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Post by armchairfan on Dec 30, 2022 14:22:49 GMT 1
As most will be aware, I spent Christmas in RSH, and the following somewhat disordered thoughts occurred to me during my time "inside"; given the time of year, I do not suggest that what happened in my case would have been generally representative of normal NHS experience, either for staff or patients, but I certainly do recognise that an institution set up in the aftermath of the last war needs to adapt, or fail: the challenges of the 2020s, and beyond, are not those of 1948; This is not intended to be a political thread, but I am not so naive as to believe that some would prefer the matters raised from a purely party political viewpoint; indeed, I accept that these musings are from a full-fledged member of the centre-right, which of itself invites challenge from some.
Personally, I don't care where this thread appears, if it appears at all - contributions will be made if there is sufficient interest, and if there isn't, heigh-ho
My initial thoughts will appear in a few days.
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Post by wakemanender on Dec 30, 2022 15:14:26 GMT 1
I spent just a day in hospital after a minor stroke in July this year. 15hours on a trolley in a corridor being monitored the whole time by ambulance staff. A quick examination by a junior doctor towards the end of the day and I was discharged even tho I couldnt walk. I was given an outpatients appointment at the stroke clinic a fortnight later. During my time in hospital however I was never bored because I was in equal measures appalled and frightened at what was going on around me. At the stroke clinic I was put on blood thinners. When I asked the doctor if I would be on these for life he replied "See how you feel". Phoned my doctors to make appointment so that I could discuss the symptoms I had been left with and I was given a telephone appointment three weeks later. A quick summing up. Do your best not to be ill until the modern day challenges have been met. I dont know what the times were called before the dark ages but I would say that is where the NHS is today.
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Post by MartinB on Dec 30, 2022 15:30:28 GMT 1
Don't think there is an easy answer here as so many different factors involved. The Government who would like to privatise the NHS, the impact of COVID and the impact of BREXIT.
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Post by Worthingshrew on Dec 30, 2022 16:18:32 GMT 1
Someone more knowledgeable than me has suggested we need a cross-party,non-political Royal Commission to look at the funding & structure of the NHS, and to examine funding models going forward. Seems eminently sensible to me. We need to take the politics out of it, otherwise it’s nothing more than a political football with everyone blaming the other side. I worked in the NHS for 20 years and I have no more solutions than anyone else, which is why a detailed examination by a Royal Commission is required IMO.
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Post by ianwhit on Dec 30, 2022 17:18:36 GMT 1
I've always been a fan of taking it out of political control, either fully or partially, a bit like what happened to the Bank of England. Surely then, a long-term approach can be aimed for rather than chop and change between governments, or prime ministers or whatever budget needs to tighten.
The joined-up approach with social care needs to be addressed, even Boris tried to address that with tax rises, but then that disappeared in leadership battles. The amount of beds that seem to be taken as people have nowhere suitable to be discharged to is always reported as a bottleneck.
I must admit my dealings with the NHS have been ok, but luckily I've not had any major emergencies.
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Post by northwestman on Dec 30, 2022 17:48:12 GMT 1
I spent just a day in hospital after a minor stroke in July this year. 15hours on a trolley in a corridor being monitored the whole time by ambulance staff. A quick examination by a junior doctor towards the end of the day and I was discharged even tho I couldnt walk. I was given an outpatients appointment at the stroke clinic a fortnight later. During my time in hospital however I was never bored because I was in equal measures appalled and frightened at what was going on around me. At the stroke clinic I was put on blood thinners. When I asked the doctor if I would be on these for life he replied "See how you feel". Phoned my doctors to make appointment so that I could discuss the symptoms I had been left with and I was given a telephone appointment three weeks later. A quick summing up. Do your best not to be ill until the modern day challenges have been met. I dont know what the times were called before the dark ages but I would say that is where the NHS is today. Similar scenario to myself. In 2010 I had a TIA (mini stroke) when shopping with my wife in Northwich. She flagged down a police car, who had an ambulance at the scene in a few minutes, as fortunately Northwich was then one of the main ambulance centres for the County. I was quickly taken to Leighton Hospital, where because it was a Saturday they had to call someone in to conduct a scan. I was then left overnight on a trolley, and it was only thanks to the persistence of my wife that I was finally allocated a bed on the stroke ward. In the meantime, I had lost my power of speech, and tried to get it back by attempting to pronounce the names of beers! I started with 'Spitfire' and progressed to 'Bombardier'. Within 24 hours I'd got my speech back. Other than my loss of speech, I suffered no further after effects of the TIA. However, being in a stroke ward is a very frightening experience, as I saw 1st hand what effects a full stroke can have on otherwise healthy individuals. I'm also now on never ending blood thinners!
