Can I just take a minute to say how bloody brilliant the NHS is when it works well.

[NHSimpress]

This is probably outing to whoever knows me but hey ho.
My husband had a workplace accident on Wednesday where he had an almost total amputation of his thumb.
He was taken to our local hospital who had a look and thought it could be saved so he was sent to the bigger hospital that has a plastic surgery centre of excellence.
So, he was taken there an hour away and seen immediately by a consultant. They decided to get him in for emergency surgery and they reattached the thumb during a 4 hour procedure.
He was being operated on within 4 hours of the accident, they looked after him so well. Afterwards, despite the very late hour the surgeon took the time to come and carefully explain what they had done, the course of treatment (leech therapy which is expensive) and the chances of success etc.
They looked after me as I was a tearful mess, I was offered food, tea etc and was reassured as much as he was - everyone was absolutely amazing.
He’s been looked after since by the most wonderful staff, from the consultant, the nurses, auxiliaries, and the people who have come to serve him food.The ward is scrupulously clean, he’s made comfortable as best as possible and the staff are kind and caring. He says the food is very good and he’s offered drinks regularly etc.
I have to say I’m in awe of the service, time is taken to explain how his treatment is going and he’s had a consultant visit every day. Thankfully it appears that the replant has been a success and the thumb looks like it will be saved.

How lucky are we that we have this amazing NHS and we don’t pay anything at source for it. Everyone I have come into contact with has been nothing short of fantastic and if any of you work for the NHS in any capacity I thank you form the bottom of my heart for all you do.

My husband recently had cardiac surgery at a regional heart specialist centre and the care he had was outstanding. The nursing staff were rushed off their feet but he was well taken care of, and the staff were so kind when I went in to collect him as it had been a long stressful day waiting to hear from him!

Then a few days ago, he started getting chest pains again - and was a bit concerned that it was 4 weeks post surgery and hadn't had any until that point. Our GP rang him back within minutes of the receptionist triaging his call, they saw him an hour and a half later in person and he was sent into our local hospital to the same day emergency care unit. He had bloods taken, an ECG and chest X ray all within 3 hours, saw a Doctor and was sent on his way home with an urgent referral back to cardiology. The nurse even made him a cup of tea and found him a sandwich. Again, brilliant care.

The NHS is generally great with time critical emergency care. Anything requiring a referral - not so much.

I'm sorry about your DH's accident OP and I'm really glad he got such good treatment.

My son was diagnosed as Type 1 diabetic last year in his late 30s and he has had absolutely wonderful treatmen and support from the NHS.

Unfortunately though as an older person in my mid 70s I don't feel supported by the NHS in my area.. My GPs surgery frequently sends out messages that because of understaffing they will only be available to see urgent cases. The ambulance service locally takes literally hours to turn up for an emergency.. And i certainly put off contacting my doctor because I don't expect a sympathetic hearing or effective outcome ieven if I do get an appointment, whether it be telephone or face to face. I'm currently on a waiting list for an appointment regarding my arthritis and I know I won't get one in the foreseeable future even though my problem.is getting harder to live with.

I think the NHS is very hit or miss. Excellent brilliant treatment in some cases. But not really any accessible or effective help.in others.

I recently found a breast lump. I actually mentioned it to the nurse at the GP who was taking my bloods for medication monitoring. Face to face GP appointment same day. Seen at the breast clinic in less than a fortnight. Everyone there was lovely, efficient, and female. Great care, and thank god a rapid all clear. Some stuff still works well.

I had to a while for my referral and it was 8 months from seeing the consultant to having my pre op. I was rung when I got home with an operation date. Couldn't make that one but was given another a few month later.
The care on the ward before and after was brilliant. I was an emotional wreck but the nurses were great and all the staff in the theatre.
The ward staff were brilliant. Lots of cups of tea and the food was really nice, a lot better than I thought it would be.
I have nothing but good things to say about my treatment.

Wonderful to read these posts.

I’m another with nothing but praise and gratitude for the NHS. A very few years ago, after around 10 days of a horrible bug I couldn’t shake off (I’m so rarely ill) I was hit like an express train with very shallow, painful breathing.

Rang 111, an ambulance took me straight to hospital, where pneumonia was succeeded by pleurisy. I was in for 3 weeks and on ABs for 5. I could not fault the excellent care I received - was grateful enough to make a hefty donation to the hospital charity afterwards.

It’s two years since I was admitted with appendicitis after ignoring the pain for 24 hours. I saw a post I’d done on fb recently, which reminded me how brilliant they had been when I turned up in a&e. They also dealt brilliantly with my breast cancer and my son’s heart condition at birth. Not so great with DS1’s mental health and genetic condition though.

NHS has saved my life and my DH’s life it is now providing cutting edge care for my DS. I’m not complaining

I've had so much excellent care from the NHS in my life, including life-saving care, I couldn't even list it.

The issues I've had, such as the odd huffy or dismissive dr or nurse, pale in comparison.

We're very lucky in this country.

Sounds like a similar story to a post the other day by someone who thought the surgeons were putting their husband at unnecessary risk by attempting to reimplant a thumb.

That was probably me, I was in pieces over it 😩

If it really is an ‘emergency’ the ambulance will not take ‘hours’ .

I'm sorry but you are wrong. There have been quite a few high profile cases locally where people have been left lying with broken limbs in the street for hours on end waiting for an ambulance. There was the case of the QP footballer waiting 10 hours in agony for an ambulance when his was severely injured in a match at Firhill which prompted a government apology. And his wasn't an isolated case. People dying after suffering a heart attack and the ambulance not arriving for hours. A lot of cases.
I'm in Scotland. My local health board is in extreme financial trouble and relying on loans to keep going.

As someone who lives in a place with for profit healthcare, I will tell you to fight til the death for your NHS!! And I know it’s struggling, but do what you can to restore it. Badger every politician you can!

The system here only doesn’t suck if you are rich. And I say that as someone with the best health insurance of anyone I have ever met here. Even with great insurance, the insurance company is who decides whether or not you get a treatment, not your doctor.

Agreed @NHSimpress We are blessed having the NHS. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have anything like this.

My sister had 2 ruptured brain aneurysms. AnE was a joke and they wouldn’t even send an ambulance as a priority BUT once she was through AnE the care was fantastic. Saved her life multiple times. Forever grateful!

I’ve also worked for the NHS for most of my life and it is a fantastic place to work

Not true. My sister had a seizure from a ruptured anyserum and they didn’t mark it as urgent and literally said it will be ages. luckily her husband drove her in!

Had it been marked as emergency it would have been much quicker.

Unfortunately not true - there are only so many ambulances they can send, and if they are all out on call then people have to wait. We waited 5 hours for an ambulance to come for my mother after she broke her hip - she was lying on the floor in pain and unable to move all that time.

However, I agree with the OP that when the NHS is good it;s very very good - we;ve had three separate cancer diagnoses in the household in the last few years and the NHS has been amazing for all of them.

I do agree with this, my father in law is 87 and moved 2 years ago from the Medway area in Kent to Frome- the difference and ‘uplift’ in testing, GP availability and general care has been chalk and cheese, he’s had on site physio, saw a specialist within 2 weeks for a suspicious nose lesion , had various tests, all quick and yet he’s actually a pretty well bloke who has no assistance at all in daily life , apart from the nose thing these were all pretty mild ‘irritants’ rather than life threatening issues. In Kent it was a totally different story . Here He feels ‘cared for’