To ask what YOU would do to help save the NHS?

[TamiTayorismyparentingguru]

I don’t care if you’re an HCP or not, I don’t care who you vote for, I don’t care what you think about Brexit - all opinions welcome.

Opinions on practical suggestions on how to save the NHS only though.

Our local hospital is getting worse and worse with regards to staff shortages and waiting lists getting longer and longer. I will say that our GP is really great and we’ve never really had a problem with getting appointments etc, but as soon as you are referred to the hospital things go massively downhill. (We did have a GP misdiagnose/miss DH’s cancer which was pretty shit - but I wouldn’t say that was a particular problem with the system - more just one of those unfortunate things that happens, that really shouldn’t happen, but that are just a matter of course.)

The hospital is a different story though - wait lists for some departments are insane (current wait time for an initial cataracts appointment is 42 weeks and then up to 18m for treatment, paediatric dermatology is a min of 30weeks, paediatric podiatry is approx 30weeks also. I have been on a wait list for max fax for 14mths so far. I also had an 8week wait for an appointment at the breast clinic after seeing the GP with a noticeable lump.)

DH has also had to fight for every single appointment since his cancer treatment last year - instead of the 4-weekly appointments he’s meant to have had, most of his appointments have been 7-8 weeks apart and have been cancelled at the last minute (sometimes just an hour before) at least 4 times in the last year.

It’s awful and yet I do trust that the doctors, nurses, receptionists etc etc are all doing everything they possibly can.

What’s the solution?

Wow! Odd response triwarrior.

Want2bsupermum - but who decides who can afford to pay and who can't? What are the minimum income levels at which you has to pay/don't qualify for Medicaid? Who decides who gets coverage and who doesn't? I suspect not mainly Drs but accountants - which is wrong imo. Do people on Medicaid get the same QUALITY of care? Do they get the right meds or the cheapest?

These are all questions I've looked to find answers for and discussed with those with experience of healthcare in the USA and what I've found/been told is not reassuring when I ALSO see our MP's having shares in or their families having shares/jobs in American healthcare provider/insurers companies, meeting American healthcare people to discuss changes to OUR healthcare system.

It genuinely TERRIFIES me. All the friends and family have said if I were living in America I'd likely not be getting the appropriate treatment, be getting put on different meds.

1. In Wiltshire the hospitals refuse to take back equipment issued at a different PCT. I had several things - crutches, two frames, raised toilet seat etc and on trying to return them to my nearest hospital I was told they wouldn't take them and and to take back to original source.....180 miles away ☹️ and absolutely no means of doing so. They told me to 'dump them'. Apparently commodes are discarded because no facilities to sterilise for reuse.
2. Charge for medications dispensed in A+E and on discharge
3. Ensure everyone from overseas without reciprocal arrangements are fully charged for all medical costs - no more free pregnancy care for rich Arab women that I observed as a midwife etc
4. Cheap over the counter medications to be removed from prescriptions and you would buy direct from the pharmacy.

Medicaid is run by each state. That's why it's important to me we live in a high tax state. You get what you pay for.

When I had my DC there were women having their babies getting exactly the same care as me. For my DC, they get exactly the same care as the kids on Medicaid. We see the same doctors and therapists. Actually we have a hard time sometimes because they prefer Medicaid patients.

The Medicaid process for income exemption is quite simple. They have people employed by the state help you with the process. At least that is how it works in New Jersey. I think it's quite generous to cover costs for families with what I consider a high income. However, that said the cost of living here isn't low with property taxes being quite high.

That rather sounds like you think it works ok in NJ but not in other states. Is that not unfair on citizens in other states?

It does rather sound like you don't actually know anyone personally on Medicaid. Surely then you can't know how it really is or isn't working for those dependent on it.

Where are these amazing (but not necessarily perfect) hospitals?

