I don't like complaining about the nhs, but..

Dave85 · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:35

If were complaining about the NHS hows this for incompetence. My uncle developed Angina they did an angio gram and he had 1 stent put in and the specialist said your left side is most likely not blocked at all don't worry about it seeing as your feeling better.

fast forward 3 weeks my uncles rushed to hospital for an angioplasty again and an emergency stent placed in the other side. Turns out it was 95% blocked and no way it had developed that suddenly. could have been killed because of the specialist he seen before didn't think it needed done.

shoes · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:37

Deific said:
I am happy to pay higher taxes for the NHS. Do you really want to be a country where people can't get the treatment they need because they can't afford it? Imagine the implications that would have on the other areas of society.

It would be a good incentive to pay attention at school though

[FnG]magnolia · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:39

You guys would moan even more if the only option you had was BUPA and the like. The NHS has many, many faults but being free is not one of them. Be thankful you have a choice.

[FnG]magnolia · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:41

DAvE18 said:
If were complaining about the NHS hows this for incompetence. My uncle developed Angina they did an angio gram and he had 1 stent put in and the specialist said your left side is most likely not blocked at all don't worry about it seeing as your feeling better.

fast forward 3 weeks my uncles rushed to hospital for an angioplasty again and an emergency stent placed in the other side. Turns out it was 95% blocked and no way it had developed that suddenly. could have been killed because of the specialist he seen before didn't think it needed done.

That specialist almost certainly also works in private; they almost all do. A poor or unfortunate diagnosis is not the fault of the NHS as a system.

[TW]Fox · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:44

Dolph said:
The problem with this position is that it's a false dichotomy, there are more options than 'the NHS' and 'payg healthcare', indeed very few other countries in the world use our system.

And very few other countries have a healthcare system that's as good, utopian visions aside, as ours. As with any large organisation there are many inefficiencies but healthcare is one thing our country can and should be proud of.

Sure, if we didnt have an NHS and I paid for private insurance instead i'd probably only be slightly worse off. But I'm happy to pay the amount I do to ensure that everyone in the country no matter who they are has the same access to healthcare.

Ahleckz · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:55

arc@css said:
Had my physio in no time, will vary considerably I guess.

This.

Robbie G said:
They'll just give you a list of exercises to do. Google ankle exercises and do them yourself.

And this.

[TW]Fox · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:56

According to the DOH website, in Cambridgeshire where the OP lives, 97.6% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral.

So it would seem having to wait up to 20 weeks is the exception rather than the rule.

alx · 12 Aug 2011 at 12:59

[TW]Fox;19813366 said:
And very few other companies have a healthcare system that's as good, utopian visions aside, as ours. As with any large organisation there are many inefficiencies but healthcare is one thing our country can and should be proud of.

Sure, if we didnt have an NHS and I paid for private insurance instead i'd probably only be slightly worse off. But I'm happy to pay the amount I do to ensure that everyone in the country no matter who they are has the same access to healthcare.

Guessing you mean countries??

Street · 12 Aug 2011 at 13:02

My girlfriend had exactly the same problem. She had a car accident and it knocked 3 discs out of alignment in her back. The NHS said she could have physio with them but there was a good few month wait for it so they suggested she go private for it until an NHS slot became available.

At least she should be able to claim back the costs of going private from the other driver!

platypus · 12 Aug 2011 at 13:04

Street said:
At least she should be able to claim back the costs of going private from the other driver!

I had too after my car crash.

Archy · 12 Aug 2011 at 13:38

My Father was having to wait until Jan for an appointment with a Rheumatologist on NHS. Being in considerable pain and wanting to get a diagnosis rather a bit sooner than January, he had to go private. The healthcare is there, it's just infortunate it is as Fox says, inefficient in parts.

Having said that, my wife works in Payroll for NHS, they are unbelievably understaffed, underfunded and the management are shocking. Not to mention that in 2011 they are still using mostly manual payrolls and it is all processed internally. Crazy.

Mr-White · 12 Aug 2011 at 14:28

Originally I got quoted 6 months by my doctor but luckily I got in some how after about 2 weeks. Still had to wait 6 hours to be seen at the hospital, which is disgraceful. Luckily i get health insurance now through work.

MW

jack.m · 12 Aug 2011 at 14:43

I work for the NHS in the Bath RUH and we have just installed a brand new (11 year old) computer system. My god its soooo un user friendly so i expect waiting list times will only get longer down here.

A.N.Other · 12 Aug 2011 at 14:45

Referrals for physiotherapy in Oxford was a complete waste of time when I did my knee. I ended up going private - got one within a week.

Dr. Pain · 12 Aug 2011 at 15:22

This is what happens when some areas get overpopulated and the NHS cannot cope.

What do you expect? Look at the population expansion for your local area and see whats what.

Certainly we do not have such ridiculous waiting times in Scotland, where the population has remained the same since the 1970's, giving the NHS a chance to tailor its healthcare correctly.

Its tough to change the NHS to the constantly moving target of the social and numerical make up of the English population.

drunkenmaster · 12 Aug 2011 at 15:27

[FnG]magnolia;19813331 said:
That specialist almost certainly also works in private; they almost all do. A poor or unfortunate diagnosis is not the fault of the NHS as a system.

Actually, it is, doctor quality is plummeting in the NHS< largely because GCSE's, then A'levels are getting easier, which means the first year of med school is easier, etc, etc, its a knock on effect.

Likewise, the fact that its free is exactly why waiting lists are so long. Got a short term cold, run to the doctors and ask for tests, and antibiotics, and keep going. People forgoe common sense when they see no downside of just triple checking they haven't done anything bad. So many people who go to the GP or ER simply don't need to, at all.

PErsonally, I've seen about four different physio's, of which all were completely incompetant, most private ones are awful. We're finally starting to get people who look far more closely at whole body movement, flexibility, support muscle strength and fixing incorrect movement caused by injury. These guys are few and far between and very little quality training is going on in uni physio courses.

Theres bad doctors, incompetant doctors, unprofessional doctors all over the NHS.

Private hospitals are able to FAR more easily fire incompetant doctors who simply aren't up to the job, NHS, public sector firing is almost impossible these days. The bills in compensation for malpractice and the like in the NHS is rising fast to quite ridiculous levels, often for minor ridiculous things.