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The NHS
Dec 30, 2022 18:01:42 GMT 1
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Post by MartinB on Dec 30, 2022 18:01:42 GMT 1
I've always been a fan of taking it out of political control, either fully or partially, a bit like what happened to the Bank of England. Surely then, a long-term approach can be aimed for rather than chop and change between governments, or prime ministers or whatever budget needs to tighten. The joined-up approach with social care needs to be addressed, even Boris tried to address that with tax rises, but then that disappeared in leadership battles. The amount of beds that seem to be taken as people have nowhere suitable to be discharged to is always reported as a bottleneck. I must admit my dealings with the NHS have been ok, but luckily I've not had any major emergencies. Totally agree. My daughter had lots of dealings with York Hospitals Maternity Ward this year. They were very kind towards her. Interestingly though they had a report which downgraded their rating 6 months before due to lack of staffing, lack of making notes and not seeking consent for tests from patients. I witnessed all those things with my daughter at the Hospital. At one point she had to argue with a member of staff concerning the test they were running as it had to be an hour and they were trying to take her off after an hour. It had been written in red on last test it had to be an hour. Question is was that down to lack of staff, funding or poor management? Potentially could be all three
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The NHS
Dec 30, 2022 19:14:31 GMT 1
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Post by armchairfan on Dec 30, 2022 19:14:31 GMT 1
There are, already, some interesting thoughts emerging, but I do especially like, in concept, the idea of somehow trying to remove Health from the political arena; the difficulty is, of course, that whilst Health has its own Department, it must always be open to political investigation, which is unlikely to be impartial; seems a bit like a chicken and egg situation...almost Kafkaesque. I still intend to provide a few details of my own experience, and, perhaps more importantly, my reactions and opinions derived therefrom; board-members can then draw their own inferences and conclusions - in the meantime further postings as to your own experiences are welcome.
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Dec 30, 2022 21:21:04 GMT 1
I'm sure if Labour got in they would do a better job. Until they got in and find just how much would need to be thrown at NHS to make any significance to how they are doing now.
I too spent 9 days in Telford hospital, getting parole for good behaviour on 23rd so am following this thread with interest.
I was in ward 11 overlooking the ambulance parking for A&E. One of the days there was 19 ambulances parked there all afternoon. Reason, A&E hadnt got any more room to admit any more patients so those ambulances couldnt move onto any more emergencies until there was somewhere to offload their current patient. There were supposedly 138 cases waiting in A&E that day and nurses were being asked to go and help out in A&E but most were saying "no chance" as they knew just what a cattle market it is in there at the best of times.
Never mind when they close Telfords A&E and it all goes to Shrewsbury we are assured it will be much better. Who the feck are they kidding 😡
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The NHS
Dec 30, 2022 23:04:33 GMT 1
Post by staffordshrew on Dec 30, 2022 23:04:33 GMT 1
I've never been too keen on local Trusts. The NHS is one big "firm", why not run it as such?
For a start, the medical staff can be working for one trust and agency working for another Trust. That surely can't be right?
Shame Boris' promise to sort out social care funding didn't come off, it could have been a real legacy of his time in office.
