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?

Well we are the third net contributor and we get back nowhere near what we put in. We also raise our own income tax which is higher than rUKs

Third one. Where is it you come from?

I replied. Are you always this personal? should be fighting the ball not the man. The way you attack personally makes you look foolish.

You are deluded.

There is no reputable economist who would agree with you.

Scotland is a net taker, it is not a net contributor.

Please quote your sources.

Why don’t you google?

I don't need to Google, I know for a fact that Scotland receives more in UK tax revenue than they contribute to the UK.

It's DFGs deluded source I need to see.

I shall try to be more…objective, but I would also ask that you refrain from defending the NHS blindly - that does look foolish.

Your experience of the NHS is not shared by many. You may/may not have an axe to grind, but surely you can accept widespread dissatisfaction with the NHS, as well as acknowledging its significant shortcomings?

While we’re on the wonders of the Scottish NHS…

A husband and wife in my village, both with complex and chronic health problems shielded for over a year during the height of Covid restrictions. The husband was then admitted to hospital for minor surgery, and got Covid. The hospital were determined to discharge him back home with Covid. His wife was extremely distressed and advised that she couldn’t have him home because of her own health vulnerabilities. Over the course of 3 days she was continually pressured by at least 3 different health care professionals to have him at home. In one phone call they said to her that her husband “is sitting here crying because you say he can’t come home”. The hospital tried to send him home in a taxi but the taxi driver refused to take him because he could see how ill he was. On the fourth day they sent him home in an ambulance, frail and with Covid. Arrangements were made by the wife and friends to have him stay in a neighbour’s house which was empty as she was in hospital. He died within the week.

I wrote to the local MSP about this dreadful situation, and the reply I got was that the CE of the hospital had assured him that it was not policy to send patients home in such circumstances and that staff had acted in error. I do not believe it was an error. Several members of staff, from consultant to nursing level engaged in a sustained and ultimately successful attempt to discharge a frail, ill elderly man with Covid back to his home and his clinically vulnerable wife.

The wife was traumatised by the whole experience and by the total lack of any care in the days before her husband’s death.

Yet again, an example of poor practice, defensiveness and lying. Yet again, nothing to be proud of.

What?

Well obviously not all the admin but listening to two recent court cases ( Sandie Peggie and Darlington nurses ) involving the nhs it’s clear there are some admin jobs out there that are worthless.

Anyone who listened in to the cases will have come to that realisation very quickly

I contacted my GP last September to discuss a pelvic health problem. After referral for pelvic physio as a first point of treatment, with possible surgery at a later date, I have been given the first available telephone appointment at the end of April. I have no idea when I will actually get in person physio. Possibly not even this year. If that doesn't work when would I get surgery? I'm 57. Might as well not even bother at this rate.
This isn't a life-threatening condition so my situation isn't as bad as many people on waiting lists. In other countries I would have self-referred to a specialist and started treatment by now.
We need another system. Where are we going to get more money for the NHS, as well as the increased welfare and defence spending that are needed?

Scotland’s revenue roughly matches its population share — Scotland has about 8.2% of the UK population and generates about 8.0% of UK revenue. But it accounts for 9.1% of UK public spending , so spending per person is significantly higher than the UK average.

YouGov.

I couldn't say if it's far cheaper than most, no-one we've met with private insurance here goes on about the cost either way and they've lived in many countries. It's in Western Europe.

I couldn't tell you about underlying conditions. However we have never paid any excess for anything.

You can also book directly with whichever specialist you need, you don't have to go to a GP first and that's also really great. I've sorted a lot of smaller issues with my health that I couldn't get resolved in the UK as they weren't really terrible problems.

Plus you can choose your hospital and doctor.

Yes. More public spending here which is good particularly as, unlike WM, we can’t borrow to do it and we therefore have to balance our budget and not run up enormous debts like WM has and does 👍

Do you acknowledge that this unacceptable delay is the norm in most parts of Scotland meaning that people with MS are experiencing higher levels of disability than they would if they could be seen earlier?

No because I can’t speak for most parts of Scotland.

The NHS needs changing however we absolutely need to fight to keep it. I both work for the NHS and before last year I barely used it. However I now genuinely believe one of my children would not be here now without it and my other child is being given the opportunity to thrive because of it.
I am so completely aware of its flaws both professionally and personally but it is an amazing thing that needs fixing although I honestly don’t know how you would fix it.

So you can only speak to what you personally see and experience? You have no interest in the wider picture? The waiting list figures across Scotland are available to the public and make for extremely depressing reading.

Before starting a thread about how we should be proud of the NHS you might want to look around and consider the reality.

And for what it’s worth, it was my GP who suggested I go privately at the time they made that urgent referral, presumably because those who work in the NHS know that “urgent” is defined differently there.

Your stats are out of date. Your oil industry no longer skews the stats in Scotland’s favour.
It is now a net recipient of tax.
The rest of the UK pays you far more than it receives from you.

Looking forward to the next independence referendum. The irony is that if the rest of the UK got a say in it, the SNP would win the vote!

No problem. Won’t start a thread again 👍

The SNP wouldn’t be standing 🤔

Oooof @Seeingadistance that is heartbreaking about the couple with Covid and (yet again) diabolical on the part of the NHS.

I had a similar experience when a friend with breast cancer was admitted during Covid. Her treatment made her immunocompromised, but there were no side rooms. She had the temerity to cough while being clerked in and was promptly wheeled to an 8-bed Covid ward, without being tested. She rang me in tears, I rang DH (consultant and clinical director in another hospital) who called his opposite number and complained. Friend was promptly moved, but the only “apology” was “we didn’t realise you were friends with Dr. x”.

Absolute scum of the earth behaviour.

So there are only two now? I think we’re still third albeit not a net contributor anymore.

??? The SNP are pushing for independence.

Are you being deliberately weird and obtuse or are you just very young/lacking in knowledge and experience?