NHS - oh dear!

I have possibly 2 different issues, one respiratory (been under them for 4 yrs) and one gastro ( been under them just over 2) respiratory won't see me again until gastro has cleared me, takes so so long to get appointments with either. Spent months banging my head off a brick wall trying to get help. Both depts saying it is the other depts problem.
Got an endoscopy next week with gastro to look for a particular disease. Been waiting since the middle of December to get this far and gave up eating in March as causes far far to much pain, easier to be hungry than in hideous pain.
GP suggestion was stronger painkillers , which I refused as don't wish to get addicted.
Just hoping if they find what I think I have then both depts can talk to each other and decide best course of treatment going forward.
Was also referred to the head allergy specialist last August, and no idea how much longer than will be.

I’ve just been dangerously ill with a chest infection . Two paramedics visited me. One from hospice care and the other from my surgery. No doctor visited even though Hospicecare said it would be a good idea! After four courses of antibiotics and steroids I am on the mend . All thanks to the hospice care paramedic who made a fuss .
The nhs is broken

I will be eternally grateful to what the NHS has done for me in recent years. However, I have been to see my GP this morning as he called me in having referred to a specialist for advice about an ongoing problem. Apparently just writing for advice doesn't take nearly as long as referring me to a specialist, however, the only advice he could give is that there are no specialists available on the NHS within the our local health authority neither are there any within the authorities bordering our own. His advice was simply to carry on as I am and ignore it as much as possible

@jaffacake2, so sorry for what you are going through. I don't want to worry you, but I had a similar problem last year. I lost feeling in my foot that spread up my leg. Gp refused to take me seriously. Reluctantly put me on a 30 week waiting list to see a neurologist. My symptoms escalated so I had to go private to see a neurologist. Even that was a month wait. He rushed me off for a complete head and neck scan. Result, I have spent the last year being treated for a grade 4 brain tumour. If I had waited for the NHS I wouldn't be here now.

Stop moaning, one of my son's waited three years for a hernia operation.

Luckygirl3. Sorry to hear the problems you’re having trying to book a 24hour monitor. Contact your surgery and ask to speak with a manager, explaining your issues, and hopefully you will get some assistance. Good luck.

Our ‘ sacred cow’ is at breaking point and has been for many years. I think that our healthcare in this country should cease to be a party political issue and be overseen by an independent governing body which reports to government but is not necessarily led by it. The Health Service has been let down by numerous governments, including Labour ones, and reform will not happen by throwing money at it. Governments have made this mistake time and time again, each time expecting a different outcome. The very definition of foolishness.

Sarahleigh

They are in a mess. I was meant to have an operation today, under 2WW, I arrived on time (7am) to find out that I wasn’t on the list. Turns out I had failed the pre op assessment due to my sugar levels (I am diabetic) but no one told me.

I'm sorry to hear that Sarahleigh but actually, not surprised.

The care you receive when you eventually do get seen can be excellent but it is the inefficiency which I find quite astonishing. It must waste an enormous amount of time and resources and is upsetting for patients.

Doctors understanding nutrition. This report doesn’t bode well.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8000414/#:~:text=Undergraduate%20nutrition%2Drelated%20medical%20education,of%20postgraduate%20training%20%5B18%5D.

They are in a mess. I was meant to have an operation today, under 2WW, I arrived on time (7am) to find out that I wasn’t on the list. Turns out I had failed the pre op assessment due to my sugar levels (I am diabetic) but no one told me.

They are not proper doctors. They are people with a bachelor of science degree who do a 2 yr course at Anglia Ruskin and call themselves GPs. Standard diagnosis are stress or virus issued by over inflated egos in my experience. A huge danger to anyone who doesnt recognise their blind incompetence.

Would that be the Labour Party as Tony Blair started this privatisations nonsense

I’d take a one year wait to see a neurologist. In Northern Ireland there’s a seven year wait to be seen.

Thank goodness we are hoping to move to St Neots, that gets us into the catchment area for Hinchinbrooke and Addenbrook hospitals.

M0nica

I live near the John Radcliffe in Oxford, a world class research and university hospital. lik everything in the NHS, in an emergency it is superb, but unless you are blued and twoed there, forget it.

I can't fault any of the routine treatment I've ever had at Addenbrooke's. Their online "MyChart" system also means I'm always informed.

