Why are hospitals in the UK so horrible when everyone will end up in one at some point?

[Pavementworrier]

Dehumanising conditions that wouldn't be allowed in prisons are fine for the sick and I don't understand why. We live in a democracy so you'd think there would be pressure to make them better as a priority. Is it because everyone prefers to live in denial until it's their turn?

I hope I manage to live the rest of my life without going to one and just drop down dead one day but this is statistically unlikely.

My son was in hospital last year and it wasn't perfect but it was overall a good experience. I wouldn't have expected him to have his own room, especially as side rooms were for those who had infections etc so it wouldn't spread around the ward.

I really can't complain after our experience.

Hospitals where I live are generally fine, so are GP services. A&E can be problematic at times, but not all the time.

Tosh

the fact is the NHS is so bloated and under performing has money thrown at it and continues to ask for more

whats needed, and what no government will do, is a drains up exercise to look at how it can be improved, the waste is horrendous, take something as simple as crutches, they hand then out, but won’t take them back for re use, why not? It’s just a case of sterilisation and of we go

take test results, I had a mole removed, instead of just sending me a letter as they do with mammograms or bowel screening, and despite me saying I would be happy to get a letter I get called in to literally sit down, told it’s ok and off you go, literally 2 minutes. That clinic could have been used to see people on a waiting list

Why is there so much paper? You see the dentist it’s all on line, should be the same in hospitals, how much money is wasted in paper?

then let’s look at management, why so many? Why so many diversity officers? Remove and invest in nurses and doctors

procurement should be centralised, why so many care trusts!

There is bucket loads that could be done but no one will do it

edited to add I remember the shit show that was Labour when they were in before, they broke the country

When I was in hospital this summer the hospital was lovely. It was modern, clean and comfortable. The nurses were brilliant and helped me out a lot. They were all incredible.

I’ve spent a lot of time in hospital this past year (cancer) and the care has been phenomenal.

The facilities are tired, yes. But I’ve also spent 30 years in a country with privatised healthcare (no NHS) and I wouldn’t say facilities are massively different. Yes, some places do have posh private rooms you can buy into. But when my parent and grandparents were ill, in more high dependency care (not like Lindo Ward style maternity), you wouldn’t have known it wasn’t an NHS hospital.

But the answer why they aren’t nicer is that (a) it doesn’t necessarily improve outcomes to make it fancier and (b) as you can see by all the moaning about the budget, people don’t like paying taxes, even when they could properly fund public services that they want to use.

Vote for a socialist party then.

you can give crutches back. They don’t even need to be sterilised

What an ill informed and ill educated post.

My local hospital takes back crutches and other walking aids, sterilises and reuses.

Paper? Most trusts are now running paper-lite systems that minimise paper. Letters sent to GPs electronically. Appointment letters to patients via mobile phone. etc

Management and admin ensure that the clinical staff can actually spend time with patients. Other healthcare systems of similar sizes have larger numbers of management and are more efficient because of it

Diversity? Are you aware that health outcomes for people of colour are worse that those who aren't? Look at the stats for black women in maternity units. The diversity officers are trying to improve these types of health outcomes.

Of course it's not perfect, but it's far better than your poorly informed rant suggests.

"Labour broke the country", my arse did they. Brexit and the Tories broke it. Look at the stuff they sold off to their mates, the Royal Mint, Royal Mail, they even tried to privatise the probation service.

Rich people are paying Scandinavian levels of tax and getting third world levels of care. Poor people are just dying whilst on waiting lists but not paying enough.

I worked in the NHS during the last labour government. It was infinitely better than now. Targets were largely met and waiting lists were down . It was all threadbare and shabby but the basics were good.

It's very much a postcode lottery though. If you are lucky enough to have your cardiac / cancer / paediatric care in a leading hospital you have no idea what it's like in a district general. The best doctors want to work at GOS or The Christie not Grimsby or Blackburn. Investment goes to those shiny hospitals not the backwaters.

I agree that money could be saved though. Not from the obvious "management" but from all the sideways hangers on. I volunteer for a cancer group. There are countless highly paid ( band 8+) NHS staff who have little impact or influence on actual patient care.