norfolk dumpling Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 All the carp in the papers likening our A&E to a third world country beggars belief. We just use it too much. Over Xmas 25% of those in A&E should not have been there I read and this is born out by our own experiences: Father in law was told to go to A&E as GPs at their practise hadn't tuned up for work! He's 93 for Christ sake and only needed antibiotics for a nasty chest infection! My wife sorted that one - a GP did visit later that morning. Also fairly recently our disabled son noticed a lump in his groin - a call to 111 and we were sent to A&E. Bear in mind here he had been seen by his GPseveral times for other symptoms. The lump turned out to be a tumour which is now stage 3 melanoma and untreatable. Had GP done her job properly during the 3/4 years before tumour found we would not have had an A&E visit. There are our only visits (possible) to A&E in the past 15 years and completely avoidable so if you add in the fatties, the drunks, and the lonely who have little or no support when minor emergencies occur you have a system struggling to keep up with unnecessary dema. But of course we have a GE coming up so much hot air and rubbish reporting occur. The fault is, as I see it largely ours, and not the Government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Tis true enough that a lot of people use A&E for the wrong purpose, if a charge was made for wasting A&E time, and for self inflicted injures the CRISIS would be over in no time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) Up here, 60% of A & E traffic was alcohol related. It's a finite resource. We have used the NHS twice "in anger" for IVF (we paid) and the treatment of my mum ( lung & bowel cancer) and the service was excellent every time. Edited January 8, 2015 by keg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 People who complain about the NHS should go and spend a little while in other countries, where the health services either aren't readily available or affordable. It might be slow at times, but at least you know you will get seen and not face the worry of having to sell your house to pay your medical expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) The extra use is not surprising. Phone surgery out of hours and call is redirected to 111. Wife fell over with gallstones one evening. It was nearly £10 wasted on the mobile phone ringing 111, or whatever it was back then. Took her to emergency where initially they said 1 1/2 hour wait in the Saturday night queue. She was actually seen within ten minutes. There was, amongst the others waiting, at least two drink related and one scrapper. The lady with the complicated upper arm fracture was attended to but they could do little until the alcohol worked off. She had fallen off a trampoline while totally smashed. Mind you, idiots did keyhole surgery straight through a previous (very rushed) spleen-removal scar and caused 1) a near two week hospital stay after serious internal damage (needed 4 1/2 units of blood with keyhole surgery!) 2) discharged while I knew she should not have been (leakage reduced from 350 to less than 50ml overnight, so immediately discharged) 3) emergency re-admission, approx three weeks later, with complications from the obviously continuing internal leakage 4) a four week stay (in a side ward - a) different hospital which didn't want any infections from the previous, and b) given very special care and attention) where she underwent four further operations 5) allowed home one night with drain pipework still installed, but thankfully discharged before the next weekend without drainage pipes 6) a further three weeks, or more, recovery to anything sensible, healthwise. Should have sued the first hospital, but what good would that have done? Just less money for the NHS. It clearly had already cost literally thousands extra, for what should have been a little more than routine surgery. Ever grateful for the second consultant at Peterborough, but the first hospital (Shrewsbury) was, IMO, the pits. So not just A&E; unnecessary queues of self-inflicted and/or minor injury, cheap treatment options that turn out very expensive, etc. Very glad that Papworth did a lot better for me, when I needed them. A difficult and rough time, but they got me through and another story.... Edited January 8, 2015 by oliver90owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 A letter in one of the papers today(think it was the Mail) was from a chap who used to work in a hospital and when he retired there were 83senior managers for 100 head of medical staff and the top managers were paid 88% of a top surgeon's salary. When he asked the question five years ago, the ratio had moved to 287 senior managers for 100 head of medical staff and top managers were paid 237% of a top surgeon's salary. There needs to be some culling somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil82 Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 you may complain that too many use a&e instead of their gp`s, but when you eventually get through to reception, get told a nurse will call later in the day and then get told you have to wait 7-10 days to see your doctor what do you expect, train more bloody doctors to spread the load and figures might change, as for ambulances waiting outside hospitals most of that is due to targets set by the labour party,once a patient goes through the door the clock starts ticking so they keep them outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I wonder if part of the problem was the new contract that the previous Labour government "negotiated" with GP's - i.e. no out of hours, and no weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexikia Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Mostly political posturing by the health unions due to being an election year. Labour's only weapon is NHS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I did wonder if there was an element of that Lexikia, suits the unions to protest about the "cuts" despite DC saying he has ringfenced the NHS budget. Aris, my thoughts too, more money for less hours was the result- think we would all like that! If the chap in my earlier post is even half right then teh admin side of things seems way too overstaffed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I think the complaints appear to be orchestrated centrally by senior NHS wonks who have a political axe to grind. In the good old days of the last Labour government, money was thrown at the NHS like it was out of fashion. Clearly a bottomless pit