To have really noticed a decline in nhs

[Lime123]

Before I rant, I know it’s not the fault of drs nurses and other staff that work for nhs. They do a wonderful job under pretty stressful conditions I would imagine.

In the last year I have noticed a real decline in the quality of service offered by nhs. Up until then I had just thought it was “daily mail” type moaning by others. In last 6 months I’ve noticed:

-my miscarriage handled badly, told I needed an Erpc due to gestation BUT that there were limited slots so wait it out and hope I don’t bleed lots. If I did bleed lots rush to A and e.

-an ambulance failing to turn up for a child having breathing problems (was croup but extremely scary!) they were very apologetic but said not enough staff

-I might as well not bother with my gp. You have to call at 8am, get grilled by a receptionist and she will decide if the appointment is urgent enough for same day (in my case a lump) was told not “acute” and can I wait 4 weeks for a “regular gp appointment” if you call st 8:01 or later it’s unlikely you will get an appointment.

-a family member receiving absolutely awful advice on 111 “take paracetamol and rest” unfortunately he later required 2 operations to fix a serious health condition

-a friend having a terrible birth experience due to lack of staff and support (in particular post natal) she ended up discharging herself

There are many more. All I’ve heard are horror stories from friends lately.

I am seriously getting worried for the nhs! I’ve never seen it this bad. It’s only going to get worse surely before it just won’t function anymore.

What do people think will happen? How on earth can it be fixed?

Oh of course there are ones who take the piss @gussyfinknottle

I'm just saying that it shouldn't be assumed that all nurses sitting at the computer for an extensive period of time are taking the mick.

Spot on, Reality.

By its very nature it can never be 'funded properly'

I come on here to start a similar thread op, and then found yours!

I cannot stomach the incompetence and poor communication of so many of the NHS staff.

I was incorrectly told by a Doctor at my appointment last Monday that if my condition worsens, all I’d need to do is phone the receptionist and tell them I want ‘x item’ emailed to my local pharmacy, then I’d just need to collect it. I suffered desperately all weekend, and rang this morning to be told I either need to visit the surgery in person to ask (what the fuck!), or send an email to ask. I went online, and they don’t have an email address, so I logged on to their system, and requested the medication, only to receive a message saying that it’d be ready for collection on 1st March! I rang them back and complained, and told them that this is incredibly urgent. They said they would get it done for me today. An hour later, I went out in the freezing cold to my pharmacy, and surprise fucking surprise, they hadn’t received an email. They rang the surgery and were told that the Doctor had been too busy to authorise it. I told them I need it urgently and would be making a formal complaint. 4 hours later, the pharmacy still haven’t received a prescription.

3 weeks ago, the midwife told me I needed to ring my Doctors and get a prescription for compression stockings as I had suspected DVT. They didn’t have a clue what they were doing, and I yo-yo’d between phone calls and visits. I was kept waiting for so long, that the Pharmacist just gave me the stockings without a prescription as he was concerned about me.

2 Doctors prescribed medication not safe for during pregnancy to me in the last few months.

A midwife didn’t seem to have a clue what symptoms to look/ask for for DVT - very worrying considering so many pregnant women get it or are at risk.

Was told that my 36 week appointment had to be at my Doctors surgery, only for the surgery to tell me that this was incorrect. They gave me an incorrect number to phone, then this person I spoke with gave me a further wrong number. I eventually spoke with someone and tried to make an appointment, only to be told that they’re fully booked! I also tried to get a cancellation appointment to no avail, and now have to wait until my 38 week check to be seen - this is at the hospital and had already been pre-booked.

I went for a scan a few weeks ago, and was shown in by a sonographer’s assistant, and instructed as to how to prepare. She told me that the sonographer would be here in a few minutes. I laid there waiting for 45 minutes! What a waste of my time, and resources - at least another scan could’ve taken place in that time that I was clogging up the room waiting.

We’re constantly being told not to make appointments at the Doctors for xyz, but then when you don’t actually speak with a Doctor face to face, nothing works out and you have to jump through several hoops.

They don’t seem to know their arse from their elbow, as my Dad would say.

My DF had surgery recently. His care was exemplary from admission to discharge. Having heard so many horror stories I was pleasantly surprised & couldn't fault any aspect of the care at all.

No we won't fund your lifestyle choices. If you keep eating pies and not walking then your type 2 diabetes gets worse that's on you. Your leg ulcers are your responsibility

^

I agree with this. We need to take responsibility. 50 years ago you didn't really have much choice but to be healthy: food was unprocessed, alcohol wasn't as readily available and people walked more. These days it's easy to be unhealthy and expect the NHS to just fix it - this is one of the reasons we are in the state that we're in.

And re. nurses sitting at computers. They kinda have to sometimes. Its 2018 not 1974.