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Post by staffordshrew on Dec 30, 2022 23:19:41 GMT 1
I spent just a day in hospital after a minor stroke in July this year. 15hours on a trolley in a corridor being monitored the whole time by ambulance staff. A quick examination by a junior doctor towards the end of the day and I was discharged even tho I couldnt walk. I was given an outpatients appointment at the stroke clinic a fortnight later. During my time in hospital however I was never bored because I was in equal measures appalled and frightened at what was going on around me. At the stroke clinic I was put on blood thinners. When I asked the doctor if I would be on these for life he replied "See how you feel". Phoned my doctors to make appointment so that I could discuss the symptoms I had been left with and I was given a telephone appointment three weeks later. A quick summing up. Do your best not to be ill until the modern day challenges have been met. I dont know what the times were called before the dark ages but I would say that is where the NHS is today. Similar scenario to myself. In 2010 I had a TIA (mini stroke) when shopping with my wife in Northwich. She flagged down a police car, who had an ambulance at the scene in a few minutes, as fortunately Northwich was then one of the main ambulance centres for the County. I was quickly taken to Leighton Hospital, where because it was a Saturday they had to call someone in to conduct a scan. I was then left overnight on a trolley, and it was only thanks to the persistence of my wife that I was finally allocated a bed on the stroke ward. In the meantime, I had lost my power of speech, and tried to get it back by attempting to pronounce the names of beers! I started with 'Spitfire' and progressed to 'Bombardier'. Within 24 hours I'd got my speech back. Other than my loss of speech, I suffered no further after effects of the TIA. However, being in a stroke ward is a very frightening experience, as I saw 1st hand what effects a full stroke can have on otherwise healthy individuals. I'm also now on never ending blood thinners! As you say, the effects of strokes..... When my mum used to have the odd week or two in a care home there was one chap aged about 45 who had had a stroke and was confined to a care home, very, very frightening.
Regarding getting your speech back with the names of beers, they say a Double Diamond works wonders and Guinness is good for you.
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Post by frankwellshrews on Dec 31, 2022 0:30:07 GMT 1
Hope you're feeling better, armchair, sorry to read you were in hospital over Christmas.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 10:16:31 GMT 1
Post by The Shropshire Tenor on Dec 31, 2022 10:16:31 GMT 1
I've never been too keen on local Trusts. The NHS is one big "firm", why not run it as such? For a start, the medical staff can be working for one trust and agency working for another Trust. That surely can't be right? Shame Boris' promise to sort out social care funding didn't come off, it could have been a real legacy of his time in office. I was going to offer the opposite opinion, something as huge as the NHS is impossible for a human being to manage and would benefit from local control together with practitioners having a major input. It’s not a matter of private does it better, my younger daughter left BT this week because she was fed up with bad management and the amount of waste caused by ill thought out projects. The problem was with people at the top, those on the ‘shop floor’ and junior management had a much better idea of what was required but were not listened to by HQ.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 11:28:56 GMT 1
Post by staffordshrew on Dec 31, 2022 11:28:56 GMT 1
I've never been too keen on local Trusts. The NHS is one big "firm", why not run it as such? For a start, the medical staff can be working for one trust and agency working for another Trust. That surely can't be right? Shame Boris' promise to sort out social care funding didn't come off, it could have been a real legacy of his time in office. I was going to offer the opposite opinion, something as huge as the NHS is impossible for a human being to manage and would benefit from local control together with practitioners having a major input. It’s not a matter of private does it better, my younger daughter left BT this week because she was fed up with bad management and the amount of waste caused by ill thought out projects. The problem was with people at the top, those on the ‘shop floor’ and junior management had a much better idea of what was required but were not listened to by HQ. There is a lot in what you say, senior management often has no idea. But that may also apply in the Trust hierarchy?
It was more the finance of it, I would be interested to know how much Trusts cost? Do they just duplicate inept management?
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Post by thesensationaljt on Dec 31, 2022 12:29:02 GMT 1
I know someone who got "lost in the system" for weeks despite desperate phone calls. The trust directors were said to be "horrified" by his lack of treatment. Didn't have his bed made for 5 days on one ward when he was too ill to get up. Had to keep begging for water because there was a danger of kidney failure. None came for ages even though the water jugs were a few feet away, because the one "alleged" nurse said she was too busy. She wasn't too busy to stand talking to colleagues and glaring at said patient.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. How long have you got?
