Well, as a counterpoint to all the NHS doom and gloom...
I developed an abscess on my back a week ago. Got some antibiotics from the GP, but it has continued to get worse so went into Urgent Care over the weekend. OK the overall 4 hours total wait/assessment time wasn't great but could have been a lot worse.
Given a referral to the 'Surgical Assessment Unit' this morning, where I was seen within 15 mins of arrival, scheduled for minor surgery to drain it tomorrow, and had some blood taken for standard pre-op tests.
Back out of the door with my paperwork for tomorrow in <1hr.
This is at a large South London hospital which doesn't have the highest CQC ratings.
Hopefully all will go smoothly tomorrow, but so far - good job NHS!
Good luck!
The Mrs has within 8 weeks:
- Had her initial consultation about her back (Needs some bone removing from a vertebrae and potentially a diskectomy.
- Had the MRI and other requested scans
- Had the follow up consultation and promise to be on the 'list' for surgery (but may take 18 months+)
- Got a place in a private hospital (same consultant) funded by the NHS.
- Had the initial consultation there, had some opportune pre-surgery bloods done last week.
- Booked in for Weds this week for the Op!
The Hospital has a Good CQC with outstanding for care, good for everything else, so seems acceptable.
Pretty much when you need urgent care/surgery, the NHS have always stepped up for us..
I've required a few urgent diagnostics and between myself, the Mrs and the kids, we've found that they will always say you will be on a long waiting list, then miraculously within a day or so get a phone call for a 'cancellation' and offered a place quickly.. however I know its not a cancellation because when asked for convenient times, they seem to have a wide choice of dates/times and when you do go, it's like a ghost town, often being the only patient there.. In fact the only thing that has genuinely taken months is the superfluous stuff I normally pay privately for anyway, like physio..
Been on the waiting list for kidney surgery for 2 years. I have 9 stones which are all too big for the external lithotripsy so they need to do a more “invasive” surgery.
Got called on the on 10th October to be told my operation date is Nov 6th, called on the 25th October to be told “sorry more urgent need” and rebooked for Nov 20th, called this morning to be told “sorry more urgent need” and Dec 6th it has been rebooked for.
Honestly, I lost it on the phone. I get it wasn’t their fault but it’s starting to really get to me.
Yeah, funnily enough the worst experience was the Wifes gall stones.. basically they had to get to a point she was in A&E for 3-4 hours passing out and drifting in/out of consciousness with the pain before they reluctantly decided to bump her op up in priority, but to be fair, that episode (A&E is pitiful, their triaging (or lack of) triaging was barbaric) made it obvious she needed it sorting quickly.
