Surgeons resign from Barts and the London

[Alargeglassofred]

Not sure how to link... Disturbing news piece on BBC news regarding mass resignation from the above trust due to poor standards of care and equipment not available etc etc, a new Stafford???

See, my own theory is that patients have been rendered helpless. There's a huge amount we can all do to protect our own health, and to recover from illness.

But it does mean using means which are not evidence-based; like yoga, meditation, stuff like that. I think people have turned away from all that, and so have no other place to go but a hospital or doctor's surgery when their health breaks down. Then they get frustrated when the medics can't fix them.

Yes, there is certainly something in that and the idea that we can 'cure all'.

I suppose I mean expectations around service, waiting for staff, environment etc.

But I think at the heart of that is the idea: "You should be able to cure me!"

Well, no. Often it can't be done.

The frustration about waiting etc is just an expression of that.

I don't know. I work in area where people have long term diseases/end of life care. Patients and relatives are on the whole accepting of their situations, providing someone has the skills to explain things etc.

But, take nutrition as an example. No patient should have to wait to be fed, or for it to be rushed. But what do you honestly do when 80% of a ward need help and there are 5 nurses on duty. Also considering that during meal times other 'stuff' still goes on.

See, that's where being at home for end of life care is good. Assuming you have someone who'll feed you.

"See, my own theory is that patients have been rendered helpless"

Well, in the cases over which these doctors have resigned, yes. The accident rendered them helpless. They are in trauma care, and need extensive reconstructive orthopaedic and plastic surgery. When you need two or three operations in the immediate aftermath of the accident, and are already an inpatient, it's not reasonable to wait 6 days (being starved each day).

My guess is that they've recently had a serious near miss in this department.

DazzleII, do you think yoga will stitch an open wound? Or should patients take charge of their own operations? These surgeons are resigning because of problems in trauma care, patients who have been in serious accidents, not patients who suffer from stress headaches or need to eat less fat.

In the olden days, the self help resources for serious injuries amounted to handbooks in how to provide an edifying death bed. These days, with proper care, a patient might not to die at all.

"With proper care" is the operative phrase, though, isn't it, Cory? Where's a patient going to get that?