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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

We need to start opening up more treatments.

30 replies

Notttttttrttrmssh · 04/09/2020 13:36

www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welsh-student-nurse-wrote-health-18877885

This article made me tearful.
It feels other illnesses have been forgotten about.

OP posts:
RatherbeinCanada · 04/09/2020 13:55

As someone who has multiple conditions and is waiting on 'urgent' treatment when clinics start I agree wholeheartedly. There is no one being treated for covid in our hospital but they won't start some clinics and no one has a start date. Meanwhile, I stay in significant pain and my eldest child has more responsibilities as a young carer.

Original poster
Notttttttrttrmssh · 04/09/2020 14:02

@RatherbeinCanada i'm sorry for what youre going throughFlowers I don't understand how it can be justified keeping clinics close when were are on 1-15 deaths a day. And Zoom appointments are in no way the same as face-to-face.

OP posts:
RatherbeinCanada · 04/09/2020 14:06

I just wonder what the doctors are doing with no covid and no operations or clinics. I'm genuinely curious!

ZoeTurtle · 04/09/2020 14:08

I've had a GP appointment in person and a consultant appointment on the phone. The consultant sent me a prescription through the post afterwards. The only issue was that the GP isn't doing ear syringing, which is a pain as I have a blocked ear and drops aren't shifting it.

My ophthalmologist appointment was cancelled and I won't be seen until December. I got the impression the whole clinic was cancelled, but possibly they were seeing people more serious than me - I only go for monitoring, not for actual treatment. The vast majority of patients are elderly, so I imagine it was judged quite high risk for COVID...

wink1970 · 04/09/2020 14:45

I too am wondering where all the GPs and clinical staff have gone, they're not working near me and I know they're not on the Covid wards as the local hospital has shut this for the time being due to lack of need .....

Badbadbunny · 04/09/2020 14:52

@wink1970

I too am wondering where all the GPs and clinical staff have gone, they're not working near me and I know they're not on the Covid wards as the local hospital has shut this for the time being due to lack of need .....
One of our neighbours is a GP. He seems to be walking his dog a lot over the past six months - 3/4 times per day he walks past our house.

Our next door neighbour is a semi-retired practice manager now working 1 day per week (in theory). Her first day back at work was Monday just gone - the last six months, she's gone on 4 foreign holidays, and constantly had friends and family round (even in the height of lockdown). But apparently it was too dangerous for her to actually go to work for 6 months.

Mind boggles.

Reallybadidea · 04/09/2020 14:59

It's really strange - the Trust I work for is completely back to normal AFAIK (possibly still running some clinics by phone I think). We have a high proportion of very vulnerable patients too. We carried on with cancer surgery throughout the surge period, restarted elective activity in May and apart from some specific infection control measures, social distancing etc, it's very much business as usual. I don't understand what is going on in other Trusts to still be at such a reduced capacity.

LakieLady · 04/09/2020 15:53

I agree.

My problem is far from life-threatening (arthritic knee with a torn ligament), but it is painful and really restricts what I can do. And I keep falling downstairs because it gives way!

My GP referred me around May last year, but here you have to be assessed by the musculo-skeletal service who then refer you to an orthopaedic consultant if they think you need it, which is fair enough. Except they've royally pissed me about. They send you for tests/x-rays/scans and then do nothing with the results, until you phone up to check if they've had them. Then they send you for another tes/x-ray-scan. The physio finally agreed I probably needed surgery in July (which is exactly what the original physio said 13 months earlier, but only "advanced practitioners" can make referrals).

I was 9 months into this process when Covid hit, if they'd been a bit more organised, I'd have been referred long before that.

They've now told me that they're not allowed to make any referrals at all at the moment, so I'm in limbo.

I really feel for people unable to get MH help or facing possibly life-threatening conditions, it must be so worrying.

It seems to be quite random, too, some areas seem almost back to normal. If some areas are able to refer patients, why aren't they all doing it?

Should perhaps add that we're in an area where Covid infection rates have been very low, so it's not that we're in lockdown or anything.

PawPatrolMakesMeDrink · 04/09/2020 16:01

I’m a practice nurse and the only things we aren’t doing is ear syringing (can make people cough quite a lot and it’s right by our faces) and spirometry. Our GPs are running full clinic lists, about 70% over the phone the rest F2F. We’re busy gearing up and organising flu clinics with a view to immunising approx 2000 patients over 2 weeks.

Baaaahhhhh · 04/09/2020 16:11

It's so interesting how different areas are showing different dynamics. So locally, everything is pretty much back to normal, all clinics operating. The biggest issue is DNA's - Do Not Attends. Some do phone up and cancel, but many are just not turning up. Infuriating when they are on lists to be seen, and then for presumed fear of Covid, or some other reason, just don't come in for treatment.

ChaChaCha2012 · 04/09/2020 16:13

I know Hancock thinks it's the future, but we need to stop phone consultations from becoming the norm. Health is about the whole person, so much is missed when you're not face to face. Not only physical symptoms but mental health, and looking for signs of domestic abuse too.

