To be scared the NHS won't go back to 'normal'? Does anyone actually know if it will?

[leafyclover]

I'm not sure if this is a case of unreasonable or not or it's just my anxiety. Also, I'm not trying to start a political bunfight nor am I NHS bashing, I'm genuinely scared.

I'm on a low income. I can't afford any form of private healthcare.

After being lucky enough to be in relatively good health most of my life, I've recently developed a gynae problem related to my births years ago. I'm in a lot of discomfort every day and it's causing symptoms which are really impacting on my life and I don't know how much longer I can continue to do my job like this.

I've been to my GP who has referred my to the hospital, but she says it will be at least 8 months, possibly even a year. A YEAR!! To even speak to a consultant?? Then presumably waits for tests etc before I even start any treatment??

I'm almost more depressed about this than I am about the condition. I remember being annoyed about waiting 8 weeks 16 years ago.. It feels so incredibly unfair and scary that I am mid 30s and could be looking at years and years of my life like this until I get treatment.

Please tell me that this is temporary backlog and things will get better..

I am so down about it and scared for the future.

Being born in good health is luck
maintaining good health is not luck
it’s choice
no one in or family has seen a doctor in seven years

is not luck
we make healthy choices

ach, I'm getting gynae investigations, too. They are just ruling cancers out in next few weeks. If it came down to a long wait for treatment or to make my life bearable, I know I'd go private. Sorry, I can't say anything that helps.

I googled & can't find any info about African woman multiple babies £800k. Can anyone else find that story?

I am so sorry you find yourself in this situation. We are governed by people who have an agenda when it comes to the NHS - and it is not to protect it as they claim - you NHS is safe with us - is it bollocks!

DO NOT VOTE TORY..... just do not do it.

OP, you have a few options. Do as much research as possible about your condition, treatments, wait times in your own and adjacent primary care trusts. Contact your MP; even if that doesn't help you directly, it's good if they know how long the waits are. Seeing a gynaecologist privately is around £200, although if you need an ultrasound that could be another £200. You may be able to pay in instalments. If you know what's wrong and what treatment's needed, you're in a better position to lobby for it. Good luck.

No it wont not with Tories in power. Their plan is to run it to the ground and force private heath care. I work in the police, joined in 2008 and it got noticeably worse when May got her witch like claws into it.
If people outside the NHS and police really knew how bad it was youd be horrified. How anyone can vote for the Tories is beyond me

I recently waited 6 months for a referral to Opthalmology, which was put through as "urgent". I was originally told it would be about 3 months, so once it reached 4 months I emailed the department asking for an update. They emailed me back with an appointment date. Worth a try? I often wonder if I hadn't emailed whether I would have had my appointment by now.

NHS has just been through a major restructure, £££ spent for what? Until control is taken away from the whims of unqualified and poorly knowledgeable politicians it won’t improve

Look at something like simply health, depending on the level of cover you could get around £300 of consultant care reimbursed for under £20 a month which you can cancel at any point. No history needed. You might have to wait a minimum period but you could book your private appointment within that time, it should cover an initial consultation and maybe a follow up. Might not be totally in the spirit of the scheme but you worth checking t&Cs

fundamentally ideologically opposed to a healthcare system that is free at the point of use.

Yes. Just like housing. It's just capitalism. House prices are so ridiculous now, it's only millionaires who can afford to buy. Meanwhile it's getting more like US, more people ending up on the street.

Post like this are so fucking goady.

Lifestyle choices don't stop you developing GBS or MG, having catastrophic damage from a car accident, cerebral palsy at birth, being autistic....the list is endless. The NHS is a bit more than needing the GP for some abx.

@Davyjones Your post is disgusting and just served to kick me when I am down. I know it's meant in general but what an attitude to have. I'd like to know your reasoning for me then - I eat healthy, exercise, healthy weight, don't smoke etc.

