I know how to save the NHS money

I seem to remember that the letter asks you to let them know if you don’t want to participate, so they wouldn’t need to send you the testing kit. I’m still under the care of the colorectal cancer team so I don’t need to participate, but I still got a letter. I just let them know to remove me from the program,

Do you have a medical history that involves constipation, that might require some preparation?

I've often wondered why all hospitals and medical centres seem to have all the lights on all day - it would save some money if some/all of them were switched off.

Yes, I agree. And I heard recently that some hospital, somewhere, is changing the name of the A&E to ED. So that means changing the displayed names both indoors and out.
A sheer waste of money. Who thinks up these things?

The NHS would also save money if my Pharmacy would stop dispensing medication that the GP has clearly taken me off! This has happened three times recently - and the medication in question costs £150.00 for a months supply.
I don't collect my own medication and it is always sealed in a large paper bag, therefore the medication wrongly issued "leaves" the Pharmacy and cannot be put back on the shelf. Bonkers!

Perhaps we underestimate how many nudges most people need.

I run an activity group.

The next months meeting is on the Website
It’s then published in the Monthly newsletter, online and a paper copy.
I send round the details by email to every member.

I still have people ringing me up asking where they should and when?

Because many people would just throw it away unopened or be terrified that it meant they had bowel cancer, - and throw 9t away unopened.

But, most of all, because the NHS has found pre-warning leads to a much higher take up of the tests thus, potentially, saving the NHS a much larger sum treating people who do not present until the cancer is advanced.

Lathyrus

Perhaps we underestimate how many nudges most people need.

I run an activity group.

The next months meeting is on the Website
It’s then published in the Monthly newsletter, online and a paper copy.
I send round the details by email to every member.

I still have people ringing me up asking where they should and when?

I daresay you also have people giving you a notice of some event that is happening in the next few days and wanting you to "squeeze it in" to the newsletter - which you have finished editing so as to fill each page neatly and have just committed to being printed/photocopied (with a sigh of relief at getting shot of it) This is an event that they knew about when you asked for material three and a half a weeks ago for this newsletter, but they didn't mention it to you until too late. It is then your fault that no-one turns up.

I recall doing a course some years ago where we were told that people generally need to hear something three times before it lodged properly in their brain.

Maybe that’s what the NHS is trying to do - get a higher uptake of the programme.

PollyDolly

The NHS would also save money if my Pharmacy would stop dispensing medication that the GP has clearly taken me off! This has happened three times recently - and the medication in question costs £150.00 for a months supply.
I don't collect my own medication and it is always sealed in a large paper bag, therefore the medication wrongly issued "leaves" the Pharmacy and cannot be put back on the shelf. Bonkers!

Don't you have to authorise medications monthly? I have a couple of items on my repeat prescription which I don't need regularly, so I don't tick the boxes when I order. Keeping them on my the repeat prescription saves me from having to make an appointment with the GP when I do need them.

The letter is the invite to take part, it gives you time to talk to people and research yourself to decide whether to do the test. Some people would panic if they got the test with no warning, thinking their GP had asked for it.

Elegran

Lathyrus

Perhaps we underestimate how many nudges most people need.

I run an activity group.

The next months meeting is on the Website
It’s then published in the Monthly newsletter, online and a paper copy.
I send round the details by email to every member.

I still have people ringing me up asking where they should and when?

I daresay you also have people giving you a notice of some event that is happening in the next few days and wanting you to "squeeze it in" to the newsletter - which you have finished editing so as to fill each page neatly and have just committed to being printed/photocopied (with a sigh of relief at getting shot of it) This is an event that they knew about when you asked for material three and a half a weeks ago for this newsletter, but they didn't mention it to you until too late. It is then your fault that no-one turns up.

?

Got it in one!

Because some people need guiding towards using the bowel kit rather than ignoring it because they don't like the idea of messing with a bit of stool. Bowel cancer killed my cousin and she never used the kits.

growstuff

PollyDolly

The NHS would also save money if my Pharmacy would stop dispensing medication that the GP has clearly taken me off! This has happened three times recently - and the medication in question costs £150.00 for a months supply.
I don't collect my own medication and it is always sealed in a large paper bag, therefore the medication wrongly issued "leaves" the Pharmacy and cannot be put back on the shelf. Bonkers!

Don't you have to authorise medications monthly? I have a couple of items on my repeat prescription which I don't need regularly, so I don't tick the boxes when I order. Keeping them on my the repeat prescription saves me from having to make an appointment with the GP when I do need them.

I did just that; ticked the boxes for the items I required on SystmOne where the 'old' medication' wasn't listed and the Pharmacy still issued it.

I had been on the old medication for long enough and the GP replaced it with an alternative. Alarmingly, both were issued and had I taken both together the outcome would have been very unpleasant indeed. Good thing that I am at least clued up enough to know, anyone with memory problems could have been made seriously ill had they taken both.

It might be too complicated, but perhaps the first letter could be sent to those who have never participated in the scheme.

Anyone like me who takes up the offer on the regular two year basis could just be sent the actual kit.

I don't use SystmOne, so I have no idea how it works, but it sounds as though the error is with their systems rather than the NHS, especially if the old medication is no longer on your repeat prescription. My GP uses PatientAccess. I order my repeat prescriptions online and have never received anything I didn't order.

Calendargirl

It might be too complicated, but perhaps the first letter could be sent to those who have never participated in the scheme.

Anyone like me who takes up the offer on the regular two year basis could just be sent the actual kit.

But that would require extra admin (or a tweak to the computer program) to acknowledge those who have returned the tests in the past.

I’m no computer expert growstuff but would have thought a tweak to the computer programme shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.

Calendargirl

I’m no computer expert growstuff but would have thought a tweak to the computer programme shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.

I don't know either. It would require an accurate record of those who have returned tests in the past, so that data would need to be collected and then matched against those who are still living/not receiving treatment/registered with a GP. Maybe somebody has already costed it.

PollyDolly

The NHS would also save money if my Pharmacy would stop dispensing medication that the GP has clearly taken me off! This has happened three times recently - and the medication in question costs £150.00 for a months supply.
I don't collect my own medication and it is always sealed in a large paper bag, therefore the medication wrongly issued "leaves" the Pharmacy and cannot be put back on the shelf. Bonkers!

Have you tried asking your GP for a print out of your repeat medications? It might be that the old ones are still on the system and only your GP can remove them.

I found out last week that we can get a GP Summary on request, it’s a list of all your prescriptions and visits to the GP or hospital visits over a number of years - I assume as far back as computer records. Hospital visits depend on them being entered by the hospital so not all mine showed up. There is no charge for this, all the receptionist does is click on a link in your files.

I was asked to include this summary with my application to renew my Blue Badge.

I don't know if this really fits here

But the NHS would save a hell of a lot of money if we eliminated childhood trauma or ACEs.

Not just in mental health care but the fact that childhood trauma causes many physical health issues.

youtu.be/VMpIi-4CZK0

But VioletSky that would require investment and forward planning! It was the thinking behind "Every Child Matters" and SureStart - now disbanded because I guess the results don't show up conveniently on a balance sheet.

No, ots all about saving money for bonuses and wage increases for whatever mnagement now isn't it.

The exact reason why a housing association will install a tap that goes rusty and breaks in 2 years instead of a tap that lasts 20 years... some of us can see that costs 10 times as much in the long run and it's a stupid thing to do but that seems to be how everything is set up these days