NHS

[steve_b_wales]

I am not knocking the NHS as I've seen it from both sides, but I have just had a telephone call from my local hospital about a referral regarding my hernia. I explained that I had to pay privately (£3610:00) almost two years ago as I couldn't wait to have it done on the NHS. I was then asked 'do you still want to be referred or taking off their list'! 

[Lloyd90]

My mum just had a big surgery done private as she’s been waiting a year already and had another 18 months to go. 
 

She was waiting until it caused complications and she was rushed to Hospital and almost died. 
 

Whilst in the NHS hospital it was rammed full of **** heads and idiots, it looked like it was falling down, it was hard to actually speak to a Doctor and the nurses were all busy and she was hardly seen. 
 

Booked in private, had the surgery within a month, pretty much had 1:1 nursing post op, the surgeon who did the op came to check on her himself 3-4 times, they had an on-site restaurant with excellent food, the building was spotless and looked brand new and the overall experience was nothing short of amazing. 
 

It’s amazing how you can get such a huge difference … is the issue the NHS? Or the people using the NHS? 
 

Interestingly, the junior Doctor strikes are on at the moment, we are in close contact with the Hospitals and supporting as we can… they have informed us their A&E is pretty quiet, as people are staying away so as not to overburden them. 
 

Fair play but what were people going for there previously? 🤷‍♂️🤣

[Vince Green]

2 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

Fair play but what were people going for there previously? 🤷‍♂️🤣

When I phoned my surgery for an appointment  I was told to wait 3 weeks or go to A&E. So I went to A&E.

I have heard of other people being told the same

[Walker570]

I have just been sent a letter with ten choices for a referral for my hip.   I chose my nearest Burton on Trent. Tried to arrange it through the indicated web site and got no response. I then phoned the number given and typed in the extension which just rang and rang. I then phoned the hospital number and got a VERY curt woman...who do you want?  I don't recognise that extension...gave her the second alterantive extension and she said wait a moment...######awful music then played for ten minutes, so I gave up.

Pathetic.

My problem is not life threatening but I am in constant pain and can hardly walk.  There is little doubt the NHS has gone to the dogs ..... however all of those at the sharp end that I have met are trying to do their best.  

Edited April 12, 2023 by Walker570

[Lloyd90]

36 minutes ago, Vince Green said:

When I phoned my surgery for an appointment  I was told to wait 3 weeks or go to A&E. So I went to A&E.

I have heard of other people being told the same

I couldn’t get hold of my surgery for 6 weeks, I had a chest infection and the pharmacist told me I needed antibiotics. 
 

I phoned NHS 111 and said I was off to A&E if they can’t help, as 6 weeks on-going was too long. 
 

NHS 111 told me they’d get me an appointment within an hour, as they block book out the GP appointments. 
 

When I said “that’s probably why I can’t get one” they just went blank. 🤣🤣

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, my younger son needed a minor op but he would have been older son waiting so we went to a private practice in Birmingham , bank of dad and son 🙄, 

[shaun4860]

My experience is slightly different.

Bit long winded but bare with me.

November 2022 I had been feeling iffy for a while and eventually rang the docs,

Receptionist asked what was wrong, I said I don’t know, I just know I’m not well, she said doc will ring before lunch.

doc rang and we went through the same, not well, dunno why.

can you come in this afternoon.

She ran various tests, I knew she was testing for cancer but she never said, was sent for chest X-rays next day.

Everything came back clear.

Now over the following weekend my little toe died and turned black 😵‍💫

On the Monday rang docs again, explained to the receptionist what the problem was, doc will ring you before lunch.

Same as before, she did and I was back in in the afternoon, took photographs and sent them to one of the hospitals and then told me to go to A&E

Did that, they kept me in for 3 days and ran further tests and home I went.

I was then at the hospital weekly getting dressing changes on my foot, 

Now it’s New Year’s Eve, I go for my dressing change and the podiatrist said you’re not well are you, told her I felt like death warmed up,

she then sent me to another hospital’s emergency admission department but told me I wasn’t to drive!!!

told you it was long winded 😊

I was admitted and put on a silly amount of antibiotics.

week later had a stent fitted in my leg followed by an operation to remove 2 toes and part of my foot.

4 days after that it was checked and the operation hadn’t worked,

So what’s the plan says I, thinking they would just remove a bit more of the foot.

Its a below the knee amputation of my right leg 😳

what if I don’t have the operation and we try more tablets?

You will die a slow and painful death as the infection goes up your leg and into your heart.

needless to say I’m now a 🏴‍☠️ 

What I’m trying to say is I couldn’t fault the NHS.

