AIBU to think the NHS is bloody brilliant sometimes?

[BarbaraVineFan]

I crushed my finger on Tuesday in a silly accident. Popped a plaster on and hoped for the best, but by yesterday evening it bore a strong resemblance to ET’s finger so I thought I’d better get it checked out. Quick trip to the pharmacy, they advised 111. Called 111 this morning, got through almost straight away, was sent to urgent care.

Went to urgent care this morning and waited about an hour. While I was waiting a chap came round with a trolley giving out free tea, coffee and biscuits. Brilliant! Then i was seen by a lovely specialist nurse who checked for tendon and nerve damage and said i needed an X ray to check for fractures. Waited about 5 mins for the X ray, the radiographer sent the images back to the nurse and I was seen again within 5-10 mins to be told I had a fractured bone in my finger. She put a splint and dressing on and sent me on my way with another splint, some gauze and tape for when I need to change the dressing. At all times, everyone was kind, patient and explained everything to me, I didn’t feel rushed in any way and came out about 2 hours after I went in.

And ALL FOR FREE (I know, I know, it’s not really free, but still!). It just made me think how lucky I am not to live in eg the USA, where a minor injury like this would probably cost me thousands of dollars. Thank you, NHS!

A few weeks ago, out running, I fell very badly: 111 sent me to emergency care. 45 mins later I'd had an x-ray, knee glued, and tetanus jab. Amazing.

DS has T1 diabetes. First in the UK to get an artificial pancreas. Went from 50% in range to 99% overnight, and has had normal blood glucose for over a year. His monthly treatments and tech costs would be '0000s in the US. His long-term outlook is ... well, the same as someone without T1. It's genuinely life-changing.

My DM had a horrible accident in the spring, bleed on the brain, blinded in one eye. Was told she'd never see out of that eye again. Referred to a specialist eye hospital, she's just had the follow-up to an operation where she was told she'll recover full sight. Miracle.

My DF had incredible end of life care: proper pain relief, someone to sit with him at night to give my mum a break (he died at home), hospital bed and morphine driver delivered within 20 mins of request. He died peacefully, at home.

Yes, we've had shitty doctors and shitty experiences (mental health care is not good). Yes I've had to read up, advocate and sometimes push hard to get the care my loved ones needed. But honestly? On balance TF we have it.

Remember - in the US, insurers incentivise NOT paying out. They don't cover all your costs even when they do. And insurance is often tied to your job. Lose your job, lose your cover. For people like my DS with an ongoing, expensive condition, living somewhere like the US is unthinkable.

We should fight tooth and nail to preserve and protect - and improve where it needs it - a healthcare system that is genuinely there for us all.

Ive just finished 12 cycles of chemo which I worked out cost over £150,000 plus the pre meds, plus PPE. Ive had umpteen scans for numerous things and weekly blood tes
Now on a cocktail of drugs for the rest of my life at goodness knows what cost.
I see so many American cancer patients on Social media, I assume trying to monetise to help pay for treatment

The nurses in my chemo suite were lovely, tea lady had supply of ginger nuts and cake.
Dr's mostly very good. One I wasn't very happy with so I won't see him again.

I think a lot depends on the service you are accessing and the indiviual staff.
Apart from a few minor niggles Ive been very happy with my care. My friends old and frail MIL has been in the same hospital over the last few weeks and her care has been very poor.

The NHS does well on some metrics and poorly on others. Good for universal coverage at low cost (well if you ignore eyes, teeth and mental health); bad for cancer survival. Bad for asthma, diabetes, epilepsy - particularly total lack of any joined up care for children in school with those conditions, given that school nurses are rarely seen these days.

Unfortunately the issues and conditions my family have suffered from have all been ones on their "meh" list. I've probably spent about £15k out of pocket getting decent gynae and varicose vein treatment (not cosmetic - DVT risk) and on various things my daughter has needed. And DH waited so long for removal of skin cancer this year we had to pay for that too.

