AIB to ask why people expect/feel entitled to 'first class' treatment by the NHS?

[depressedhealthprofessional]

I ask because, having worked frontline in the NHS for nearly 20 years it feels like peoples expectations are becoming more and more unrealistic and out of step with the reality of what can atuially be achieved within the resources available (limited and shrinking in real terms each week)

I can honestly, hand on heart say that I have yet to meet any health professional who has 'survived' more than a few years in direct patient care who does not give more than 100% each and every day. yet all I hear is people grumbling and complaining that the NHS did not get this or that 100% right. I am not saying that we get it right absolutely all the time but for gods sake, if I have to hear about someone moaning about the quality of the mashed potato on the ward , the fact that the home help (provided by the NHS/social services) is refusing to wash the net curtains, or that it took (gasp) more than one investigation to find out what was wrong with them (they don't know what they are on about'/they are incompetent/ they are wasting my time') I am going to scream. It isi just so soul destroying that the nhs saves and improves the lives of countless millions each and every day yet all we get (in the main) is negative pres and individuals having no idea of what we are up against and just how damn hard we work.

I bloody challenge them to get on and step into our shoes!!

Rant over!!

Chub no it wasn't!!!

And its a bit insulting that you would imply that you think people get preferential treatmment. In my experience a colleague would go out of theur way to be seen as even handed if dealing with someone they worked with.

When you were an inpatient, was that by any chance in the hospital where you work? It helps. A lot.

Hmmm not always!

So you lot who hate the NHS, what exactly would you prefer as an alternative

I don't hate the NHS, but i want people to dotheirjobs properly and have the skills needed to do the job, that applies to some of my former collegues and people that i have encountered personally.

I was pleased when we were promised a proper whistle blowing procedure, but it never quite happened.

I have been a relative, a patient and an employee.

There are times when the nhs gets it spot on. And times when it doesn't.

In these times of cuts (because there are very real cuts happening to front line services whatever politicians say) what I think we will see is a real debate opening up on what constitutes a health need and a reduction in services currently provided that don't meet that criteria.

Was it unrealistic expectations that meant as my df laid in a hospital bed having a heart attack, it actually took my stepmum shouting for help and attention as the nurses had already ignored repeated requests to attend to him even though he was writhing in pain. They were too busy chatting and laughing around the nurses station and talking about their previous night out.

I could go on, the standard of care was shocking and almost cost him his life.

Wet August has made some good points, why don't individuals in the NHS have higher aspirations? Why is it accpetable to be rude and off hand and unkind to elderly patients who cannot eat a meal without help? (as an example). Why do nurses say 'it's not my job to clean up an elderly patient'. I have worked in old people's homes, I know it is not much fun to clean up an elderly patient but I respected that person, I understood how embarrassed and undignified the whole experience was for them.

If we don't like the service in one shop we can choose to shop in another but so many do not have the choice to go private and so have to suffer the ineptitude of NHS employees.

I'm not being insulting. My mother, two brothers and SIL are all nurses. And all have received preferential treatment.

I have no faith in the NHS and i am not expecting the red carpet to be put out i know things like waiting times to get a appointment are going to be long, hospital food will always be crappy, a and e waiting times are always going to be long and hospital parking will always cost an arm and a leg and quite possibly 3 fingers but these are accepted norms generally what people wont happily accept is the fact that hospitals are dirtier, mrsa and other such bugs are rampant, nurses while doing a wonderful job seem to have put themselves on a pedistool and dont do basic care any more, doctors wont give out medication that is needed and its generally getting worse for anyone who is trying to get better, the nhs spends too much money on computer systems but still cant find any files and then the computer system fails and then more money is poured into it

Working for the NHS is not the hardest job there is but it is a job people have chosen and i am all for ranting about your job because believe me i do it and most everyone has but when you pay for something you expect it to work noones asking for a red carpet just a clean hospital with competent staff who will give you the help and care that you need without playing a postcode lottery

To be honest I wish I hadn't started this thread, its so totally depressing hearing just how poor a ervice many people feel they get (although thanks to those who have given positive responses).