From GP to hospital, I received first class treatment,

Surgeon round everyday checking on us.

Was in 2 months altogether and I wouldn’t have had better treatment if I had gone private 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Blimey Shaun, glad you got the help you needed, sounded like frost bite at the start.

We normally only see the bad stuff about the NHS, I too have been very impressed with them in recent years.

Good to see you've coped with it.

[discobob]

21 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Blimey Shaun, glad you got the help you needed, sounded like frost bite at the start.

We normally only see the bad stuff about the NHS, I too have been very impressed with them in recent years.

Good to see you've coped with it.

But Surely there was a space between a month to several weeks (November through December) where they hadn't diagnosed and @shaun4860 wouldn't be having to buy a parrot if he had got the relevant treatment sooner..

[39TDS]

Doesn't the NHS provide free parrots?

You want to get onto Ross Care, they dish out everything else like it is going out of fashion. (Maybe parrots already went out of fashion)

 

ps. sorry to hear your troubles Shaun.

[Wilts#Dave]

13 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

My mum just had a big surgery done private as she’s been waiting a year already and had another 18 months to go. 
 

She was waiting until it caused complications and she was rushed to Hospital and almost died. 
 

Whilst in the NHS hospital it was rammed full of **** heads and idiots, it looked like it was falling down, it was hard to actually speak to a Doctor and the nurses were all busy and she was hardly seen. 
 

Booked in private, had the surgery within a month, pretty much had 1:1 nursing post op, the surgeon who did the op came to check on her himself 3-4 times, they had an on-site restaurant with excellent food, the building was spotless and looked brand new and the overall experience was nothing short of amazing. 
 

It’s amazing how you can get such a huge difference … is the issue the NHS? Or the people using the NHS? 
 

Interestingly, the junior Doctor strikes are on at the moment, we are in close contact with the Hospitals and supporting as we can… they have informed us their A&E is pretty quiet, as people are staying away so as not to overburden them. 
 

Fair play but what were people going for there previously? 🤷‍♂️🤣

The last two paragraphs of your post make perfect sense….there are a huge amount of people that troop off to A and E at a slight cough let alone anything serious (don’t get me started on the pissheads etc draining healthcare). 
The other part where you’re amazed at the difference between paying stupid amounts of money for private healthcare over the nhs though…..really 😂🤣?! 
My mum had a hip replacement done at a private clinic and as you say the care is second to none, but I wouldn’t expect anything less…..I’ll fall over myself in my line of work even (tradesman) for customers with lots of money who are happy to pay for a certain level of service, it’s the same with almost everything if you’ve got ‘money’ so hardly surprising! 

[shaun4860]

9 hours ago, discobob said:

But Surely there was a space between a month to several weeks (November through December) where they hadn't diagnosed and @shaun4860 wouldn't be having to buy a parrot if he had got the relevant treatment sooner..

They kept trying me on various drugs and antibiotics to try and control the disease, none of worked until the leg came off.

It was decided that if it was a blood infection it was easier to treat but if it was bone infection after the amputation and more difficult to treat then that could have led to a further amputation above the knee 😳

[ShootingEgg]

On 12/04/2023 at 18:46, Lloyd90 said:

Booked in private, had the surgery within a month, pretty much had 1:1 nursing post op, the surgeon who did the op came to check on her himself 3-4 times, they had an on-site restaurant with excellent food, the building was spotless and looked brand new and the overall experience was nothing short of amazing. 

And probably nurses doctors and surgeons who also work on NHS wards. 

My ex ( going back over 10 years ) was a nurse, she qualified whilst I was with her, worked in Frenchay. She would pick up bank shifts and private shifts to up her wage. 

[team tractor]

The mrs has been waiting 3 years in total for a major op . The last 18 months she finally received an acknowledgement letter as we paid private . She’s in constant pain and needs a hysterectomy asap . 
I went to the doctors with ankle pains and they have me booked in for X-rays within 4 days . I can’t fault that .

with my accidents I’ve been lucky to receive great care . I’ve had treatment for a broken wrist , leg, all my fingers have been broken at some point upto 4 times on one finger , chopped my finger tips off , broken both elbows , this is just the ones I’ve had treatments for . They couldn’t help with the 10 broken ribs 😂 or broken toes , Cracked Sturnum twice . 

[Minky]

Last July I  had an operation to reconstruct my right Achilles tendon.   After this I've had amounts of physio and all of the treatment has been first class. I have had superb treatment.  There have been a few minor issues but nothing too bad.  I am still recovering back to full repaired condition but it has been fine.  I have no probs with getting consultation and action from the GP's.

