To not believe the NHS "worst ever" headlines that come out every year

[eedon]

There is always some pre and post winter.

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/09/nhs-trusts-in-england-run-up-almost-1bn-deficit-in-three-months

NHS facing £2bn deficit and 'worst financial crisis in a generation

I just don't see it, my experience of the NHS has been the same for the last 20 years. Is it really any different these days? I presume this is just propaganda. Anyone work for the nhs?

I can say that in my experience the NHS is failing, I'm still waiting for my referral for treatment on my spinal injury that has worsened, I saw Dr over 10 weeks ago about it. The injury happened in 2013, my first (and only) lot of treatment was June 2014. I'm not allowed a referral to the pain clinic as I'm breastfeeding and cannot take meds, I'm not allowed mobility help as on a good day I can walk (waddle/limp) unaided but on a bad day I can barely move. No matter how many Drs I see I'm brushed off. And don't get me started on NHS and pcos!

mustbe was it any different 20 years ago? Would it be different in, say, France?

It's being propped up by more and more goodwill by staff. My DH says they are finding it harder and harder to recruit in his trust and bank/ locum staff cost more money which compounds the financial problems. Where his trust used to operate with spare capacity to cope with surges in demand, they now have closed wards/beds/services so are constantly overstretched.
However as Jeremy Hunt likes to piss of the NHS staff I suspect that the goodwill is at breaking point and where not all patients may have noticed problems in the past, I suspect it's going to get clearer and clearer.

Well...I've been a doctor in the NHS for 18 years. It's the worst I've seen it. The number of staff gaps last winter, it nearly finished us off covering it. This winter looks likely to be worse. And this year is certainly the first time I've found myself browsing jobs in NZ.

I can't say about 20 years ago but to me leaving a previously very active person (I used to go rock climbing, paint balling, abseiling and was planning a bungee before injury) in severe pain (tried morphine, didn't touch pain just made me feel high) and barely able to move smacks of failure in some system/department. The state of maternity care is also very dire, also I know from my h's aunt that a+e is so ridiculously stretched its impacting on staff and patients in a negative way.

This is the worst I've seen it. Still feels a bit like we're coming out of last winter.

I agree with what wonky says about the goodwill.