I think a lot of the decline of the NHS has actually been the decline in elder support services. When local centres close, pensioners book GP appointments partly to have someone to talk to who seems to care and listen. They are admitted to a&e beds because the care homes dont have the facilities or the staff who can look after them properly so they deteriorate to the point of needing to be admitted - when I was admitted there were 12 bays and 10 of them were pensioners. There was a lady on my ward who was ready to be discharged for nearly a week but there were paperwork delays followed by the placement people "not working weekends" so she bed blocked for all that time.
THEN add on the fact it has been cut back and underfunded.

With the right systems in place, the load on the hospitals could be reduced by about 1/5 if not more.

But the NHS isn't really providing free healthcare for all. People can't even get operations that are needed and can't see a doctor. That's non existent healthcare IMHO. So all this free at the point of delivery is a bit mad when you can't access healthcare. It's a mess.

There can only be improvement if both political parties work together between elections. if anyone goes into an election saying they will increase tax for healthcare they will lose votes -as tories did with their very sensible, imv, ‘dementia’ tax.

Massive cuts all over the place are the issue. It’s a false economy to cut services that support people, especially older people, to remain healthy and independent, then treat them when they’re seriously ill. It’s a false economy to provide less support for vulnerable parents and then deal with the aftermath as their kids get older. It’s a false economy to allow a system where people can’t afford to feed themselves properly and then suffer the effects of malnutrition. It’s a false economy to push sick and disabled people to breaking point by refusing them support until they can physically no longer function. It’s a false economy to force people to wait over a year for crucial joint replacmement surgery, and then have to provide much more rehabilitation.

The error people make is thinking that these false economies are unintentional or due to ineptitude. This government knows exactly what they’re doing.

I'm getting fed up with one of the clinics I attend. 5 times they have changed my appointment. I feel like asking them to discharge me as I've not seen the consultant for a year anyway.

You mean community hospitals and step down beds haribo? You do realise often the block is the patient and/or their family NOT social care right? People don't want to pay for their care even if they have the means to.

I was talking to my GP practice manager this morning about registering with their online repeat prescription service. We got chatting about nhs "stuff" in general while she was completing the forms etc. Gp's work slightly differently to hospital based staff but yea it's very much being noticed by community staff.

I've had issues long before the current ones but most recently

Fewer gp's just generally, as in any job they retire, move on but nobody wants to move to/work here so to a large degree we're reliant on locals who've then trained to be gp's.

No psychologist in local Cmht for several months - just couldn't recruit anyone because it's a remote area but they weren't allowed/able to offer a higher salary in order to attract someone who doesn't live locally who could maybe commute or move here (NOT a desirable area).

Several depts in local hospital closed. Inc maternity and a&e now on a reduced service. For those of us local to the hospital the next nearest is an hour away but even worse there are patients for whom OUR hospital is already an hour or more from their homes and the next nearest adds ANOTHER hours travel.

Direct personal effects -

Due to the psychologist recruitment I'm being told I'll likely wait 8 months for a psychology appointment. I'm on the "urgent" list.

Cpn - ironically because she's a "good 'un" has had to postpone several appointments because she's been asked to deal with someone else's anxious patient (she's excellent at calming people).

Dd having to wait months - longer than previously- for orthotics appointments. She has a disability that requires prosthetics, as she's only 17 she's still growing so needs replacements periodically to allow for growth, plus wear and tear.

Dad is in and out of the local hospital with multiple health issues. Pretty much guaranteed he gets another infection when he's in there. Well known locally that the hygiene standards are poor. I've seen some really worrying examples, brought staff attention to it and it's not resolved.

"And don't get me started on Hunt..."

And...ironically just seen on fb (and verified) Jeremy Hunt given a humanitarian award for patient safety.

"I also think we as individuals don’t do enough to help overall. People seem very quick to rush to seek medical attention rather than trying to self care. I suggested to someone they nipped to the pharmacist for advice a few weeks back and they looked at me like I was daft!" I agree - to a point.

I've a friend that's a pharmacist. I'm well aware they are highly trained and can be extremely helpful, I'm also someone who tends toward obvious self care first, plus I've self referred to physio, podiatry etc when needed, know what my GP practice nurses can cover...

BUT I have medical allergies which mean I'm ltd on what medications I can use and have to be careful re interactions with other meds so it is frustrating when I call to make a GP appointment to be told by a receptionist - who DOESN'T LET ME EXPLAIN - that I don't need a GP appointment for painkillers (the only painkillers I'm not allergic to are prescription only).

"On the flip side a lot of people leave things too long and require hospital admission where antibiotics from a GP would have done" this too, generally tends to happen with older folk who don't like to make a fuss, but also men who don't want to face up to potential issues and I have to say (as an ex hcp myself) hcps themselves are horrendous for this. Drs and nurses make the worst patients

And yes it is a political ideology - those saying "it was just as bad under labour" referring to Blairs govt, personally I never considered the Blair govt a labour govt.

As an ex nurse I really think we need to go "back to basics":

Hcps trained in being hcps - NOT bureaucrats and health and safety inspectors and resource managers

Thoroughly and correctly taught patient care and observation & assessment skills

regular obs - I so RARELY see this ordered/happening now and yet it's a quick and accurate method of assessment.

