Bud the Wiser

I watched a documentary the other month about how parts of some NHS hospitals were being used solely for private patients and how consultants were prioritizing their work by putting fee paying patients first. One sad case involved a pregnant woman losing her baby even though the complications she had should have taken precedence over his other patients.

Demand for service is certainly out pacing funding and creating pressure to an extent where something has got to change.

Footnote: I don't think the NHS is completely crap, far from it.

mikelincs

Many NHS hospitals have private wings, we certainly did where I worked, We were never asked to prioritise there tests over NHS patients, they were treated exactly the same, although we love to get requests for teats out of hours, because we got extra money for that test, normally tou got paid a certain amount per call out, and that included all tests done in that time, however if one was from the private wing, then we were paid extra, even when we moved to being paid a flat rate for a night on call, we still got the extra for any private work, and all private work, even during normal hours, was billed, the money was originally supposed to be used for the beneft of the staff, but eventually just disappeared into the general coffers.

Bud the Wiser

I didn't know that. I take it they are sub let from the NHS?

mikelincs

No, at our hospital one of the wards which had been closed was refurbished and opened as a private ward, I assume there was some input from one of the health care companies, but it did stop consultants sodding off for a half day to another private clinic, also from their point of view, they had the resources of a complete x-ray dept, laboratory,, physio dept on site. Patients just had to pay.

Sally Redux

Yes, I have often heard of people going into the private wing without having to pay if there is an overspill.

mikelincs

That's true, in fact some NHS hospitals do that regularly, even with operations like hip replacements, just to keep waiting lists down

pippalonghorn

There is a fine line between receiving help and getting no help. When hubby was an adult apprentice and I had my first baby I was laid off my job. We were just above the threshold to get enough help to make a difference. We earned about £60 per month over the allowed amount. That was 5 years ago now so things may have changed. Luckily I found work quickly.

Bud the Wiser

...oooOOO

chris955

Looks like an Australian Highway.

Sally Redux

The freeways in LA look like that too.

SultanOfSwing

It's par for the course for Illinois roads. There's a section of State Highway 137 where I swear there are potholes the size of a small car

It's a rarely used stretch of road though, fewer than 15,000 vehicles per day in one of the busiest areas for traffic in the state!

scot47

The chewing gum and dogcrap on the pavements. The scumbags who put it there and the councils who won't clean it up.

chris955

Yes that describes many Aussie roads, I especially like the ones that just turn into a gravel track with no notice

Bud the Wiser

Re: The chewing gum. Every town center we visited on a recent return had the pavements and walkways polka dotted with hundreds of remnants of discarded chewing gum.

aries

I remember good roads suddenly turning into gravel, but I must admit that Adelaide roads and pavements are a lot better than roads and pavements where I live now in Britain.

In this hilly town potholes are everywhere, and pavements slope sideways as well as up or down which can be quite debilitating, worsened by poor surfaces. Fortunately I haven't yet experienced ice or snow which would surely cause many broken limbs and joints. No wonder I see so many disability scooters!!