The NHS has collapsed.

[brahmahda]

It's great that no Covid wards have been overwhelmed for lack of ventilators - Clap Clap. But ...

1. My regular preventative treatment for a chronic condition has stopped, with no sign of it restarting.
2. My 13yo son needs diagnostic tests for symptoms he's had for several months, but the diagnostic clinic is closed, again with no sign of it restarting.
3. A vital service that the GP would normally provide has been redirected to a "hub" with a convoluted appointment booking process and a very long waiting list.
4. My elderly, isolated/ing mum who urgently needs a face-to-face with her GP due to a sudden decline in her health has been messed around with a complicated process that changes depends on who she speaks to (she was phoned and told she'd need to get a Covid test 10 mins before setting off for the appointment, so had to cancel it).

Of course issues of delayed cancer treatments etc have been widely reported in the news, but it's clear that they are just the tip of the iceberg. The problems must be impacting almost every family in the country to some extent, and there's no sign of them being temporary. I just can't see the NHS getting back onto it's already-shaky track in the foreseeable future.

Anyone else find this terrifying?

@brahmahda

Are you sure that’s not what happened here?

No @ShirleyPhallus. She had a phone consultation with the GP in the morning who asked her to come in for a face-to-face at 3pm. At 2.30pm the receptionist called her to say she'd need to dial 111 to arrange a Covid test and then rebook when she'd had it. Seems like the receptionist and GP were following different processes and the receptionist probably had no clue or care about the urgency of the appointment.
My mum has been self-isolating since Feb/Mar so hasn't seen anyone she could possibly catch the virus from. She was even worried about going to a test centre, so has booked a postal test ... goodness knows how long that will take!

How strange, that really is crap then OP!

I understand what people are saying but my mil was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before lockdown. She has had all her chemo and is now in radiotherapy looking really good. I was also able to get a same day gp appointment for this morning. Service seems fine in my area. Perhaps I'm just lucky.

My twice a week face-to-face therapy stopped. Only got one full session by telephone a week, plus a check-up call for the session that would usually have been group therapy. I have to say, I am massively disappointed at the way this mental health Trust has coped with Covid. Their own staff are admitting to me that other Trusts are using Zoom to carry out these group sessions etc, but apparently this Trust has put too much red-tape up and is worried it's not suitable. So had I been getting therapy at a different Trust, I could have been having my group therapy through Zoom at least. My therapy ends next month, so that's 5/6 months of missing therapy that I'm not getting back.

My experience has been different. I was referred for surgery at the end of June and am going into hospital next week to have that non urgent surgery. There have been some logistical changes as I have to have 10 days treatment before surgery and usually this would be done as an outpatient with some visits to hospital for blood tests to monitor in between but now I have to be in hospital for 10 days before surgery to limit potential exposure to the virus but other than that, it's been great service for me. All appointments have been telephone appointments and that has made life so much easier. It sounds as though it depends wholly on your area.

I fear there will be a massive influx of those suffering from severe chronic flare ups and difficulties when we can get to see a dr again. I have mental and physical disabilities. I have struggled mentally during lockdown. I desperately desperately need to have my spine scanned/X-ray as I have crippling pain that is making it almost impossible for me to walk back use of the increasing pain and limitations each step causes. I know I’m not dying of COVID, but where do they think all the other patients have gone? We’ve not been magically cured. We have been sitting at home struggling auffering and scared. People with new symptoms of unknown illness are sitting getting worse cos you can’t see a dr for love nor money. Right at the start. Of this I was so bemused with my gp treatment I was seriously considering paying £700 to get a scan as I know , I just KNOW there is something that gp has previously missed or is a newer development. Now I can’t even get that ( not that I can really afford that tbh). But I’m so angry that I have to sit and actually think if I could just stick a knife in there and cut that bit off I’d be better. If I could just cut that bit off from the rest of my body I wouldn’t be in pain..... so no. I don’t think YABU

For me, I'd like at least reassurance that they are aware you're still waiting to be seen, rather than radio silence so you don't know if you've fallen off the system completely and to know that they are actually working through the backlog starting with people who need to be seen urgently followed by people who have been cancelled in March onwards. Instead, I'm getting the feeling that they are just picking it up from now, so if you already had an appointment in August you'll be seen then despite people having had appointments cancelled throughout March, April, May, June and July still waiting to be seen.

