The NHS

[Hullfox]

I've been to the hospital today for a regular visit with my eldest lad.

He's been there as an inpatient and outpatient over the last 15 months after breaking his leg twice in 8 weeks. He's needed 2 ops and regular attention so nothing life threatening.

Now over the course of the time that we've had to go, I've been astonished at the laziness of some of the nursing staff we've met on many occasions.

His consultant has been fantastic and the people in the plaster room and physiotherapy too but the ward nurses other than maybe one or two and their colleagues in outpatients just seem to stand around doing as little as possible every time we visit. It's the same people every time.

This isn't meant as a criticism of the NHS overall, I know that they save lives everyday but is it how others see it?

Some of the people we've seen do not deserve paying, others deserve a whole lot more because they seem to carry those around them. I don't know whether the glass is half full or half empty.

I can't make up my mind whether I'm disillusioned or in awe.

[Raj]

I've been to the hospital today for a regular visit with my eldest lad.

He's been there as an inpatient and outpatient over the last 15 months after breaking his leg twice in 8 weeks. He's needed 2 ops and regular attention so nothing life threatening.

Now over the course of the time that we've had to go, I've been astonished at the laziness of some of the nursing staff we've met on many occasions.

His consultant has been fantastic and the people in the plaster room and physiotherapy too but the ward nurses other than maybe one or two and their colleagues in outpatients just seem to stand around doing as little as possible every time we visit. It's the same people every time.

This isn't meant as a criticism of the NHS overall, I know that they save lives everyday but is it how others see it?

Some of the people we've seen do not deserve paying, others deserve a whole lot more because they seem to carry those around them. I don't know whether the glass is half full or half empty.

I can't make up my mind whether I'm disillusioned or in awe.

Whenever ive been(disclocated knee x 2, Mrs-Wisdom teeth,Dad-Heart trouble) they have been exceptional.

Bound to be a few bad apples and it could be lack of motivation or just'not bovvered' which suggest they shouldnt be in such a job really.

As my Mrs is pregnant(Baby to come in Sept) we'll be able to gauge the Local Gen Hospital abit better then but so far in our last 3-4 appointments regarding scans etc they have been A1.

I think overall the NHS is a national treasure but im sure people have some bad even tragic stories.

Hope the lads okay by the way.

[Flynny]

As a principle it's fantastic, as an organisation it's pretty good, but on an individual level you'll always find twats in every walk of life. I wonder if it's harder for government organisations to sack people with relatively weak reasons? That and they're having to fly in half our health workers from abroad nowadays anyway.

My experiences of the three hospitals are a bit mixed. Glenfield has been fantastic whenever I've been about my slightly dicky heart, the LRI's A&E department is decent but frequently undermanned. The LRI's maternity bit seems wonderful as opposed to the General's, who my mum could quite easily have sued were she that way inclined a few years back, for reasons I won't go into now. Shocking.

[coale39]

As a principle it's fantastic, as an organisation it's pretty good, but on an individual level you'll always find twats in every walk of life. I wonder if it's harder for government organisations to sack people with relatively weak reasons? That and they're having to fly in half our health workers from abroad nowadays anyway.

My experiences of the three hospitals are a bit mixed. Glenfield has been fantastic whenever I've been about my slightly dicky heart, the LRI's A&E department is decent but frequently undermanned. The LRI's maternity bit seems wonderful as opposed to the General's, who my mum could quite easily have sued were she that way inclined a few years back, for reasons I won't go into now. Shocking.

I echo that. I remember visiting my mum in hospital when I was little. I dont know what the state of the general is now, but it was a mess back then (ten years ago). Oher patients on the ward not looked after properly etc. Didnt look clean either.

[Toby or not Toby]

I thought as i was there with an injury sustained from football that they just left me and i didnt know what was going on.

When i had the plaster off and on they was good, grey haired bloke was quite cheerful and funny.

My physiotheropy at glenfield was good and the hospital seemed clean.

Also the general smell and atomosphere at glenfield was better than the Royal.

[Dr The Singh]

I've been to the hospital today for a regular visit with my eldest lad.

He's been there as an inpatient and outpatient over the last 15 months after breaking his leg twice in 8 weeks. He's needed 2 ops and regular attention so nothing life threatening.

Now over the course of the time that we've had to go, I've been astonished at the laziness of some of the nursing staff we've met on many occasions.

His consultant has been fantastic and the people in the plaster room and physiotherapy too but the ward nurses other than maybe one or two and their colleagues in outpatients just seem to stand around doing as little as possible every time we visit. It's the same people every time.

This isn't meant as a criticism of the NHS overall, I know that they save lives everyday but is it how others see it?

Some of the people we've seen do not deserve paying, others deserve a whole lot more because they seem to carry those around them. I don't know whether the glass is half full or half empty.

I can't make up my mind whether I'm disillusioned or in awe.

I used to work for the NHS and my Mrs still does!! Generally people at the NHS have an issue with 'self importance' that runs right through the system. Yes, there are alot of good people and some people get exceptional care, but my mrs who used to work for the audit dept for over 6 years would say that patient care hasn't improved but gotten worse!!!