The NHS aren't interested in anything proactive to keep people well. It's a national ILLNESS service!

Our elderly parents have had good care though except for when they totally missed MIL's heart condition (which a private consultant spotted immediately).

Our GP is excellent but referrals almost always bounce back or take forever.

Personally I would really like a social insurance system or at least some kind of state backed health savings account. It's crazy that you either seem to wait for years or if you pay, they can see you almost instantly. A middle groud is needed!

Just home after spending the whole day in ED (expected) with my husband due to heart issues. Kept updated by the ED doctor who saw us throughout. Seen by cardiology specialist nurse. Had a treadmill stress-test, and it was satisfactory enough that his remaining three cardiac investigations will be as urgent out-patient. Then rung after we got home by the ED doctor who saw him earlier to ensure he knew of his follow-up. They were busy ALL day, and were polite, professional and great to all.

I will say though, my experience of primary care, both for myself and others, has been dangerous. Thank God for ED.

Yes it sounds it from what you describe
and it definitely wouldn’t have been “off label”

How are you now @Ted27 💪

Totally agree. I called 999 at the weekend when my son went into anaphylactic shock and stopped breathing - we had a first responder here in literally 2 minutes and an ambulance 90 seconds later. They stabilised him and rushed him to hospital where they were absolutely brilliant, we saw the allergy consultant the very next morning. Can't fault it

It’s bloody brilliant most of the time.

It's not. Ask the people who work there and have been pleaded for reform for years.

Ds has complex needs and has spent a lot
of time at various hospitals and NHS care and 90% of the time it has been good to absolutely amazing.

yes it’s very frustrating at times but on the whole for us thankfully it’s been great

so you are denying the multiple experiences just on this thread alone

My mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer 8 weeks or so ago and since then the NHS has been amazingly brilliant - even at 2 in the morning when she had to rush in to A&E following chemo complications. I can't imagine what it must be like to be in a county where you can't take these things for granted or have to worry about which of the prescribed drugs you can afford.

I’m very grateful to the NHS and very grateful to Aneurin Bevan. Anyone who doubts our good fortune should look on Instagram at Dr Glaucomflecken and at Aaron Laxton @ aaronthesocialworker

Yes
Sometimes

When you are very unwell it’s incredible.
Recently had a 1.5 week stay in hospital with DC, sent to A&E by the GP and we were seen and given a bed within 5 minutes. Scary but incredible.
The number of medications and medical devices DC now needs is insane, and having to fund them would be crippling.

The problem with the expectation of gratitude is it prevents discussion of how it could improve and it most definitely could improve. It is really dangerous to sanctify a tax payer funded public service.

I have had a serious illness recently and have had a catalogue of errors. Some have been very serious and have brought me to tears.

I saw a nurse last week for post operative care who was kind and empathetic. She just called me randomly to ask how I am getting on as I was in a lot of pain when I saw her. This meant a huge amount to me but sadly this type of care is rare these days

so you are denying the multiple experiences just on this thread alone

Not at all. But a few anecdotes don't provide the full picture.

It is more than a few. This thread alone is a few mins long. Loads and loads and LOADS of positive stories out there

YABU. The NHS is never bloody brilliant. It is never fit for purpose. It is always hopeless.

I find it a mixed bag, sometimes very good especially for emergencies or planned surgeries. GPs surgeries round here are not good and it is very difficult to get an appointment. Dd had an ultrasound referral for a very large growth which needs removing due to its location if nothing else. That was done very quickly, but then told to phone GP for results after a week. GP insisting on a phone appointment the earliest they could do was a months time. So that will all be delayed by at least a month.
Atrocious treatment of mil with stage 4 cancer, made to wait on a trolley in A and E for 48 hours before being admitted to a ward.

And there are a lot of negative stories. I've got several of my own

Absolutely

but that poster was denying it was brilliant for anyone

we are so very quick to criticise and complain

some are

I’ve had treatment for MS that is now running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.