MintyMabel · 04/09/2020 16:22

I know Hancock thinks it's the future, but we need to stop phone consultations from becoming the norm. Health is about the whole person, so much is missed when you're not face to face. Not only physical symptoms but mental health, and looking for signs of domestic abuse too.

We can't make policy on the basis that a small number of people might be experiencing difficulties. Phone consultations suit me way better

StarCat2020 · 04/09/2020 19:00

Our GPs are running full clinic lists, about 70% over the phone the rest F2F
Sorry but phone conversations or online does not equal usual service.

My GP has an online form now for all enquiries including "mental health issues" and the phone lines are answered with a message.

I would hate to know that a suicidal person went for help and this is all the help that is available.

Nooch · 04/09/2020 19:03

I work in MH and we are seeing people for f2f therapy sessions now. Some still prefer video though.

LadyofTheManners · 04/09/2020 19:06

Yes I agree
My son hasn't seen his lung consultant since March last year. We had one phone call in February and nothing else.

I asked for a GP appointment a week ago, to be told I couldn't have one. Was told if my asthma was bad, that would be classed as "covid insecure" as I said it was making me breathless (you know, as asthma tends to do) and I would need a test. I said but it's my asthma, it's been going on for over 4 months. She said no, test. So I asked OK, if I have the test and it's negative (which it would be) can I come then. To be told no, I still can't come as it would still be covid insecure.
I asked, what if I collapse of an asthma attack, and her response was at least you can be seen then at the hospital. She did then say if I wanted a call from the GP, I would have to pay £50, and if they would see me they would charge £80. I'm currently out of work as I'm self employed in an industry which is still not allowed to take place, so this would be out of the question.

I totally understand how the pandemic had caused so much upheaval, but it's starting to sound like a convenient way to make money for the NHS or save money. It's causing private healthcare by stealth.

TinySleepThief · 04/09/2020 19:07

Absolutely not at all unreasonable. I have no idea what they have been doing at our surgery. The whole place is like fort knox and the only service which appears to have been running is infant vaccinations. They are finally restarting some other services as of next monday such as smear tests and blood tests.

They have however sent about a million texts over the past 5 months telling us not to contact them, that they will not issue prescriptions and to contact our local walk in centre (about 30 miles away) if we need anything.

StarCat2020 · 04/09/2020 19:10

How will they manage flu vaccinations if patients are so scary??

TinySleepThief · 04/09/2020 19:12

@StarCat2020

How will they manage flu vaccinations if patients are so scary??
Honestly the way my surgery has been throughout part of me is seriously expecting either a huge stick with the needle on the end or them asking you to do it yourself... Hmm
StarCat2020 · 04/09/2020 19:15

Honestly the way my surgery has been throughout part of me is seriously expecting either a huge stick with the needle on the end or them asking you to do it yourself...
I nearly spat my drink out then!!

LadyofTheManners · 04/09/2020 19:19

Mine told me when I called about mine and DS' to go to the pharmacy as they won't do them unless elderly. No worry about people with underlying health issues though.
I will be finding a new Gp surgery soon but no idea if you can even swop at the moment

QueenPaws · 04/09/2020 19:24

My GP is doing most stuff over the phone but you can be seen if needed. My haematology appointments have carried on but again over the phone and blood tests done as usual but no drop ins, have to book a slot
Dermatology... 4 month wait on top of the usual 34 week wait...

TheLastStarfighter · 04/09/2020 19:27

I honestly had no idea things were that bad. I hold my hand up that I now have far more sympathy with the “why can’t things just get back to normal” threads if there is still so much difficulty accessing healthcare. That sounds very difficult.

Moondust001 · 04/09/2020 19:27

@MintyMabel

I know Hancock thinks it's the future, but we need to stop phone consultations from becoming the norm. Health is about the whole person, so much is missed when you're not face to face. Not only physical symptoms but mental health, and looking for signs of domestic abuse too.

We can't make policy on the basis that a small number of people might be experiencing difficulties. Phone consultations suit me way better

They might suit some people better in some situations. That isn't a reason to make them the norm - it is a reason to make them a choice. It is absolutely a fact that phone or video appointments can miss critical observations, and you certainly can't examine someone over the phone! Face to face appointments provide a higher quality of care. That maybe doesn't matter to you if you "just have" a minor condition that couldn't possibly be more than that. But it may matter more if, for example, seeing your eyes or observing an aroma might indicate something more serious. Digital may one day be a replacement for real people seeing each other. This isn't that day.
QueenPaws · 04/09/2020 19:43

The issue i have with phone consults is my GP is am or pm
So I have to take half a day off work as I can't answer the phone when I'm working, and they can't give me a time. When you've a host of chronic conditions, it means I've used all my holiday this year for GP and hospital appointments!

fishonabicycle · 04/09/2020 19:46

The surgery I work in has been open all the time. Mostly phone appointments (booked 10 minute slots), but we have been booking more face to face the last few weeks.