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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the NHS is wonderful and on the whole does a marvellous job?

109 replies

mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 14:15

I had to go to a&e yesterday for a bad wound. Had 2 xrays and eleven stitches within 2 hours, and had a wonderful nurse and several visits from a kindly doctor.
I know it gets a bad press but day in day out I think it is an institution that we should be very proud of.
My only bad experience has been maternity services, I concede that.

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mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:05

The nurse in a&e said to me yesterday that he didn't think it would be appreciated until it was gone. I hope not.

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niceglasses · 28/01/2008 20:12

On the whole it does a fantastic job and we should value it more, but its in danger of being ruined by too many administrators and managers and targets.

morningpaper · 28/01/2008 20:14

AFAIK any audits of the NHS have shown it is massively UNDER managed. It is just the Daily Mail banging on about administrators and managers.

And targets aren't really that crap when it means you don't have to wait 2 years to see a consultant.

I am a BIG fan of the NHS. I think it's the best health system in the world.

WinkyWinkola · 28/01/2008 20:15

My personal experience of the NHS has been wonderful. Very professional, kind, caring, understanding. Apart from one scalpel happy consultant!

I know there are lots out there who have a less than brilliant experience - my mum for one.

I think our NHS staff are generally underpaid, undervalued and under praised. They work under a lot of strain, both physical and political.

BUT I do think that the NHS is not prized by the government as the most amazing institution EVER paid for by the people for the people, regardless of status, income etc.

mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:15

I don't think the media help either, niceglasses. I do agree it is administration heavy and not filled with many people who are passionate about the institution itself on that level. So many medical staff are very proud of the NHS and they work extremely hard too

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Quattrocento · 28/01/2008 20:16

My many and several experiences of the NHS have been perfickly horrible.

Probably not entirely the NHS's fault of course. I mean you only get to see it when you are not feeling your best, don't you?

mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:19

I agree morning paper, it is the best health system in the world and everyone should have one!!!

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niceglasses · 28/01/2008 20:19

I am very proud of it - its one of the things I think this country should be proud of, but I work in a Health Library,and thats often the tale I get - mainly from midwives actually and I think they are chronically short staffed.

Agree re media.

mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:40

Many health professionals believe the only difference between private and NHS is pastel walls!! Nicer rooms maybe, but the quality of staff is the same- they are usually NHS doctors who do private work on the side. Nursing- wise the private sector don't pay enough to lure them away from the NHS

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UniversallyChallenged · 28/01/2008 20:42

We have had lots of dealings due to ds2 and we in this country are so fortunate to have the NHS, especially with children. My local hosp childrens ward is a bit run/flakey wall paper etc but that doesnt matter as the staff make you feel so safe and looked after. I remember when ds was having one particular awful seizure and the male nurse who was looking after him was whistling a merry tune while we were white with fright- i realised after it was purely for our benefit to make us feel less worry/all was ok kind of thing. Brilliant

Habbibu · 28/01/2008 20:42

Have had utterly fantastic experience of NHS care - just wonderful.

Greensleeves · 28/01/2008 20:43

I was fiercely proud of and defensive of the NHS, until I had my babies. After that I just get a sort of sad clenched feeling whenever it's mentioned.

Quattrocento · 28/01/2008 20:43

Well last time I was in hospital I stayed private. Lovely room with french windows and curtains and pleasant views. Lovely food from a good menu. Nurses who were nice and kind and had time to talk to me. Doctors ditto.

It is a much nicer experience, and less stressful. Less stress equals faster recovery.

I am sure the clinical care is the same, but people just have more time and that makes so much difference.

mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:48

Many people have had similar experiences with doctors/ nurses on the NHS though- why, I did only last night!
I guess views and flowing curtains are very nice but not imp enough for me to pay for when there is perfectly good NHS, no.

But each to their own- I guess if you could afford to pay you were freeing up a bed that someone who couldn't needed

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mrsruffallo · 28/01/2008 20:50

Yes, Greensleeves, I must admit that is the on area that I feel let down by. I still support it wholeheartedly though and hope for more funding in the future.

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hunkermunker · 28/01/2008 20:51

Quattro, I have had the same operation twice at the same hospital - once privately, once on the NHS.

In one instance, my bed had one really very dirty pillow, I was told there were no more and shrugged at when I asked for the case to be changed at least.

There was chewing gum all over the floor.

The staff in the recovery room were playing solitaire on the computer while I shivered so hard I nearly fell out of bed.

I had the drip almost wrenched out of my arm when they brought the bed back up because they were so careless.

I was taken to the toilet and left there, the first time I'd got up post-op, when the nurse knew I had very low blood pressure and I had told her how faint I felt.

