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?!

There are good and bad experiences. When I injured ligaments I opted for private physio to speed things up. It was terrible. When I had a fracture I had NHS physio (7 yrs ago). It was good.

No need to be so rude and hostile.

My uncle developed skin cancer on his face after years working in rail construction in Australia. According to him before he died, because he couldn't afford the private investigations and tests, he couldn't get free treatment. He had to wait until his 65th birthday and pensioner card before he could get extensive excision surgery - which after years of untreated slow growing cancer meant they removed most of his nose, cheek and one ear. And it didn't work.

That may have changed now, but that doesn't sound particularly wonderful to me.

Of all the bonkers replies here this is probably the worst

OP has explained the treatment she got and the treatment. Her mum got 15 years ago.

If it’s this shit then what are we paying for? Can I have my tax back?

For every bad story you'll hear a few good stories. It's not perfect. It's underfunded and understaffed but we are also so lucky to have free healthcare. American's are paying thousands and those with medical issues such as cancer etc are in serious debt to receive life saving care, those with no health insurance are in trouble. Even to call an ambulance costs hundreds if not thousands of pounds. I know it needs much more investment and recruitment but I'm still v grateful to have it.

What’s going on? 14 years of Tory rule that can’t immediately be fixed by Labour - that’s what’s going on.

They stripped money away from the NHS and this is the result.

Every need to point out bullshit

Also TBF, I had a torn ligament on my knee. This was many years ago and nothing was really done about it except they drained fluid off my knee.

lol really. Some people expect everything to be done for them.
Some responsibility for yourself has to happen.

Please feel free to share any evidence to support why your opinion is any more valid than mine. In any case, the level of defensiveness and hostility without logical argument is suggesting there’s a bit of truth to the criticism.

Isn’t it you who’s always defending benefits? For everything? Pip, mobility cars, blah blah blah.

yes, responsibility for yourself has to happen.

No, and that is fuck all to do with this thread anyway.

It certainly isn’t fit for purpose. I’m glad it still exists, but I wish it was a lot more functional and able to provide better quality patient care.

I agree with you, OP. I tore the ligaments in my ankle some years ago now and had a plaster cast, crutches, and intensive physio. It was treated as a serious injury, and one doctor said that a fracture is often easier to deal with. I hope you make a quick recovery despite the poor care that you’ve received x

You might need your med changing

You don’t need a scan for a sprained ankle, it doesn’t change the treatment.

Immobilising it in a splint, boot or plaster and hopping around on crutches is not recommended these days. The treatment your mum had 15 years ago was because that was erroneously thought to be right at the time.

Have I gone mad?
Has everyone lost the ability to read?
The OP has torn ligaments.

I'm sorry but I don't really care about your opinions

Cost as a barrier to care is far higher in Australia, and the outcomes for indigenous, essentially the poorest, people is far worse.

Also Aus spends far more per capita, so you're not comparing like with like

Are you my psychiatrist?
No. Fucking rude.
And also off topic for this thread, but you clearly wanted to stick the boot in anyway.
Go right ahead.
The NHS saved my life, but it also got me to take some responsibility for my own health too. Nowadays it is not there to hold your hand, but more watch you from afar.
You misconstrued my point but that is out my control.

This. It's £100+ just for a consultation at private walk in here.

So why are you being so rude to the OP?

She has torn ligaments, she would like some actual treatment
Why is that too much to ask? And why did you have to be rude to her?

Did they put something in the water tonight? Yeah, it’s not just you, but yours was the rudest nastiest post. Does she have to do her own ligament surgery now if she needs it?

As a family, we have been incredibly well served by the NHS - within my very immediate family my DM has had 2 hip replacements, I have had an EMCS under general anaesthetic with my baby being incredibly poorly and transferred to a specialist hospital - and me too post major surgery to be with her until she died. I then had a subsequent pregnancy which was very highly monitored- the care I received at all points was second to none.
my DC has had her tonsils out due to years of recurring infections; I had a nasty ankle break and had to spend a week in hospital with surgery, pins & plates - and then a revision surgery after as I had gone over on my ankle in the ice & the pin broke. Physio after both ankle injuries, physio during both pregnancies due to PGP, counselling after the death of my baby.
i don’t often have to visit the gp, but my goodness me - the NHS have really looked after me in the last 15 years.
if I was living within an American style system I would be flat broke now with no hope of paying off these medical bills.
our NHS has its faults but my word, we would be really screwed without it unless we were rich.

Statistically, the UK lags behind many other industrialised nations when it comes to healthcare outcomes. It's tiring that only the USA gets used as a comparison. As for cost, yes you may have to pay a small amount in some countries, but it's hardly the US. In Canada doctor and hospital treatment is free. You also can't pay to go private if it's a covered service. By the way, US, Canada, Australia all struggle with remote and Indigenous health care despite very different systems. It's extremely complicated and isn't just due to health policy but overall policy towards indigenous communities.

We can sing the praises of the NHS as much as we want, however it is a broken system with far too much demand and throwing lots of money at it won’t fix it. It requires radical systems/programme/process change which the public sector doesn’t have the skills nor capacity to do. It’s like trying to turn the titanic around on a pin, impossible. We think we’re amazing but I have had better healthcare in Thailand, my Romanian born cleaner went back to Romania for cancer treatment & my friends mother who is an ex pat in Spain said her cancer treatment has been way better than what she got in the uk. If you can afford it, pay for private. The msg is not the pinnacle of healthcare we should be holding up as this great example of how it should be done,