Where is the NHS when you need it?

[gavroche]

I'm afraid I do'nt agree with your ire.

It's not a big deal, and you get treatment for free. So he has to wait a bit. A minor inconvenience.

Not much fun when you wait 8 hours without being informed of what is happening and not being able to get a drink or food because the hospital shop is closed.

 

[Globalti]

People who moan about the NHS ought to hang their heads in shame and retract every word. Of course it has its shortcomings as you would expect from a massive organisation but it's the best in the world and is staffed by amazing people. My BIL is CEO of a big hospital in the south and you couldn't want to meet a more dedicated, conscientious, caring individual. The stresses of the job are enormous and he deserves every penny of his salary.

We have had maternity and emergency contact with the NHS since becoming parents and are presently nursing a sick parent and the local people have been excellent.

One thing we have learned is that if you just sit and whinge and do nothing, things can take a long time to happen but if you make a bit of effort to get what you want from it, the NHS delivers in bucketfuls. Older folk are often afraid to make a fuss or apply pressure so tend to get sidelined.

 

[vickster]

I agree with the sentiment .....But it's not really "free" as it's paid for by the taxpayer, which is the problem for the NHS as the taxpayer isn't paying enough for the service the taxpayer wants.

Shaun

It is at the point of care, unlike virtually every other system anywhere else in the world...and they also pay tax. But yes, everyone wants the moon on a stick. I pay for private healthcare so I can at least get treated when, where and by whom I want for elective stuff. If I were really sick, I'd be very glad for the NHS

@gavroche were there no shops anywhere near? The lad is 22, not 2, couldn't he wait on his own while you found something to eat!

 

[vickster]

One of the most annoying conversations about appointments

Patient: "My wait is too long"
Us: "You have the first available appointment"
Patient: "But.. I am being referred as a Private Patient, I am entitled to be seen sooner"
Us "I understand that, but we book according to clinical priority"
Patient: "I have paid for this, I want my appointment brought forward"
Us: " I am sorry, but there is no earlier appointment, you have the earliest appointment given your clinical condition"
Patient: " I have paid for this appointment.. Cancel one of the NHS ones"
Us: "I am sorry, they all have greater clinical priority, so we can't prioritise you over them"
Patient: "I want my appointment in the next couple of days, or I will make a formal complaint to my insurers"
Us: " Please do, we book according to clinical priority"

Now perform this charade a dozen times a week

Is that at a private hospital?

 

[vernon]

Try being in the U.S...massive excesses even if you are insured!

I saw a hospital bill for my host. $16,000 of which $12,000 was met by the insurance and $4,000 dollars had to be met by my host. He's also in need of knee surgery. The insurance covers the surgery or 75% of it but not the physiotherapy.

 

[vickster]

I saw a hospital bill for my host. $16,000 of which $12,000 was met by the insurance and $4,000 dollars had to be met by my host. He's also in need of knee surgery. The insurance covers the surgery or 75% of it but not the physiotherapy.

I think policies vary in terms of deductible as well as co-pay on drugs.

 

[vernon]

I think policies vary in terms of deductible as well as co-pay on drugs.

I couldn't get my head round all of the permutations explained to me by the envious Americans who wanted to know more about the NHS healthcare system.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Waiting a week or so for a break is normal.

Break causes swelling, as does the surgery. Excessive swelling can cut off blood supplies and kill nerves and muscle.

So they tend to wait for the original swelling to start to reduce.

The exception to this is where the bone has come through the skin (as both in my forearm did), this will be tested as an emergency due to the rush of infection to the bone.

I had my plates fitted within 12 hours of arriving in a&e via ambulance.

My friend waited a week for the same repair, as the risk of complication is very low, compared to operating when swollen.

So your grandsons waiting time so far is fairly normal, and I imagine it will be some fairly soon.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Not much fun when you wait 8 hours without being informed of what is happening and not being able to get a drink or food because the hospital shop is closed.

There is a good chance they don't know what is happening either.

If all the schedules have been messed up by emergency surgeries, they may not yet know when.

Could have been cancelled, or could have an available theatre in a few hours. Depending on what has happened.

 

[gavroche]

[QUOTE 3959069, member: 76"]Hold on. A 22 year old bloke tries to jump a fence, cocks it up and breaks his hand (be honest, how much had he to drink), then you come on here moaning that his treatment has been delayed by a few hours. What he needs to do is stop getting his Grandad to moan about his treatment on the internet, stop jumping fences and expecting everyone to make him a priortiy and basically man the chuff up a bit.[/QUOTE]
I don't know how old you are but didn't you do daft things when you were young? What I resent is the fact that if you have an appointment for surgery at 8am, you don't expect to still be waiting at 4pm and then told to go home and wait more, with no food or drinks available in the hospital because it is weekend, and no info given to you unless you ask first. That is not a service I would expect from the " the best NHS in the world" supposedly. ( Not my words of course.)

 

[Drago]

Having been dragged backed to A&E last week with another suspected heart wobble, I can safely say vast resources are wasted treating people with minor knocks, sprains, grazes who should be seeking treatment elsewhere.

There reasons for this may be manifold, but if the door in isn't clogged with people who have no actual medical emergency to treat then there might be more resources to go around elsewhere.

And while resources are tight because of the above (and for other reasons) then it natural that if you have minor surgery scheduled it might get bumped so the theatre resources can be made available to treat someone with more pressing needs.

Sheet happens, get over it.

 

[vickster]

But could you not have left him at the hospital while you went to get food? He's 22 and presumably has a phone in case he needed to call you. If the injury was 5 days ago, his life wasn't in danger I assume

From what @User suggests, NHS Wales is not the best in the world. Other than the UK, no other countries actually have an "NHS"

 

[screenman]

If the pensions, holiday pay, sick pay etc was more inline with the private sector there would be more money to spend on patients. This I got from a recently retired 56 year old senior midwife.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I don't know how old you are but didn't you do daft things when you were young? What I resent is the fact that if you have an appointment for surgery at 8am, you don't expect to still be waiting at 4pm and then told to go home and wait more, with no food or drinks available in the hospital because it is weekend, and no info given to you unless you ask first. That is not a service I would expect from the " the best NHS in the world" supposedly. ( Not my words of course.)

He wouldn't be able to have food anyway, if waiting to go in for surgery.

 

[vickster]

He wouldn't be able to have food anyway, if waiting to go in for surgery.

I think it was for the grandparents which is why I don't understand why they couldn't leave and get food. Even the middle of nowhere has food within a drive and I assume the hospital isn't that remotely located