A&E crisis

[mumsthewordi]

i am shocked to see the images from the wards, particularly impact on most vulnerable. Is this just the reality of a health crisis under any government, or do we think Labour have something to answer for?

Living up north we don't seem to have the same problems with our local nhs services but then we haven’t had to house so many of the 10 million extra people that have arrived over the last 10 years.

It would nt matter how much money you threw at the nhs it would never be enough. Many and more expensive treatments, an aging population and many more chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high bp because of the obesity crisis all contribute to pressure on the service.

The current flu outbreak is contributing to beds being blocked by mostly elderly people who have no one to care for them at home.

As a nurse in the 1970s I don’t remember nursing anyone with flu. If you had flu you stayed at home until you were better. Elderly relatives would have family living close by, especially women who were less likely to be in full time work if at all. Increasing the age at which women in particular ( as they are overwhelmingly likely to be carers) will have contributed to the problem.
60+ year old women will have parents who are in their 80s and 90s but as they must work they’re no longer available to provide care.

Also families are less likely to live close to each other. Work demands make sons and daughters move away from their home towns. We have 5 children and the nearest is 250miles away and all work full time. They’re unlikely to be able to take on any caring responsibilities should either or both of us become ill.

My retirement kicked in at 63 so I was able to look after my mum in her final illness. If I’d had to wait till I was 66 it would have been too late.

The mention of the army earlier made me wonder, is there something their medics could do? No idea how that would work, could they assist in some way in looking after patients in temporary facilities so ambulances can get back out on the road? Could they be involved in some sort of Nightingale Hospital situation to ease bed blocking?
These ideas might be mad, I don't work in the NHS.

Come on, Labour has been in power for less than 1 year.
The huge crisis we see is the consequence of 15 years of Tory decisions re the NHS.
Starting with not recruiting doctors and nurses despite the huge need for them.

And no it’s not normal, nor acceptable.

We've got a relative like that. I remember her posting on FB once that she'd had to rush one of her kids to a&e for a 'serious head injury' and he'd had 'butterfly stitches'

It turned out that butterfly stitches = they put a plaster on it

Plans take years. The last 10 year plan is only just being implemented. Labour are taking the applause for the newly opened diagnostic centers, and the NHS app choose and book. These have been in pipeline and planning for years. The new Darzi report was no different from the old Darzi report etc etc.

As with all these reports and plans, it takes time, money and effort.

Interestingly, and I suspect we have been in a trial area, we have been able to choose and book from our NHS app for years. It's really good. Also are able to go private via NHS, and have access to new diagnostic centers. GO's also fully automated. Just goes to show how different areas are across the country.

This isn’t true regarding the electorate.

The NHS receives plenty of money, it’s just horrendously run & disjointed. Different regions paying different prices to the same suppliers because there isn’t an umbrella pricing & contract in place. Staff underpaid in the meantime, therefore unmotivated. Staff measured on the wrong metrics - patient care isn’t a priority.

I’ve paid more tax every single year since I started working all them years back, and the NHS has become less and less accessible in that time. I have no issue with an entirely revamped NHS getting more of my tax £, but to throw good money after bad in the current system is an absolute waste. I know many people who feel the same.

Real or journalist?
Of course it's not labour it's been caused by the conservatives and winter pressures.
If Jeremy Hunt had listened to us instead of leading a vendetta against HCPs saying they don't work weekends etc and refusing to negotiate and reducing beds we wouldn't be in the almighty mess.

They're talking a good talk only time will tell is they walk the walk.

I live in one area but am treated in another area. There's a massive difference in the 2 areas. Although my 4 month follow up appointment hasn't been made yet 15 months later. Thankfully as I'm on a toxic drug my GP surgery are on top of it to a degree. I frequently have issues with my repeat prescriptions and the stories the receptionist come up with are hilarious. I now know how the system works so hopefully will reduce the stress.

Yes I used to work In A&E and once saw a whole family attending with 3 adults and six children and a picnic!! I booted the surplus people out as there were several people in the waiting room standing so they could eat their lunch.

Are you saying those still working in the NHS are neither decent or intelligent?

