NHS Direct to be closed

Superewza said:
For those of you who have some sense left:

http://www.savenhsdirect.co.uk/

Cameron said that 100,000 signatures would guarantee a Commons debate.
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Signed.

I called NHS Direct when I had a swollen ankle after playing badminton and was worrying that maybe I'd done some serious damage as it was so painful to walk on. NHS Direct said they would have a nurse call me back in an hour, which she did - asked me a few questions and said basically to take pain killers, raise the foot and put cold compresses on it - if the swelling doesn't go down in a couple of days go to A&E. Sure enough it sorted itself out after a day. If I hadn't been able to talk to a qualified nurse I think I'd have probably called a cab to take me to A&E which would have wasted my time and NHS money.

It's quite sad really, all the Conservatives have to offer is taking the country back to the mid 1990s, when our public services were in a right old state. There's a real poverty of ambition about some ministers, Andrew Lansley is definitely one.
 
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Redman said:
What did you use it for? Or more precisely, what did your parents use it for 'on your behalf'?
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They suspected that i had meningitis, and another time i had a strange rash that they were worried about.

I'd give you more details but i can barely remember anything that hasn't happened in the past 6 months, never mind more than 5 years ago.
 
I have Axa PPP and BUPA through my pension, not sure why I have both. Something to do with how our scheme is setup I think.

Anyway the GP line is through HSF (Health Saturday Fund) which is a scheme which my company subsidise for employees. http://www.hsf.eu.com/uk/

This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the telephone number will be given to you in your registration pack. The service allows you to speak with a qualified practising GP free of charge and at a convenient time. After making the initial call the doctor will telephone you. Every call is confidential and your details will not be passed on to anyone without your prior consent.

You can ask about all sorts of things including:
– an ache or pain that won't go way
– sensitive or confidential concerns
– explanations of diagnosis or treatment you may have been prescribed
– possible after-effects of surgery
– side-effects of any medication you are taking
– vaccinations you may need when you are travelling abroad and other health precautions relevant to your own personal medical history

The GP Advice Line is complementary to your NHS GP. In an emergency situation, you should contact your own NHS GP or the emergency services directly so as not to delay the appropriate treatment. This service is provided for HSF health plan by Medical Solutions UK Limited.
 
I personally would like see NHS direct not only stay but also to be further developed. I think it needs to be utilised more by the public. I do appreciate that obviously funding and savings issues are important but it does provide a way for somebody to seek advice if they are unable to contact/see their GP especially for very minor ailments.

Much of the workload of GPs comprises of very minor issues which could be dealt with the NHS direct. One place where it fails for me, however, is on the over cautious nature of the advice unfortunately (but whole heartedly understandable). Anyone with a rash or cough cold with fever gets advised to see their GP.
 
scorza said:
Signed.

I called NHS Direct when I had a swollen ankle after playing badminton and was worrying that maybe I'd done some serious damage as it was so painful to walk on. NHS Direct said they would have a nurse call me back in an hour, which she did - asked me a few questions and said basically to take pain killers, raise the foot and put cold compresses on it - if the swelling doesn't go down in a couple of days go to A&E. Sure enough it sorted itself out after a day. If I hadn't been able to talk to a qualified nurse I think I'd have probably called a cab to take me to A&E which would have wasted my time and NHS money.
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See this is what I was trying to point out in my earlier post.
Not that people who call NHS direct are stupid, but not everyone has access to the internet, or somebody with experience they can call for advise.

However, the point remains that it doesn't need a Doctor or Nurse to give the above advise, anyone who has been trained to do so on the new 111 number could easily diagnose that. I myself also know that already and if somebody asked me, I'd tell them. It's just then common sense that you need to go see a Doctor if the swelling doesn't subside.


I'd also argue that while people might be quick to say that having a bunch of trained people with no proper medical qualification manning the phones is a bad thing... well, is it any different to current 999 Operators?

I believe they have similar training, but aren't medically qualified. Yet I bet they've answered more than a few calls and told somebody how to stop bleeding or put someone into the recovery position while waiting for an ambulance. Of course no doubt also having a Doctor or Nurse available for advise should they be needed, so it seems little different to me.
 
Nexus said:
I'd also argue that while people might be quick to say that having a bunch of trained people with no proper medical qualification manning the phones is a bad thing... well, is it any different to current 999 Operators?
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Yes. 999 operators aren't expected to make judgements and portion out conditional medical advice. Beyond explaining standard responses like how to put someone in the recovery position or how to check their A, B & C all they do is record as much information about the patient's condition as they can so that the paramedics who arrive on scene are informed. Obviously in the case of truly retarded calls, like the recently mentioned woman who wanted an ambulance to go pick up her son's glasses prescription, they're expected to use their discretion, but if somebody has a medical concern they're not allowed to vet the call if they don't think it's serious enough to warrant an ambulance and they're not allowed to make judgements on said situation and administer medical advice beyond that already mentioned.
 
Politically its a brave move as it will only take 1 **** up from non-medically trained Joe Callworker and the media will have a field day querying why the service was changed.

Which leads me to believe that if this goes ahead, the people on the phones will be trained to such a risk-averse position (even more so than right now) that you may as well have an automated response saying talk to your local GP or go to A&E for all the use the people on the phones will be.
 