• Royal Salford
• Christie NHS
• Frimley Healthcare
• Western Sussex
• Royal Marden
• Kingston

-Northamptonshire NHSTrust

• Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
• Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
• East London NHS Trust

Plenty of more hospitals and community services provide good rather than exceptional services.

People are confused about what the NHS is. GP practices are generally private companies run by the partners. The local CCGs commission with them but the ‘NHS’ has very little control over how they are run.

If you are really ill, then there is no better service in the world than the NHS - and this holds true statistically.
If you go to an emergency department with a stubbed toe, toothache, a graze or a bit of a lump on your leg than you might well have to wait a long time whilst the staff sort out a frail elderly person with dementia who has a fractured neck of femur. That seems reasonable to me.

Those saying about healthcare workers needing to get in touch with modern working practices simply have no idea.
Junior doctors regularly work a 60 hour week without breaks, even for a drink. They might work four 13 hour nights, followed by 8 long days working from 8am to 9pm (again often without breaks). In that time they are likely to have relatives being abusive, be scratched by a patient and be vomited on. If they make a mistake they can be prosecuted or lose their career.
Many nurses also work 12/13 hour shifts without breaks for not much money. They have drunks trying to molest them, abusive patients, vomit, diarrhoea, violent patients, very sad situations and not much thanks.

In America whether you get oxygen or a transplant depends on your ability to pay. Not nice unless you’re one of the lucky ones.

The major problem the NHS hospitals face is insufficient care provision in the community for the frail elderly. Funding for the NHS and care have been cut year on year for over a decade.

A friend of mine says only having the first three babies ‘free’ on the NHS is the way forward (my argument for that was not many people - excluding the Radfords - have more than 3 kids anyway).

With all due respect do you know how ridiculous that sounds!?!? I've not been through the process myself so for me to make certain statements isn't fair. Of course I know lots of people on Medicaid. My DC are in class with them and I'm friends with their parents. Our sitter is on Medicaid too. I'm active in the special needs community. The vast majority of these families are in receipt of income exempt Medicaid. It does come up because families want to stay qualified. Many increase pension contributions as they get close to the adjusted gross income, take full allowable transportation costs on a pretax basis and will fund the maximum to their health savings account because of course they are signed up to a high deductible plan.

"People are confused about what the NHS is. GP practices are generally private companies run by the partners. The local CCGs commission with them but the ‘NHS’ has very little control over how they are run."

The way they operate in some cases (Virgin Care being an example) has a direct knock on effect on the NHS If someone doesnt get their script on time they could end up in hospital. There has been a lot of patient blaming on this thread It matters not whether GPs are part of the NHS are not The way some are carrying on has an effect on the NHS.

It matters not whether GPs are part of the NHS OR not The way some are carrying on has an effect on the NHS

Yet there seems to be a lot of excuses made for them while the patient is blamed..

And before you say "put your prescription in earlier" well we have tried that one I was told it would not be put on the system and that i would just have to put it in again.

-Charge for missed appointments
-get rid of free prescriptions but make it a nominal charge of say 20p or 50p per medicine
-stop allowing prescriptions for paracetamol (unless on tons for eg cancer pain or something), ibuprofen, cough medicine, etc
-make medical exemptions on prescriptions only for that condition (e.g. insulin free if diabetic but not antibiotics unless for a diabetic infection)
-cheaper training for nurses and incentives to work for the nhs so less reliance on expensive bank or agency staff
-better communication between hospitals and gps and community pharmacies to reduce unnecessary admissions and re admissions because of things like medicines being wrong
-community clinics for conditions that need regular monitoring so people don't need to wait for doctors appointments
-education about self care so people don't go to doctors or hospital for minor conditions
-better computer systems in hospitals to link departments and enable information sharing easier
-better social care (and funding in social care) so that elderly people can go home instead of staying in hospital unnecessarily

Graphista I’m sure Triwarrior isn’t virtue signalling and would happily pay for a cab as would me and my family. My DH has been known to buy people’s shopping when he’s out.