The thing that frustrates me at the moment is that we have got a flu crisis, as we do most winters. But the NHS booking system to book flu jabs is no longer active, it shut down in December and majority of pharmacies either don’t offer it or have no availability for the next 3 months. Why on earth not have more mobile flu jab clinics like they did in Covid or make the booking system available at least until the end of March when things should start to improve. Such small measures could have a big impact on people getting vaccinated.

Excessive people is obviously not ok.

But I don't see the issue with bringing food. Both my children have severe allergies. We have never found any safe food for them in hospital. I have to bring all my son's food when he stays in hospital as he has been brought food containing his allergens on far too many occasions

Flu jabs are done in GP surgeries for anyone eligible for one and pharmacies for anyone who wants to pay for one. I had mine via my GP.

Yeah, I am eligible but had it done at the Asda pharmacy back in November. I think it might be a poor match this year, I know it was in the southern hemisphere this season.

I had to go to minor injuries on Christmas morning. It's triaged through the A&E department . Funnily enough the waiting room was nearly empty. Although nurse who took care of me said the actually department was busy but the usual time wasters who turn up instead off going to their GP or pharmacy won't bother today.

Military medics already work alongside the NHS staff in NHS hospitals. Obviously this created a pressure when they go on deployment. Loads in our local ED in particular.

I agree with you (previously worked as a GP receptionist). My view is lots of things are cured by paracetamol and a good nights sleep.

So many people see the Dr for ridiculous things (you see it on here as well). Unless I think I need antibiotics or prednisone (I'm asthmatic) I never bother the GP at all.

When I worked for a GP the majority of people we saw were lonely elderly people and SAHMs who didn't have enough going on in their lives and brought their kids in on a weekly basis. Very few actually had anything wrong.

I do think A&E should get better at triage and actually turning people away. Plus not routing everything via A &E would also make a difference.

So what are the solutions?

I know some areas have intermediate care to get hospital beds emptied... and people who are not quite ready to go home in a safe environment.
why doesn't all areas do that?

I didn't know that, thanks!

Pharmacies also provide them for free - So long as you meet the criteria.

The tariff is going down year on year for each vaccine which is why not all pharmacies will provide them ‘for free’ - but they are still paid per vaccine regardless. I have my own business where I go into pharmacies as a day rate vaccinator. I am run off my feet to be honest. Many pharmacies partner with GP surgeries to offer mass vax as well.

I’m currently in bed with what I assume is flu (I’m coming out the other side of it) and when I first started feeling ill my initial symptoms were severe headache and vomiting, at 4am! Google (actually the nhs website) said it was a medical emergency and I needed to go to a&e. But I did decide paracetamol and some sleep might be better. I get it might possibly have been meningitis so I can see why some people would not unreasonably think they need to get checked out . To be honest the thought of a 30 hr wait in a&e…..I’d rather have died in my bed!

It's not anyone else's here, either.

I know where flu vaccines are being done, my point was during Covid there was a massive drive to get people vaccinated to take pressure off the hospitals. This seems to have disappeared even though hospital admissions for flu have sky rocketed over the last couple of weeks. Just being able to go online and book one easily was the best solution, not having to ring round pharmacies for a space or wait for an hour to speak to a GP receptionist.

Ok, so here's the issue. Take more responsibility for your own health. As pp's, too many people are not self sufficient enough.

Go online and book with Boots, or Tesco or whoever. Pay your £15. Job done. My young DD's do. Anyone over 65 gets them all free via GP's. I had reminders, links, to book mine, until it was done. DMil got hers done at home. It's not difficult, is cheap, or free.

If you are ill, self medicate. Stay in bed. Rest. Drink fluids. Isolate. Majority of illnesses just need time. A consultant recently lamented that we have lost the ability to rest, too much to do. We don't allow our bodies to heal, get better. We need to get back to rest and isolation.

Even with old folk, too many come in to hospital just for obs, this can be done at home. Hospitals are really bad places for old folk. Once in they deteriorate. Home support would be so much better. But that needs an entirely different set up to achieve.

Boots and Asda ran out mid December and will not be restocking. Nothing at all available around here to purchase within at least 40 miles. Meanwhile we had 19 ambulances parked outside a&e yesterday and will again today. The vast majority filled with suspected flu cases.