The Real NHS
#676
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,852
Re: The Real NHS
It's good to see though that this thread has moved away from the "Foreigners are to blame for the NHS's problems" meme.
#677
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: The Real NHS
Then I don't suppose this ever happened did it....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-20830020
#678
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Now Devon
Posts: 951
Re: The Real NHS
I've now been told that my discharge paperwork hasn't been put through, so I can stay another night and get the medications sorted tomorrow morning! I've never known such a thing, what happened to a shortage of beds in the NHS?
Thus I phoned a neighbour who had arranged to collect me, and just caught her before she left. She then had to go into my flat and switch off the heating.
I was psychologically ready to leave the hospital, now I have to go through it again. I just hope during this extra night I don't catch anything I didn't come in with.
Thus I phoned a neighbour who had arranged to collect me, and just caught her before she left. She then had to go into my flat and switch off the heating.
I was psychologically ready to leave the hospital, now I have to go through it again. I just hope during this extra night I don't catch anything I didn't come in with.
#679
Re: The Real NHS
The NHS is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are too many issues I could relate since I returned 13 months ago, so I will just quote from recent times.
I'm writing this in a hospital bed, this being my third day. I felt unwell last week with dizziness, and when Saturday night became a feverish nightmare, and I saw that my blood pressure was unusually low (I have a monitor), I phoned the out-of-hours service for advice. Two doctors came, and after an examination they called for an ambulance.
Blood tests and an x-ray showed a serious lung infection, doctors believing it to be the same one as in October when I was in hospital for a week. I am in a room by myself and receiving good medical care, but yesterday an aggressive male nurse came in, and because of his nasty attitude, I asked him to leave. He then began to loudly say I was rude (a typical response when those in the wrong wish to lay blame on someone else), and when I denied his allegation, he became louder and said he had a witness. Another male nurse was in the room, and he seemed stunned by what was happening. I eventually got the aggressive one out with him constantly yelling that I was rude, and I told the other one and a female nurse that I wished to speak with the ward manager.
She discussed the matter with the male nurses first, the quiet one not taking sides and saying it was a clash of personalities. I have never experienced an aggressive macho male nurse before, but if he thought I would cower before him he was sadly mistaken. Apparently he was told never to tell patients they are rude because it sets up a confrontation. If he wants to know what rude is, he should take a spell in A & E on a Saturday night, not confront an ill 74 year old who needs care without hassle. Some years ago in Australia I was told by
someone in the system, that it is usual for health employees when they are in the wrong, to attack and try to mentally knock their opponent down. I guess it is the same here, but I'm the wrong one to take on.
And for the past year I've been trying to see a cardiologist. Eighteen months ago in Australia I was advised by my cardiologist that I need to see one in England as soon as possible to get into the system, my dual chamber pacemaker and cardiac condition being passports into the system. However despite two referrals from GPs nothing has eventuated. My pacemaker was checked andthe technician saying she will arrange for me to see a certain doctor who was named, and all I had to do was wait for an appointment letter. After 3 or 4 weeks nothing came, so I phoned the hospital. Cardiology had never heard of me, and had no record of a pacemaker check. I was then told that a referral lasts for only 2 weeks, and I should go back to my GP. A referral was arranged, and in due course an appointment to go to the hospital was arranged for 19th December. However when a young doctor in this ward followed up 10 hours ago, she told me it was a follow-up from my previous visit, not to see a cardiologist. I was told that I needed another referral from a GP, the third!
It was all beyond the young doctor, so she left me to stew about the incompetence of the system. I looked on my iPad for someone to phone in the hospital, and after I explained the circumstances and that I was a patient in the hospital, I was told that someone in Cardiology would call back this week. Bizarrely I was again told that there was no record of me, yet I had contacted my hospital's cardiology department in Australia for details of my case, and I passed it onto the hospital here.
Has the NHS become too big to be competent?
I'm writing this in a hospital bed, this being my third day. I felt unwell last week with dizziness, and when Saturday night became a feverish nightmare, and I saw that my blood pressure was unusually low (I have a monitor), I phoned the out-of-hours service for advice. Two doctors came, and after an examination they called for an ambulance.