My perosnal experience has been either bad or very good. Having been to the maternity ward at the royal on 3 occassions, the first 2 times was very good, the last was appalling, i'm not going into detail but the lack of hygiene etc was terrible, under staffed by a long means, no beds, if the birth had complications there could have been a serious risk to my child's life, and that's comming form the nurse!!

I once took my aunt who's 60+ to have her cataracts removed and a couple of other things, she had to have no food in the morning because of the op, they called her in for 9.00 am, she had to sit in a smelly room, for over 7 hours with no food waiting for her turn. Then when she was out in the ward, the conditions were terrible, the ward was seriously mis-run, there was urine everywhere, old people needing help, and to be honest the staff were very blasay, chatting amongst themselves and wroking at there own pace!!!

Yet, my little boy had an hernia op, we were put in our own room, with a1 facilities etc, but one gripe, a mate of mine's kid needed a hernia op, unfortunately had to wait 3 weeks for it, this was abit of an issue as the kid wa in pain, my mate asked if he could go private, the consultant goes, no problem I can do it this friday!!! That is not right, if there are places available, consultants should aloow NHS patients to take them for private slots. But my bro in law who is a consultant and runs a private clinic says that if that were to happen, consultants would lose alot of miney and would leave this country, the NHS has no option!!!

[James.]

I think that what this thread will demonstrate is the variability and inconsistency in quality of service the NHS provide. For a public sector organisation as large as this that is only to be expected to some extent.

My recent experiences have been very positive. My girlfriend's father had a stroke about 6 weeks ago and is currently recovering in the new stroke ward at Stoke Manderville hospital. His rapid recovery so far has been greatly aided by excellent care by nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and consultants. Everyone I've met has been very friendly and genuinely seemed to care about their patients.

[Ric Flair]

I got rushed in a year or so ago as I was experiencing severe chest pains and the NHS Direct said they had no choice but to send an ambulance and take me in. They did tests, when it became clear I wasn't having a heart attack, which I pretty much knew myself anyway, they came across as taking the piss that i'd gone to hospital because of a few pains in my chest.

The nurses were a disgrace, one of them ripped the things off my chest, along with a load of hair, which fookin hurt. If I could have got up without pain i'd have dropped the shoulder on her. I was fuming and my girlfriend was disgusted by them.

They kicked us out about 5 am, without any help in getting us a lift back.

Having said that, I have had some better experiences with the NHS in the past. Mixed bag, I suppose.

[lavrentis]

The only recent experience I have had with the NHS is when my nephew had meningitis. They were very clear as to what was happening and to what they are doing to him. They even told my sister to say her Goodbye's to him as he almost died. They were also very good at when he had fits etc, to calm my sister down. But the previous doctor who my sister took my nephew to said there was nothing wrong with him, just a common cold but then my sister insisted of getting a new doctor who instantly said "Get him to hospital", without telling her it was meningitis. Then they provided an ambulance for him.

[Katy]

I have worked in numerous NHS hospitals as a Nursing Auxiliary in the past 13 or so years and always put the patients first, some people I worked with would rather do anything than interact with who they were supposed to be looking after and it baffled me. I'm not the worlds most patient person but the way some of these so called Nurses (trained and untrained) treated some of the elderly was tantamount to abuse.

When I did my Nurse training I found that the amount of additional, unnecessary crap you have to do as a trained Nurse detracts from actually caring for people and it never used to be like that.

When I've been a patient in an NHS hospital I've often been made to feel like a hindrance and it's a horrible feeling and it gets to the point where you don't want to ask for help to the toilet etc and it's totally wrong. This is how people fall out of bed and injure themselves more because they don't want to 'bother' a Nurse for a bedpan or whatever and try and do it themselves and it makes me so mad.

fook the endless paperwork and start caring!

[Phube]

Those Nuclear Medicine Technicians are fantastic!!

[blue blood]

There is a fair bit of discussion on the NHS here, for there to be a measuring stick there has to be something to measure against. I had an op last thursday, through my employers one of the perks is provate medical cover.

I went to the GP first off for an ear/hearing problem. The GP referred me to see a consultant. First off the waiting list to see a consultant via the NHS was 55 days and on the private cover it was 5 days. That says its own story.

As part of the diagnostics the consultant (who is also the head of the ENT @ LRI. He works days at the NHS, 2 evenings a week at private hospitals and 3 evenings a week at his own clinic, fitting in operations during the week days for nhs and private) sent me for a CT scan which was arranged for the next day. I was amazed that the consultant arranged an appointment for the next day also to see the results of the scans.

The consultant deemed an operation was required for the condition i had and that was arranged for a couple of days later at the bupa/spire in oadby.

On saturday morning i suffered internal bleeding and had to go back in....my family called the bupa/spire hospital and they were there waiting with the gown etc on arrival with a room ready and the on duty consultant waiting in the room......!

I know this is a paid service but as far as a health service goes the performance of all involved to date has been flawless......i cant help but think these are the impossible targets the NHS should be aiming for.

[purpleronnie]

It sure beats paying shitloads of money for it. if you dont like it try bupa.

