to think that nhs should offer the same level of service in ALL parts of the country

[Reallytired]

I think it stinks that the nhs is such a post code lottery. We all pay the same taxes and should get similar levels of service. The governant needs to pay a more realistic level of weighing so that people in more expensive parts of the country can have midwives, health visitors as well.

Our area has community nurses and nursery nures. Health visitors mainly do child protection work. In practice women with postnatal depession only have support from their GP.

We do not have a health visitor and many women in our town have to go to the hospital for postnatal checks. It makes me that women in other parts of the country are complaining about ante natal home visits from midwives and health visitors.

YAnbu but its not just about ricja reas- I know ruralareas for example here in Wales with reportedly non existent childrens Sns ervices because its down to per head of population and therefore there is no funding even in comparison to the twons /cities sucha s we live in

No HV for us either, last one signed us off at 3 mnnths, noyt even screening for ds4 despite 2 asd siblings meaning he is v v v high risk for asd.

All seems so wrong doesn't it?

Peachy, I think if you have any asd concerns then you are better with the community paediatrian. I think health visitors are fairly clueless when it comes to asd. Or at least the one I had with ds was.

In our area there are some mums who have never met the health visitor. It is crazy.

There is no development screening in our area. There is a nursery nurse who will answer developmental concerns. It seems sad as I imagine the community paediatrian time will be wasted with neurotic mums. There really needs to be something in the middle between the community paediatrian and a nursery nurse.

YANBU to complain about absence of services, but YABU to expect identical service levels across the country when the demographics and needs vary so much. How would it any fairer to insist all PCT's spend the same percentage of their budget on maternity services (to keep vaguely to topic) when birth rates per head of population vary so much across the country?

Its not a perfect system, but as I understand it the intention is to allow PCTs to prioritise spending in the areas where it is relevant for their catchment area - and that seems a pragmatic solution.

I agree RT but they're su;pposed to doascreen as part of the 18 month check- something discontinued here, the Paed assured us that we would get it anyway but no,apaprenlty not.

I know of areas in the UK where there is no system to dx autistic /aspergic adults even when they beg for help; places where cancer treatment menas going across national boundaries,or driving 50miles into a city centre,orreceving it in a specialist unit in teh county town....all dependant on what age you are.

It's the same with allservices though, SSd the lot- after years of being told they didn't need help my 'friend' (as in formerly known as...)might lose her kids this week after the wholeworld around her collapsed (she is not without blame, hence the former friend status).

I think its somewhat inevitable but the services is so busy papering the walls that the foundations have been left to rot iyswim- all about emergency intervention rather than prevention.

Iam bitter though becuase aswella s my friend my BIL has a liferisking condition becuase the NHS didn't see his symptoms asserious.

YANBU, I live in a fairly large town, yet our PCT has NO Neurologist, I have to travel by train, 60 miles away to see my Neuro in Romford at Queens, and I have to take my DD all the way to ruddy Addenbrookes in Cambridge to see her paeds Neuro. We only have a 3 monthly 'visiting' paeds cardiologist that comes from the Brompton, as I've found out, it doesn't matter how urgent the problem, they won't see you in between times. We have no enuresis clinic, it was a very limited service before, my DD went on the list at 4yo, she got to the top of the list at 11yo, then the PCT shut down the service 1 week before her 1st appointment, so she still hasn't been seen despite now being 11.10. GRRRRR!! YA sooo totally NBU!!!!