I think, and hope, that life threatening conditions are a priority and services are back to normal but then there are a lot of us living with, and trying to.manage, chronic, debilitating and disabling conditions who really seem to be bottom of the heap. Not getting treatment though might mean that we can no longer work, get around or maintain our independence.

Versus arthritis are running a campaign at the moment highlighting the importance of getting joint replacement surgery re started for example.

A big part of my job involves working with cancer patients. We have continued treatment throughout but our patients have been forewarned from the start that if they need an HDU bed postop and one is not available, their surgery will be postponed, which is exactly the same as they are told in normal times. I don't think we have had to postpone anyone due to lack of HDU beds. A few have been postponed due to the surgeon being off ill (at least a couple with covid themselves). We have continued major surgeries on site and smaller operations have taken place at the local private hospital. Chemo and radiotherapy has still been ongoing as have most diagnostic tests

Completely agree.

I have been referred back to the GP to start a long process again, as has my mom. My dad has had cardiology appointments on the phone.

I don't know if its just our area but its been absolutely dire.

I'm sorry you're finding it so delayed, OP. That must be really stressful for you.
Like others, I'm now assuming this is a bit of a luck of the draw situation.
DS9m has a lifelong condition that requires a lot of monitoring, we've had consultant appointments via phone, medications couriered directly from the hospital, video link calls with a GPs (for bad nappy rash), which resulted in a prescription sent directly to the pharmacy to collect.

All of those thing pre covid would have meant trips to the hospital, waiting times of hours (his medication usually takes 3 hours of waiting alone to get from the hospital pharmacy), and ringing the GP surgery for days/weeks trying to get an appointment, I've been really impressed with it recently etly and hope at least some of it stays after things get back to 'normal'.

I also self referred for CBT, and had my first appointment in 3 weeks. Granted, I was fast tracked because I'm postnatal, but even then its usually 9 months wait time. Plus, to be honest it's much easier to do phone appointments with a baby anyway. If I had to go to the centre once a week I'm honestly not sure I would go...

@Notsurewhatsgoingon

I do agree somewhat. I have had experience of both with my dd.

I think it's at the front door gp practices that is falling down.
On one occasion I sent photos to an email and the gp rang back and prescribed cream. All fine.
Second time I rang about something, also rang 111 twice who told me to go back to my go despite not getting anywhere. No one even set eyes on dd. They passed us back anf forth between gp nurse, gp doctor and specialist hospital team who actually took a week to get back to me. Turns out dd should have been admitted then and there. I regret not taking her to a and e but I went on the advice of those hcp. No one would see her. No one still has. I got an anxious phone call yesterday from the specialist team who now want to admit her ASAP. We have been through a week/weekend of hell with dd being in pain and quite ill and on and off the wrong medication. The specialist nurse was gobsmacked that not one hcp had bothered enough to actually see her and assess her. We are looking at possible long term damage to her body now. Really upset with myself too for not just going to a and e but I was advised to wait at home.

Oh goodness! I am so sorry you have had the run-around and your daughter has suffered.

It is clearly very variable. I don’t know of anyone experiencing these problems. Some continued to see their Gp and have hospital appointments throughout. One had last minute treatment just before or at the very start of lockdown. Others got called in once lockdown was coming to an end. Smears and immunisations are being offered in my area.

The variation is IMO a systemic problem caused by the split up of the NHS into lots of self governing trusts and CCGs. Clearly some are good but most just don’t have the resources or talent to do things well. There is still huge variation in how these organisations are funded that have only partially been addressed.

I think the variation in how Covid hit the country, and continuation of outbreaks, will also lead to local areas being either ahead or behind in restoring services.

Interestingly, the government has indicated frustration at their inability to exercise central control over the NHS due to the current structure. But hell the Tories have been aware that Langleys vision was a shit show from the inception. But nobody wants another round of NHS reform. Personally I think it is needed, because the structure is not fit for purpose. The care system is worse.

I am not saying you are being unreasonable, OP, because clearly you are getting a bum deal at the moment and I am so sorry about that.

I don't have any personal experiences with NHS this year but my friend went to see her GP three weeks ago and got an appointment for today to have a chest xray. My other friend's husband had a knee opp a month ago.

It sounds like a postcode lottery, depends where you live.

I guess it depends where you are, and which trust you're under. My DH has been having cancer appointments throughout lockdown, they didn't want to start his next round of chemo, just because of how vulnerable it makes you. Personally, I cant fault the NHS

Mixed experience here. Used the e-consult/ form then call back from GP which worked very well and I was called within a couple of hours, so a better service than I would usually have from the GP practice.
Waiting on a private surgery though that was bumped from March and no sign of when this may take place. Can't start another round of IVF (privately) until I've had this so frustrating all round on that one. The consultants PA is giving me the run around but I do wonder if they even know themselves though.