[The People's Hero]

I have private health care fortunately and they are building a massive private hospital in Maidstone.

Sweet.

Hope I don't need it though.

[Tabou]

I have private health care fortunately and they are building a massive private hospital in Maidstone.

Sweet.

Hope I don't need it though.

I broke my arm at 2am in at the Tamworth Snowdome on jump night. Ended up spread eagled on a VW Beetle. Dont Ask....

My Dad then phone Leicester A&E to see what teh waiting time was (3 Hours)

After much debating, I decided to visit A&E, as I could see my bone.

4hrs 15 mins Later, I was put in a cast (Now at LOughborough Hospital, to save another 2 hour wait)

3 Weeks later , whilst at a routine check up, the nurse decided it wasnt broken and removed cast.

6 hours later, I decided it DEFINANTLY was broken, with another 3 hour wait for a new cast.

Many complaint letters later, I'm still waiting for a suitable excuse/apology....

So, from my experience, NHS is BAD.

[purpleronnie]

Whats the alternative though?

[coale39]

Whats the alternative though?

Witch Doctors of course!

[Daggers]

Why wasn't this a poll?

I want to vote "Don't know"

[Trav Le Bleu]

I broke my arm at 2am in at the Tamworth Snowdome on jump night. Ended up spread eagled on a VW Beetle. Dont Ask....

My Dad then phone Leicester A&E to see what teh waiting time was (3 Hours)

After much debating, I decided to visit A&E, as I could see my bone.

4hrs 15 mins Later, I was put in a cast (Now at LOughborough Hospital, to save another 2 hour wait)

3 Weeks later , whilst at a routine check up, the nurse decided it wasnt broken and removed cast.

6 hours later, I decided it DEFINANTLY was broken, with another 3 hour wait for a new cast.

Many complaint letters later, I'm still waiting for a suitable excuse/apology....

So, from my experience, NHS is BAD.

Was it a Friday/Saturday night? Cos from experience of my broken bones and friends broken bones, stuff like that happens on Fri/Sat night cos they are leisure pursuits related (I'm including drinking here! ) Visit any A&E in England on a Saturday night and watch the drunks dripping blood everywhere.

[Phube]

One thing the NHS does better than anything is 'proper' emergencies...

When I twisted my unmentionables I went to A&E at 2pm... by 6pm I was in the operating theatre! They're just bad when it's not so serious or you have to stay in.

[Hullfox]

It sure beats paying shitloads of money for it. if you dont like it try bupa.

Valuable input.

Ask some of those who caught MRSA whether it beats paying shitloads of money.

If I had known my lad would have been left lying in hospital with a broken thigh for three days, unable to eat and drink because of rescheduled operations, I may well have tried Bupa. It's not a choice that you always have the opportunity or resources to make though.

I think that the general idea of the debate is to question that whether or how the service could be improved without having to pay shitloads of money either through more taxation or directly or whether it's as good as it will get.

[Daggers]

I think that the general idea of the debate is to question that whether or how the service could be improved without having to pay shitloads of money either through more taxation or directly or whether it's as good as it will get.

It's as good as it is ever going to be - all of the recent investment has done is raise salaries and the need for further investment. Currently, the key area to be in is that of spinning the NHS line. My brother quit his post and has been contracted as a consultant to make the public perception of the NHS improve without actually changing any of the indicators that would demonstrate improvement as fact.

I am sure the public would be delighted to know that he has been given a three-fold increase in remuneration in order to work 2/3's less. NHS at its finest.

The wife recently got 2500 practitioners into Aston Villa for training - they bitched because having to be there from 9 until 3 was a very long day.

Laziness, negativity and over-inflated self-importance are a cultural aspect to large public sector bodies. It changes only through privatisation...

[Dr The Singh]

It's as good as it is ever going to be - all of the recent investment has done is raise salaries and the need for further investment. Currently, the key area to be in is that of spinning the NHS line. My brother quit his post and has been contracted as a consultant to make the public perception of the NHS improve without actually changing any of the indicators that would demonstrate improvement as fact.

I am sure the public would be delighted to know that he has been given a three-fold increase in remuneration in order to work 2/3's less. NHS at its finest.

The wife recently got 2500 practitioners into Aston Villa for training - they bitched because having to be there from 9 until 3 was a very long day.

Laziness, negativity and over-inflated self-importance are a cultural aspect to large public sector bodies. It changes only through privatisation...

Spot on Daggamania, I look forward to your next album!!!

[Father Ted]

Just got home from the Royal. Broke my hand at school and it's in plaster and a sling. They pass you around as if your on a conveyor belt I'm having to write this with my left hand, not my usual hand and no sport for 6 weeks

[Daggers]

Spot on Daggamania, I look forward to your next album!!!

Not saying it needs to though - me? I'd just rewrite GP's contracts forcing them to see people outside the restrictive hours currently in place. And I don't mean so that you can see some locum who doesn't give a **** about you - I mean so that you can see YOUR doctor. And that house calls are reinstated.

You want your £250,000 p/a Mr. GP? Do some ****ing work for it now.

Oooo...I think I'm still angry from my environmentalist rant.