The state of the NHS right now is terrifying

[Faciadipasta]

I am feeling genuinely scared for us as a country health care wise. I was reading today about a chap who died of internal bleeding while his family were kept on hold to 999 for 10 minutes as nobody even answered the phone.
Then there are all the people who die while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, because they are all lined up.outside the hospitals unable to offload their patients.
People can't see a GP at all, so there are bound to be loads who are dying of things that could have been prevented if they'd been seen. Waits at A and E are enormous and they don't even have enough chairs so people with serious injuries or illnesses are having to just sit on the floors in the corridors.
We're actually starting to feel like one of those warzone countries that you see on the news and it is scaring me shitless.
I mean even in the US you wouldn't just be left to die because there was nobody to answer the phone although admittedly you'd probably end up bankrupt for paying back the care, but at least you wouldn't be dead!
I personally feel like we have no care, no safety net. And it's scary.
Will it get better? What can be done?

Too many service users I’m afraid.

@DaDavros Just because that has been your experience doesn't mean all is well, far from it.

I am a nurse, I have a pit of anxiety in my stomache before every shift worrying will we have enough staff for the shift, whether I will get a break, whether I will be able to nurse patients safely during that day. Nurses are burnt out and from an inpatient point of view, it isn't a safe environment for patients or staff.

But yeah, continue burying your head in the sand...

Very worrying that some posters have concluded it is all an exaggeration because they got an ambulance quickly or got quick treatment recently. No one is saying that every ambulance is delayed or all treatment affected. What is a fact is that some are and obviously some areas of the country are far more affected than others. It is fact that some people are dying who could have been saved if ambulances/a&e were more easily available. It is a problem that could affect every one of us even if you have private health care or are young and fit as anyone could need emergency services such as car accident or it could be your parents or grandparents having a heart attack. No one should be ignoring it and everyone should be campaigning for urgent change as top priority
.

Yep. Dh is a paramedic. Things are shit. We need the tories out.

Do not agree at all
Hubby called doctor as was concerned about peeing all night
Was told he would get a call from a doctor
Did so within 10 minutes at 9 nish
Was in the surgery at 11 and examined
Another buddy saw doctor with a pain
Was at hospital next day for scans
cancer op 2 weeks to the day after 1st GP appointment which was done on th day he called
My bro is a neuroesurgeon
He says nothing is prefect but the BBC and Guardian just spout anti NHS drivel
Also says that one problem the NHS does have is young nurses be off long term with "stress" or "anxiety"

Nor does it mean it is a disaster

Not needed to use a hospital touch wood so can't comment on that but where I work is regularly at critical incident level. Haven't had any problems recently with GP, been able to access them ok. OH had a v quick referral earlier in the year.

I work hard at work as well - it is modern life

Ear infections can turn serious: can lead to more serious inner ear infection, can spread to the mastoid bone which is what happened to me. I was 14 and can remember the agony. It was back in the good old days when doctors made house calls, we didn’t have a telephone and long before Mobil phones were invented. The doctor walked to the phone box around the corner to ring for an ambulance, he then came back to the house and waited until the ambulance came, he told the ambulance crew to pull over if I got worse and he followed behind in his car to the hospital.

@Thepeopleversuswork I am also in South East London and we have the exact same experience. It probably is very dependent on where in the country you are. All these people who are indignant and saying that doing GP's a disservice obviously don't have the same problems in their area. For example a friend who lives in another area mentioned that she was going to call the GP and ask for a prescription for stronger painkillers today to help with shingles pain. I was absolutely floored that she thought this would even be possible. Apparently it is in her area though.

We thought about having a third child but decided against, and one of the main reasons was because I couldn’t face dealing with the NHS again.

I am not a Tory voter but I don’t think it’s just because of them, the NHS has been in a bad way for a long time.

I considered applying for a job at my local hospital recently (just admin, I’m not a medic) and my family and friends thought I’d gone mad. I decided against as it just seems like such a stressful place to work, the pay is not great, some patients are very rude and then you have people (like some of the posters on this thread) accusing the staff of being on the fiddle. I don’t blame nurses/doctors for leaving or preferring to work in private practice to be honest.

This with bells on.
If the nhs employed staff feel like this (and it's pretty clear most of them do) then we need to change this, whether it's working conditions, hours worked on a shift, calling out abusive people etc.

You can't get the care workers to look after those ready for discharge but not well enough to manage on their own. That is bunging up the whole hospital system.

Seems like all the staff are fed up, how can we make that better?

There's something very wrong with a place where people are leaving in droves and can't be replaced.

@londongals

I wonder what exactly your 'bro' the 'neurosurgeon' knows about the stress and anxiety levels of 'young' nurses?

Maybe he should go and do a shift in a ward so he can find out. I'm sure they'd be grateful for all his knowledge and expertise

Fucking sexist paternalistic bullshit.

I'm not remotely disagreeing that there is is a serious problem with the NHS - but just for balance, my surgery has continued to be very good throughout the pandemic and we are able to get appointments fairly swiftly. I am also having a small procedure done soon which is a repeat of the same procedure, which was inconclusive, so another was scheduled quickly. I even got a phone call to remind me of it yesterday.

I agree with you but I think the problem is, a lot of the jobs seem unappealing.

I applied to go back to uni a few years ago to train as an ODP. I also considered nursing and midwifery but all I heard from anyone who worked for the NHS was how crap the hours were, how bad the pay was and how rife bullying is. I sacked it off and went into accounts instead. The money is better and I don't have to work nights, weekends or holidays.

...I'm in Oxfordshire.

I come from a poor developing country. I am still going back in the summer to get surgery. Not comparable to the NHS because I am getting it privately and will be paying. But better than paying for private here and the care will be excellent, though no one believes me when I say that! The era of medical tourism is here. People will be flying to Asia to get care.

The NHS is in crisis at the minute, but the US system isn't any better.

What doesn't help is people going to A&E with chapped lips instead of buying a 99p chapstick from Sainsburys.

It’s nothing new in SE London - too many people. My dad got turned away from sidcup (no ambulances) in the late-80s with my sister haemorrhaging from her mouth in the back seat and told to “try” lewisham.

The nhs hasn't been failing for a long time and it's absolute nonsense to suggest it has

Your wrong Jeremy Hunt

@lonlondongals I'm sure you do.

I ‘m in SE London too and have had same experience as your friend. Same day GP either f2f or by phone.

The current problem with GP waits is that there aren’t enough GPs. They’re retire left or burnt out and working part time. 24/7 working is great but you need more doctors for that. To see a GP quicker you simply Ned more doctors.

the only way ti fix it is ti make it so people don’t want to leave for a better life abroad. Have more staff. Pay carers a better wage so peoooe can be discharged from hospital.

peope need to stop complaining in a practice with only 1 GP when it should have 10. As that one is the 1 who stayed and wants to help but complain at them it’s their fault and they’ll leave too

I am in SE London and I can't get my GP either ftof or on the phone. Maybe I should try to join another practice.