To think you don't quite realise how badly the NHS is suffering until you witness it first hand

[DaisyCat33]

My parents are sitting in A&E today. They've just hit 12 hours. My dad was sent there by his GP for severe neck pain this morning. He's had morphine and an MRI scan, but they're now endlessly waiting to see a Dr about results. He hasn't even got a bed to lay on, despite debilitating neck pain. Many people are standing or sitting on the floor.

The couple sitting next to them have been there since 3am, for difficultly breathing.

I'm shocked. Honestly I knew the NHS had it's issues, but this bad?! It's frightening. I also had an email the other day saying my NHS dentist is closing, and it's basically a "well sorry no dentist for you any more, bye bye"

I don't really know the point of this thread really, I just feel shocked and upset that this is how it is. And I think a lot of people don't even realise? My parents definitely didn't until today. They are losing the will to live sat in that hospital.

Does anyone else just feel utterly helpless and anxious about this?

I only meant that younger people who are tech savvy should offer to show the older generation how to log on to the system or help them to set up a phone etc
I didn't mean they would be asking them to part with medical information.
Also lots of elderly people do have carers and family members who are looking after their medical needs anyway - they can book an online appointment for them or show them how to do it themselves

I've got no idea how we've allowed the government to run it down to this point, yet somehow they have stayed in power.

It's got to be sorted.

Heaven knows where we'd be without the hospitals built with PFI. We have bed shortages now.

OP, go in person, say you think your daughter needs a referral for possible leukaemia and refuse to leave until someone sees you. They will see you. You may have to wait, and they will accuse you of aggressive behaviour, but they will see you.

My mum has something similar but much less worrying this week. She managed to spill coffee over herself and scalded her arm. Her local hospital has a drop in centre so she was able to see someone and get it dressed and they said she then needed to go to her GP for a nurse to dress it. Anyway she phoned and the receptionist said no appointments. My mum said the hospital had said it had to be dressed and it was the GP surgery's job, and so the receptionist had to find her something. Two hours later the receptionist phoned back with a slot. They can find the space if they try.

It seems in that area the hospitals have had a "conference" with the GPs to stop them sending everyone to A&E when they should be doing their bit.

You have to be assertive.

A revolution will happen soon if we don’t act.

The young - sick to death of paying exorbitant taxes for gold plated pensions and an ailing NHS and the dead weight of social care and a rising benefit system when they can’t even afford a place to sleep will create the biggest revolt.

There is a very fragile social contract at the heart of our country and it can easily be lost. Those sitting back demanding higher and higher taxes for our bloated ruinous public services have got the mother of all shocks coming down the track.

I so agree,the NHS was set up for emergency help,but on saying that GPs are not in anyway helping with what is happening now,can't get appointments,do not answer phones,no actual GP at surgery ,the list just gets longer,people are asked to go to a Pharmacy for help,most people have always done this as first port of call ,before going to a GP.

I think they need to stop giving free prescriptions to people just because they are 60+ for starters. It should be free ONLY to people who can't afford i

I agree 60 is a ridiculous age. It should be the state pension age at the very least. My DH gets free prescriptions now - we have six figures coming in between us (pre tax) and no mortgage, we don't need free prescriptions!

Our council tax went up 10% for the last two years. This year they're going up another 11% that's 31% in three years. Our social care bill in this area the biggest drain. They cut back education 5% last year. Wanted to cut it back another 10% this year. That's 15% in two years.

They're discussing reduced bin collections. They're four weekly now. They can't afford to run our paddling pools, care for our parks, fix our pot holes.

Our police want a 5% rise.

I'm sure we're not the only ones facing appalling cuts.

I do agree means testing carers home visits. Three of our neighbours very well off had carer visits up to four times daily. In two cases the children wouldn't agree to residential care for their elderly parent so they've inherited lovely homes.

I’m talking about emergencies that would result in death if not treated immediately.

Down to vile, greedy Tory voters that only think of themselves. Try to find a private hospital that will look after you if you are having a heart attack.

If you can't access the online service you can phone the surgery and a member of staff will fill it in for you. I usually do it on my lap top as my fingers seem to big for my smart phone.

Exactly - I didn't know exactly what poster meant by victim blaming in this context - who is the victim?

We need prper services funded by higher taxation. First in the queue are the wealthy that have the broadest shoulders

Running out of antibiotics isn't minor if the infection is coming back. My DH had a tooth abscess and he was given a 5 day course by the dentist.

It wasn't enough and he started to feel ill again. We were visiting my mum at the time and were able to go to her GP (on a Saturday! those were the days) for him to get some more. He felt better within 24 hours.

It's not an A&E job, but it will be if you can't see a GP and there is no minor injuries unit/drop in centre locally.

GP are seeing too many people who are coming to them with colds and minor things that in the past would have been nursed at home or treated with over the counter meds

I don't believe this - these sorts of cases have been triaged out by receptionists for years, even before covid.

Thank you for everything you do, my GP Practice was briliant,sadlly our GP retired,and to be honest I'm not even sure if my GP is the actual GP that owns the Practice as now there is another GP there with the odd Doctor who is thinking of going into GP Practice,so nightmare as there is no continuity or even a GP who knows their Patients.

But why can't people on good income use a private Gp

because they are hellishly expensive. Often well over £100 for an appointment.

If it were £20, I imagine lots of people would.

I have private health insurance with work and can access a private GP via an app, but it would be a video call and sometimes you just need someone to look at you. We do have a drop in centre locally now though, which will make a significant difference.

I think there was a fair bit of fiscal ineptitude during the pandemic.

So many are disappointed now.

Thank you! This made me cry

i think I just needed someone to listen. Thank you ♥️♥️. It’s the simple things

It is very scary, if my child was seriously unwell I would be unlikely to call an ambulance. Driving would almost always be faster at this stage of the NHS crisis.

I am a nurse and found someone (not whilst I was working) who was almost dead from a heroin overdose a few months ago. As it was imminently life threatening (he had almost completely stopped breathing) it was categorised for the most urgent response. Despite being in the centre of a major city it took 25mins for an ambulance to arrive.

Everyone gets free prescriptions in Wales. The problem is you can't have more expensive drugs because of this

Oh FGS
These issues have been going on for YEARS.
I marched in the late 80s as newly qualified .
Nursing and Midwifery has been shafted by who ever was in power.
It was a hot topic in the late 80s that 2020 s around 40% of the N&M workforce would retire -due to the massive recruitment that took place.
What was the plan ?
Yep nothing, it was ignored.
Huge issues with MRSA and Cdiff
People piling up in ED corridors on trolleys.
What the Tories have done is hideous but stop telling those of us who were bloody THERE that it was all rosy under Labour.
It wasn't

When I was a child, your local GP would come out and see you at any time of day or night for practically anything wrong with you. An ambulance would be at your door within minutes of calling.

Not a judgment (apart from the Tories) - just an observation.

I'm not paying into my pension any more. I have to work to 68 and they clearly would prefer us when we are older better dead than alive. We'll be lucky to make it that far.

It's just a complete lack of a respect of the gift of life. So sorry for all the people suffering.

Ah but if you were means tested for scheduled surgery and could afford it, that would free up hospital beds.

Mind you our private sector is creaking now with the number of patients spending their kids inheritance on private healthcare.

Conservative government throughout the 80s.