To worry that seriously ill people who DON'T have coronavirus are no longer a priority

[Dongdingdong]

I've been reading another thread on Mumsnet this morning that included posts about someone who had a mastectomy cancelled on the same day they were due to have it, a doctor whose cancer ops have all been postponed and an A&E shut to everyone except coronavirus patients. My own GP surgery is also closed - I have no idea how elderly people or others with illnesses are getting treated.

I worry that we seem to be forgetting there are numerous other people with serious illnesses in addition to those with coronavirus, some of whom have a lower chance of survival than those with the virus. It seems that the virus has taken priority over everything else and other patients are falling by the wayside.

The ideal solution would be to have more hospitals solely dedicated to coronavirus patients with other hospitals continuing as normal, but no doubt that isn't feasible. Testing NHS staff would also make a big difference to increase capacity - although there are still only a finite number of beds.

Beyond that I don't know what the answer is really - just that it's worrying me.

I have also been wondering this
I am also worried about how many illnesses will be assumed to be CV and therefore treatment will be missed.

My nan had heart failure last year. It was thought to be pneumonia, based on initial assessment and she was given antibiotics. It turned out she didn't have pneumonia at all, I am just assuming it's an easy mistake to make?

So in even 'normal' circumstances, vital treatment can be missed.

She is currently on medication, but when it happened she was really struggling to breath and couldn't stop coughing, but the coughs were due to gasping for breath if that makes sense. I am really worried that if she had another attack now, or even in the future, it will be 'written off' as CV.

This is just one drop in the ocean. I don't know what the answer is. We can all stay in for the foreseeable, but I really don't know how this will make a difference to other serious illnesses, as CV will be at the front of everyone's mind for a long time.

The best plan is to have dedicated COVID hospitals, the reality is that almost everything non-COPVID will be cancelled, delayed, furloughed.

My toddlers heart scan has been cancelled. She's not poorly so were happy to avoid a hospital appointment for now but does scare me that these things are being delayed.

The NHS is reforming itself into hot and cold access streams but this takes time. So any Covid 19 patients will be seen seperately and all other health issues will be seen and dealt with.
At the moment the NHS is under unprecedented strain but there is a vision to continue to meet all health needs whilst dealing with the immediate impact of Covid 19.