Are you worried?

[merehazle]

  And have you any suggestions how to help matters?     As record A&E waits show NHS is cracking under pressure.

So far we have had a very mild winter.  We haven't yet had a FLU outbreak. Christmas drunks. Or even riots.

Someone said he visited his hospital for an outpatient appointment, the digital display stated that I,761 people had missed their appointment the previous week. I wonder what the national figure might be?

Ambulances were turned away from from A&E departments 113 times in recent times while the number stuck in queues soared. A woman was kept waiting for 35 hours at an A&E.  Well most know where you live matters too.

It does seem the UK operates a World Health Service the service is mostly totally free EXCEPT for British Nationals who are required to pay for it. 

[lambsy_uk]

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@023mjc wrote:

Lambsy, I think you are being unfair here, in suggesting that my husband didn't keep the wound clean, or seek treatment early enough. My husband is fanatically clean (to the point of being over the top sometimes) but infections do happen occasionally no matter what you do. To seek "appropriate medical attention" as you put it for such a tiny injury would have been rediculous and he would have been laughed out of the surgery. No one goes running to the doctor for every little thing like that. As you say we didn't need a diagnosis - we diagnosed it all by ourselves.

It was washed, germoline and plaster applied,and repeated for a couple of days. Only when,and as soon as, he realised that it was becoming infected, did he try to see a doctor (or nurse, didn't mind which) to get some antibiotic pills. As far as the infection was concerned he did "seek appropriate medical attention early". Any earlier - for a tiny cut on his thumb - would have been inappropriate. The doctor doesn't have to see people with cut thumbs, but he should see people with infections.

As no one (not even the surgery nurse) was available for 5 days we feel that the "appropriate" help was denied us, and this is the reason the infection spread and became serious. The long wait for treatment and the "faffing around" was all down to no medical help being available at the local level.

He wouldn't have dreamed of clogging up the doctors surgery with such a small complaint (would you?) so treated the cut himself - as we all would, as I'm sure you must have too, and only went to the hospital when two requests to see a doctor for the infection had failed. What else do you suggest he could have done. He could have just died I suppose - and avoided the "big burden on NHS resources altogether. So, being ill is part of the problem. Really ???

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What he should have done was go straight to the hospital as soon as the infection was recognised rather than attempt to get a Doctor's appointment; this would have been the 'appropriate' course of action and would have negated any delay. Seeking a Doctor may not have been the most inappropriate course of action but as soon as it was clear one was not available a trip to the hospital should have taken place without waiting for the red streak to appear up his arm! Any medical practice staff worth their salt should have advised you to go to the hospital anyway!

Sorry if I sounded a bit off, I get a bit moddy at times, best wishes!

[023mjc]

Well, it seems there is just no winning. If you turn up at hospital they will give you a telling off - "this could have been dealt with by your GP instead of taking up valuable time in here". Indeed, that is what they told my husband that day, and he had to explain that he had tried that path. But if you go to your GP they won't or can't see you and tell you to go to the hospital.  So you can't do right for doing wrong. They always have room for the drunks and street brawlers though.

By the same token, I have a neurological condition and I am supposed to see a neurologist every six months. I had an appointment in September which was cancelled by them, and I was given a new appt in November. That one was cancelled till the beginning of January. Cancelled again till the end of Jan, and guess what - cancelled yet again till the end of April.  This is so hard to deal with when you are genuinely ill, and doesn't exactly inspire you with confidence. Especially when gastric bands for people with no self control and breast implants for bimbo's are freely available on the NHS. Plenty of money to spend on them.

I, and my OH worked hard our whole lives and paid our dues, but we both get the feeling sometimes that they really do just want older people to go away and die before they have to give any of it back. As was said by another poster, get rid of the scum bags and parasites - problem solved. Then there would be plenty of resorces for those who deserve them.

[023mjc]

Here are 2 more examples of why the NHS may be broke.

When my late mum was terminally ill she had several pieces of expensive medical equipment in her home. After she passed away most of it was collected again, all except a pair of crutches and a walking frame. My husband worked at the hospital, so he took them back. He took them to the department that issues them and they said they didn't want them back as they don't get re-issued because of cross contamination. OH asked if they couldn't be cleaned and re used and was told "Oh no, we don't do that. Chuck 'em in a skip mate." We took them to a charity shop.

During his long time at the hospital OH became friendly with the woman who ran the sterilising department, where they clean, sterilise and seal all the surgical instruments. It had a fancy name that I don't remember. She told us that one day a consultant came in - this was thier conversation:

Him:  I have to go and do an operation at **** hospital, and I need to take an xyz with me.

Her:  Sorry, but it's not quite ready. It will only be about 20 minutes though if you want to wait.

Him:  I'm in a hurry so I'll take it as it is.

Her:  I can't do that. It's more than my job's worth to sign some thing off before it's been completely  

        processed, checked and sealed.Surely it's dangerous too.

Him:  I'm Mr.xxx. Just get it.

Her:  I'm Sandra. No.

Him:  Are you an idiot or something. What part of "I'm in a hurry " do you not understand. Just do your petty little job

         and GET IT NOW.

Her:  No.

At this point, with only about 10 minutes now needed to complete the process he flounced out of the room, calling over his shoulder as he went "fine, send it in a taxi". It cost the hospital £45.

And I'm sure every one remembers reading in the papers about the £25 pencil sharpeners.

 So it's not only patients who waste valuable resorces. The NHS needs some serious seeing to, and the holier than thou, do you know who I am brigade, who think they are God, need to be taken down a peg or two, and reminded exactly what thier enormous salary is actually for.

[merehazle]

Yes. And as you also said he said:  ''just do your petty little job''. 

 I wonder what he and his likes would have said to these? Just a few years ago we had what must be the most appalling example of miss-management. The £12.7 billion NHS computer system was scrapped. That decision came after report said IT system was not fit for the NHS. 

I wonder why the decision was not made that the management were not fit for purpose? If a nurse or social worker were to demonstrate incompetence on such a colossal scale, they would be prosecuted. Why should (ex) Labour ministers be immune from the consequence of their actions?

That sum would pay 60,000 nurses' salaries for around a decade. 

[merehazle]

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@evoman3957 wrote:

If you sorted out the Scumbags, Bums & Parasites from the rest, the remainder would be able to enjoy one on one nursing care; with Billions of Pounds left over. For those that ask who decides who the Scumbags, Bums & Parasites are, i would say "Therein lies the problem..............some people can't tell the difference any more".

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  'One to one'  

Well If only you were rich enough you could afford one to one nursing care. In the case of drunks, they certainly know who they are as they present themselves at A&E. And they don't care that someone more deserving might suffer longer, or even die. (and does anyone honesty know the haven't died?).

Billions of pounds would be left over if they knew they would certainly get a jail sentence and a criminal record. They damn well deserve it IMO. Most will have heard of their attacks on staff, ambulance paramedics, doctors, and smashing up of hospital equipment. What the hell dose it take to make the government act?

There is a growing body of evidence which shows that nurse staff levels make a difference to patient outcomes (mortality and adverse events). patient experience, quality of care, and efficiency of care delivery.

Successive reports into care failings have highlighted the risk associated with employing too few staff. The ongoing Francis Inquiry is looking into failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where low staffing levels and skill mix were a significant factor.