NHS

[Bigbob]

Just shy of a year ago i took a tumble and landed on my left knee now im a big guy firstly it hurt like hell and then blew up like a football , i ended up at work with my trousers round my ankles and various ice packs on it all night , the next day i got it x-rayed and it was okay as they where really worried i had split my knee cap then doctor sent me for physo who i thought was to access it and see if i was getting a MIR Scan , He settled it was ligament damage and gave me exercises which made it worse then he asked if i would use a crutch to take the weight off it and rest it while i agreed my work stated it was unprofessional for me to use crutches so the doctors line i had for two months stating i had to use them to aid my mobility ment my work had signed me off for two months . i was back at doctor at work for the second time and he said he was going to write to my boss and Hr to see what duties i could do on crutches after i burst out laughing i said good luck i said two months ago i could do my job on crutches but they would have none of it . then i asked who would see my x ray and he said just the guy that took it and i said i think hes missed a bone chip that's in the fluid in knee cap and he paused and jabbed my knee and said i reckon its cartridge damage you need to speak to your own doctor i did he agreed with me and signed me off for a third month and said i will make a app for you to see a knee specialist .

Anyway the letter came this morning stating there was a 12 week wait but it would be longer as there was a big queue and i would be a getting letter telling me when i could get a date for a app

The wife said Sod that phoned her work who said i would be covered by her Bupa a few phone calls later im seeing the surgeon next tuesday at 08.30 if its cartridge trouble he said i could be fixed by the end of the week

[Lloyd90]

What's the point?

 

The NHS is free and has a massive que.

 

I went private before because I didn't want to wait 18 months to see if I had an eye condition that stopped me doing the job I wanted in the RAF. I'd already done 18 months selection and interviews and waiting about.

 

It went from an 18 month wait to seeing me the next week for 15 minutes and cost over £500 for the privilege. Saved me 18 months of waiting though.

 

Sounds like your lucky your Mrs work covers you.

[Bigbob]

Its the same doctor that was going to treat me in 18 months on the NHS ive paid my contributions for 40 and when i need it i get a **** service but pay for it and the attitude totally changes i was asked what hospital i wanted and which consultant do you wish . Ive never wished the American system that you have to pay for insurance before you get treatment but the NHS is failing

[Imperfection]

The NHS do a great job,but are very much underfunded and overworked so therefore have to prioritise patients. Back in 2002 i was found to have cancer and was expecting to join a queue,but 3 days later i was in hospital being treated. I cant speak more highly of the NHS and also how i was treated.

[Lloyd90]

Yep had the same thing Bob, exact same machine, same doctor everything.

 

The NHS is doing a good job IMO but is expected to cover so much these days it struggles.

 

People need to decide whether we want to cover less things, or whether we all want to pay more.

 

Nobody wants to pay more yet everyone wants a top class service. I think places like Sweden are always noted as being top class with their services but they pay more tax.

[Walker570]

Too many chiefs and no Indians. The front of house really do try their best but are hamstrung by lack of funds and paper pushing managers. The whole system needs a thorough sorting and get back to basics.

 

I and my wife are covered by a private scheme from my previous employ. OK it costs, but better to get a problem sorted ASAP. The private hospitals are also now getting bogged by paperwork and form filling. I believe down to the no win no fee lawyers and scared of being sued for some reason.

 

There is no doubt OUR money is not being spent wisely by our elected representatives. Our recent discussion on pot holes proves this, when millions are changing hands just doing preliminary planning for this stupid HS2 when a case in point, the A14 should be urgently upgraded to a four lane motorway.

 

Hope your knee problem gets sorted quickly.

[Lloyd90]

Too many chiefs and no Indians. The front of house really do try their best but are hamstrung by lack of funds and paper pushing managers. The whole system needs a thorough sorting and get back to basics.

 

I and my wife are covered by a private scheme from my previous employ. OK it costs, but better to get a problem sorted ASAP. The private hospitals are also now getting bogged by paperwork and form filling. I believe down to the no win no fee lawyers and scared of being sued for some reason.

 

There is no doubt OUR money is not being spent wisely by our elected representatives. Our recent discussion on pot holes proves this, when millions are changing hands just doing preliminary planning for this stupid HS2 when a case in point, the A14 should be urgently upgraded to a four lane motorway.