Like I have said I wasn't asking whether people should accept negligence or substandard care (whih is a seperate issue) more it was whether people simply expect more that it can realistically give. I feel that from experience many people do , more and more so and as this patently is not the case (healthcare being a black hole in terms of resources) then the job iteself for frontline staff becomes exponentially more difficult. Too many challenges, too little support and care (and dare I say it thanks, because whe people go the extra mile it is nice to say thank you) adequate but not fanttastic pay.....it all adds up to too much for too little.

Lucky them chub! I got the "who the hell do you think you are?" treatment when the midwife that delivered DD asked if the private room was available when we were taken to the ward (we had not requested or even mentioned this). Very unpleasant experience but clinically couldn't fault them.

I never really appreciated the NHS until I lived in a country without it.
Now when I move back home I have promised myself I won't moan about the NHS or the weather.

MRSA can be spread by poor hygiene (no excues there) but was never caused by it. It was caused by the massive overuse of antibiotics often due to people demanding their 'right' to be given a prescription to 'treat their common coughs and colds!! The bugs are clever and have now developed resistance, what a surprise.

That's the problem Ragwort - no choice.

If I need an op I have a choice of crappy local NHS hospital with high levels of MRSA or one of these new independent treatment centres staffed by foreign doctors and consultants I was told were 'spare to the NHS'. No really good consultant is 'spare' to the NHS. Both independent centres have had very bad publicity - the first for failing to have any stocks of blood on the premises which led to a patient undergoing gall bladder surgery bleeding to death. The other independent centre is facing legal action because a team of surheons they imported to tackle the orthopaedic list botched the job.

So that's my choice - dangerously dirty hospital, hospital unequipped to perform routine surgery or hospital with incompetenet surgeons.

So much for Patient Choice. Give me the £350 I pay each month for this crap service and I'll find myself a competent surgeon and hygenic hospital. But I can't because the law says I have to pay for the crap service.

Chub I really hope that your relations made a point of declining politley their 'preferential treatment' as it wouold clearely have been in conflict with their code of professional conduct to accept such treatment.

Wetaugust no offence but if you are paying £350 a month on NI then you can probably afford to get private health insurance if all local facilities are so dangerous??

The bugs are clever......

The bugs must be fucking geniuses to realise they have to drop dead automatically as soon as they enter a private hospital.

I've no idea. Funnily enough being autonomous adults I'm not responsible for then or their actions.

(although thanks to those who have given positive responses).

Another example of why the MHS is failing.

Don't thank those who gave 'positive' respnses - learn from those who posted adverse experiences.

That's how organisations improve.

Wetaugust I think you understood what I was actaully getting at!!

Yes there are better and worse places as far as MRSA goe but it gets a bit tired hearing people moan about MRSA when they them selves probably never wash their hands before entering a ward, or whan they are more than happy to overuse AB' 'just in case'....when will we all take just a little responsibility!!

I've had positive experiences of the nhs. They don't outweigh the negative ones though.

Wetaugust no offence but if you are paying £350 a month on NI then you can probably afford to get private health insurance if all local facilities are so dangerous??

Don't presume to know how much actual disposable income I have every month after committments - including putting my SN son through Uni after the education system and NHS failed him miserably.

Is that the NHS response? If you want a clean hospital and competent staff then pay for it?

You really do need a basic course in customer service OP.

Private hospitals often get the same Infection Control advice that the NHS hospitals get don't you? In my area it's the same person and I know this because I used to be part the the IC team.

The private hospitals can afford to screen every patient before admission because
a. they have the money
b. they don't have emergency admissions so can screen AND treat prior to admission and
c. they don't have nearly as big a patient turnover as the NHS hospitals.

OMG listen to yourselves!
I lived in the Republic of Ireland and tbh honest this was my biggest bugbear.
Just try paying 50 Euro everytime you visit the GP including your children! Try paying 65 Euro every month for antidepressants that keep you sane!
We have nothing to moan about in the UK honestly.

How you speak to people and the way that you explain things makes a massive difference, as does acknowledging when things are not right, such as long waiting times.

I went to an appointment with my mother (85), i dress in Asda jeans etc and was quite dismissed until i stated that i was an SW and their whole attitude changed, i am sick of having to do that to be listened to.