Then there were the angels. Big shout out to Cathy from Churchstoke and the one night nurse who made her first job every night to bring two jugs of water to said patient without being asked. The staff who spent hours cleaning up s**t from a gravely ill patient who promply s**t himself straight away again. More clean up without complaint. I think it happened 3 times one night alone.
Just thought I'd cheer you up for the new year.....
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Post by servernaside on Dec 31, 2022 12:37:14 GMT 1
Despite all the public criticism and constant media talk of the NHS in crisis, I can only report my own personal experience. About 9 months ago I was diagnosed with a non-life threatening condition which does however require observation and some medication. In all that time, I can only say that I have received excellent treatment, face to face consultations with both my GP and consultants at two different hospitals have been easily and promptly organised and the staff have been first class.
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Post by The Clash 1966 on Dec 31, 2022 13:02:55 GMT 1
I've gone in twice with anaphylaxis and was seen to about five seconds after I walked into A&E. So with that they get a big thank you from me. I had COVID very early on and spent a day in RSH while they were getting my breathing back to normal. I was on a trolley the whole time. I didn't care as they got me back to normal.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 13:32:56 GMT 1
Post by staffordshrew on Dec 31, 2022 13:32:56 GMT 1
Despite all the public criticism and constant media talk of the NHS in crisis, I can only report my own personal experience. About 9 months ago I was diagnosed with a non-life threatening condition which does however require observation and some medication. In all that time, I can only say that I have received excellent treatment, face to face consultations with both my GP and consultants at two different hospitals have been easily and promptly organised and the staff have been first class. That's good to hear, just the way it should be, every time. Good to hear you are doing ok too. Sometimes it just seems that the human body has evolved a little too far and is susceptable to breakdown. Hopefully science will triumph.
Stay healthy in 2023.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2022 13:44:49 GMT 1
Whilst I’m not for 1 minute suggesting everything in the NHS is hunky dory, I do feel that Social Care needs to get a serious focus on it, because it’s the system that’s broken as a whole.
We hear a lot about patients who are blocking beds, because they can’t go home, but the majority of that is due to there being either no care home beds or domiciliary care available.
That then means people can’t be admitted to wards, so they’re stuck on trolleys, etc, so that then causes a back up in A&E, which then causes Ambulances to queue outside.
There is then the front door element. How many people can get a GP appointment these days? I’ve been trying for 3 weeks but I’m not deemed urgent, despite some breathing difficulties from a chest issue…My alternative is to go to A&E but I’m not really sure I need that, I just need some more inhalers I would think.
The general public need to look at themselves as well. Last week, on the ambulance strike day, I saw chiefs saying that public had heeded their plees to only call 999 in an emergency. Well why isn’t that the case every day then?!