 

Hope your knee problem gets sorted quickly.

There's a serious problem on the NHS where they are almost untouchable.

 

I've seen entire wards that are absolutely useless yet it goes on and on.

 

Anyone who speaks out against them gets shot down. It's political suicide to take them on.

 

The NHS needs serious reform or it won't last. But like the unions. They think they're too big.

[Bigbob]

Seven years ago i got my left ankle cleaned out i waited till i was way past the permitted time them i got a phone call , would you like your surgery done by Bupa i replied of course i would but who's going to pay , the answer we will the NHS yet again it was the same consultant that i was already see at the local hospital but twice a week he operated at a private BUPA hospital maybe to pay the golf fees or put the kids threw there private school so the NHS paid him to treat patients there to keep his lists down .

[Bigbob]

how can a nurse working in her local hospital turn down a overtime shift because shes working that overtime shift already for a nursing agency for more money ?

[kyska]

how can a nurse working in her local hospital turn down a overtime shift because shes working that overtime shift already for a nursing agency for more money ?

Because he or she is allowed to do whatever they like in their spare time.

 

Nurses and doctors are not owned.

[Lloyd90]

how can a nurse working in her local hospital turn down a overtime shift because shes working that overtime shift already for a nursing agency for more money ?

So what? Should we lock them in and make them work for free?

[Mark74]

how can a nurse working in her local hospital turn down a overtime shift because shes working that overtime shift already for a nursing agency for more money ?

Alas many nurses are leaving the NHS to work for agencies as money is better. The Government need to cut out the middleman and save money by just paying nurses more

Edited April 8, 2017 by Mark74

[Bigbob]

Exactly they should be payed much more for doing the job that they do ,somebody must realize the amount there paying a agency or don't they care . Its public money somebody should be held to account for it and paying agencies who take a large cut off it doesnt seen to be helping

[Lloyd90]

Alas many nurses are leaving the NHS to work for agencies as money is better. The Government need to cut out the middleman and save money by just paying nurses more

Probably all about statistics! The MPs mates have the head of service jobs and often get 'performance bonuses'.

Some of the head managers in the councils trying to save millions are getting bonuses for reducing packages.

[7daysinaweek]

No easy answer and very frustrating and challenging at times. Most difficult thing the nhs faces is recruitment and retention of its staff ad has become more difficult. Up until 20 years ago most traditional nurses SEN/SRN had served their working time in the nhs in one or two area or ward and was common for someone to have been nursing on the same ward for 30,40 years without little movement. One benefit of this was staff that stayed within that area consolidated and built skills within that discipline and could convey that knowledge and skills through mentoring. Patient care has grown more complex and significantly increased, along with cuts in budgets staffing levels have decreased which has placed a huge strain on front line staff. This strain results in staff moving from post to post in an attempt to reduce the pressure upon oneself. Staff can become worn down so they move from post to post, they never get to the stage of learning new skills within the next area let alone consolidating them, the pressure starts to build and then they move on again and no one benefits, not the patient, the nurse,the employer or society. I could put it this way the nhs is a very, very big house and your start work in one room, a fire starts in that room and you don't have the resources to deal with it and it gets too hot, you move to another room and so it goes on. Only a few brave souls stay in the original room. Some well used to fighting the fire eventually give up and leave the house all together as hardly anyone left to hand them the fire extinguisher. This is just one factor of many, many,many reasons.

 

Re the use of agency staff:

 

your budget is decreased so you staff levels do not increase though patient demand increases, you make changes in order to make your resources as efficient as possible. Staff sickness increases due to pressures and factor in staff holidays and mandatory training every 12 moths approx 5 days and add in staff professional development/cpd ad your really getting stretched. Your nurse patient ratio numbers are getting low and safe patient care is paramount to anything else. The clinical commisioning group (ccg) for the area you live in has a contract established that you as an nhs provider will provide a service with levels of staff to provide a minimum level of safe and effective care. If you do not have the levels of contracted staff to provide this you must move to agency to ensure as safe level of staff patient ratio as your trust can be fined heavily if patient safety has been put at risk by poor staff or disproportionate skill levels.