[claydodger]

The NHS and I were born the same year, so they have looked after me from day one, broken arms, fractured leg and now cancer, for all the faults that have been mentioned I cannot thank the NHS enough for everything they have done for me.

Best of luck to everyone on this post.

[Vince Green]

My mate died from stomach cancer two weeks ago.

In many ways he was a victim of the covid pandemic although he didn't get covid.

If his pain and symptoms had been investigated properly and not just knocked back as indigestion maybe things might have been different  ?

His GP wouldn't see him and all he got was a phone consultation each time 

How many more like him are there?

[udderlyoffroad]

16 minutes ago, Vince Green said:

How many more like him are there?

More people than died with/of Covid, that's now almost certain.

3 hours ago, claydodger said:

Best of luck to everyone on this post.

We're 6th biggest economy on the planet, that's all the luck an individual should need. 

It blows my mind that people still think other advanced economies don't 'do' healthcare as well as we do....when they all do it better.

[Rem260]

There is no joined up process in the nhs. Every department is independent. If you are sent down the wrong avenue of suspected illness you have to join the 14 month queue again for their next guess ! The nhs is just not fit for purpose, some fare better than others. There seems to be no accountability, unless someone dies.

They do seem in general to get it right with cancer related problems.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Rem260

[claydodger]

3 hours ago, Vince Green said:

My mate died from stomach cancer two weeks ago.

In many ways he was a victim of the covid pandemic although he didn't get covid.

If his pain and symptoms had been investigated properly and not just knocked back as indigestion maybe things might have been different  ?

His GP wouldn't see him and all he got was a phone consultation each time 

How many more like him are there?

My sincere condolences to you and your mates family and I totally agree with your condemnation of the current state of the NHS.  My diagnosis was well before Covid but had it not been for my better half who would badger me if I sneezed twice into seeing the doctor and a doctor at the time who was superb and could read between the lines, I wouldn't be here today.  Life is not a bed of roses at present but it's still life and getting to see a doctor is difficult but I can count on her to kick the door down when the need arises and if not there has quite a few times where I've been carried into A&E by friends and family.

[steve_b_wales]

21 hours ago, claydodger said:

My sincere condolences to you and your mates family and I totally agree with your condemnation of the current state of the NHS.  My diagnosis was well before Covid but had it not been for my better half who would badger me if I sneezed twice into seeing the doctor and a doctor at the time who was superb and could read between the lines, I wouldn't be here today.  Life is not a bed of roses at present but it's still life and getting to see a doctor is difficult but I can count on her to kick the door down when the need arises and if not there has quite a few times where I've been carried into A&E by friends and family.

Further to my original post regarding the NHS, during the past 7 months, I have lost 10kg in weight, despite not trying, and eating a lot of 'rubbish'. Within 2 months of an appointment to see my GP, he arranged for me to have bloods taken and also a full MRI scan, which has now been done. Thankfully, all is okay and nothing untowards has been found, although the mystery of the weight loss is still puzzling me and the doctors. I have nothing but praise for the NHS.

Edited April 28, 2023 by steve_b_wales

[ordnance]

I had a issue with an infected cyst, rang the health center was told doctor would ring, got the call a hour later was asked to go and see doctor she arranged for me to go to ED. They did blood tests etc put on IV antibiotics, I was given the choice a overnight stay and it removed next day with a general anesthesic or there and then with a local anesthetic went for the local, not pleasant but it was removed. So from issues to sorted all on the same day with the NHS.

Edited April 28, 2023 by ordnance

[Wymondley]

On 27/04/2023 at 16:30, Rem260 said:

There is no joined up process in the nhs. Every department is independent. If you are sent down the wrong avenue of suspected illness you have to join the 14 month queue again for their next guess !

Oh how right you are.

I've had a stomach problem that's been going on for most of my life, Dr's can't decide what's wrong, and as you say, once one avenue is exhausted you have to go back and start at square one again, the only saving grace being that if whatever is wrong was going to kill me, it'd have done it by now.

I had a horrific motorcycle accident when I was a young man, I owe my life to the NHS so I don't suppose I should complain too much.

[old man]

On 27/04/2023 at 14:22, Vince Green said:

My mate died from stomach cancer two weeks ago.

In many ways he was a victim of the covid pandemic although he didn't get covid.

If his pain and symptoms had been investigated properly and not just knocked back as indigestion maybe things might have been different  ?

His GP wouldn't see him and all he got was a phone consultation each time 

How many more like him are there?

As always, good care down to  individual input, some care, some don't?