Can we rely on the nhs anymore?

[Nc4post99]

I was reading a thread about a poor lady who’s been diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer, she’d been fobbed off with something for a long time before her diagnosis, got diagnosed in May and still nothing has been done.

there was another thread about a woman’s sister a while ago who was deathly ill losing weight and not taken seriously, i think in the end it was late stage cancer.

I was reading that our healthcare system is one of the worst now in developed nations. It’s such a sorry state of affairs. And 40k excess deaths last year. The GPs at my surgery have all lost their licences to ‘gross malpractice’ for sitting on referrals, refusing appointments. I know they are probably an outlier but all in all it’s just a really concerning picture

Then there is social care, with an older mother and a parent myself I find these things on my mind. I’m quite worried about what the future brings, things being missed, misdiagnosed, waiting lists. I’m genuinely worried one of us gets ill, needs the health service and it’s just not there the way it needs to be.

No we can't rely on it for timely care tbh and care delayed is often care denied.

I've had ongoing fevers since November that nobody knows the cause of, first went to GP within a few days of them beginning. It's June and I still haven't had my first hospital appointment about it yet.

My son didn't learn to walk until a few weeks ago, he's 20 months old, he's on a paediatric orthopedic waiting list for the past two months due to delayed walking that the GP told me is twelve months long. Although he is walking he is far far behind other children, he walks like a baby and has a pronounced gait/foot abnormality.

My DM has stage 4 cancer and I won't even start to tell you the many stories of issues she's had. The worst was being in an A&E department for THREE DAYS.

No. Until we are prepared to pay a realistic rate for our care, stop the waste, pay the staff and fund education and training, it will continue to crumble.

I’ve had an on/ off uti for nearly 2 years. Just keep getting fobbed off with different antibiotics. No one seems to care about any underlying reason. It’s so frustrating and disheartening.

This is the price we pay for allowing a political party which at best does not care about the NHS and at worst can be seen to have run it into the ground to suit its own agenda, to be in power for so long. Those who voted Conservative, voted for this.

My late father had exactly the same, prime pandemic, I won’t get into the details but he died as a result

And I’m not being deliberately provocative but how does that really account for the performance from the likes of my GPs?

My Dad was in hospital for a week recently just before he passed away and the care he received was outstanding despite it being clear to see the pressures they were under in his ward. Px

No.

the care on ward in ITU for my dad for the most part was great… but the huge issue was continuity of care, GP care and the regular wards and of course A and E

Have you got any idea how difficult things are for GPs? A total shitshow before Covid, GPs leaving the profession in droves and the amount of admin they gave to do is just crazy. My friend is a "part time" GP yet she spends most of her days off calling hospitals to chase results etc.

@Nc4post99 the biggest issue I had was waiting for the ambulance in the first instance!! Px

But in this specific case, they were denying appointments and pretending they were full but they were at 25% capacity, and pretending they’d made referrals but hadn’t, it happened to my son with paediatric allergies but it also happened with cancer and cardiology and led to adverse outcomes- I think it means deaths.

they also used to give out dangerous advice and not do things properly ie newborn checks

there was also something to do with the practice manager being married to the lead GP so when complaints were made they were covered up or dismissed. Either way the cqc led an investigation and they lost their licences

Most medical students and junior doctors do not become GPs

Huge numbers of GPs have retired/are approaching retirement age and there aren't enough newbies to follow in their footsteps

All GPs are under staffed, with increasing numbers of patients

Most GP practices aren't coping well

But in my specific case, what’s there to gain from blocking appointments and pretending to send referrals? Just given up and saying f’ it?

I agree I work in the nhs and it's a disaster, we are all shocked by the stuff that goes on. Everyone thinks it's a disaster and we all wish we could do more

I also saw the thread about the lady from NI who is still not getting treatment more than a month after a serious cancer diagnosis and that happens all the time here. I could tell you a lot of horrifying stories for the most part there just isn't the staff to do the scans so the waiting lists are so long and it takes sooo long to get anything done and for decisions to be made. I know other people who have waited months and then ended up needed much more invasive surgeries for their cancers etc or people waiting in wards for 5weeks on surgeries....