Personal hygiene - have witnessed hcps using patient loos and NOT washing their hands (they're not even supposed to use those loos). Loose messy hair, muddy shoes etc

continuity of care (especially in gp practice - I can't remember when I last saw "my" gp nor even the same GP more than once - it MUST incur a cost that GP needs to take more time per patient to get themselves up to speed with patient history. Some of my conditions are lifelong and complex and can't be easily summarised in terms of what's happened before so they don't try and suggest/issue a treatment that doesn't work or even makes things worse), also if you were seeing the same GP they would notice certain things that could alert them to potential issues - eg sudden weight loss/gain, pale skin, dry lips, flushed colouring, change in gait, breathing patterns etc - if they know their patients well they spot differences quicker, also patients feel more comfortable talking to them - how many cases of eg advanced prostate/bowel cancer would that prevent?

LISTENING to patients - experienced this as an issue myself, have also overheard even quite worrying interchanges in hospital when visiting people, patients eg saying they're allergic to a med and then being prescribed it! Then patient having to remind DR they're allergic and then DR prescribes something else.

Decent nutrition provision - the food in hospitals has always been poor quality/taste but it's really taken a dive recently.

daily bed changes

Specifically trained and properly paid and resources hospital cleaners - I can't believe after the MRSA and cdiff news stories this is still an issue - it just doesn't make the news as often now.

And yes - more funding - the money IS there, it's in unpaid taxes, taxes used for unnecessary things, in different "pots" that are hidden from the public. There's always a "magic money tree" when it's for something the govt wants - wars, bailing out banks, shoring up poor election results etc

"On a positive note mental health care has improved significantly in recent years and waiting times have dropped hugely. Compared to 12 years ago I've found it relatively simple and straightforward to get acute treatment" where are you? That's not been my experience at all!

I think the "visuals" make a difference too. I've noticed breast cancer and heart disease are 2 of the few conditions getting BETTER treatment lately - absolutely they should - but I can't help but think it's as a result of high publicity campaigns and unfortunately we can't do that for every condition.

That said a friend of my aunts suffered a heart attack recently, ambulance didn't appear for 3.5 hours by which point he had died

And yes I have to say I'm utterly bewildered by the mess they're making of social care. I maybe am more aware of it due to having worked in geriatrics but from the purely pragmatic perspective of wanting to get re-elected I'm stunned that tories are risking pissing off pensioners! The main demographic that votes and tends to vote for them - a real cutting nose off to spite face decision. Utterly nonsensical!

Go private/pay for it - the majority of people who need healthcare MOST are those LEAST able to do this - plus we DO pay for it, it's free AT THE POINT OF USE but it's not free, however much govt would like to try and kid us on it is!!

I think it is a combination of deliberate underfunding so the private sector can go in a 'rescue' (yeah, right) the NHS, and also, TBH, that we don't live in the world the NHS was designed to cope with.

The NHS is being systematically and deliberately under-funded to make the case for privatisation. They are doing it on purpose and we should all be protesting loudly about it." This is exactly what is happening.

Graph, what was the excuse for the shut care reported in the Keogh Report which was under Labour.
I had shit care when my dd was born 11 years ago. That's not Teresa May's fault.

This is what happens when you have massive underfunding in order to move the NHS towards full privatisation. Welcome to Tory Britain.

Tory government.

We get what we vote for.

Same in our schools.

There are huge amounts of people using the system, most necessarily (although there are also plenty of people using the GP too much/A&E spuriously) and especially elderly who have complex needs. To reduce the impact on our community care and GP services there would need to be more staff and money than has been provided.
My experience of hospital and oncology has been that the staff are excellent and care very much, the admin system needs work but generally they are all doing a great job.
Everyone commenting on mistakes and poor communication may do well to reflect on how many other patients the doctors and nurses see in a day. Things don't always work in the way they are supposed to and unless you go to the GP every week, he probably doesn't remember you. This NHS is dealing with millions of people a year, for free.

I've had good and bad experiences with the NHS, mainly good. I think the staff in hospitals are amazing!

111 though I phoned because I was having vaginal bleeding, I was between periods and had really bad pain in one side (explained I never get bleeding between periods/pain) and the idiot male doctor on the phone (who clearly didn't understand what I was telling him) asked me if was on my period Because I'm going to ring 111 because I'm on my period Turned out I was having an ectopic pregnancy/miscarriage and had no idea I was pregnant.

This cannot be blamed on the Tories, much as I hate them.
We cannot afford what we think the NHS should give us. The care has been terrible (and sometimes ok) long before the Tories got their sticky paws on it.
It is a sacred cow / organised state religion and we dare not touch it.

Can’t we? we can afford an awful lot of very expensive things, like Brexit for a start! The NHS simply isn’t a priority, they want to privatise it, even though that will cost a lot more in the long run (not just financially but in terms of lives).

Of course it's in the trouble. The Goverment are trying to privatise our healthcare by running it into the ground. The NHS is failing because the Govermnent want it to!