The NHS. We need to fight to keep it.

[Differentforgirls]

My Mil is 87. Last year (around September) she was bleeding from her vagina and went to her GP.

The GP referred her to hospital for tests, which she got quickly.

It was cancerous polyps in her womb so she got further tests to ensure they hadn’t spread and was referred for surgery.

Tonight she has been discharged from hospital after numerous tests over the intervening months and a surgery yesterday (keyhole).

She’ll get follow up treatment too.

All NHS, where she has been treated with dignity, respect and kindness.

It might not be what it was due to cuts but it’s still something we should be proud of.

She’ll celebrate her 88th birthday next month, as an OAP in social housing with nothing but her pension, because of the NHS.

AIBU for thinking the NHS is something to be proud of and fight to keep?

Can’t even remember what you said now as it’s been deleted.

Did you mean extrapolate? Isn't that exactly what you did with your first post if so?

Ah well. One of my DC will be hearing the outcome of their case from the health ombudsman this week, regarding the desperate care they received at the hands of the NHS.

No, I meant what I typed.

Er ok

Yes, thank you for asking @Differentforgirls, although I'm still on steroids. I was put on high dose of prednisolone, and then it was reduced bit by bit. When it went down to 1mg, the pain in my temple came back, so it was increased a bit and is now being reduced more gradually.

I've put on 2 stone though, the steroids seem to make me perpetually ravenous. When I finally get off them, I may have to resort to Wegovy or something!

I am grateful for the NHS for many reasons. I do observe that much of it has already been privatised by stealth and services contracted out (eg estates, laundry, catering, cleaning, security many diagnostic services, payroll/pensions admin) there is not much of it left.

I'm glad your mother had a good experience but that really isn't the same for all. A relative in her 50s waited over five months for breast cancer lump removal, completely chaotic, conflicting advice, no appointments available. Five months could be the difference between it spreading or not. Could go on about others who have died.

@Lifelover16Thats untrue. They are contracted out. The last time I looked the doctors and nurses are employed by the NHS! Most services that are patient facing are nhs!

Steroids do that 😊. Glad you’re feeling better x

Sorry to hear that. It was my MIL btw.

Most of the posts are criticising the NHS yet the voting shows something different

It's abused because it's 'FREE' which doesn't help, people going for free paracetamol, blocked nose you wouldn't do that if you were in Australia and had to pay €80

GP practices are mostly private businesses with the doctors and nurses employed by the practice, not directly by the NHS. Likewise for dental surgeries/dentists, opticians, pharmacies, etc. It's really only the medical staff actually in hospitals that are mostly employed directly by the NHS but even then lots of the locums/temps etc are employed via agencies or their own limited companies (though less now due to IR35), so again, not directly employed by the NHS. Lots of mobile MRI scanners/X-ray units are also rented in from private companies, so again, the radiologists etc aren't directly employed by the NHS.

You wouldn't do it where I live.

The bus fare to the surgery is £1.70 each way, and you can buy paracetamol in the corner shop!

@taxguru You can split hairs but GPs are monopoly services contracted out by the NHS. They are not business going out looking for work and staff are paid on nationally agreed rates. Basically they are the NHS and we pay for them via taxation. Businesses, in terms of finding clients and getting paid by the clients is clearly not what they are. Run on “business” lines is far removed from running a business!

So what would people do if they needed painkillers and had zero money to buy them?

Also, what’s the €80 for?

60%! 😊

Poorer people aren't treated equally in the UK!! We have a much wider difference in outcomes by income than in Europe. Anyone who can afford it skips the year plus long waits by going private, those who can't just have to suffer. The only place it's equally awful for everyone is A&E!

I am really please you have had good treatment.
I have not. I have ended up having to pay for private consultations and private gp appointments which I am lucky to be able to do, but resulting in years and pain before diagnosis.
Some horrific experiences with relations- my 90 year old father being left in pee and hungry because he could not reach a bottle or his food. The being told they had put a DNR on him without discussing it with anyone. My mother being misdiagnosed with a stroke when she had a brain tumour. Spending 6 hours waiting for a corridor trolley with my dad in an ambulance. My FIL contracting MRSA in hospital and dying. My father contracting Covid in hospital and dying.
6 weeks to get a telephone gp appointment
Feel free to fight for your image of the NHS
I will feel free to fight against mine

A GP appointment. That's what aGP appointment costs in Ireland if you aren't on benefits, A&E visit similar.

TBH the insurance healthcare systems in western Europe and Scandinavia seem far better than our NHS, and cost less.

Why not go for that option and really look after patients?

The pp mentioned Australia?

The NHS model doesn’t work with our ageing population

Yes Australia is the same as are many countries. I find people are often shocked when they find out that our close neighbours the Irish pay for a GP or an A&E visit.,

Per capita, the following countries all spend more than the UK on healthcare (2024 data): USA, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, France, Canada, Denmark and Iceland.

Were you thinking of Finland? It does spend less than us, but I've no idea how good their healthcare is. Some of the countries in Southern and Eastern Europe also spend less per person than the UK, as do Japan and New Zealand.