 

NHS contracted staff give a certain level of continuity knowledge and skills, cost to the employer pension, mandatory training costs, cpd costs when staff off on training sickness pay, holiday pay, vicarious liability costs (insurance up to around the 50 million mark per nurse) and more.

 

Agency nurse, no pension, sickness, hol pay, training costs or liability all that comes out of the cost of the money paid to the agency by the nhs. Still very costly.

 

Nurses and doctors do a wonderful, wonderful job but they are leaving in droves, very sad!

[shaun4860]

Yes we knock the NHS at times

 

BUT

 

Not having it would be a disaster, what happens to those that can't afford insurance or BUPA?

 

What happens in America?

 

2007 I had an operation that went wrong, leading to a 10 and a half week stay in hospital, 8 further operations, who would have funded that? I couldn't have paid for it.

 

Yes it's underfunded and abused by some but thank god it's there and that 99% of the staff care and do a tremendous job but I just can't see an answer to fixing it.

 

[vmaxphil]

Part of the problem with nhs funding is as described by our strategy director " we know money comes into the trust and money goes out but we don't know what happens in between " thus the waste

[7daysinaweek]

Part of the problem with nhs funding is as described by our strategy director " we know money comes into the trust and money goes out but we don't know what happens in between " thus the waste

 

Well said Phil, you have hit a very big nail on the head, the money follows the patient, as they move from through the system some the money gets lost in the ether. Difficult job to keep track of all that monies down to exact expenditure.

[Newbie to this]

Yes we knock the NHS at times

BUT

Not having it would be a disaster, what happens to those that can't afford insurance or BUPA?

What happens in America?

2007 I had an operation that went wrong, leading to a 10 and a half week stay in hospital, 8 further operations, who would have funded that? I couldn't have paid for it.

Yes it's underfunded and abused by some but thank god it's there and that 99% of the staff care and do a tremendous job but I just can't see an answer to fixing it.

Well said we need our NHS.

 

But we do need to stop calling it free, it's not a free service it's paid for by the TAX payer.

 

Anyone who is entering the UK, should by law, have to have a valid NHS approved health insurance for the duration of their stay.

[Benthejockey]

I broke my leg a week ago today. Practically to the hour. A horse jumped past me and the other riders foot and stirrup smashed my shin bone. Imagine applying a club hammer to the back and side of your shin 2/3s of the way down. I knew I'd broken my leg before I hit the ground.

 

I got carted off to Leicester Infirmiary which was the nearest hospital. I was desperate for 2 things either to be operated on straight away or be ambulanced back to Shrewsbury. Neither happened. I've always thought Shrewsbury was a bit of a tired hospital but it's not a patch on Leicester. Understaffed is a serious understatement. I arrived and they couldn't find anyone to give me any morphine. We're an hour on from the initial break and I've been a soldier. I can handle pain, I've been ticking along at an 8 but coping and the pentanox was making me chuckle. They found me a nurse, then had to find some filters for the gas and air, then had to go and look for some more morphine. Then I had an X-ray and the rudest most unprofessional doctor I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. He couldn't understand my level of lucidity after minimal pain relief and seeing the X-ray which made him even ruder. Like I was interrupting his Sunday and I couldn't even be screaming in pain about it!

 

I was in a 6 bed bay, the youngest by 30 years, bed blocking old blokes with nowhere else to go going more doolally the longer they were spending in the hospital. And there was a team of half a dozen nurses for the whole ward. All working 12 and 1/2 hour shifts. Unless someone tried to die which they did a couple of times and the poor nurses just worked until they were finished. I saw the surgeon once before surgery and she never came to see me post surgery and nobody really had any understanding about what to do with my dressings which needed changing after 48hrs but stayed on for 72hrs. I managed to get discharged yesterday afternoon and all follow ups are at Shrewsbury. I'm covered by my fiances private health insurance but they're arguing that it doesn't cover competitive horse riding which is why I had to spend my time in Leicester. But the NHS is really struggling!

[Lloyd90]

I broke my leg a week ago today. Practically to the hour. A horse jumped past me and the other riders foot and stirrup smashed my shin bone. Imagine applying a club hammer to the back and side of your shin 2/3s of the way down. I knew I'd broken my leg before I hit the ground.

