My job is pointless…

[orangetango5]

I work in the NHS. We often give patients a treatment block and then it’s 8-12ish weeks for a progress review. 8-10 weeks after that we can give them another treatment block if needed.

Yesterday, I saw a patient for a review. They said they had no issues with the treatment, however, he said the system and the sessions are “completely pointless”. He said that the waiting times make it a waste of time. He said there was progress, but only because he went privately and not because of us.
Essentially he said they’re waiting months for 4 sessions and then months again for a review.

I cried later that day. I put so much time and effort into my working week, to be told it’s pointless. And they’re not even wrong. I can’t help the waiting lists but it’s true, by the time they start making progress, the block is over and they’re on another waiting list.

I love my job at times but my god do I feel like it’s a waste of time now…

Upsetting, but likely quite accurate. I don't know how long the treatment block is, but waiting months to get maybe 4 weeks of physio/counselling/other service and then another 2-3 months to follow up whether or not its working only to wait yet another 2 or so months for further treatment if it has worked isn't really in anybody best interests. How much progress would you expect someone to make in those 6 months??

But it's not. I hear you, but I also come across people all the time who ring to cancel their initial assessment because by the time they got to the top of the queue, they got all better by themselves. Which is a win, in my books. I don't want people to be ill.
Some patients in our service are very angry and spend their entire appointment discussing government failings, service failings and demand to know why they don't get better and why we are giving them self-management advice instead of prescribing pills and therapies, and supplements and that one latest research they saw... and I feel despair when I have to explain for the 100th time that there is no approved treatment for their condition. But... for every one person like that, there are dozens of people who say we are their lifeline. They take time to write us complimentary emails, they join campaigns to get us continued funding and these are the stories I focus on to get me through the week. What we do matters. Not to everyone but to many.