What’s the point in the NHS?

[younknow]

I fell over at work today. My ankle was immediately black and blue and swollen, so I hobbled off to urgent care in a taxi.

I waited for four hours, I was x-rayed and told there were no breaks and a severe sprain. The doctor told me I’ve likely torn ligaments in my ankle and will be sore for three months.

I asked what sort of follow up would be given and she all but laughed at me, saying that I could get myself a support on Amazon if I wanted. I said I couldn’t even weight bear and she said I could also pick up crutches if needed. She then said I could refer to physio but “ChatGPT would give me a plan”. I asked if I’d be scanned to find out how badly damaged it is and she said there was no chance.

What is the point? Genuinely, what are we paying for when even things like this are being directed to Amazon and A.I?! I can’t believe it.

I remember 15 years ago my mum tore ligaments in her ankle and she was scanned the same day it happened, put in a boot and on crutches for six weeks, had a course of physio and consultations with an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss a plan if it didn’t improve.

What’s going on?!

My husband suffered a perforated bowel and sepsis in July. The nhs performed life saving surgery for him. He’s led next to me right now when he very nearly wasn’t.

That’s the point of the NHS.

You paid to see a nurse for free. She would have been at least 50£ without the nhs lol

So the only care it can provide is emergency surgery?

I’m glad he had life saving surgery. But the NHS isn’t fit for purpose if it’s directing injured people to Amazon and A.I.

You’ve sprained your ankle?? It will be sore for 3 months. She’ll refer you for physio. What do you need?

NHS definitely has its faults, but I’m not sure what you want different.

At least for that £50 I might’ve received proper advice and help!

So the only care it can provide is emergency surgery?

Did you think this is what the poster was trying to say? I certainly didn't read it as that.

OP, it's ridiculous that you were directed to Chat GPT, but that's one employee.

There is quite a large difference between 'the NHS' and 'an NHS employee'.

The things we are paying for are numerous; I'm sure you don't actually want them listing in full - but some things we need to pay for ourselves.

Proper treatment - in other countries a sprain is treated seriously and taken seriously! If you’re suspected to have torn ligaments you get a scan and proper treatment, not told to walk out and go on Amazon if needed. Even 15 years ago it was different!

Well then pay it! No one is making you use the NHS.

you know what you’re asking for would have been £1000s and there’s nothing they can do for ligaments?!

Your mum was very lucky. I tore ligaments in my ankle about that same time, went to A&E, told soft tissue injury and advised to buy an ankle support and find private physio as wait would be too long on NHS.
About 5 years later I went over on the same ankle and it broke, was told at that time this was possibly caused by weak ligaments due to poor physio treatment after previous injury
The NHS has not failed in the last few years

Sometimes things go well, and I don't like the idea of someone being ill because they can't afford private. But what happens, in many cases, is people who are struggling to pay end up going private, because teh care on the NHS is so bad. I know of several people who really struggled to pay, but did so because they worried they might be dead otherwise. One was in such pain she was thinking of ending things, so her family paid for her op, But not everyone has family who would.
You should be able to get more help than that with your foot-some people still get what your mum did all that time ago.
I got better than you did earlier this year, for something similar. Still had to wait ages for care, but did get crutches!

If you honestly can’t see the point in the NHS then you are one lucky person in life.

Hey? A scan, a bandage and a pair of crutches would be £1000s?

Theres plenty that can be done for torn ligaments. This is another lie they’ve told us - that for some things we just have to put up with pain and long term consequences because “they can’t do anything”!

You obviously havent been to a physio privately. Usually £60 with a consultation (often more). The X ray would be somewhere between eighty and a hundred quid.
So we are at about £120 on a good day. Wait until there is no nhs, and these prices will go up so much more.

Yah it would be… have you seen the costs in the USA?!

It's just life or limb now (and often fails at that)

And the most expensive cancer treatments & surgeries if it fits with what the biggest ego consultant at the hospital is in to.

It's worth paying into private insurance even for modest cover for things like physio, GP appointments etc.

I'm on quite low pay (just above living wage) and get physio/musculoskeletal, mental health & up to 3 private GP appointments a year because employers recognize how poor the NHS has become & the cost it's having on the business through absence.

It just can't sustain the amount people are taking out compared with what they are putting in - either we are all going to have to seriously up the amount of tax we pay, spend on insurance or go without health care

Go private then

I agree with op. DH had a cracked femur, gps refused to X-ray and told him it muscle pain several times. He finally got them to refer him. Orthopaedic surgeon rang him first thing next day to tell him it had a crack on the side and it needed emergency surgery to insert a pin, told him not to put any weight on it as it may crack through meaning a bigger operation, and that they’d set it up for him to be admitted. A whopping 3 months later he finally got his emergency operation!

My uncle broke his hip 18 months ago and was left unable to move and in pain for 11 days with no treatment or care plan, his wounds got infected and he died of sepsis. Just because your husband got care doesn’t mean that the nhs is fit for purpose. By the grace of god your husband survived but many more perish every day due to disgraceful care. Factually hundreds of people every day die because of inadequacies in A&E. Open your eyes and be very grateful because you are one of the lucky ones.

I injured my shoulder in a fall this week. I live in a semi rural location and was directed to Minor Injuries in our nearest small town.
All staff were lovely, from receptionist to nurses to radiographer.
No wait at all, seen immediately by nurse.
They told me to go home and come back an hour and a half later due to x-ray staff being on lunch. Greeted me by name when I got back.
I am very fortunate that I haven't needed to use NHS for many years and was amazed after all the bad press/horror stories I've read by my excellent treatment.
No complaint here about NHS.

Unfortunately so many people don’t o deal with and they are concentrating on the real emergencies. I think if you or relatives where having a heart attack and they out someone before you with a broken or sprained ankle you wouldn’t be happy or if your child need attention you would want them to receive that before you.

it’s not ideal but we are lucky to have nhs

hope you heal well x

I have family in the USA and their medical bills are eye watering. Scans alone are thousands.

Similar scenario but x ray showed fractured metatarsal: boot given, crutches lent and follow-up appointment after 2 weeks. You’ve sprained your ankle. It would be irresponsible and wasteful to give you the stuff you seem to think you’re entitled to.

If the NHS hadn’t been wasting resources in this way 15 years ago, it might not be struggling so much now. It’s good that they’ve become more cost-conscious.

It's entirely possible that 15 years ago that course of action was entirely unnecessary because it did not produce better outcomes than self-referring for physio and purchasing an athletic support, so what you are actually experiencing is a streamlining, an improvement in cost-efficiency, and all the things NHS detractors frequently moan and whinge about actively being shown to be baseless.

But that wouldn't produce a good moan thread. 😐

Why compare with the USA rather than France or Spain who have perfectly good Affordable healthcare systems?

I've been treated in the USA with private medical insurance and the bills to go with it, and it was not very good. When they billed me they didn't even get right what I was in for so I got a bill for treatment I'd never had.

The idea that 'private' means 'no-one ever gets anything wrong and all illnesses are cured and the doctors are all like House instead of just demanding to know what prescription you've come in for' is utterly naive.