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?

Went to A&E on Saturday and had a follow up yesterday, very efficient. Unfortunately A&E was full of drunks and criminals

Our local GP surgery was terrible to get an appt before vivid and now they have the equivalent of the Berlin wall up. Even rining at 8am gets the message that all apps. are full and there are no triage appointments today as the list for those is also full. After weeks and weeks of calling, only for the same answers had to ring 111 who gave the phone number of a 'secret' same day service, called them, they took number and would call back within 6 hours. They did not so called them again and they said would have to start again as outside of 6 hour window now. They called back just after 10.30pm and the doctor said, 'what do you want me to do you need to see your own GP for a referal, and why have you waited so long. ??
One of our neighbours works at the GP surgery and he asked for her advice as to how to get to see some one. She said call xxxxx at exactly 10.00am I the morning as I will be on the phone lines then , and, guess what, he got his appt. His blood tests etc etc. She said that there were very few people being seen, but they were following the doctors orders.

Hubby had face to face appointment with Doctor 2 weeks ago. Scan letter arrived for appointment start of August. Collecting medication for many neighbours that has been altered or have had at least phone appointments.
Diabetes clinic operating with blood testing. Have to collect sleep monitor July although it will be outside area. Collected dead person's effects 2 weeks ago (brought to car) Things in my area continuing if with changes. Friend saw dentist last week although my check up was cancelled in June.

I'm sure there's definitely a postcode element to it. We are in an area with relatively low Covid cases so that maybe has something to do with it.

I've had a really positive experience from both hospital and GP. I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in the middle of May and was operated on within two weeks. I've had timely follow ups by phone from both a cancer nurse and consultant.

Our GP has finally gone to an online booking system. Before Covid, getting an appointment was pretty much impossible. Indeed, I tried from December 8th to Xmas to see a Dr about my symptoms and I eventually got an appointment at the end of January. Two weeks ago I needed a new fit note from the Dr, filled in an online form and the Dr called me back later that day to find out how I was. However, I can see how online services are not appropriate for all patients and I would hope that it would still be possible to see a GP in person once we get back to some semblance of normality.

Some areas seem to be doing better than others regarding nhs treatment.

I have a chronic condition and need blood tests every three months, plus regular appointments. My blood tests have continued throughout. My appointments have been done by telephone and actually it's worked better than going in person (i always end up missing work time for them) as they can be more flexible with the times and there's no travel time involved. None of my medication has been held up.

At the start of all this FIL was hospitalised with his cancer which became end of life care. Despite lockdown restrictions regarding visiting his care remained fantastic. They even managed to get him moved to a hospice for the final two days to allow mil, Dh and bil to visit him and be with him at the end.

Likewise my nana went in for end of life care in May/June and even with a positive Covid test they managed to allow final visits for my mum and her siblings - only 5 minutes or so each and with gloves and masks, but long enough to say their goodbyes. Care throughout was great, along with regular telephone contact between the hospital and family.

MIL has to be taken to a and e in April with gallstones. Although she had to go in alone she was seen quickly and treated really well and efficiently.

So certainly around here there's been a lot of non-Covid nhs health treatment occurring.

I was able to get my son an appointment for a gp face to face but took a lot of faffing around sending in pictures to the gp practice first and then deciding a face to face was needed.
The the gp then referred ds to the hospital and he was seen within 24 hours at the hospital.
I was shocked at how fast ds was seen at normal times we would be waiting longer to be seen at the hospital definitely not within 24 hours
ds didn't have to wear a mask at the doctors or hospital due to his age but I did.

DS (8yo) is entitled to 30 minutes speech and language therapy every week. Its written in his ECHP (statutory document). He received no speech and language therapy from early March until the start of July. Obviously, it is more difficult to conduct speech and language therapy when you can't deliver it face to face, but it isn't impossible to adapt. There was no attempt made to get in touch, send online materials etc. This isn't NHS provision, it is LEA, but there are similarities.

Our experience of the NHS has been better than pre-covid, efficient phone consults with GPs, no wait on blood tests - even referrals to consultants going through quickly, mum has had two minor ops with no problems. Wish I could say the same for education - the school have been a disaster!

