Protect the NHS, part 2. Reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

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I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
I'm sure we all watched the BoJo speech yesterday with dismay, but a feeling of inevitability, as he set out the re-introduction of national stiffer restrictions? Personally I found it quite shocking as he described the prospect of medical staff being overwhelmed and forced to decide which patients to treat while others have to be allowed to die! It was also alarming that this situation was potentially only a few weeks away.

Obviously, if the data analysis is sound, we must act now to avoid this. Nobody can really argue with that? Something that was stressed during the announcement was that we, the population, should keep our existing NHS appointments, continue current treatment and medication and seek medical help for new conditions or problems in the normal way for the time being. Essentially, business as usual at the NHS, but stay at home to reduce the CV spread and impact.

Today a cycling buddy fell off his bike. No one else involved, just a mistake on his part or maybe some oil on the wet road and luckily he walked away and called his wife to pick him up. However, this could easily have had a different outcome and resulted in hospitalisation. This has reminded me of the last Covid spike crisis in the spring when a lot of activity and sports enthusiasts cut right back on the amount and level of activity to reduce the chance of being hospitalised due to avoidable injuries and therefore avoid being a burden to the NHS at a critical moment.

Todays incident has reminded me that maybe it is time to revisit this strategy? Nobody ever really intends to injure themselves this way, but we all have an accepted level of risk, chances we are happy to take, or expose ourselves to risk through inattention or lack of foresight.

As cyclists is it again time we proactively reduce our exposure to injury risk in order to reduce avoidable hospitalisations?
 
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rogerzilla

Legendary Member
I always minimise my risk because I don't like getting hurt.
 
So, seven months after a three week lockdown " To protect the NHS" we now have a four week lockdown "To protect the NHS".
What has all the sacrifice this year been for? We are no further forward, but as long as we protect the NHS all is fine. The country can fall apart and people can die through lack of care and attention that NHS was set up to provide. The economy is going to be in ruins and countless thousands will be out of work. But the NHS will still be there sucking countless £millions but not giving any care to those that need it.

Yes, it's a good system.
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
I think such a proposal needs data to back it up.

1. what is the overall load on the NHS from accidents as a proportion of total?
2. what are the relative risks of various activities that contribute.

I'd wager that 1 is actually quite small and 2 has DIY, motor vehicles and joggers above cyclists, and our risk is small enough to be a non issue. But I'm only guessing. I'm sure the data is out there to find.
 
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OP
I like Skol

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
I think such a proposal needs data to back it up.

1. what is the overall load on the NHS from accidents as a proportion of total?
2. what are the relative risks of various activities that contribute.

I'd wager that 1 is actually quite small and 2 has DIY, motor vehicles and joggers above cyclists, and our risk is small enough to be a non issue. But I'm only guessing. I'm sure the data is out there to find.
Small numbers and small risks maybe, but definitely not insignificant. It might be a slightly emotional way to view the debate, but what if you are the one that takes that bed and results in another patient having to forego the lifesaving treatment? Individual cases do not generally make for good policy, but if a few 100 injury admissions due to outdoor/sport/cycling related activities can be avoided each week across the country then that must translate into saved lives in a capacity crunch situation?
 
OP
OP
I like Skol

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
So, seven months after a three week lockdown " To protect the NHS" we now have a four week lockdown "To protect the NHS".
What has all the sacrifice this year been for? We are no further forward, but as long as we protect the NHS all is fine. The country can fall apart and people can die through lack of care and attention that NHS was set up to provide. The economy is going to be in ruins and countless thousands will be out of work. But the NHS will still be there sucking countless £millions but not giving any care to those that need it.

Yes, it's a good system.
No surprise there then :rolleyes:
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I always follow my training and my drills. The NHS need not worry.
 

Cymro74

Well-Known Member
NHS has been an unworkable bureaucracy for many years, and now accounts for ever growing proportions of public spending. Yet 7 months later and with unlimited additional cash they still can't do basic things like test and trace or GP appointments. For most of the year we haven't had a functioning health service, just a National Covid Service to manage a disease which is low risk for most people. Turning their backs on all other health conditions is a national disaster created entirely by the NHS. Within a couple of years Covid will look irrelevant compared to the excess deaths from other causes, and NHS managers are already lining up their excuses for how these aren't their fault.
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
So, seven months after a three week lockdown " To protect the NHS" we now have a four week lockdown "To protect the NHS".
What has all the sacrifice this year been for? We are no further forward, but as long as we protect the NHS all is fine. The country can fall apart and people can die through lack of care and attention that NHS was set up to provide. The economy is going to be in ruins and countless thousands will be out of work. But the NHS will still be there sucking countless £millions but not giving any care to those that need it.

Yes, it's a good system.

+1
 

gavgav

Guru
NHS has been an unworkable bureaucracy for many years, and now accounts for ever growing proportions of public spending. Yet 7 months later and with unlimited additional cash they still can't do basic things like test and trace or GP appointments. For most of the year we haven't had a functioning health service, just a National Covid Service to manage a disease which is low risk for most people. Turning their backs on all other health conditions is a national disaster created entirely by the NHS. Within a couple of years Covid will look irrelevant compared to the excess deaths from other causes, and NHS managers are already lining up their excuses for how these aren't their fault.
Absolute garbage. For a start, Serco run Test and Trace, not the NHS and secondly GP practices are independent organisations, not run by the NHS. Try working in the NHS and you’ll realise what a shoot show we have to put up with.

We were INSTRUCTED by the government to cancel all elective surgery, no choice in the matter. Now, after the experience of wave 1, they appear to be letting us run it locally again and we have the knowledge of what areas we can keep running, and what areas need to stop. Believe you me, there are areas that need to stop, to enable staff to be redeployed to help with Covid. And these are staff who are mentally and physically exhausted, but still they keep going. They also don’t want the applause, etc, or the adulation, they do it because it’s their job to be on the front line.
 
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I like Skol

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
NHS has been an unworkable bureaucracy for many years
Not arguing with that. But this is not a thread about that topic.

The question is, given where we are now, regardless of fault or mistakes that got us here, should we once again make the safe choice and try to actively minimise the chance of injuries and hospitalisation? I'm not saying don't exercise, just make sensible choices like going for a road ride instead of tearing across moorland and mountain tracks on an MTB, or switch off your Strava and forget and PBs etc? Just tone it down a bit to play it safe, small changes can make a big difference.
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
Small numbers and small risks maybe, but definitely not insignificant. It might be a slightly emotional way to view the debate, but what if you are the one that takes that bed and results in another patient having to forego the lifesaving treatment? Individual cases do not generally make for good policy, but if a few 100 injury admissions due to outdoor/sport/cycling related activities can be avoided each week across the country then that must translate into saved lives in a capacity crunch situation?

Maybe.

But maybe foreswearing DIY and driving would make far more difference. Needs data.
 
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