Blood tests and an x-ray showed a serious lung infection, doctors believing it to be the same one as in October when I was in hospital for a week. I am in a room by myself and receiving good medical care, but yesterday an aggressive male nurse came in, and because of his nasty attitude, I asked him to leave. He then began to loudly say I was rude (a typical response when those in the wrong wish to lay blame on someone else), and when I denied his allegation, he became louder and said he had a witness. Another male nurse was in the room, and he seemed stunned by what was happening. I eventually got the aggressive one out with him constantly yelling that I was rude, and I told the other one and a female nurse that I wished to speak with the ward manager.
She discussed the matter with the male nurses first, the quiet one not taking sides and saying it was a clash of personalities. I have never experienced an aggressive macho male nurse before, but if he thought I would cower before him he was sadly mistaken. Apparently he was told never to tell patients they are rude because it sets up a confrontation. If he wants to know what rude is, he should take a spell in A & E on a Saturday night, not confront an ill 74 year old who needs care without hassle. Some years ago in Australia I was told by
someone in the system, that it is usual for health employees when they are in the wrong, to attack and try to mentally knock their opponent down. I guess it is the same here, but I'm the wrong one to take on.
And for the past year I've been trying to see a cardiologist. Eighteen months ago in Australia I was advised by my cardiologist that I need to see one in England as soon as possible to get into the system, my dual chamber pacemaker and cardiac condition being passports into the system. However despite two referrals from GPs nothing has eventuated. My pacemaker was checked andthe technician saying she will arrange for me to see a certain doctor who was named, and all I had to do was wait for an appointment letter. After 3 or 4 weeks nothing came, so I phoned the hospital. Cardiology had never heard of me, and had no record of a pacemaker check. I was then told that a referral lasts for only 2 weeks, and I should go back to my GP. A referral was arranged, and in due course an appointment to go to the hospital was arranged for 19th December. However when a young doctor in this ward followed up 10 hours ago, she told me it was a follow-up from my previous visit, not to see a cardiologist. I was told that I needed another referral from a GP, the third!
It was all beyond the young doctor, so she left me to stew about the incompetence of the system. I looked on my iPad for someone to phone in the hospital, and after I explained the circumstances and that I was a patient in the hospital, I was told that someone in Cardiology would call back this week. Bizarrely I was again told that there was no record of me, yet I had contacted my hospital's cardiology department in Australia for details of my case, and I passed it onto the hospital here.
Has the NHS become too big to be competent?
Last edited by MissBetty; Dec 24th 2012 at 12:16 am.
#680
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: The Real NHS
Simple...when you are dealing with people's lives then you can't afford to have "bad stuff".....
Then I don't suppose this ever happened did it....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-20830020
Then I don't suppose this ever happened did it....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-20830020
#681
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Now Devon
Posts: 951
Re: The Real NHS
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience, no one deserves to be treated like that and I agree with other posters on here that you should consider putting a complaint in writing to a senior member of staff about the nurse. I've had a similar experience with a colleague recently who is nasty to patients but its not suitable for a public forum so I'm sending you a pm. If there are enough complaints put in against an individual it is easier for a supervisor to investigate and then instigate disciplinary procedures as they are able to build a case against the person concerned. It then can't be written off as a 'personality clash' etc etc. I would also suggest that if you put the complaint in an e-mail then cc it to several different senior personnel at the hospital, that way it won't get swept under the carpet! Hope you feel better soon
#682
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,606
Re: The Real NHS
Thats disgusting, its amazing that someone dealing with those people didn't have heart to make these issues right at the time, I had a mother in a care home, there is no way I would leave the building until any of things were rectified, you have to make sure these things are done, you cant just sit and look the other way, everyone has to be pro active, if something doesnt change you stick around till it does, taking it higher and higher...
#683
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,606
Re: The Real NHS
Im glad you are finally home, Im also glad you are going to complain, its the only way to make things better, others and maybe you will reap the rewards of your ability to set things straight, someone has to speak up I know you will take care of business...