I was admitted via A&E for an emergency operation Wednesday and was top of the list for the op on Thursday. No complaints whatsoever. The staff deserve medals - or their pay rises at the very least- they are so busy.

Dramatic thread titles of "The NHS has collapsed" is just panic mongering and does nobody any favours.

I’ve had a few telephone consultations which were much better imo than having to trail in and nothing the gp needed to see me physically for. My son had his consultant app via phone too brilliant as he hates going so I could discuss things and set up a plan without him in the background moaning or trying to leave. Although cahms letter today saying our wait till he even longer for diagnosis already waited over a year and he’s 9 so no idea when he’ll see anyone. Also spoken to continence nurse for same son and another plan in place, Ex partner had a breakdown and gp has been amazing, no issues with delays or refusal to see us.
Gp friend in same area said he’d been really busy more so than usual.

Flip side is I’m a nurse, paeds so our wards have been turned upside down. Initially things were slow, whilst we worked out how to do things safely. We are seeing as many kids as before now. No elective surgery but that is coming back soon, urgent bloods being done during week and on weekends, routine coming back too. Our kids who get infusions are coming into a separate bay with one nurse to get these. Kids are seeing consultants on urgent basis one at a time, but because we need to stop people mingling less people are being seen, things are spaced out as we also have an inpatient ward to staff. Our drs are very busy - as are all the other hospital drs we see - surgeons/ortho/gyn etc we are looking after patients wearing masks for 12/13 hour shifts with plastic aprons and gloves so it’s hot and I come home drained & exhausted. I can say my manager is fab she’s doing her best for staff and kids so we can get our unit back to seeing everyone who needs it. But we’ve also got winter coming, so asthmatics catching colds when they go back to school, winter vomiting bugs and Babies with bronchiolitus along with Covid is going to be really stressful For everyone.

Yes and no.
I have Rheumatoid arthritis and the treatment I was on for years stopped working in January. I got a telephone consultation with my Rheumatologist who knows me well in February. It was actually better than a face to face one. He reckons that lessons learned about digital consultations will help massively improve efficiency in the long term. He can review long term patients much more quickly and save clinic attendance for new patients.
Having said that he can't give me a new treatment because of covid restrictions meaning I have been in severe pain for 7 months now.
My cancer treatment was cut short.
I've had e- consultations and telephone consultations with GP which were much better than FTF.

Oh and if
You feel like you have a cough, fever and loss of smell you will still only get a covid test if someone on the telephone feels there is a pressing “clinical” need.

I understand OP, its been a really scary time and several members of my family, including the elderly and vulnerable, have been affected by the lack of available treatment. I'd been fairly vocal on here about my own personal struggles not being able to get the dental treatment I needed and I was so worried and in pain for months. Its been far from an ideal situation. But today I was able to see my dentist again and the whole team were amazing, and I'm so incredibly grateful. The NHS hasn't collapsed, things are slowly returning to a closer sense of normal and NHS staff are doing a remarkable job despite their lives literally being on the line. I really hope your family can receive the treatment and care they need soon OP.

I think there's a massive difference between life saving and emergency treatments and treatments for chronic conditions or elective surgery and that explains the difference in experiences on this thread.

If you received good treatment for an emergency condition that doesn't mean those of us trying to live with chronic, long term disabling conditions are getting the same level of care. We are facing being left with permanent damage and decreased mobility, ability to work or look after ourselves and also an increase in pain as a result of the cuts in services. Of course I understand why it's happened but it's very hard to deal with the consequences when hospitals aren't even communicating with patients about when they can expect treatment to re start or providing basic support.

Marpan
if you feel like you have a cough, fever and loss of smell you will still only get a covid test if someone on the telephone feels there is a pressing “clinical” need.
Not in England. I went online this morning at 8am and got a test booked at 10am. I only had to answer "yes" to having one of those symptoms.

if you feel like you have a cough, fever and loss of smell you will still only get a covid test if someone on the telephone feels there is a pressing “clinical” need

Not true. You now only have to log online and book yourself in, no-one is checking your symptoms, you can say anything you want and get a test.

if you feel like you have a cough, fever and loss of smell you will still only get a covid test if someone on the telephone feels there is a pressing “clinical” need

No, you don't even have to apply online. You can just turn up and they'll do one regardless of symptoms (not sure if that's supposed to happen but my mum had a test that way).