@Phineyj GP says wait times in neighbouring trusts are the same or worse. Thanks though I might try to save or borrow enough for a consult and a scan. So if I managed to get a diagnosis of what is wrong, then I would be in a better position with regards to the NHS? Sorry just trying to understand what you mean.

It’s obviously moving to an American style system

we have to take complete control of our overall health where we can and yes private health insurance can be that cheap

we got ours a few years ago though given it’s going to much more expensive as tinder goes on

it goes up every year though

dont mess with your immune system and avoid pharmaceuticals

this situation is not a joke

Some of the issues with the NHS are nothing whatsoever to do with funding. Things that should work properly don’t, and everyone (staff and patients) spends more time and resources trying to sort out avoidable fuck-ups.

eg friend was recently referred by her GP under the TWR. Waited 2 weeks. Heard nothing. Called GP. Yes yes referral definitely gone, please go away. Another few days of waiting - nothing. Called breast clinic - no referral in her name. Called GP back. Mexican stand off with practice manager and finally - oops - the GP sent it “using the wrong system” and would need to do it again. It finally went almost 3 weeks after my friend’s (telephone) appointment led to an “urgent” referral.

It’s dogshit.

@Davyjones I was born with a gene that gives me an approx 85% lifetime risk of developing each of about 7 cancers. I only found out when I got my first cancer in my 20’s.

Please try not to be so daft.

I Work in the nhs. I deal
woth a lot of complaints.

dealing with complaints is REALLY time consuming. Vast majority don’t come to anything, the people are just pissed off. It it stops me progressing cases, so I spend my time explaining why people are waiting so long, and in doing so, im taken away from my everyday job, which means people wait even longer

While clearly conservative underinvestment hasn't helped, I do also think it's clear that the NHS as currently conceived can't work for a population as ageing as ours. People are reluctant to say it because it sounds almost like you're blaming people for still being alive or getting a bit Logan's Run. It is, of course, an excellent thing that life expectancy increased as it did over the last half-century and everyone deserves the best quality care possible until their last day. But in most of the country you only have to walk into a hospital or GP waiting room or stand around in a pharmacy for a while and it's completely obvious that the impact of an ageing population makes the current system unsustainable.

Yanbu. The Tories have chosen to destroy what we took for granted only a few years ago.

I went to the doctor with excruciating pain 3 weeks ago, was admitted to hospital within the hour and my appendix was taken out the next day, cannot fault the doctors or nurses and Poole Hospital was amazing (very modern and taken to scans within 20 minutes ). I had to return the following week for a night and experienced 1st class care.

And stop blaming the conservatives for everything!

I’d be thrilled with an 8 month wait! My GP has referred me to another department and the waiting list is FIVE YEARS and that’s the ‘URGENT’ list

it’s fucked, it’ll never go back to normal

Once we have a 'normal' gvt, we have more chance of having a 'normal' NHS..

The NHS is not fit for purpose and needs replaced but it’s political suicide to criticise the beloved beast, so it lumbers on. It won’t get any better, IMO - more likely to continue getting worse.

Not able to RTHT but work in NHS. Have you asked to go on the cancellation list? Sometimes waits can be shorter than expected.

It’s not looking likely that things will improve, it’s just being run into the ground. The amount of money wasted is unreal.

The NHS has always been a bit shit. The long waiting times isn't just down to post-pandemic or Brexit or anything else that's recently happened.

I had to wait 6 months to see a gynae and a further 6 months for day surgery and that was probably 20 years ago. 12 years ago I needed a knee op and ended up having to go private. My aunt had bowel cancer 10 years ago and the wait to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan was ridiculous so she also went private.

The quickest I've ever been seen was during the pandemic and I needed some ultrasounds and an ENT referral. It took less than a month. Presumably because everyone was scared to go near a hospital.

Waiting for angiograms and echocardiograms now and have been told it could be a long wait, especially for the CT, but they're "reassurance" so I'm happy to sit and wait it out.