Do you have faith in the NHS after covid?

KellyJonesLeatherTrousers · 13/02/2022 23:19

I trust the truly amazing clinicians, doctors, nurses, support staff that go over and above every single day. I trust my local NHS Trust to make the best decisions they can in very challenging circumstances.

Do I trust the government that currently makes national decisions about the NHS? Nope.

Original poster

Plumface · 13/02/2022 23:24

It's tricky though isn't it?

I mean obviously you can't trust a healthcare worker who refused to admit a person who later died of covid. But how do you tell the difference between one who did and one who didn't? If they're all heroes going above and beyond.

OP posts:

ParkheadParadise · 13/02/2022 23:27

@KellyJonesLeatherTrousers

I trust the truly amazing clinicians, doctors, nurses, support staff that go over and above every single day. I trust my local NHS Trust to make the best decisions they can in very challenging circumstances.

Do I trust the government that currently makes national decisions about the NHS? Nope.

👍👍

TheRealityCheque · 13/02/2022 23:30

The NHS is an archaic institution that has not been fit for purpose for a couple of decades.

It's full of waste, burocracy and a stubborn refusal to modernise.

There's a good reason why the UK model is not followed anyway in the modern world.

nocoolnamesleft · 13/02/2022 23:35

I trust the vast majority of NHS staff. I don't fucking trust the government that has spent the last decade trying to destroy the NHS.

Thedogscollar · 13/02/2022 23:36

Are you directing this question at individual HCP's or the NHS as an institution?

There are good and bad in all professional fields. I would hope the good outweigh the bad, especially when in a caring role.

I work in the NHS and the people I work with and myself care one hell of a lot.

The workers on the coal face so to speak cannot be held responsible for the managers and government who lead us and make the decisions on how the NHS is run.

LadyHaversham · 13/02/2022 23:38

We must support the NHS because private healthcare is beyond the means of most people unless they have private healthcare as part of their employment contract.

Why did you start this thread OP?

PinkPinkPinkGreen · 13/02/2022 23:39

They saved DD’s life in September, so yes, I am.

My GP has been open for appointments throughout and I’ve not had any issue getting a face to face consultation when a physical examination was required.

Original poster

Plumface · 13/02/2022 23:41

I'm directing the question at Mumsnet.

Interesting point though re HCPs. Just whose responsibility is it when a patient is denied treatment?

OP posts:

Herani · 13/02/2022 23:43

Staff are generally wonderful, hard-working and amazing. As an institution it’s archaic and restrictive.
I work in mental health an am fed up with it’s focus on CBT. It needs to allow access to more types of psychotherapy and stop BACP from monopolising therapy. So many other evidence-based therapies can help. I left to work in private practice.
Rant over.

Woeismethischristmas · 13/02/2022 23:44

I think it varies by area. I’ve been able to access GP throughout. Also when I was ill in September I was admitted and had appropriate tests etc. My dd broke a wrist and it was patched up in a timely fashion. It must be so hard if you or a loved one haven’t managed to get appropriate treatment in a timely fashion.

Original poster

Plumface · 13/02/2022 23:44

I mean, is it de pfeffels responsibility if an HCP doesn't admit a covid patient to a half full ward? Or tells them to stay at home when they can't breathe because as long as their lips aren't blue it's all a ok? And if there really is no one accountable for these decisions, or if it's just down to the PM, how safe are we?

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MusicByTheLake · 13/02/2022 23:46

I don’t trust the NHS to provide care for me and my family, no. They’ve proven they can’t do it well or at all on many occasions. The fault mainly lies with the government though.
Fortunately we have private healthcare so we haven’t had to use the NHS in a long time. I’d rather the NHS was funded properly and it was there for everyone though.

Thedogscollar · 13/02/2022 23:49

@Plumface
all heroes going above and beyond
Firstly hate the term hero when referring to NHS workers. We aren't we are just doing the job we trained for.

Secondly re going above and beyond by that if you are referring to staying late post shift to do paperwork and not having breaks due to work acuity/ staff shortages.
That has been going on way way way before covid and after 30+years I'm used to it and see it as part of the job.

Original poster

Plumface · 13/02/2022 23:49

I'm not referring to your paperwork.

OP posts:

chinateapot · 13/02/2022 23:50

Gp here. We never closed down. We did telephone triage first as advised by the department of health.

