Criminal waste of NHS money

Astitchintime

Our pharmacy claims that they only have to destroy medication if it has physically been taken out of the premises.

Thank you Astitchintime. I did this when I collected my meds and the took the wrong ones back.

Five weeks to deliver a hospital bed to our home ordered via community nursing team. My beloved husband died in a hospice five days later. Service provider telephoned immediately the following day asking for it to be collected unused. Told they were “very busy, it could be weeks”. It’s still here 10 days later and meanwhile some desperate person is waiting for one - like we were. And heartbroken.

The majority of the disability equipment provided by the NHS is cheap to manufacture and used by patients in a wide range of circumstances that are totally beyond the NHS control. That means a deep disinfect when they returned to the provider when no longer need. I was told when I lived in London and returned a lot of disability aids after the death of my mum that it was too costly to have them collected and disinfected and that I should dispose of them myself. Charity shops will usually take them.

My mil was in hospital, semi conscious when the doctor came to her ward and informed us that all treatment had been withdrawn and she was on palliative care only. Two days later a huge box of multi vitamin drinks and high protein food sachets were delivered to her house. She died that evening and needless to say we were told to just throw it all away. Such shocking waste.

I took a walking frame and two sets of crutches back to the hospital and left them in the foyer area with all the wheelchairs

I don't see how they can put medication in blister packs back into stock if it's wrongly prescribed or you decide you don't need it. It will have your name and dosage instructions on a label on the box. Maybe if it's capsules or tablets in a bottle...

This is a well-known topic. I know someone who delivered meds, and he said that lots of patients routinely DO NOT take their meds, but keep on getting them and hoard them (I know, ridiculous, but that's a subset of folk for you . . .they go to the doctor for advice, but decide they know best anyway).

The relatives of deceased patients would routinesly bring back bagfuls of unused meds to the chemist, and the regs say that all must be destroyed.

This is due - apparently - to someone in the Civil Service, or NHS admin hierarchy, having concluded that some demented soul might sabotage their packs of Tramadol, Omeprazole, or Candesartan (etc) with something poisonous so that a tragedy would result if they were re-issued??

IF you have a Labour MP, why not contact them to try and get this massive UK-wide waste prevented?

My late DH was issued with a brand new rise and recline chair. It was a referral from the occupational therapist who had visited us, and was supposed to be a trial for a few weeks. No one contacted us again regarding the chair. After some months, he went into a care home, and I emailed the company who issue aids on behalf of NHS Occupational Therapy in our region. Weeks passed, and I didn’t hear from them. I eventually phoned them, and they finally did pick it up. I suspect if I’d said nothing, it would have been mine forever.

If you have not left the chemist they will keep any unwanted items, once you leave the shop they would have to bin it

fancythat

Luckygirl3

And also walking sticks and frames... they do not ask for them back round here.

Nor round here.
I was astounded.

Most people would happily and willingly give them back.

There is actually a place to do so, but not actively encouraged.

We tried to return a variety of crutches that my daughter had used and discovered that it was not possible at our local surgery, nor at the hospital.

When my prescription was changed and it did not look correct from what I could see in the bag. I opened it sat on the chair opposite the counter. But they would not take it back and I had to go over the road to the surgery to request a correct prescription

I’m reading this as the prescription has been raised not that it had been dispensed to the original poster, that been the case the pharmacist can surely return it to stock, my understanding is it’s only it’s it’s been collected by the patient and taken off the premises that it can’t be reissued. That being the case it’s not being wasted

I think the logic behind the branded product over the generic one is within the cost of the branded medicine is the cost of research and development

I appreciate that dumped wheelchairs, crutches, walking sticks all add up but when is this national scandal going to end.
Wes Streeting started the ball rolling but is Evette Cooper as passionate as Wes streeting.

mol.im/a/16111921

Astitchintime
Our pharmacy claims that they only have to destroy medication if it has physically been taken out of the premises

Oh, IK, I’ll open the bag with all my meds, take it out and hand the wrongly prescribed one back. Hopefully they will then reuse it.
Thank you Astitchintime.

Dontcallmelove

I need a medication prescribed by a hospital consultant. I’ve been told it’s not available on the NHS in its generic form but I can have it as a branded item! I can buy the generic version for around £3.50 over the counter, the branded version is £15. I’m struggling to understand the logic.

There is no logic. It’s down to the fact that it’s not their money.

I need a medication prescribed by a hospital consultant. I’ve been told it’s not available on the NHS in its generic form but I can have it as a branded item! I can buy the generic version for around £3.50 over the counter, the branded version is £15. I’m struggling to understand the logic.

About as bad as ny GP telling me I cannot have a particular drug due to NICE system as it would damage other systems yet hospital consultant recommended the drug. Told him GP had said No. His response, oh they try to fix things, we just maintain! Back to GP not knowing what was to happen. GP livid and would not issue prescription. Also livid consultant was referring to an old x-ray, he had not requested an up to date one. This was at a National Orthopeadic Centre. I will refuse any further consultations or treatment from the particular consultant.

Sago

Yesterday I had lung screening over the phone.

The appointment was made 10 weeks ago for 7.00pm yesterday evening.

I had a letter regarding this appointment and two reminder calls.

I was called at 5.00pm by someone who had such a strong accent I struggled to understand him.
I told him I was expecting the call two hours later, he responded with “yer I is doing em quick today innit”.

The screening could have been done via email on my NHS app and saved a fortune.

I was not happy at the waste and will be feeding back.

That made me laugh sago but it isn’t funny really is it?

Good for you for leaving feedback. I always do too.

Yesterday I had lung screening over the phone.

The appointment was made 10 weeks ago for 7.00pm yesterday evening.

I had a letter regarding this appointment and two reminder calls.

I was called at 5.00pm by someone who had such a strong accent I struggled to understand him.
I told him I was expecting the call two hours later, he responded with “yer I is doing em quick today innit”.

The screening could have been done via email on my NHS app and saved a fortune.

I was not happy at the waste and will be feeding back.

I think Casdon has got it right. Also maybe it's one thing to be willing to give things back but perhaps another to receive equipment used by someone else, and checking everything for faults and wear and tear might be counter-productive.

I find it strange regarding walking frames, when DS died they recycled his wheelchair!

Our pharmacy will not take anything back if you have taken them out of the building.

I don’t use it but our surgery has a huge locker outside where you can collect your prescription. Wonder how you go on with that?

My drugs get delivered so if they are wrong they have already left the premises unfortunately.

Astitchintime

Our pharmacy claims that they only have to destroy medication if it has physically been taken out of the premises. I always check mine at the counter and hand back anything dispensed that I do not need on that occasion and it goes back into stock. Naturally this doesn’t happen very often as I order my own meds but a GP did once push a prescription through that was no longer required.

Astitchintime

Our pharmacy claims that they only have to destroy medication if it has physically been taken out of the premises. I always check mine at the counter and hand back anything dispensed that I do not need on that occasion and it goes back into stock.

Exactly the same at the pharmacy where all our prescriptions are dispensed. We always check inside the sealed bag before leaving, for the same reason. Very rarely there's been some minor mistake like the wrong size of support stockings.