Rich_L said:
Which leads me to believe that if this goes ahead, the people on the phones will be trained to such a risk-averse position (even more so than right now) that you may as well have an automated response saying talk to your local GP or go to A&E for all the use the people on the phones will be.
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You could be right, here. What you'll end up with is a heath equivalent of a heath call-centre. Some person following a flowchart at the other end of the 'phone.

NHS direct were great when I snapped my banjo-string as I didn't want to bother A&E but wanted to make sure that a walk-in centre could cater for the problem.
 
I've not someone thats ever been a hypercond.. (not sure how to spell the rest) - but have used NHS Direct in the early hours about 3 times across 5 years for our 2 children - and they were always very helpful indeed. Recommendations from a nurse or Dr on drugs, combinations of drugs etc, even doses (not always whats on the bottle) is invaliable when you've a very poorly young child and its 3 in the morning.
 
It was a waste of money anyway, can't do anything over the phone other then say "go to the hospital", you don't need to employ medical qualified people to do that.
 
Energize said:
It was a waste of money anyway, can't do anything over the phone other then say "go to the hospital", you don't need to employ medical qualified people to do that.
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I think the main point was telling people 'dont go to the hospital' when they didnt need to, thus cutting down on A&E attendances.
 
its just going to mean everyone will clog up A&E and doctors when nothing is wrong with them, epic fail from this stupid moronic government!
 
NHS direct are absolutley useless. None of the staff are trained and all they do is check the NHS website for your symptoms, they have a couple nurses who phone you back if it's an emergancy, but the nurses aren't that highly trained either and often simply give you advice and inform you to go to your GP or the hospital. It was a waste of taxpayers money.
 
[TW]Fox;17260097 said:
I think the main point was telling people 'dont go to the hospital' when they didnt need to, thus cutting down on A&E attendances.
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Anyone who can follow a flowchart can do that too. ;)
 
Energize said:
Anyone who can follow a flowchart can do that too. ;)
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I know you have a problem with the NHS in general for some reason, and if you want to take medical advice from a call centre monkey then that's your prerogative. However I certainly wouldn't, in my example earlier it's quite simple - either I speak to a doctor or a nurse about my ankle or I go to A&E anyway. The pain really was excruciating, getting reassured by someone following a flow chart is no reassurance at all.

I love how all the forum right-wingers think that being a medical professional is basically following a flow chart lol :p
 
scorza said:
I know you have a problem with the NHS in general for some reason, and if you want to take medical advice from a call centre monkey then that's your prerogative.
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This is not NHS specific, so don't trying bringing that into the thread. They aren't giving you any medical advice other than that any first aider could do. If you can follow a flow chart you can do that. I don't know why people seem to think that all medical problems need to be handled by a consultant.
 
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I've used NHS 24 (the Scottish equivalent) a couple of times and they've been very useful.

The first time I had a dry socket after a tooth extraction but didn't know what it was, just that I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep and I had no emergency dentist contact. I was given a non-emergency appointment at 3am at a hospital and was given codeine to ease the pain until I could get to a dentist the next day.

The second time I could have gone to my GP but the problem started while I was away overnight for a funeral and by the time I got home I felt too lousy to wait :(. I phoned and was sent to a non-emergency doctor again who gave me the prescription I needed.

I think being able to access a non emergency out of hours service can be invaluable, especially for smaller issues that appear over weekends or holidays. I'm fairly sure that my GP refers all patients to NHS 24 out of hours rather than providing a non emergency service.
 
[TW]Fox;17258227 said:
Interesting that GP's said NHS Direct was a waste of money.

Nothing to do with it cutting down on customers at GP Surgeries?
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Quite the opposite

More often than not, NHS direct either offered vary basic medical advice you already knew (like to take lots of fluid with a cold etc...) or referred you to the out of hours GP / hospital.

[TW]Fox;17258312 said:
GP's receive payment for activity.
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GPs have prove what they have done with the patient to get it however.

Patients who turn up whinging in reception about a cold dont qualify for QOF payments. Which is what a lot of NHS direct calls will be about - basic queries that wont get the GPs any payments.

If anything, the GPs have a vested interest in having something like NHS direct open, as it gives them somewhere to direct all the queries they get about coughs / colds that they can do nothing about.

scorza said:
Signed.

I called NHS Direct when I had a swollen ankle after playing badminton and was worrying that maybe I'd done some serious damage as it was so painful to walk on. NHS Direct said they would have a nurse call me back in an hour, which she did - asked me a few questions and said basically to take pain killers, raise the foot and put cold compresses on it - if the swelling doesn't go down in a couple of days go to A&E. Sure enough it sorted itself out after a day. If I hadn't been able to talk to a qualified nurse I think I'd have probably called a cab to take me to A&E which would have wasted my time and NHS money.

It's quite sad really, all the Conservatives have to offer is taking the country back to the mid 1990s, when our public services were in a right old state. There's a real poverty of ambition about some ministers, Andrew Lansley is definitely one.
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this is one of the reasons NHS direct serves little purpose

They've told you to do what you would have done had NHS direct not existed.

Put a bag of frozen peas on it, take some painkillers and gone to A&E if it hadnt got better.


You say it was a help, but what did people do with swollen ankles before NHS direct ? Die ?
 
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