The NHS is falling apart

[Hold34]

I know there are many wonderful caring staff out there working in the NHS.

But overall, it's a bit shit isn't it? It's (mostly) not the fault of the staff. It's just underfunded and can't deliver what it needs to meet demand.

We all have to pretend it's great but it's not.

Doc came at 9am then 3pm on that ward so I was never there due to school runs an hour away, they also came round at 9pm when i wasn't allowed to be there!

So the doctors are reviewing their patients 3 times a day but you expect them to be available to speak to you at your convenience outside of those times? If you have absolutely no way of anyone doing a school run for you so that you can be present then maybe ask for a phone call?

The NHS is amazing my son suffers with respitory issues. He was on a ventilator at one point 1 to1 care a nurse by his bed 24 hours a day. His 2 nurses were amazing and even made him a birthday banner as he came off the ventilator on his 1st birthday.
The next time it happened he nearly went back on the ventilator I've never seen anyone work as hard to as the Dr who was looking after him she was with us nearly all all night monitoring him as one of his lungs had shut down. She did everything in her power to get it working again and succeeded. Truelly amazing she must have been exhausted.
Ward nurses are amazing all know my son by name stop to play with him if they have a minute have learned his pattern (he doesn't present with typical symptoms) and know when to intervene and when to leave him.
His consultants I couldn't say enough good about them they listened to us took us seriously when GPs said there was nothing wrong with him and were able to start treatment before his lungs started to shut down with his last chest infection (turned out to be pneumonia)
I'm not as thrilled with GP service but understand they are General not repiritory experts so unlikely to be able to recognise his problems. I've only ever had a few bad experience with them.

It is bloody marvellous. It has saved my life twice, my sons twice, it keeps me alive with a lifelong condition, it gives my daughter physio for her scoliosis and it is, without doubt, a wonderful thing.
However, the shit funding means it will become a self fulfilling prophecy. Example: I could not make the last physio because i cannot take time off work in the first few weeks of term. So i texted reschedule to the automated service. On the day of the appointment i got a text to say they would see me soon. I rang, explained, and they said the text service was broken. They said they would reschedule. Today i got a letter giving me an appointment for Monday, which i also cannot attend as i have to ask for time off and get it approved. I rang them - no way to talk to anyone until tomorrow. Result: 2 missed appointments through the shit resourcing and broken equipment in offices.

So i now look like a bad statistic for them, which is not the case. I adore them and the physio has been an absolute boon. But the shit resourcing means more stuff failing, more bad stats - even though the person involved might be perfectly happy with their treatment- and another stick to beat the nhs eith and ultimately privatise.

It's a deliberate policy and it says everything you need to know about the Tories.

So the doctors are reviewing their patients 3 times a day but you expect them to be available to speak to you at your convenience outside of those times?

No. No that's not what I said at all. My problem was with communication from the nursing staff because I couldn't see the doctor. I absolutely did not say I had a problem with the regularity of the doctors visits.

What is it with Mumsnet? Take half a post and twist it to suit

This is what it is like in the US:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/3697940-To-be-appalled-at-people-dying-in-the-USA-because-of-the-cost-of-insulin

I am so grateful for our NHS.

But the shit resourcing means more stuff failing, more bad stats - even though the person involved might be perfectly happy with their treatment- and another stick to beat the nhs

That's what I fear. People really need to vote to an end to austerity.

For most of my NHS colleagues I do have considerable respect for their clinical skills. I have somewhat less respect for the consultants taking a full time NHS salary whilst also having a private practice, for example.

And it’s completely bonkers that a private organisation (Bupa, and Nuffield, for example) without the might of the state behind it can still offer far superior care for many routine procedures round here, to the point where they are contracted to provide NHS services, such as hip replacements. If Bupa can do a better job in nicer surroundings, more efficiently and cheaper than mainstream NHS, why don’t we let them do that and save the NHS core services for those things that are expensive and more challenging, such as A&E and cancer services?

@PuffHuffle5 I didn’t say it was. What’s wrong with people on this thread jumping down people’s throats. People can’t even give their opinion anymore without someone criticising it

It's a lot better than having to pay at least 500 pounds a month in insurance to get treatment or end up with a lifetime of debt though

Bottom line is where would we be without it.

Well Portia no one has suggested getting rid of the NHS have they? People are just saying it could be improved.

Our patients either phone to book by phone for routine or are pre-booked and issued their next appointment for short-date returns .

Some of the short returns are the worst DNA (Did Not Attend) , I know a lot of them have complex health needs and they will be at hospitals, blood tests,GPs , Xrays etc.
But they just fail to arrive .

Then there are the ones who arrive late (often repeat late comers) which then impacts on the rest of the appointments (and my finishing time)

I would NOT like to see charging personally . Many times I've phoned a DNA (and yes they do get a text or automated call) and they will argue with me that their appointment is tomorrow or Friday or whatever . Until they check.......... "Oh well, actually, I'm not well today

Stop schools from demanding letters from GPs when kids are off school sick. Yes i know you can self certify etc but a lot of schools are demanding these letters.

I once had an employer try to stop me from attending an appointment . And yes i had booked it for my day off but THEN she changed my day off with no notice.

i wonder how many non attendances are down to bullying employers.

In my opinion, it's underfunded, mismanaged and misused by patients like all the other national healthcare systems I've seen in Europe.
As a system, it's not the best in its class.
I even found the private healthcare a joke. You cannot get a private insurer in the Uk that covers pregnancy.

BollocksToBrexit that is not the first time ive heard of that sort of thing happening. Its been mentioned on other threads.

Sickening.

I wonder how many appointments were missed by the woman who gave birth in the Sports Direct loo due to the fear of losing her job.

MoltoAgitato
NHS consultants are not allowed to do private practice in their NHS hours.
Every consultant I have ever worked with in over 30 years has done well over their contracted hours in their NHS employment.

endoftheline you are spot on, Consultants in all Trusts have to do a specified amount of NHS work before they are allowed to do private. And needless to say yes they do shedloads of unpaid overtime.

It’s actually weird that MoltoAgitato has an issue with Consultants being paid for their NHS hours does she think they should do them for free?? oh hang on actually they already do loads of hours for free!

I see 5 different consultants currently. I was so poorly at a recent appointment that my consultant actually emailed me 3 times during her holiday to check how I am doing.
I have no issues with the doctors and nurses who look after me, but the system makes their lives harder.

Agree. Who was that mega successful business guy who turns round failing companies who did a can we turn around NHS on TV a while back? He found so many low cost solutions that would save time, money & increase quality of care etc. I think the main three were they need to do operations thru the night, to sort wait times, not just the urgent ops, 90% of the Consultants 'disappear' Fri afternoon (which I found beyond shocking tbh) & are only contactable by phone, which needs to stop as it impacts patient care & the other was poor money & resource management by middle managers.

You can't operate on patients if there are no beds to put them in.
Can you imagine all the extra staff you would have to pay on night rates?
The departments that would have to be kept running, fully staffed?

DH, a GP works a ridiculous number of hours. I wish he would cut back. Unfortunately regardless of the additional unpaid hours GP’s work, so many people criticise them.

Consultants are expected to teach juniors medical students and nurses. Most have at least one afternoon session a week for that. Then there are MDT meetings. At least one afternoon for that.
Daily ward rounds, clinics, operating list.
I doubt they are sloping off.