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?

Wel, you are unlikely to be in NHS Grampian I think. I just had private eye surgery - NHS waiting is 4+ years. I would have been blind. Friend is waiting for replacement hip - 18 months before initial appointment. This is a work8ng, tax paying member of society.

Glad your MIL got taken care of. That’s vanishingly rare ime.

My MIL would have probably got worse and died as she hasn’t the money to contribute.

Many years ago my FIL had a blocked artery in his leg (he was diabetic type 1) and rather than wait, they went private.

Ended up with their electricity and phone cut off and my husband had to leave school and get a job to get it back on.

FIL had his own business which went down the tubes during his recovery.

My youngest son is also DT1 and the NHS saved his life on many occasions when he was a teenager.

Is it perfect - no.

But it’s something I think we should keep.

Thanks for trying to make me feel bad. It didn’t work 👍

It’s lovely to hear your mil was well looked after.
Unfortunately our local hospital is a terrible place for elderly patients. I didn’t feel that my lovely Mum was safe there at all. I actually couldn’t believe the lack of care for older patients. People with dementia are neglected in hospital, and we need to shout this from the rooftops. Many staff members are disrespectful and cruel to them.

I don’t feel proud of the NHS. I don’t believe it is fit for purpose anymore, The wait times are unsafe. The whole system is crumbling. 4 out of 5 members of my household are on long waiting lists for assessments/procedures that would be life changing.

I’m scared for the future.

Absolutely not-our health system needs total reform. Our outcomes are worse than other developed countries. Our waiting lists are longer. My husband has been waiting 18 months to see a consultant. It needs to be a copay system as in other European countries and where you don’t have to go through the gatekeeper of a gp for everything. And in other countries-poorer people don’t die-they get looked after. Not every system has to be like the USA.

Can I just say that my dad had dementia too. It’s awful eh? But he was treated well except for one instance. Which I complained about.

When he passed away, his nurses came to his funeral.

Which country?

Personally I feel the way it is, some of the non essential services are going to have to go.

What are those then? Therein lies the problem.

The NHS is only free at the point of of use. We do pay for it.

Percentage through wages is all well and good but then retirees, children, people on UC who are not also working, students, those on maternity leave and so on will not contribute and then it's just income tax which we already have.

The NHS can still be amazing, but it can also be dreadful.

The French system seems a lot better to me. They get test results almost immediately and have an amazing program where they can book specialist appointments directly. There is an insurance system, through work, but it is a very small sum compared to medical insurance in the U.S or even U.K. And you still get full treatment if not in work etc.

It’s a tough one, but it needs an open and honest conversation.

It doesn't really matter, the plan to dismantle the NHS has been happening slowly but surely for the last decade op.
I am glad your MIL recieved good treatment.

There’s nothing about the medical care that your MIL received that is specific to the NHS. The only NHS specific aspect of it is that she didn’t pay for it out of her own pocket at the point of use.

is that the point you are making? it’s not clear.

we’re in France and healthcare here is pretty excellent. You should probably read up on European models. I’m from Scotland too, and healthcare here in France is light years ahead.

France for example has a subsidised co-pay system where care is subsidised by the state and topped up by the individual normally using insurance. Low income people are paid for. You can go direct to a specialist. Germany has mandatory health insurance. Australia has free hospital care and subsidised other services run by private providers.

I agree with this.

I am fortunate enough to get access to some private healthcare through work. It is a million miles better than the NHS. The test results are almost instant. The service is much better, efficient, friendly. People who work there are happier.

I’m sorry to hear of your experience while suffering with cancer , but have a relative who also has cancer and could of written you post word for word.
As someone in pp has stated it depends what your experience of the NHS but it really does need to a fundamental change and without this no amount of money will fix the problems and I speak as some who has worked for the NHS and have a SIL who works for it now.

My mother had a stroke and was kept in a bed on a corridor in a queue with around 10 actively stroking elderly people for about 5 hours.

The NHS needs fixing, but no one can agree how to do it, so right now I’m not sure it’s fixable.

The NHS needs a thorough review of its working practices, in particular how much of its vast income goes directly on patient care and how much goes on 'box-ticking' projects for example.

Quite honestly I think we need a change now. The NHS isn’t fit for purpose, and no one wants to pay more tax. We either have a choice of long wait times on the NHS or an expensive private system. We should move to a contributory system like many european countries.

Presumably, the old and those on benefits would get free NHS treatment and those in employment would pay for insurance.

I also have cancer ( for the 4th time over 16 years). My experiences have been mixed. They range from:

A botched breast reconstruction.

Poor communication between hospital departments.

A mis diagnoses of a mass ( “fibroid” was in fact an aggressive rare cancer).

Being treated quickly after “ fibroid” looked suspicious months later.

Good a&e treatment, when sepsis was on the cards.

Good hysterectomy aftercare.

A new mass which was unreported and had grown significantly by the time I was told about it.

No continuity with oncologists for current cancer.

Yep, a real mixed bag of treatment.
Still very grateful to the NHS, as my life is ultimately in their hands.

Everyone I know is now having to go private as can’t get treated on the NHS

so not sure what I’m saving or why

No the Uk should have an insurance based system like the rest of Europe/world.
Ive experienced the NHS and an insurance based system. The NHS is seriously inferior.
I was at a major UK hospital last week with my mother was was quite horrified by what I saw:
Homeless people using the entry area with seats for people waiting for taxis as a bedroom.
Filthy toilets.
My mother waiting 1 hour for her treatment to start - despite arriving well before time. She was not allowed to have a family member wait with her as it was not permitted.
Having to wait in a corridor for 45 minutes to collect her - despite arriving on time. Then the nurse was mis informed as to where I was - so basic communication protocol clearly not followed.
I really don’t think most people in the Uk understand how much better health care could be.
DMum diagnosed with a cancer start of January and operation is not until end of February. .
Don’t even get me started on my DSis experience when she had a major back operation. Completely unacceptable.

The majority of NHS staff are lovely, dedicated and hard working. But that doesn’t mean inefficiencies, lack of organization and a massive lack of money or resources are not a huge issue. Because they are.

If any of my friends are thinking of having kids, i suggest to them to put some money aside for private healthcare for them.

Conversely my local hospital were so incompetent that both my grandmothers suffered awful deaths at their hands. They also very nearly killed my mum. I’m not overly keen on keeping it to be honest and absolutely dread the day I need to rely on the NHS for any ‘care’.