs you see people taking part in dangerous sports, like motorcross, being constantly rescued. People should be required to have insurance to cover this that pays the NHS treatment. Obviously the stupid free at the point of use has had it’s day

Do you know how I’m getting home

It’s because they’re symbolic, disorganised and don’t care. When staff across the board act in a way that is not tolerated in any other sector, does not adhere to good practice or protocol and rides rough shod over measures that are non negotiable and there to protect the vulnerable it is clear there is a massive problem within the system.

Many sectors are under pressure- charities, education. It’s not excusable.

So actually sorting out mass disorganisation and waste within the NHS would be a better place to start if we want to save money. The main reason being the poor practice many families experience ends up costing the NHS more.