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Post by davycrockett on Dec 31, 2022 14:00:47 GMT 1
Whilst I’m not for 1 minute suggesting everything in the NHS is hunky dory, I do feel that Social Care needs to get a serious focus on it, because it’s the system that’s broken as a whole. We hear a lot about patients who are blocking beds, because they can’t go home, but the majority of that is due to there being either no care home beds or domiciliary care available. That then means people can’t be admitted to wards, so they’re stuck on trolleys, etc, so that then causes a back up in A&E, which then causes Ambulances to queue outside. There is then the front door element. How many people can get a GP appointment these days? I’ve been trying for 3 weeks but I’m not deemed urgent, despite some breathing difficulties from a chest issue…My alternative is to go to A&E but I’m not really sure I need that, I just need some more inhalers I would think. The general public need to look at themselves as well. Last week, on the ambulance strike day, I saw chiefs saying that public had heeded their plees to only call 999 in an emergency. Well why isn’t that the case every day then?! Sorry but the ambulance service is not fit for purpose end of. May be the hospitals fault but let’s not blame the patients. I’d guess the reason for less calls on the strike day was people just themselves knowing (on NHS advice) your life had to be at risk to get an ambulance. Should we only call an ambulance if we’re dying? What about seriously I’ll or injured but not life threatening? My experience, laying on the floor at home with a ruptured appendix having dialled 999 the only way to get to hospital was to get a family member to take me. Paramedics advice as he said I’d wait hours for an ambulance and that was in July. Regarding your breathing difficulties have you tried the pharmacist? If you’ve already had them prescribed they can either prescribe them or refer you to your doctor for an urgent appointment. My brother in law had exactly the same, doctors refused an appointment pharmacist said he needed one, got one the same day.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 15:15:22 GMT 1
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2022 15:15:22 GMT 1
Whilst I’m not for 1 minute suggesting everything in the NHS is hunky dory, I do feel that Social Care needs to get a serious focus on it, because it’s the system that’s broken as a whole. We hear a lot about patients who are blocking beds, because they can’t go home, but the majority of that is due to there being either no care home beds or domiciliary care available. That then means people can’t be admitted to wards, so they’re stuck on trolleys, etc, so that then causes a back up in A&E, which then causes Ambulances to queue outside. There is then the front door element. How many people can get a GP appointment these days? I’ve been trying for 3 weeks but I’m not deemed urgent, despite some breathing difficulties from a chest issue…My alternative is to go to A&E but I’m not really sure I need that, I just need some more inhalers I would think. The general public need to look at themselves as well. Last week, on the ambulance strike day, I saw chiefs saying that public had heeded their plees to only call 999 in an emergency. Well why isn’t that the case every day then?! Sorry but the ambulance service is not fit for purpose end of. May be the hospitals fault but let’s not blame the patients. I’d guess the reason for less calls on the strike day was people just themselves knowing (on NHS advice) your life had to be at risk to get an ambulance. Should we only call an ambulance if we’re dying? What about seriously I’ll or injured but not life threatening? My experience, laying on the floor at home with a ruptured appendix having dialled 999 the only way to get to hospital was to get a family member to take me. Paramedics advice as he said I’d wait hours for an ambulance and that was in July. Regarding your breathing difficulties have you tried the pharmacist? If you’ve already had them prescribed they can either prescribe them or refer you to your doctor for an urgent appointment. My brother in law had exactly the same, doctors refused an appointment pharmacist said he needed one, got one the same day. You’re missing my point. How people end up at A&E but don’t need to be there? Why don’t they use Minor Injuries units? There never used to be this many people attending A&E. What’s changed? A more dangerous world? I don’t think so. and nowhere did I say they have to be dying. Of course an emergency is a relevant reason to call an ambulance.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 15:18:08 GMT 1
Post by ssshrew on Dec 31, 2022 15:18:08 GMT 1
I think it all changed when GPs stopped working at weekends and access to medical help and advice became so much more difficult and impersonal.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 15:28:48 GMT 1
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Dec 31, 2022 15:28:48 GMT 1
I know someone who got "lost in the system" for weeks despite desperate phone calls. The trust directors were said to be "horrified" by his lack of treatment. Didn't have his bed made for 5 days on one ward when he was too ill to get up. Had to keep begging for water because there was a danger of kidney failure. None came for ages even though the water jugs were a few feet away, because the one "alleged" nurse said she was too busy. She wasn't too busy to stand talking to colleagues and glaring at said patient. That's just the tip of the iceberg. How long have you got? Then there were the angels. Big shout out to Cathy from Churchstoke and the one night nurse who made her first job every night to bring two jugs of water to said patient without being asked. The staff who spent hours cleaning up s**t from a gravely ill patient who promply s**t himself straight away again. More clean up without complaint. I think it happened 3 times one night alone. Just thought I'd cheer you up for the new year..... Your second paragraph was my experience when in. The nurses couldn't do enough, I couldnt fault them.