 

I got carted off to Leicester Infirmiary which was the nearest hospital. I was desperate for 2 things either to be operated on straight away or be ambulanced back to Shrewsbury. Neither happened. I've always thought Shrewsbury was a bit of a tired hospital but it's not a patch on Leicester. Understaffed is a serious understatement. I arrived and they couldn't find anyone to give me any morphine. We're an hour on from the initial break and I've been a soldier. I can handle pain, I've been ticking along at an 8 but coping and the pentanox was making me chuckle. They found me a nurse, then had to find some filters for the gas and air, then had to go and look for some more morphine. Then I had an X-ray and the rudest most unprofessional doctor I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. He couldn't understand my level of lucidity after minimal pain relief and seeing the X-ray which made him even ruder. Like I was interrupting his Sunday and I couldn't even be screaming in pain about it!

 

I was in a 6 bed bay, the youngest by 30 years, bed blocking old blokes with nowhere else to go going more doolally the longer they were spending in the hospital. And there was a team of half a dozen nurses for the whole ward. All working 12 and 1/2 hour shifts. Unless someone tried to die which they did a couple of times and the poor nurses just worked until they were finished. I saw the surgeon once before surgery and she never came to see me post surgery and nobody really had any understanding about what to do with my dressings which needed changing after 48hrs but stayed on for 72hrs. I managed to get discharged yesterday afternoon and all follow ups are at Shrewsbury. I'm covered by my fiances private health insurance but they're arguing that it doesn't cover competitive horse riding which is why I had to spend my time in Leicester. But the NHS is really struggling!

 

 

Not just the NHS Ben, the "bed blocking" you refer to is partly a knock on effect of cuts to social services.

 

There are loads of people too unwell to go home but not needing medical treatment. They need either respite or residential / nursing home placements. There aren't enough placements, social services are being severely cut and all this is clogging up hospitals, as if they can't treat em and get em out, then they can't get the next lot in.

[catchthepigeonmutley]

My wife (an NHS nurse of varying types for 30+ years) has just read out part of a leaked report stating that there is expected to be a nursing shortfall of between 26-42 thousand nurses within 5 years due to EU nurses not being allowed following brexit.

 

For myself, having suffered from sometimes severe lower back pain for yours, went to a private physio 2 years ago, with the result that I am now pain free, even after working in the garden all day. Brilliant. My physio is also the reason I am on here, as she shoots and, after only the second time I met her, agreed to take me clay shooting when she could have replied in the negative with two words, the second of which would have been 'off'. She only does clay shooting as she can't afford to pheasant shoot any more, so hoping to introduce her to the excitement of pigeon shooting later in the year as a thank you.

[Lloyd90]

My wife (an NHS nurse of varying types for 30+ years) has just read out part of a leaked report stating that there is expected to be a nursing shortfall of between 26-42 thousand nurses within 5 years due to EU nurses not being allowed following brexit.

 

For myself, having suffered from sometimes severe lower back pain for yours, went to a private physio 2 years ago, with the result that I am now pain free, even after working in the garden all day. Brilliant. My physio is also the reason I am on here, as she shoots and, after only the second time I met her, agreed to take me clay shooting when she could have replied in the negative with two words, the second of which would have been 'off'. She only does clay shooting as she can't afford to pheasant shoot any more, so hoping to introduce her to the excitement of pigeon shooting later in the year as a thank you.

 

Nursing is a skilled trade and therefore would be very much welcome even under the introduction of a points system. In almost every country with a points system nursing is one of the most welcome professionals (Hence lots of ours to go NZ, Canada, Australia etc).

 

This "leaked document" sounds like a political point scorer to me

[Wb123]

Nursing is a skilled trade and therefore would be very much welcome even under the introduction of a points system. In almost every country with a points system nursing is one of the most welcome professionals (Hence lots of ours to go NZ, Canada, Australia etc).

 

This "leaked document" sounds like a political point scorer to me

Very true, but if willing to jump through that many hoops why would they come here to be badly paid and treated when they could go NZ, canada, australia, the gulf states etc?

[keg]

The NHS is also being asked to do a lot it was not originally designed for, from IVF to covering mental health to gender and cosmetic surgery.

 

Still a great institution but in my view, too many managers, not enough front line troops.