of money didn't improve standards and in any case, the country's flat broke. PPP/PFI didn't work, central government funding doesn't work - perhaps pay for use is the only solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 People who complain about the NHS should go and spend a little while in other countries, where the health services either aren't readily available or affordable. It might be slow at times, but at least you know you will get seen and not face the worry of having to sell your house to pay your medical expenses. If you think waiting 6 hours on a spinal board following a RTA due to not one single ambulance being available in a town of + 100 thousand people is complaining please phone my wife and discuss it with her please,the NHS is shot its dying on its feet in my town the last 2 hospitals are now all but closed 1 fully and one just doing scans and orthopedics no A&E etc and the promised new hospital will not now go ahead as promised thanks to that scumbag lying toerag tory boy. KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I think Billy is right, but of course experiences of the NHS differ massively, and I think it's got a lot to do with where you live. I've got no complaints whatsoever with it personally, I've had my fair share of value for money from it, and so have my family, but I imagine that being on the wrong end of an experience like the one KW outlines above is ghastly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toontastic Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Recently the freeman hospital in Newcastle has been like a second Home and I have no complaints. The staff all provided excellent care everyone from the surgeon, the Macmillan staff and the ward nurses. But only 15 miles away at the wansbeck in Ashington my father couldn't get out of the place quick enough. 100 billion a year and it's still a lucky dip as to the level of care you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you care to look you will find these same problems in hospitals all over the first world - even in the US of A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexikia Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 How come there was no mention of immigrants using hospitals as local GP walk in centres. All that was mentioned was an increase in the ageing population. Not blaming any one for wanting medical attention but let all the known facts be known. No political party dare suggest immigration may be part of the problem, not even UKIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you think waiting 6 hours on a spinal board following a RTA due to not one single ambulance being available in a town of + 100 thousand people is complaining please phone my wife and discuss it with her please,the NHS is shot its dying on its feet in my town the last 2 hospitals are now all but closed 1 fully and one just doing scans and orthopedics no A&E etc and the promised new hospital will not now go ahead as promised thanks to that scumbag lying toerag tory boy. KW I've been in and out of hospital recently due to a fracture and I can honestly say that my experience has been fantastic. I'm sorry to hear she had to wait... Look on the bright side, at least you didn't have to pay for your hospital stay. A good film to watch, if you haven't seen it, is Sicko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted January 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I think the current round of protests are politically motivated and, as always, whipped into a frenzy by the Press but there are problems much of our 'own' making ie all the things already aired here: GP contracts, immigrants use of A&E, fatties etc etc. we have an opportunity soon to put it all right with a change of government!! Labour have all the answers, so we hear but it scares me to death after the cock-up they made of our country just a few short years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Can we afford the NHS? Can we afford to see it 'ring fenced'? Is it dragging down the nation both economically and politically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docholiday Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you think waiting 6 hours on a spinal board following a RTA due to not one single ambulance being available in a town of + 100 thousand people is complaining please phone my wife and discuss it with her please,the NHS is shot its dying on its feet in my town the last 2 hospitals are now all but closed 1 fully and one just doing scans and orthopedics no A&E etc and the promised new hospital will not now go ahead as promised thanks to that scumbag lying toerag tory boy. KW Couldn't agree more and until we change it to an insurance based system, where there is accountability, and get GP s to do there job we are stuffed and waisting money and I am a Doctor !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 The two hospitals I work at have been madly trying to shut beds for 3 years now and shed staff. Oops. Along comes winter 2015 as winter comes along every year . As for private care ? Think it is better ? Great for boob jobs and teeth but they ship their unprofitable sick ones to better equipped hospitals on a frequent basis . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 PFI under Gormless Gordon and B******ter Balls has left a huge financial mess as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Circle the private company has just bailed out on the nhs trust they tried to run for profit . Be careful what you wish for when you want to introduce health care as a business . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Couldn't agree more and until we change it to an insurance based system, where there is accountability, and get GP s to do there job we are stuffed and waisting money and I am a Doctor !! You think we are not accountable ? I put my job on the line with every single drug I give and signature in patient evaluation . Alot of pressure which would not be remedied by staffing on the cheap , medicating on the cheap and turning away complex risky and unprofitable patients . My exprience of private care is nice food , uniforms , single rooms but make do care for the old lad who infarcts , bleeds , renally fails , becomes septic , falls , becomes confused ... Private care wants the low risk high profit cases which is not your grandaddy or even you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 What do you do Vole ( if you don't mind me asking) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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