Yes I trust professionals employed by the nhs to do their best (there will always be exceptions but by and large this is true)

No I don’t trust the nhs to always be able to provide the best possible care. It’s massively overstretched currently. That’s not down to individuals

hibbledibble · 13/02/2022 23:50

@Plumface

Given that patients were discharged to nursing homes, and other patients not admitted despite hospitals not being full, also that GPs and dentists seemed to close down, but PR/marketing story professionals still got paid, are you still happy to entrust your care to the NHS?

YABU = I trust the NHS and it's great
YANBU = I don't trust the NHS

I work in a hospital. We were full. Every spare space was used: we were at over 100% over capacity in medical patients at the peak. All theatres were closed, other than one for life and limb saving surgery, and theatres were turned into overflow ITU.

GPs never closed down. They just changed to online triage.

Dentists still saw patients, but had to prioritise who to see.

As for patients discharged to nursing homes, where else would you discharge them too? Or rather, who would you see us refuse admission to, in order to keep them in hospital?

As a doctor who worked on the covid wards, I find these false insinuations highly offensive. Spending what felt like an eternity, in what was a horrific situation, where we did the best, given the pressures. We had no free beds. As soon as someone dies, another person would fill the bed.

MakkaPakkas · 13/02/2022 23:51

@KellyJonesLeatherTrousers

I trust the truly amazing clinicians, doctors, nurses, support staff that go over and above every single day. I trust my local NHS Trust to make the best decisions they can in very challenging circumstances.

Do I trust the government that currently makes national decisions about the NHS? Nope.

Exactly this

Davros · 13/02/2022 23:51

Yes. Between us DH and I have multiple health issues. I've had many more in the past plus two babies on NHS. I think it works better now than it did 10 years ago

sst1234 · 13/02/2022 23:52

@TheRealityCheque

The NHS is an archaic institution that has not been fit for purpose for a couple of decades.

It's full of waste, burocracy and a stubborn refusal to modernise.

There's a good reason why the UK model is not followed anyway in the modern world.

Yet if you say this out loud, the self proclaimed ‘progressives’ will come at you with pitchforks. Or there will be cries that it’s underfunded. The NHS has had a near enough 20% funding increase in the last 19 years under a Tory government, yet it’s never enough.

familychallenge · 13/02/2022 23:53

I still don't understand why we think the NHS is so great. I have lived in multiple countries. All had a mix of public and private and all had better patient outcomes than the NHS and at lower cost. Most healthcare professionals care deeply about patients and many have half killed themselves in the last 2 years. The NHS is a bureaucratic nightmare that serves neither patients nor staff well.

sst1234 · 13/02/2022 23:54

@MusicByTheLake

I don’t trust the NHS to provide care for me and my family, no. They’ve proven they can’t do it well or at all on many occasions. The fault mainly lies with the government though. Fortunately we have private healthcare so we haven’t had to use the NHS in a long time. I’d rather the NHS was funded properly and it was there for everyone though.

Funded properly? What makes you think it’s not funded properly today? Or what would be the right amount of funding? £150bn, £200bn, £1tn? No amount of funding would be enough for a model that is not fit for todays world.

EmmaH2022 · 13/02/2022 23:58

@Plumface

I'm directing the question at Mumsnet.

Interesting point though re HCPs. Just whose responsibility is it when a patient is denied treatment?

Often the responsibility is split so that no one person can take the blame.

I can see the argument for that. I struggled with dad's MDT because it felt like no one could actually make a decision without the back up of all.

I think the NHS is long overdue for reform but I also think too much is expected of it. I have years of experience using it and my impression is that well meaning staff are really suffering due to mad senior mgmt, as with so many other jobs.

But in the NHS, the outcomes actually matter. The time taken from a clinician to do nonsense is taking them away from their work.

I would imagine there's less of that in a private hospital but I don't know. Maybe some posters will know.

EmmaH2022 · 13/02/2022 23:59

"No amount of funding would be enough for a model that is not fit for todays world."

Agree.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 14/02/2022 00:00

Discharging patients to nursing homes was a decision made by governments/senior leaders, not individuals. Like many on here I work in a linked field. I trust the NHS to be trying to do the best it can. I think it is in a shitty situation, mostly not of its own making. Staff shortages mean working conditions for the remainder can’t be improved. Long working hours mean more mistakes/poorer care. Poorer care means more scrutiny and stick waving by the government. You only have to look at the thread about retraining as a doctor to see why they have trouble attracting staff. Some of the cultural issues could be addressed eg reduce hours for junior doctors, which might attract more students, but that would take a big funded initiative - funding for uni courses, funding for hospitals to hire more people etc etc.