#686
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: The Real NHS
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/support/...gligence.shtml
My 80 year old mother went into a Midlands hospital with a tooth ulcer....her treatment was wrong and she died 18 hours after discharge. Her GP of many years after studying her hospital medication said "she went before her time".
The ranks close up I'm afraid.
#687
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: The Real NHS
I guess I just dont see the point of most of these links, of course they are all awful but they happen in every country in the world. The real NHS for us since being back has been fabulous, I'm sorry if that doesnt fit with some people but just the way it is I'm afraid. That doesnt mean that bad, terrible things arent happening, avoidable things, but I just dont see the point of trolling the net looking for bad news stories when there are many many times more good stories to make people feel good about the NHS.
I just dont get constant negativity.
I just dont get constant negativity.
#688
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 64
Re: The Real NHS
Like any system there are always problems and its easy to highlight the bad because they are well published.
However in the UK we have a choice, either NHS or private, yes I can hear you all screaming now, but it's still a choice, in many countries there is none.
I have a mother who is in a high dependency care home, the care system in the UK has it faults because they are mostly privately owned and its about money, once again we as a family have a choice.
Unfortunately, in my view , there is a different mindset in a Hospitals, Nursing homes and hospices.
Hospitals rate patients according to age, nursing homes rate according wealth and hospices are true and caring places as they know the patients end is in sight and treat patients with dignity.
On the other side of the coin I have recently suffered an accident which resulted in 3rd degree burns over my hand from fire.
The NHS treatment was brilliant and after each visit to the hospital I came away with a massive bag of goodies for free ( bandages, flamazine, soaked gauze etc). This stuff must cost a fortune and I would have expected to pay.
I know also from my son breaking an ankle, things like crutches, boots, and leg supports are given away and never asked or wanted back, this must cost a lot of money.
Constructive Feedback is definitely the answer.
However in the UK we have a choice, either NHS or private, yes I can hear you all screaming now, but it's still a choice, in many countries there is none.
I have a mother who is in a high dependency care home, the care system in the UK has it faults because they are mostly privately owned and its about money, once again we as a family have a choice.
Unfortunately, in my view , there is a different mindset in a Hospitals, Nursing homes and hospices.
Hospitals rate patients according to age, nursing homes rate according wealth and hospices are true and caring places as they know the patients end is in sight and treat patients with dignity.
On the other side of the coin I have recently suffered an accident which resulted in 3rd degree burns over my hand from fire.
The NHS treatment was brilliant and after each visit to the hospital I came away with a massive bag of goodies for free ( bandages, flamazine, soaked gauze etc). This stuff must cost a fortune and I would have expected to pay.
I know also from my son breaking an ankle, things like crutches, boots, and leg supports are given away and never asked or wanted back, this must cost a lot of money.
Constructive Feedback is definitely the answer.
#689
Re: The Real NHS
I agree. There are bound to be disaster stories, and they shouldn't happen, but it'd need a special study to see how representative any are.
I did wonder with the man who starved to death why the family didn't do something. They seemed to be worried, but not enough to make a real fuss, or take in food and make sure he ate it. I may be misjudging, because obviously I don't know the details, but some people don't want to take care of their elderly or handicapped relatives, even in such a small way.
Also, too many people are passive with the NHS. We need to take personal responsibility for our health care and that of our family, both in speaking up and actual hand-on care. And yes, when things go really wrong, we need to make a fuss. Write to the hospital trust, our MP, the media, the PM, whoever and whatever to create a stink.
My NHS experiences have been good to excellent, and the good got better when I informed myself and spoke up.
Bev
I did wonder with the man who starved to death why the family didn't do something. They seemed to be worried, but not enough to make a real fuss, or take in food and make sure he ate it. I may be misjudging, because obviously I don't know the details, but some people don't want to take care of their elderly or handicapped relatives, even in such a small way.
Also, too many people are passive with the NHS. We need to take personal responsibility for our health care and that of our family, both in speaking up and actual hand-on care. And yes, when things go really wrong, we need to make a fuss. Write to the hospital trust, our MP, the media, the PM, whoever and whatever to create a stink.
My NHS experiences have been good to excellent, and the good got better when I informed myself and spoke up.
Bev