Grayling

The 'Liverpool care pathway' is an approach to treatment adopted worldwide. It was developed in Liverpool but has since been used extensively in many countries. it is not restricted to the UK and it is not a geographical description.....at least talk about something you understand

Bud the Wiser

You're clutching at straws and trying to point score. Nowhere did I say it was restricted to the UK, nor did I refer to it as a geographical description.

Obviously there are concerns about it in the UK or there wouldn't have been independent reviews.

http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/en-GB/C...-care-pathway/

Grayling

Pot....kettle

Bud the Wiser

My SIL tells me exactly the same thing, almost to the letter. I believe there is a clinic that she could go to that would give you something to 'tide' you over and tell you to try again for a doctors appointment, or tell you to go to the ER. Berks/Bucks border.

Do GP's do home visits still? I can recall several times having the doctor around at our house and even going to his/her private residence. Once even had him out on Christmas day as my two year old went into some sort of shock with over excitement. Bless him

Slough by the way, is one of the few places in the UK where I felt uncomfortable walking around in the daylight.

Sally Redux

Woe, woe and thrice woe.

Grayling

When I was in England last year I had a couple of things which needed attention. I made three appointments with a GP practice in Cambridgeshire and ech time I was seen the same day within a few hours.

I also had to go to an Emergency department in Mansfield and was seen within half an hour and saw a specialist the same afternoon with a follow up in a couple of days.

When I lived in Derbyshire our GP practice had a policy of same day appointments guaranteed.

Three different places...all excellent service.

Seems some people are just unlucky.

Bud the Wiser

So why the inconsistencies between the quality of service in different parts of the country? Surely, if it is indeed a national service, there should be, a best only minor discrepancies in the quality of care. Luck should not come into providing a national health care service.

Grayling

I have never found the inconsistency....have you or are you just repeating anecdotes that suit your agenda.

I also worked for the health service, in several places, and never saw any inconsistency.

My mother lived in Oxford until she died last year and her GP regularly visited her at home......things are a lot bett than you seem to like to portray them

Giantaxe

I presume individual GPs have a reasonable amount of autonomy in how they run their practices. Having said that, allowing appointment scheduling for the current day only seems gratuitously unhelpful for patients.

Grayling

They do......they are, effectively, independent practitioners.

Bud the Wiser

Thanks for reassuring me that GP home visits are still part of national health care.

The inconsistencies are well documented. I try not to portray any thing other than what anyone else can access with a bit of research. You can't ignore what happened at mid-staffs for example.

Grayling

There have been healthcare scandals across the world. Selective focussing on them does not give the true picture in any country....we have had issues here in Australia and I am sure they have also happened in America.

Do you want us to start googling them?

Sally Redux

Just the odd one or two

Grayling

The reason why the NHS comes under such scrutiny is because of it's nature as a political football.....just look at the focus on problems in the NHS in America promoted by the opponents of Obamacare...as a dire warning of what might happen.

Just take the example of MRSA....we were given the impression that it was solely a UK problem....It was quietly overlooked that is was a worldwide problem just as prevalent in countries like the US and Australia and many more

Sally Redux

Spot on.

Stephen Hawking would have died under the NHS