I think it's a variable problem dependent on many factors however the NHS was struggling prior to this.
My gp have continued with regular bloods /assessments for dc.
Dc hospital appointments have been hit and miss. And is awaiting surgery which is currently delayed.
My hospital appointments have been over the phone and no delays. However I was due for surgery before Christmas the hospital stopped all surgery due to winter pressure. They were just starting up and I was due to have surgery end of march which was cancelled, they have said they've not started surgery yet - I've been waiting 49 weeks for surgery, my health is deteriorating and I will not get alot of it back now I'll live with the consequences of the delay for life. My worry is will they then stop surgery for winter pressures/covid 19 and then when will I and many others get surgery? This is a systemic problem that has just got worse through a pandemic, how long will it take them to get back to near normal? How will they manage to get back to near normal?

I was supposed to have a scan pre covid. Referred to some private co who has NHS contract I assume. Nothing doing even now. Chased GP (should have done it sooner) and appt booked local hospital for two weeks .
Allso had smear and dh has had appt for chronic condition by video calls as normal and blood tests at home as shielding.
So let us now rethink it - eg no NHS if you are over healthy weight and 10% flat tax only if you are healthy
wow! Just wow!

My 4-year-old has her next eye appointment over the phone

She's been wearing glasses since she was two and is very short-sighted for her age. She last had her sight checked at the beginning of Jan and is meant to have it done every 3-4 months.

Not entirely sure how that is going to work via telephone..

I've been massively busy the whole time, I work in the NHS as I've had the overflow from all of the hospital clinics that have been shut as well as my own patients to see.
However I'm now a year ovedue my spinal steroid injection and I'm practicall on my knees from pain as I can't access pain clinic or any of my other regular appointments asd I've had excruciating toothache since February.
I'm properly pissed off.

@Silversun83

My 4-year-old has her next eye appointment over the phone

She's been wearing glasses since she was two and is very short-sighted for her age. She last had her sight checked at the beginning of Jan and is meant to have it done every 3-4 months.

Not entirely sure how that is going to work via telephone..

Ds had an eye test over the phone, when we discussed how he was it was agreed he couldn’t wait any longer so he was scheduled to be seen at the hospital the week later. If we had agreed he could wait a bit longer it would have been postponed a couple of months.

6yr old DS has been under the SALT team since he was 2. Because they aren’t doing school visits they have been able to offer video call appointments. What would usually be 2/3 rounds of 5 sessions over a year in person has been a weekly session for the past few months.They want to do a review in person but we’re all confident they can then take him off their list.

My gp surgery now has an online triage system, we’ve used it twice and I’m hoping they keep it. I filled in a form, then within an hour had a text to say a prescription had been sent to the chemist for me to collect.

I would tend to disagree, during full lockdown my daughter had a lump in her breast (she is 14) our gp was online contact only at the time. I emailed the gp & got a telephone call within an hour & a face to face appointment 30 mins later. Within a week we had an appointment at the hospital where she saw a doctor, had an ultra sound & got the all clear (thank god it was a cyst) in normal circumstances I can’t get a gp appointment in the space of a week.

That’s interesting @nancy75 - I also had a lump in my breast (thankfully also benign) and pre-Covid they didn’t seem to be taking it super seriously. I had an appointment at the breast clinic but it was non-urgent. That appt was then cancelled due to Covid; I returned to live with my parents during lockdown so transferred to another hospital system, and was seen to almost immediately and very efficiently. The breast clinic was well-staffed but didn’t seem to have as many patients as they normally would - think they were prioritising. In some ways I think they were able to pool their resources for the most urgent areas such as potential cancer diagnosis, yet for actual cancer treatment and other urgent conditions patients have fallen by the wayside.

Sorry, I didn’t mean the actual breast lump thing was interesting - I phrased that appallingly hopefully you know what I meant. Glad it turned out to be okay