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Dec 31, 2022 15:35:10 GMT 1
Sorry but the ambulance service is not fit for purpose end of. May be the hospitals fault but let’s not blame the patients. I’d guess the reason for less calls on the strike day was people just themselves knowing (on NHS advice) your life had to be at risk to get an ambulance. Should we only call an ambulance if we’re dying? What about seriously I’ll or injured but not life threatening? My experience, laying on the floor at home with a ruptured appendix having dialled 999 the only way to get to hospital was to get a family member to take me. Paramedics advice as he said I’d wait hours for an ambulance and that was in July. Regarding your breathing difficulties have you tried the pharmacist? If you’ve already had them prescribed they can either prescribe them or refer you to your doctor for an urgent appointment. My brother in law had exactly the same, doctors refused an appointment pharmacist said he needed one, got one the same day. You’re missing my point. How people end up at A&E but don’t need to be there? Why don’t they use Minor Injuries units? There never used to be this many people attending A&E. What’s changed? A more dangerous world? I don’t think so. and nowhere did I say they have to be dying. Of course an emergency is a relevant reason to call an ambulance. A&E take on a large number of patients that should be seen at their local GP. They just fob you off with the "no appointments, ring tomorrow or go to A&E" has been quoted at me more than once.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 16:15:17 GMT 1
Post by neilsalop on Dec 31, 2022 16:15:17 GMT 1
Over the last two years our grandson who had his 2nd birthday this week has had his life saved on several occasions by the wonderful staff at Russells Hall hospital in Dudley. The whole family got Covid in the week that he was born, his dad was on steroids and inhalers and his blood/oxygen levels were dangerously low. Grandson has been in at least 5 times on blue lights.
A couple of months ago the wives first mother in law felt ill and managed to see a locum at her GP surgery. The locum didn't know her and just put her lack of energy down to being elderly. If she had seen her regular GP he would have picked up that something was wrong, as she was very active for her age, and would have probably done a few tests. As it is she felt sicker and sicker throughout the week and when she eventually realised that she needed to call us it was too late, she was already dying. Having said that the 999 call handler was excellent and had the rapid response paramedic with us within 5 minutes and a full crew ambulance less than 5 minutes behind. The care she was given at RSH was excellent as well, both in A&E and on the ward. The nursing staff couldn't do enough for us as a family.
There is no quick fix for the NHS, no matter what anyone tries to say. Labour can't fix it over night and the Tories don't appear to want to fix it. The one decent idea that Johnson had while he was in office was to try to fix the care system, but his successors seem to have kicked that idea into the long grass. Until there are beds available for recovering patients to move to in either local community hospitals, care homes, residential homes or even their own homes with adequate support there are going to be thousands of beds in acute wards that aren't being made available to the patients that need them. That leads to backlogs in A&E and ambulance staff being tied up for hours on end on handovers that aren't then available to respond to other emergencies.
Thankfully we haven't had any major incidents in Shropshire recently, but if 90-95% ambulances allocated to the country on any given day are waiting to hand over their patients to the A&Es any major incident is likely to turn into a disaster.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 16:31:56 GMT 1
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on Dec 31, 2022 16:31:56 GMT 1
Prior to my stay in hospital I actually fidget face to face appointment with a GP. Not seen him before. He examined means said there was nothing wrong with me, we had to plead for him to do a full blood count which he condecendingly did. Guess what, bloods were all over the place, kidney function dangerously low and quickly got admitted into hospital by a specialist who has been managing my case for a few weeks. 9 nights in hospital, bloodclot, feeling as though I've done 10 rounds with Frank Bruno, ongoing district nurse visitations over Christmas.
