Supporting NHS

Make comparisons with all other countries but how does that help. This is where you are treated not in another country. One of my children is a consultant and goes to these conferences around the world. It is a family joke where these conferences are held! He says the government have never trained enough doctors in this country ,they rely on poaching them from other countries who have gone to the expense of training them but they get more money here. Carry on Maremia believing it’s as it should be, it works for you

I suspect, without any of us doing a 'reveal' about where we live, that, as well as differences between wards, there are regional differences in NHS delivery.

But it has worked for me, and I don't need your permission to continue to believe.

Maremia

I suspect, without any of us doing a 'reveal' about where we live, that, as well as differences between wards, there are regional differences in NHS delivery.

I have experience of several hospitals and GP practices in one region. The variation is enormous and as a pp said you get huge variations between departments and wards in the same hospital. In my town there are 2 GP practices with very similar demographics and they are chalk and cheese.

The treatment in all hospitals should be the same no matter who you are or where you live. And getting poorer service because you are old is shocking. No one wants to be old and in hospital but if you are , heaven help you and it’s been going on for years and will. But keep reminding ourselves it’s the envy of the rest of the world!

Do you have a theory about why there are these differences, so near to one another, when the demographics are the same?

Maremia

Do you have a theory about why there are these differences, so near to one another, when the demographics are the same?

With the GP surgeries, the ethos of the practice and the quality of the practice management.

But it is in some areas, the envy of the world, Tess, and yes the delivery should be consistent all over the UK
Why, in your experience, are there the differences that you have seen?
Knowing that, could be a step forward.

I've quite a few ex colleagues that went from care work to nursing, and fhe common consensus seems to be that it ia due to how wards are managed by ward managers; I'm not sure what title tjsy have now.
For example, when one particular man was on shift, we all knew we were in for a better day.
He came around, was pleasant, friendly and, I assume, kept an eye on what was going on.

Thanks Tuliptree. Have things deteriorated since the changes in how GP practices are funded/managed.
Since GP practices became more like businesses than services?

Management. Yes, who and how the boss is matters.
Same in schools.
Same in every situation, I imagine.
Very difficult to complain about a Manager in the NHS. Ranks are closed.

Maremia

Thanks Tuliptree. Have things deteriorated since the changes in how GP practices are funded/managed.
Since GP practices became more like businesses than services?

The particular bee in my bonnet is what Covid did to general practice. I think it caused a seismic change and not for the better. At least IME.

Covid was a tsunami.
Serious affected education as well.

One innovation that came from Covid was zoom consultations.
I don't know how you feel about that, but it works for some folk in some situations.
Cuts the risk of picking up extra bugs from the waiting room
I know Tess, it doesn't address the wards' issues.

Most nurses I have witnessed on wards just come to the patient, do what they need to and clear off straight away. They seem to be on a piece of elastic that pulls them back to the nurses station. I accept a lot is now done on computer but I hear them swapping holiday stories, discussing their kids etc. They make you feel as though you are intruding if you go and ask a question. None of them seem to have a few minutes to talk to patients any more.

A few days ago the elderly man next to my husband was delirious (according to his wife who was there earlier) he was trying to climb over the bars on the bed. Not a nurse or HCA to
be seen anywhere. I was terrified he was going to fall on the floor.

I pooped on the floor right in front of where the nurses were sitting, just as one was about to show the other her sons new car on Facebook.

(I had been given huge amounts of laxative, in my defence)

One screamed, and the other said "Oh. My. God!"

Oh Miss A, sometimes actions speak louder than words! You seem to have summed up,how you felt about the nursing care very eloquently without saying a syllable.

But how humiliating for you. I hope you were treated with respect subsequently.

My own experience is more in outpatients particularly at the eye hospital. We found staff here to be interested in their work and their patients. Maybe working in a specialist area is more rewarding than (say) general medicine or surgery?

It was utterly humiliating, i cried all night and wished I'd just die rather than have to tolerate any more.
In fact, i said I wasn't going to have any treatment, and wanted to just fade away at home.

You are having one awful time Primrose.

I cannot imagine how horrible some stays in hospital can be, MissA I’m so sorry that you had a nightmare.
I do think that the shift pattern introduced in some hospitals must add to the nightmare. Twelve hour shifts seem to me to be unsupportable in any job.

I used to do 12.5 hour shifts, abd u liked them.
Three days a week, with four off.
It sometimes meant eight days off between working.

I heard a recent radio programme where a senior, and knighted retired consultant said the problem with the NHS was that it was designed to cope with acute illness, but the problem now was that the NHS was dealing mainly with preventative medicine and ongoing treatment for medical conditions.

Aneurin Bevan who established the NHS actually thought that if everyone could get medical care when they needed it demand for medical services would fall because everyone was so much heaalthier.

Another case of unforeseen results.

Maremia

One innovation that came from Covid was zoom consultations.
I don't know how you feel about that, but it works for some folk in some situations.
Cuts the risk of picking up extra bugs from the waiting room
I know Tess, it doesn't address the wards' issues.

In my DD's case a telephone appointment led to the doctor forgetting to send her for a critical test. I doubt doing it on zoom would have been any better. The signs were subtle and would not be seen on a screen but would have been noticed in a face to face appointment and would hve triggered the doctor to order the test.

As a result she nearly died. She was declared to be critically ( survival not guaranteed) ill and needed a year of medication and treatment to fully recover.

In a phone consultation that you’ve waited over 18 months for, it’s easier for the consultant to say “I’ll send details of this consultation to your GP (didn’t happen) and put you on my waiting list to see you. It’ll probably be next year. Keep taking the painkillers.”

Face to face - that would have been more difficult and he could have actually seen what the problem is now.

Maybe they think there’s always the chance that the appointment won’t be needed by next year.

I put this to our local Labour MP who ^ sympathised^ then told me how well Labour was doing to improve the NHS.

NHS is known world wide as the best health care available. I am temporarily in the states and cannot even imagine the awful delayed care given to UK citizens. In the US, you are seen immediately for whatever ailment you might have - there is NO waiting - there is no charge. If you are poor, the cost is free even if it costs a million dollars. People in Canada drive to the US, just for medical care. People in the US drive to Canada to buy their prescriptions. Yes, its a weird world but in the US, no nurse would ever consider treating you with the utmost respect. A different planet here. My uncle died in England, thanks to NHS.