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?

The generous sick pay (which by the way is only 6 months full pay after 5 years service) is part of our employment benefits, very much like a company car, bonuses, staff discounts etc. All which exist within the private sector.

The vast majority of private sector workers don't get a company car, bonuses nor staff discounts.

The vast majority of private sector workers don't get a company car, bonuses nor staff discounts.

That may be the case but this isn't a race to the bottom. And whenever anything like bonuses come up on here they are often defended by people saying if you don't like it then negotiate a better employment package for yourself but of course us in the NHS should be thankful for what we get... I mean the satisfaction of helping people should be pay enough surely

As it stands the employment benefits are one of the main things that keep many working within the NHS. Take them away and you bet your arse I'm jumping ship to some agency earning twice as much for less responsibility.

Personally in that scenario I wouldn't have even bothered with (the notoriously rubbish) 111 service. A rapidly spreading rash + raging temperature would have sent me straight to A&E.

Personally in that scenario I wouldn't have even bothered with (the notoriously rubbish) 111 service. A rapidly spreading rash + raging temperature would have sent me straight to A&E.

When OH was having chemo, the consultant told us not to use 111 nor the GP and just go directly to A&E with any unusual/unexpected symptoms that were worrying us. She was very derogatory about the 111 and out of hours GP services.

That letter is scandalous, MO, so sorry. As a child I had lots of tonsillitis - think an attack every couple of weeks. Fortunately for me, those were the days when they still carried out tonsillectomies and I didn't have a day's illness afterwards. Would it be worth having your son's tonsils removed privately if you can afford it? It must be so distressing for all you.

Stop IVF treatments. Having a baby is a luxury, not a right.

The fact that an NHS staff member laments that the sick pay policy is "only 6 months fully paid after five years" says it all, I think.

Personally in that scenario I wouldn't have even bothered with (the notoriously rubbish) 111 service. A rapidly spreading rash + raging temperature would have sent me straight to A&E.

Exactly. I know all about time wasters in A&E but no one should begrudge this. This is what A&E is for.

Immigration is a huge strain on the NHS. If you're going to have a surplus of 350000 people every year you need to build the facilities to accommodate that which this stingy Government won't do.

I don't have a good answer but we either need much more staff and hospitals built or less immigration. You can't do both. And that's just common sense, the NHS has only been a "mess" the past 10-15 years (so people who work for them have told me).

Stop IVF treatments. Having a baby is a luxury, not a right

I agree with this. It's one thing is all chronic illness were actually getting the funding needed and THEN IVF is funded but that isn't the case.

Hopping both my DC had recurrent ear infections as babies. HVs and GPs said grommets wouldn't make a difference to their speech, etc by age 5. Private referral and grommetted at 16 and 20 months respectively. Their speech was fab anyway. Their wellbeing wasn't and they were continually ill and continually on abs and painkillers. Upon grommetting they both completely turned the corner. That was 20 years ago so problems with getting nhs treatment aren't new.

"The fact that an NHS staff member laments that the sick pay policy is "only 6 months fully paid after five years" says it all, I think" omg yes! And absolutely agree it's only a very small proportion of private sector workers get company cars etc certainly not the norm!

6 months full paid sick is ridiculous and actually contributes to the very issue of low staffing the staff are complaining about!!

Sorry but I bet if that was reduced to how it works in private sector I'll bet a lot of those sick staff would suddenly be fit for work again!

MO sorry you've had that experience of being made to second guess yourself! I too would've headed straight to a&e in your position and woe betide anyone who tried to tell me I should do otherwise! A rapidly spreading rash and high fever in a sick toddler is absolutely cause for concern.

111 are fucking useless! - 2 extremes - couldn't care less or sending ambulances unnecessarily. Never liked the idea of this service, unqualified staff giving medical advice without even seeing the patient - recipe for disaster! Again I feel happened because GP's won't work outside office hours (if that!).

Re Ivf honestly? Out of the people I've known who've had it, while I sympathise I have noticed that there are other health issues that could possibly be affecting their fertility which have been ignored (both by the couple and nhs) when surely it would be better to address them and see if that helps first? Especially given ivf hasn't a great success rate anyway AND that in some of these, the health issues would also impact on the possible success of the ivf? Not my area of expertise just kinda wondering.

A&E once asked me if I'd phoned 111 first and I got an eyeroll when I said no. I asked what the eyeroll was for and got a lecture. My retort that it was a waste of time because they always said go to A&E met with "well often they don't and it would help if everyone did". Child was admitted. So, next time I called 111. They told me to stop the baby screaming because it wasn't helping the conversation. This was in the very early days as my dc are grown up now.

Hopeless service. We need proper ooh care.

Standardise supply chains to the NHS by selecting a preferred supplier for medical and non medical items and make it mandatory for all NHS services to purchase via this account.
Stop recruiting agency staff - this costs a fortune.
Stop funding prescriptions for paracetamol etc.
If admitted for a alcohol or drug related issues, first one free second is chargeable.
Stop paying senior management eye watering wages, reduce the number of managers and give back to front line staff.
Stop sending out letters that can be downloaded via a secure server or appointments booked online.
Employ NHS handymen rather than sub contracting.
Stop abuse of surgical procedures - my local NHS provided hymen syrgery on the NHS which was a WTF moment for local residents.
IVF seems a popular decision to get rid off- I don't agree but do agree its far too expensive, better NHS research to lower the costs and increase success rates - should brle restricted to certain criteria and not a postcode lottery.
Make hospitals more energy efficient to reduce bills.
Anyone who attends A&E for non life threatening issues is directed to other providers after triage.
Prevention is definitely better than a cure so educating the masses is a must.

If you get another shitty letter, complain to your CCG. Seriously this s outrageous. That's what bloody A&E is for.

6 months full paid sick is ridiculous and actually contributes to the very issue of low staffing the staff are complaining about!!

Sorry but I bet if that was reduced to how it works in private sector I'll bet a lot of those sick staff would suddenly be fit for work again!

Having worked in the private sector I don't agree... short term sickness, whichbis much harder to plan for, was a real problem in every care home I've ever worked in.

But I welcome you all to come and work in the NHS with it's amazing benefits. There's many many jobs that would suit all types of people's, not just clinical and admin.
Just like teaching, people moan about our terms and conditions but no ones volunteering to join.

"The fact that an NHS staff member laments that the sick pay policy is "only 6 months fully paid after five years" says it all, I think."

I can hardly believe this! I get zero as self employed and I pay huge amounts of tax. The NHS need not worry about new stff moving to other jobs if we gradually move people to SSP after 3 days unpaid off sick, as the NHS has so many workers (3rd biggest employer on the planet after the Chinese Army and the indian civil service at one point) that those people have nowhere else to go.

The police and the fire service also get 6 months full sick pay to by the way. Do we think that's disgusting or are they more deserving?

40,000 nursing vacancies. High stress levels. Shifts never ending on time. Entire shifts with no chance to get a drink, food or go to the loo. Yes, it's an absolute picnic.

With all due respect I get 6 months full and 6 months half pay. It is part of my overall benefit package in the quasi public sector along with private healthcare, superb holidays and fantastic pension. As a senior member of staff I also pay very high taxes and I have minimal absences. I manage absence in my team rigorously. Many of our staff have been with us for decades. If a member of staff gets cancer I want them to be supported (or another serilus illness). The problem in the NHS is that absences aren't managed, possibly because HR depts have caseloads of 150 employees plus when the optimum is about 70/80. The NHS is badly run and the argument continually boils back to that.

I think doctors who leave and go private should have to pay back the £230,000 it cost to train them!!!