"NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
May 16th 2006, 8:58 pm
#16
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by Boiler
BBC that said there were more Poles in Morecambe
There are more Poles than Scots working in some places of Edinburgh. Go to Tescos late Frday night and it sounds like it could be in Warsaw or Moscow or wherever they speak those lingos.
May 17th 2006, 3:42 am
#17
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by Elvira
I think part of the problem is that all specialist care, including routine out-patient appointments, is hospital-based. This is different from any other country I can think of.
I'm sure at least some patients miss their appointments because they have far too travel, they are too disorganised to organise reliable transport to hospital, etc.
Part of the solution might be to have specialist community-based clinics, where consultants and/or senior registrars hold surgeries, i.e. they would still be hospital specialists, but they would spend, say, a couple of days or so each week at those community clinics, seeing patients who do not need extensive work-ups or tests.
Of course, if they could find a way of charging people for missed appointments, that would probably work a treat. But I'm not sure how, realistically, this could be enforced within the confines of the NHS ethos and the fact that it is just not geared up to charge patients for anything (other than Rx charges).
I'm sure at least some patients miss their appointments because they have far too travel, they are too disorganised to organise reliable transport to hospital, etc.
Part of the solution might be to have specialist community-based clinics, where consultants and/or senior registrars hold surgeries, i.e. they would still be hospital specialists, but they would spend, say, a couple of days or so each week at those community clinics, seeing patients who do not need extensive work-ups or tests.
Of course, if they could find a way of charging people for missed appointments, that would probably work a treat. But I'm not sure how, realistically, this could be enforced within the confines of the NHS ethos and the fact that it is just not geared up to charge patients for anything (other than Rx charges).
I agree that waiting lists are too long but the answer is not to send people abroad, while we have redundancies in hospitals at home.
I agree with partystar that DNA's cost the NHS dearly but there are many other things within the NHS that drain resources, we see trusts using agency and paying overtime rather than employing staff which is a huge drain to the staffing budget.
Last edited by geordiegirl2; May 17th 2006 at 3:48 am.
May 17th 2006, 2:08 pm
#18
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by geordiegirl2
I agree that waiting lists are too long but the answer is not to send people abroad, while we have redundancies in hospitals at home.
I agree with partystar that DNA's cost the NHS dearly but there are many other things within the NHS that drain resources, we see trusts using agency and paying overtime rather than employing staff which is a huge drain to the staffing budget.
I agree with partystar that DNA's cost the NHS dearly but there are many other things within the NHS that drain resources, we see trusts using agency and paying overtime rather than employing staff which is a huge drain to the staffing budget.
I've never understood why the NHS is so reliant on agency nurses - can you, or someone, explain?
May 17th 2006, 2:24 pm
#19
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by Elvira
I've never understood why the NHS is so reliant on agency nurses - can you, or someone, explain?
May 17th 2006, 2:29 pm
#20
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by Elvira
I've never understood why the NHS is so reliant on agency nurses - can you, or someone, explain?
I'm have mixed views on how to staff now after being here, as they hospitals here hire far more than they need but here in AZ you can be 'called off' (without pay) a day each pay period( two weeks) if they have more nurses than they need, which happens very frequently.
Its really hard for some as we work 3 12 hr shifts per week, so one call off is 6th of you pay.
The other problem is retention of staff with obviously thousands of nurses leaving the NHS every year, believing the conditions are bad, granted a junior nurse pay is not that good but again after coming here the benefit for at leasyt 6 weeks paid holiday, not attached to sick time is worth a lot.
If they employed more nurses so the job was not so physically demanding due to shortages it would be much more attractive.
Last edited by geordiegirl2; May 17th 2006 at 2:34 pm.
May 17th 2006, 3:36 pm
#21
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Location: Melbourne, Oz to Banbury, England to El Mirage, AZ & now back to England!
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Re: "NHS told to fund treatment abroad"
Originally Posted by Elvira
I've never understood why the NHS is so reliant on agency nurses - can you, or someone, explain?
- They are easier to get rid of, if it doesn't work out (sacking someone within the NHS is difficult to say the least).
- All the legwork is done by the agency.
- Advertising, interviews, back ground checks etc is a long, lengthy expensive process, sometimes emergencies happen & they need someone quick.