My food was brought to me in a cracked bowl - so cracked it had leaked all over the tray. No apology, no replacement.

Never saw a cleaner.

One word summed up the medical staff I encountered that time - surly.

The other experience, I had friendly, attentive, kind nurses, clean pillows, clean floor, which was cleaned regularly when I was in hospital, recovery room staff who offered me sips of water and lip balm and explained why my nose was itching like mad (morphine, apparently!).

I realise you've probably guessed which way round these experiences are, but is this what you'd expect?

The NHS has its faults, oh, yes, and some shocking staff. But there are also many good, kind, decent people working against mad budgets and ridiculous funding decisions.

sprogger · 28/01/2008 20:54

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

yurt1 · 28/01/2008 20:58

My personal experience has been mixed tbh. Maternity services were OK for ds3, pretty bad for ds1 and ds2.

Services for ds1 (severely autistic) have been non-existent. I think its pretty shocking that a non-verbal child cannot access speech therapy for example. When we have seen SALTS they often haven't had the necessary training to cope with a child like ds1. OT was over a 2 year wait. Despite ds2 being at high risk of a speech and/or communication disorder we had to wait over a year for a SALT appointment.

On the other hand last time we had to visit A&E (with ds1) he received an excellent service (he queue jumped- and they accomodated his autism very well indeed). Likewise an emergency admission for ds3 was fine.

I have found recently that doctors have listened. When ds3 was admitted there was no lecturing or hectoring about his lack of vaccinations, they asked why he wasn't vaccinated and were then very supportive (to my surprise). We were fully consulted when ds1 had a suspected broken ankle and they couldn't x ray him, and were given the choice of whether or not he got a plaster with guaranteed senior consultant if we felt we had to bring him back in. His current paed is excellent.

So good and bad. When it's bad it's shambolic though. And when its good it seems its good despite the system rather than because of it.

notnowbernard · 28/01/2008 21:01

You can be cared for by an enthusiastic, professional, hardworking nurse who happens to work on an over-stretched, under-resourced NHS ward. You may leave treatment feeling that although things could've been better, you were treated with kindness and dignity.

Or you could be cared for in an environmentally spot-on (private) facility... clean, home comforts, good food, well resourced. Treatment delivered without delay. But it could be staffed by a transient, agency-dominated team, by nurses who are 'burnt-out' or not looked-after by management.

I really do believe that the Human Factor has a big role to play, whether it is within the NHS or the private sector.

bookwormmum · 28/01/2008 21:04

I've had loads of experience of trailing around NHS hospitals (and currently work in one!) and on the whole you get a decent service. It depends what you go in for, when and what treatment you need. I think targets have a lot to answer for as well as procedures and clinical needs. We were fuming when my sister was stuck on a trolley for 11 hours, waiting to be admitted to an oncology clinc (complete with letter from Dr referring her) but was forced to go via the A & E triage system - as she wasn't actually ill per se, she was classed low priority, whilst a drug addict in the next cubicle was blue-lighted in as they had OD'd.

FuriousGeorge · 28/01/2008 21:07

Until just before Christmas,I would have agreed with you.But after seeing the 'treatment' or lack of for my severly disabled uncle,I've changed my views.He was discharged on Christmas Eve,on a stretcher,with a broken shoulder,which he'd had for a week.He'd been x rayed,but no one bothered to check before the shoved him out of hospital.He's been yoy yo'd back & forth for 6 weeks now & has now got health problems because of the 'treatment' he recieved in hospital.

I feel very sorry for the staff who have to deal with such disorganisation & lack of communication every day.

smallwhitecat · 28/01/2008 21:08

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comfytoast · 28/01/2008 21:12

Sorry if I came across as ranty and thankyou for all the messages .

TBH I am just very angry at one certain hospital for complete disrespect of my dd ,Then when I tried to get answers they all covered each others backs.
I have had some good experiences with the NHS just when I had a bad one it was very very bad and has tarnished my view of the NHS although we are lucky in the UK to be able to recieve medical attention when we need it not when we can afford it .

yurt1 · 28/01/2008 21:15

FuriousGeorge my opinion is that the NHS is pretty shocking when it comes to learning disabilities. It's an area they need to improve on. And quickly.

Habbibu · 28/01/2008 21:16

So sorry for your loss, comfytoast. I cannot imagine how awful it must be to lose a child and then be hurt again by the hospital. I think the reason I love the NHS so much is that we had the treatment which you so sadly didn't - care, kindness, respect and dignity for the loss of a tiny life. I don't know how I'd have coped without it, and so fully understand why it makes you so angry.