AIBU to be frustrated by NHS delays and inefficiency?

[LovingLilacDuck]

I think the NHS is so incredibly inefficient sometimes, I mean the system not the care. From getting an appointment in a GP to referrals to actual appointments literally take months sometimes. WHY?

Why do we have to keep up with this? Surely a proper healthcare system that works as it should must be a priority? It’s 2026, goodness sake!

Some can afford private healthcare and some can’t. Yes, NHS is free for all but is it ACCESSIBLE, I’m not sure. Therefore I think this rubbish situation where you have to be on a waiting list ??? for months must, must be sorted.

AIBU to be so frustrated?

@JenniferBoothim sure it’s longer, I just can’t remember

Happened to me, I survived obviously but I was lucky to.

The procurement system is ridiculous, I was asked if I mind bringing my own paracetamol (I didn’t) because it’s so expensive for the NHS to buy it.

Because the NHS cannot cope with the amount of patients it needs to see.

for example I work for a certain speciality where we have 3 consultants who are specialised in this particular area and we have around 150 new referrals a week into the service. Where do you think they have the time to see them? Working full time consists of maybe 2-3 clinics a week that covers new and return appointments then you have them on call, on wards and then in theatre plus they need time off.

The NHS has been abused beyond belief.

I was referred for a colonoscopy in January. I had it in February. I can’t really see how much more efficient it could have been. Added to which the initial non urgent GP appointment was two days after I requested it.

Entirely up to you if you believe it or not but it happened. Would have been late 80s as I’d just left school. It was for a procurement company that worked on behalf of the NHS. We were told not to use our initiative and buy cheaper, it had to be the exact item specified by the requestor no matter what the cost.

@ThisisnotmyidBut the population is bigger, older & sicker so of course there is more demand. Not sure why that equals abuse.

That’s 40 years ago!!!

I think if everyone had that experience no one would be complaining….

In which case it’s unreasonable to dismiss the entire NHS as inefficient as it clearly isn’t.

I can't understand it. Conservative was voted in for about 2 decades ? And I noticed Corbyn in 2020 saying if you vote for this again the national health service will be destroyed

Im willing to bet that there was a diff medication they could have given her that wouldnt have had the same side effect but was more expensive
The MN doctors always come out of the box on these threads. They have no medical training, don't know the patient, have little information, but they can diagnosed and decide on best treatment better than NHS doctors. I'm amazed they haven't started their own medical practice after all this time!

But the population is bigger, older & sicker so of course there is more demand. Not sure why that equals abuse
This is the irony! People every year becoming sicker for longer, costing the NHS a bit more each year

The main culprit? Long term conditions mainly causes by poor lifestyle choices.

If you want an efficient NHS, how about starting by adopting a,better lifestyle whilst still young? That's the best way, probably the only way, the NHS can recover in 10 plus years time.

You can’t compare costs in India to the UK. Everything is insanely cheap there because the average wage is about 8% of ours. I’m sure we could all get a 5* experience if the NHS only paid their staff less than £300 a month in wages.

It doesn't help that emergency admissions and pre-planned admissions are often at the same hospital. So 2 routes of entry are trying to funnel into 1 set of beds.
This is why I went private for surgery. My room was booked for me and was ready to use on my arrival at the reception desk . No waiting for an available bed.

I don’t know what the answer is
gynae appointments here are approx 18 months and endometriosis patients are being left screaming in pain on morphine because they don’t have the consultants to see them or enough to operate fairly quickly
I was originally referred to Spire who saw my MRI and wouldn’t operate so back to the BGSE NHS list
gynae here is a shit show but I don’t blame the staff, they were amazing

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2634487-To-be-fed-up-with-Gp-and-Consultant-re-weight-loss-and-operation

@Waryandwearyfactorten
I too was surprised recently when I got a surgery slot sent through for a Friday afternoon with at least a one night stay needed afterwards. The hospital was just as busy the next morning (Saturday) with patients checking in and staff bustling around.

There must be so much more capacity in a 7 day service! I suppose staffing it may be difficult though.

I thought the NHS was great until I had a daughter born with a medical condition then I realised how completely broken it is.

Pre-Covid, when she had lots of operations, it was actually okay. Post-Covid we've experienced nothing but long waiting lists, endless cancellations, I can never get hold of anyone and we get passed from pillar to post. I ended up having to pay for some private treatment for her just out of desperation. She's a young child, it's insane. I do think that each hospital and area is different though. I know families who have children with the same condition but they live closer to one of the bigger children's hospitals and they've had better experiences.

I am not surprised at all. A private healthcare business is exactly that, a business. That is its downsides in that patients might be upsold things, but there will also be a stronger focus on efficiency. How is that surprising? It is like moving from the public sector to the private sector to work. Totally different standards as the private sector is after profits and shareholder returns.

Are you a doctor specialised in obesity?

Who did that? The OP says sometimes….

Are you?

I didn’t mention use. I’m talking about the amount of money going in, and the service it’s prividung for all of us. It’s not good enough.

I am on a waiting list for an appointment for a neurology referral average time is 15 months for the clinic I’m referred to.