That thread is just heartbreaking. That poor woman, the cancer has spread in the time she was waiting and I just don’t understand why nothing has been done. I’m so angry for her. People having diagnoses and basically dying before they can have treatment

It’s been dire for two decades as far as I know.

Ivr had three failed diagnosis, by a plethora of Gp’s…. “Have some anti inflammatory s”. “Rest”…. In one case, I was unable to breathe without coughing, for 4 months. In another, I had so much pain shrieking down my arm…. It just goes on.

In the cases above, i sought a physio at my own cost, as a Hail Mary, who told me what the issue was right away and within 3 treatments, was able to return to work after 4 months off…. In the second I went for a private doc, who got me a same day appt with a lung specialist, who diagnosed me before il he’d seen any tests and again, within a few days, I was able to begin to breathe properly again.

it’s a joke.

my daughter, issue with her ankle…. 2 visits to gp, “rest” etc. saw a specialist at cost, who booked her for an op immediately. Cost a few Bob, but she can walk again and had no relapses.

other daughter, and this is current…. GP has refused to renew the dermatologists prescription without a review, and earliest that the telephone review will take place, is 6 weeks. so there are now withholding a 1 year olds prescription…. He now can’t sleep, constantly in pain….

The sooner we disband the Nhs and sack them all, the better.

DH struggled for months to get his cancer diagnosed, I have absolutely zero faith in the NHS. None at all.

My life has been destroyed by botched NHS surgery. It has taken me five years to find a surgeon prepared to put the work right and I am still trying to recover and I need further surgeries yet. The work I had was niche and a system used on me that is no longer used. It wasn't approved by NICE at the time I had the surgery. Without an expert witness, I can't sue and I cannot find an expert witness with the niche knowledge I need. I've been fucked over by the NHS good an proper and I would not trust the words that come out of the mouth of anybody that works for them.

Of course not. It has been appalling on the whole for at least the last 20 years. That’s why I have private health and don’t touch the NHS unless I have no choice

I have to word this carefully but from personal experience, no treatment/slow action with cancer usually means that the prognosis is already too poor. My Dad died from liver cancer in January, I'd add. I have a lot of experience of GP/tests/hospital admissions and very few of them were positive. The hospice was similar - they were overstretched and care fell short at times, which was really distressing.

DH has just had a hernia repair - he originally went into theatre just before lockdown, and was found to have a heart condition. It's taken nearly 3 years to have that treated (combination of private and NHS) before he could be referred back to the vascular surgeon. Once he was however, the departments communicated well and DH's surgery took place within 6 weeks. He was kept in overnight on the surgical unit which was less than ideal (no ward beds), it took 9 hours to get his discharge papers but overall it was a huge relief to get done.

For the first time this year, we have taken out BUPA insurance as a family, as we no longer trust the NHS to look after us. It’s a dreadful situation for the country, and of course we are very lucky / privileged to be in a situation to do this.

I cant pass comment on that specific lady’s situation but it did read like it was advanced but within the realm of treatment, I do so hope that it can be treated for her. She seems absolutely lovely. Either way it’s clear from reading that inaction has caused her more suffering than is necessary. I’ve seen it in my own family, and now in an uncle, palliative care due to stage 4 bowel cancer (bowel and bladder removed) e coli in port, one course of anti biotics and then said well if that doesn’t work we’re not prepared to try another course and we won’t do anything else. Nurses meant to come everyday and don’t turn up for 5 days. Sometimes it’s just inhumane.

We’re the same! I just cannot take that risk with my children and family.

i do get worried from a social care point of view for my older mother and if we ever need emergency services

Trouble is that private healthcare isn't a complete package. DH's heart issues meant that he couldn't have surgery in a private hospital as most don't have intensive care facilities meaning if there are complications you are transferred to the nearest NHS. hospital. That delay was far too risky for us to chance and it certainly wasn't something we were aware of.

It's a poisoned chalice all round, it seems.