I live near the John Radcliffe in Oxford, a world class research and university hospital. lik everything in the NHS, in an emergency it is superb, but unless you are blued and twoed there, forget it.

maddyone

But it appears that many people who can barely afford it are seeking private treatment because they’re waiting so long, and in pain, or disabled by their condition. I know one such lady who had waited two years in considerable pain for a hip replacement. In the end she went private because she was in too much pain. She and her husband are certainly not rich. They must have had to dip into whatever small pot of savings they had, unless they did a repayment plan with the hospital.

I read stories like this all the time, which is why I'm curious that somebody I know has had both hips replaced within a couple of months of being on the waiting list. She makes me mad because she does very little to help herself and doesn't do the follow up exercises, so the surgery will have been a waste of time and money.

M0nica

According today's papers, 898,000 people opted for private treatment last year. A rise of 7% on the previous year.

I am im total agreement with nightowl, except that I would add, that like her we live near a major university hospital and supposed centre of teaching excellence and our experience their, except in emergencies is as poor as that of our local surgery.

Well, that confirms the postcode lottery. I live near a major university teaching hospital and I have never received anything but truly world class care there. It's not my "catchment" hospital, but the nearest to where I live, so everybody from the area opts to go there.

According today's papers, 898,000 people opted for private treatment last year. A rise of 7% on the previous year.

I am im total agreement with nightowl, except that I would add, that like her we live near a major university hospital and supposed centre of teaching excellence and our experience their, except in emergencies is as poor as that of our local surgery.

But it appears that many people who can barely afford it are seeking private treatment because they’re waiting so long, and in pain, or disabled by their condition. I know one such lady who had waited two years in considerable pain for a hip replacement. In the end she went private because she was in too much pain. She and her husband are certainly not rich. They must have had to dip into whatever small pot of savings they had, unless they did a repayment plan with the hospital.

Norah

growstuff, I didn't know numbers, it was concise, well written, informative.

I, of course, knew we both did 4 tkr privately, but no idea total numbers.

Fair enough! If people really don't know how often patients resort to private healthcare, I guess somebody does need to make the figures public (not that those who can afford it will care).

Thinking about it, I think one change could be to go back to the idea of GPs being "family doctors" and training them to treat people more holistically. After all, we all only have one body, with the different body parts hopefully working in tandem. We're not hundreds of different parts all working independently, which can be treated by AI and the patient answering computerised questions. That would include a better understanding of psychology and how low mood can impact on physical health. I suspect GPs would have greater job satisfaction too.

growstuff, I didn't know numbers, it was concise, well written, informative.

I, of course, knew we both did 4 tkr privately, but no idea total numbers.

nightowl

Growstuff my husband had excellent care when he began having heart problems 20 years ago but not for many years now. I am very much afraid the next heart attack will kill him, for lack of urgent care. Our GP practice offers only phone appointments for everything now, my husband is not monitored for his various health conditions, I feel we are nothing but a nuisance to them. I have not heard anyone speak positively about their GP experience locally. Despite living near a major university hospital and supposed centre of teaching excellence the care provided by our local NHS is shockingly poor.

I agree with you that GP practices are the weak link. I've had a heart attack and breast cancer over the last six years. Apart from issuing repeat prescriptions, my GP practice has not given me any follow-up care for either condition. Nobody has ever even asked about either condition. I've seen my patient record and they've ticked the boxes to say they have, so I insisted they untick the boxes.

My diabetes care is better, including an annual review. However, the diabetic nurse is clueless about the latest diabetic research and never considers how my heart or post-cancer medication affects my blood sugar or mood generally (which also has a huge impact on diabetes).

Two years ago, I saw a doctor at the practice who was really on the ball about diabetes and initiated various actions, but she didn't stay long. The other GPs look at me with glazed eyes whenever I mention anything diabetic related and just tell me to make an appointment with the nurse. None of them seems to know anything about nutrition.

Norah

growstuff

Norah

M0nica The NHS is superb in emergencies, and you will read that a lot on GN, but in the ordinary every day running of the service it is awful. The best evidence for that is the way the private sector is growing. Follow this link to this very interesting Gaurdian article

www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/08/private-healthcare-could-become-a-new-normal-as-nhs-grows-weaker

The tile of the piece, given in the link, really is sufficient.

Brilliant piece!

Why is it brilliant? Genuine question.

growstuff The article is concise in expanding precisely what seems to be happening here. Perhaps excellent rather than brilliant?

But anybody who follows current affairs and knows anything at all about how the NHS is changing already knew that. Sorry, but I don't even think it's excellent.