My mum has had problems with accessing her GP too - few hundred miles away from me - got fobbed off when she called with ear ache which then turned into an infection, she was in pain for ages and then 2 weeks on antibiotics.

No consistency and chaotic in my opinion.

I agree OP.
DH was due a diabetic review at the beginning of April, no idea when that will happen.
DF's GP would only give him a phone appointment resulting in a misdiagnosis that led to a deterioration and then emergency hospital admission. His AMD was also not checked for 4 months, it should be monthly to see if it needs treatment. He had a cataract op at the end of Feb and never had the follow up check up. His balance clinic appointments did continue but quite how well the therapist was able to demonstrate exercises and review his progress over the phone is questionable.
DM can't get an appointment to assess her obvious dementia.
FIL has also had reviews for diabetes, atrial fibrillation and prostate cancer cancelled.

I have had 5 hospital appointments cancelled - 2 for the same condition, 1 for a related condition, one for neurophysiology tests for that condition and one where I was due to start treatment to try and halt progression of an eye condition that has caused me to be registered blind. New paragraph on the upside my GP is shielding himself but has phoned from home a few times to try and help me sort out all these appointments. He is amazing and has given me confidence we can sort this out. New paragraph it's been quite a roller coaster over the last 4 months and I have no idea if or when I can now start the treatment (immunosuppressants/immunotherapy) for my vision loss.

I feel for you everybody who was that essential appointments cancelled is a horrible feeling and quite often a scary time.

I have actually been very impressed with how well the services DS needs have managed to run in the circumstances. I hope things like attends anywhere carry on to be offered as it’s much easier than having to travel for every appointment when in a lot of circumstances it works just as well.

When we have had to go in for appointments for him things have been done very well too

I just listened to my post, apologies for the mistakes, I use speech to text and sometimes it gets it wrong.

I have had successful GP appointments very quickly recently. However I was shocked yesterday when I went to my GP surgery to get a repeat prescription as it was all locked up. Surely surgeries have to re-open at some point soon ? Are routine smear tests etc going ahead anywhere? I work with cancer patients and a lot have had chemo put off and they are frightened of the implications of that, they are fearful to set foot inside a hospital for routine appointments.
My DS had surgery last year and has ongoing problems - he needs to see the consultant but his appointment has gone from being seen in April , now to September !!

My son had a hearing appointment over the phone. They tried to do a dentist appointment over the phone, and asked me to take a photo of his top back tooth - no idea how I was meant to do that. He was due to have blood tests done, we've been trying to get them for 3 years, and he had to have those cancelled, his follow up cancelled, and now we have no idea when they're opening that up again, and it has an impact as the later you start treatment, the less effective it can be. It's ridiculous.

I would say yes the NHS has fallen apart. While they do need to prepare for both the flu season and the possible second wave they do need to get all NHS services up and running properly. Too many people who do not have Covid are being messed about and important diagnoses and treatment are not being carried out.

The government and NHS Trusts CEO's seemed to be ignoring all other medical issues and more people are going lose their lives or have more severe problems because of Covid.

Our GP surgery has added a pre-appointment call to check no Covid symptoms, and also offers zoom consultations for patients who are happy to do so. But otherwise most things seem to be normal, maybe slightly slower.

But care certainly hasn’t collapsed in our area.

I agree it must be regional, I've still had my smear as normal and was able to get a blood test within 3 days for thyroid function tests.

My elderly mother had someone come out to check a swollen foot without any issues.

Sorry you're having such a crap time of it though, makes me really appreciate our local services getting things up and running again. I naively assumes it was the same everywhere

Perhaps they use the 'Nightingale hospitals' to good use and use them to help catch up rather them being mothballed incase they may be needed at somepoint.

I have been waiting for an operation since the autumn last year, it was a long waiting list to start with, as it is not life threatening, I have given hope it will ever happen.

It took literally months of ringing repeatedly my GP to get an appointment, I don’t even try these days... my go has prescribed me some antibiotics in case the problem recurra and given me advice to take them and go to AE, because I will need to go to AE anyway by the time they could possibly see me.

Medicines are hardly ever available when I go to the pharmacy. I don’t think this is COVID related, just big pharma playing their cards while the Tories find enough excuses to hand the NHS to private American companies