I'm sorely tempted to get another appointment with him just to ask his opinion now as to whether there is nothing wrong with me. WAnk3r.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 16:42:44 GMT 1
Post by staffordshrew on Dec 31, 2022 16:42:44 GMT 1
Sorry but the ambulance service is not fit for purpose end of. May be the hospitals fault but let’s not blame the patients. I’d guess the reason for less calls on the strike day was people just themselves knowing (on NHS advice) your life had to be at risk to get an ambulance. Should we only call an ambulance if we’re dying? What about seriously I’ll or injured but not life threatening? My experience, laying on the floor at home with a ruptured appendix having dialled 999 the only way to get to hospital was to get a family member to take me. Paramedics advice as he said I’d wait hours for an ambulance and that was in July. Regarding your breathing difficulties have you tried the pharmacist? If you’ve already had them prescribed they can either prescribe them or refer you to your doctor for an urgent appointment. My brother in law had exactly the same, doctors refused an appointment pharmacist said he needed one, got one the same day. You’re missing my point. How people end up at A&E but don’t need to be there? Why don’t they use Minor Injuries units? There never used to be this many people attending A&E. What’s changed? A more dangerous world? I don’t think so. and nowhere did I say they have to be dying. Of course an emergency is a relevant reason to call an ambulance. They closed some A&Es. I think the idea is Telford would close and become a minor injuries. I suppose that puts more pressure on the A&Es that are left.
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The NHS
Dec 31, 2022 16:48:59 GMT 1
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2022 16:48:59 GMT 1
There are far too many changes made in local health care structures.
Too often it is change for change sake and sadly politically driven.
Take my example.
I moved over from the Acute sector to work at Oldham Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Before long the organisation changed from Oldham PCT to Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Not long after my Public Health colleagues moved from the CCG on TUPE to be part of the Oldham Council team.
Not long after a number of us were transferred, on TUPE terms to the Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit, but we still continued to provide services to the CCGs. Within 12 months the organisation changed again, this time to cover the wider north west of England geographical area.
How do you embed best working practices, team work, staff retention when you are constantly faced with change and constantly changing priorities? In the end there was far far too much fire fighting, chasing unrealistic targets, it was all so reactive and ultimately soul destroying for both colleagues and myself, no wonder so many left to pursue new careers.
I found out recently that NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) closed at the end of June 2022 and its functions have been taken over by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care (‘NHS GM’).
Are health and social care services any better as a result of all these changes?
From what I have been told, NO.
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Post by kenwood on Dec 31, 2022 17:02:29 GMT 1
Many points raised on this thread mirror my thoughts exactly . We cannot continue to see Health and Social Care as two separate identities . They are , for obvious reasons many have identified on here , interlinked and have been for years. We cannot just struggle to solve the problem in the health service without including the problems experience by the social care sector which includes residential as well as nursing care facilities even though the majority are privately owned concerns. Ditto domiciliary care providers . I totally agree that we are at a stage where solutions need to be looked at with a consensus of opinion . It has been said that our GP Practices are now no longer fit for purpose. Radical reforms are necessary within the Community and Hospital settings . Of course the problem isn’t helped by the fact that the NHS and social care sector are facing the greatest workforce crisis in their history. A fact underlined by the first ever annual decline in the social care workforce . Loads of questions to answer and problems not solved by chucking money at them, it just doesn’t work. We are where we are and there doesn’t seem to be a desire for all parties to remove the crisis from a purely political argument . Whilst they prevaricate we all suffer . Surely we must ask the question what kind of legacy are we leaving our children . We need to do so much better . I shall be writing to my MP ( yes , he’s the one ) to ask serious questions . I shall let you have details of his reply in due course.
For now , a very Happy and Healthy New Year to All .
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2022 17:57:56 GMT 1
You’re missing my point. How people end up at A&E but don’t need to be there? Why don’t they use Minor Injuries units? There never used to be this many people attending A&E. What’s changed? A more dangerous world? I don’t think so. and nowhere did I say they have to be dying. Of course an emergency is a relevant reason to call an ambulance. They closed some A&Es. I think the idea is Telford would close and become a minor injuries. I suppose that puts more pressure on the A&Es that are left.
More Minor Injuries centres are a good thing, but it’s how we educate the public to us them. I can’t understand why you’d choose an A&E over an MIU, provided it’s not something serious of course. I’ve been seen at our Bridgnorth one twice, both times recommended to go to A&E by my GP practice on the phone. Knew i didn’t need A&E, in and out of MIU in 45 minutes and the staff there couldn’t believe the GP had said A&E…Again, it’s the system that’s the issue
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