Still can’t believe someone didn’t turn up for life saving transplant surgery because someone wasn’t available to collect them. Sorry but I’m not buying the too poor line.

They would be receiving PIP or other benefits for mobility.

After 22 pages, I'm probably not saying anything that's not already been said, but I think raise more in taxes earmarked for the NHS. Ensure anyone not a UK citizen pays for any treatment they have on the NHS

Another way to save money would be to stop disposing of unused medicines once they have left the pharmacy. I have had wrong items, or like a previous poster not requested them, and have had them dispensed. Went to return unwanted items only to be told they would be destroyed. Why? They were unopened and in original sealed packaging. Absolute madness

And yet again PIP has to stretch to the moon and back. Many people are paying their rent with it due to cuts to other benefits.

Talking of American system of healthcare on my first visit to America many years ago I noticed a lot of disability. It dawned on me that this was because of say a bad leg break, that had not been properly repaired.

Terrible to think that healthcare and operations had been denied because the person couldn’t afford treatment.

However Obama has tried to address this with Medicaid. However, Americans pay a much lower rate of income tax than UK citizens, so our system is not free.

Helenadove well maybe they could have stretched it to a cab or train fare and their health may well have improved had they had the operation.

user if our system is not free why did you say that the disabled person would be paying for a cab fare as CONTRIBUTION to their operation.

You seem to be contradicting yourself.

I don’t get the point you are making. A cab is not part of the health or hospital process. You pay for a cab, an ambulance isn’t a cab. The NHS is free but it is paid for with taxation. The actual operation, surgery, care and stay in hospital was free. Your friend should have paid to get herself/himself to the hospital on the day scheduled.

Sorry but I’m not buying the too poor line.
They would be receiving PIP or other benefits for mobility.

Disability and sickness benefits, if you qualify for them which is increasingly difficult, aren't the vast fortune people seem to think they are. You don't get a free car, if you get high rate mobility you exchange part or all of that amount to lease a mobility car.

Maximum rate for PiP is £145.35 a week - that's enhanced daily rate (i.e., care component) and enhanced (high rate) mobility combined.

Carers Allowance is £62.70 a week. This equates to £1.57 an hour over 40hrs p/wk. When you consider that the reality for many is providing 24/7 care, it works out as 37p an hour.

In my area you would not get full housing benefit or full council tax benefit so would still have amounts to pay towards each. Band A council tax works out as £30 a week the council calculator states there'd be £20 a week of council tax benefit. Private rent here is an average of £120 a week, presuming there is no bedroom tax to pay the calculator states housing benefit of £80 a week.

Total weekly income is £208.05

Do you honestly not see how that would be a tight budget on which to support two adults, one of whom will have very likely have additional living costs linked to their disability, pay all bills, and buy everything else needed such as food, clothing, etc?

"Too poor" isn't a fucking 'line', it's life for many people.

Went to return unwanted items only to be told they would be destroyed. Why? They were unopened and in original sealed packaging. Absolute madness

It's in case they've been tampered with.

They were YOUR words user not mine

user1457017537 Wed 17-Oct-18 07:03:23

"Re the cancelling of a kidney transplant due to and hour and a half journey and no transport being available I still think a cab fare us a small contribution to pay towards getting a transplant.

One minute you say its a contribution

Next you say the NHS is free

Dont worry i know what you really meant

Sorry next you say the NHS is not free.

Helena you won't be happy until the country is bankrupted.

Why is the NHS the sacred cow deserving of a ringfenced tax hike? Why not the schools? Or elderly care? And so on.

The entire country is in a right state, owing to the feckless 'cradle to grave' promise that no one was ever in a position to make on our behalf.

FFS Inert all i was doing was pointing out the fact that user was insinuating that its only the higher rate taxpayers who have paid in. and the ones on lower income havent They were just too chicken shit to come out and say it properly Hence the contribution comment.

Inert my mum is in her 80s and is struggling to get treatment She didnt retire until she was 79 if you want to talk about the elderly.