The NHS

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Yours is a considered post mate and deserves a considered response, but i am on a mobile now, typing with one finger, so cannot post much

But do you really think the NHS has only failed 1%?

From my perspective, I'd put it more like 50%, maybe higher. People who've picked up c.dif when they went in with none; ditto MRSA; people who've had to wait too long for treatment; people who've had treatments cancelled; who've not had access to the treatment they needed; who went in for minor surgery and got their bowel nicked and who nearly died; people who spent ages longer on a ward because there was no room at the facility they were supposed to be transferred to; people who had to hang around in A&E for 6 hours; who couldn't get treatment at the weekend when they needed it; who had to drag themselves to the surgery because no GP would visit.

You see I think we've become accustomed to mediocrity. We are like residents at Fawlty Towers who get barked at if we dare to criticise the food.

Prior to about 2010, I think the figure is accurate. They did the best given the knowledge and equipment given to them. I'm not making this political btw, it's simply post the crash.

Post 2010, we've have had to reduce the deficit at a time where medicine is exponentially increasing in complexity and is at the mercy of private drug companies investing a huge amount in R&D to keep ahead of the game.

If we are ever to actually Brexit, then I really hope we put all our skills in AI, medical machinery and drug development.

These three things are going to be huge moving forwards and if the NHS is to survive, then we need drug development and medical machinery to be at the forefront of our national business.

The NHS has never been perfect, but MRSA is harshnto blame on them as it was an unknown disease until diagnosed and was dealt with as best they could.

Surgical errors will always be made, whether NHS or private. I guess you could sue for more if done privately? (The suing culture has a lot to answer for too btw)

The rest of what your post implies is down to either mismanagement, lack of education or lack of funds.

Waiting times in A&E are down to a lack of doctors, lack of GPs and/or a lack of education. For example, If you have some sort of rash that looks like it could be meningitis, you'd ring your GP, they'd say they can't see you till 3 weeks on Wednesday. At that point, you'd ring NHS direct; they'd talk it through with you and advise you to go to A&E as they can't take the risk of you dying following your phone call.

GPs are retiring as soon as they can as they've had too much legal responsibility put on them. They can only refer people to the next level of specialist. That could take months/years. If they misdiagnose then they are culprable. They also need to invest heavily in their practice to make it sustainable.

Crazy times we are living in.

 

[idahoblues]

Prior to about 2010, I think the figure is accurate. They did the best given the knowledge and equipment given to them. I'm not making this political btw, it's simply post the crash.

Post 2010, we've have had to reduce the deficit at a time where medicine is exponentially increasing in complexity and is at the mercy of private drug companies investing a huge amount in R&D to keep ahead of the game.

If we are ever to actually Brexit, then I really hope we put all our skills in AI, medical machinery and drug development.

These three things are going to be huge moving forwards and if the NHS is to survive, then we need drug development and medical machinery to be at the forefront of our national business.

The NHS has never been perfect, but MRSA is harshnto blame on them as it was an unknown disease until diagnosed and was dealt with as best they could.

Surgical errors will always be made, whether NHS or private. I guess you could sue for more if done privately? (The suing culture has a lot to answer for too btw)

The rest of what your post implies is down to either mismanagement, lack of education or lack of funds.

Waiting times in A&E are down to a lack of doctors, lack of GPs and/or a lack of education. For example, If you have some sort of rash that looks like it could be meningitis, you'd ring your GP, they'd say they can't see you till 3 weeks on Wednesday. At that point, you'd ring NHS direct; they'd talk it through with you and advise you to go to A&E as they can't take the risk of you dying following your phone call.

GPs are retiring as soon as they can as they've had too much legal responsibility put on them. They can only refer people to the next level of specialist. That could take months/years. If they misdiagnose then they are culprable. They also need to invest heavily in their practice to make it sustainable.

Crazy times we are living in.

Courts issuing ridiculous settlements have fucked everything up

 

[SilverFox2]

Prior to about 2010, I think the figure is accurate. They did the best given the knowledge and equipment given to them. I'm not making this political btw, it's simply post the crash.

Post 2010, we've have had to reduce the deficit at a time where medicine is exponentially increasing in complexity and is at the mercy of private drug companies investing a huge amount in R&D to keep ahead of the game.

If we are ever to actually Brexit, then I really hope we put all our skills in AI, medical machinery and drug development.

These three things are going to be huge moving forwards and if the NHS is to survive, then we need drug development and medical machinery to be at the forefront of our national business.

The NHS has never been perfect, but MRSA is harshnto blame on them as it was an unknown disease until diagnosed and was dealt with as best they could.

Surgical errors will always be made, whether NHS or private. I guess you could sue for more if done privately? (The suing culture has a lot to answer for too btw)

The rest of what your post implies is down to either mismanagement, lack of education or lack of funds.

Waiting times in A&E are down to a lack of doctors, lack of GPs and/or a lack of education. For example, If you have some sort of rash that looks like it could be meningitis, you'd ring your GP, they'd say they can't see you till 3 weeks on Wednesday. At that point, you'd ring NHS direct; they'd talk it through with you and advise you to go to A&E as they can't take the risk of you dying following your phone call.

GPs are retiring as soon as they can as they've had too much legal responsibility put on them. They can only refer people to the next level of specialist. That could take months/years. If they misdiagnose then they are culprable. They also need to invest heavily in their practice to make it sustainable.

Crazy times we are living in.

Do you think that there is a little cross Trust resentment?
I ask because in my case as a long term MRI patient one of my many blood tests indicated a problem with advice to get it fixed in Yorkshire where I lived.The consultant there criticised MRI and their referral perhaps constrained by costs,?

 

[stonerblue]

As someone who has been reliant on healthcare for the past few months for a recurring condition, I can only say this.

The NHS is a wonderful thing, but the people who work there are in my epxerience, generally negligent, disinterested and generally provide poor service.

As someone who's wife is kept alive by the nhs, and grandson as well, and has been at a hospital almost every month for the last 7 years i can say unequivocally you are very very wrong.

 

[stonerblue]

I didn't say ALL the people working in it are shite, did I, child.

Is this the 'grown up conversation' that smudge and mb crave?

 

[Ban-jani]

It should be constitutional/UK law that it’s free for everyone at the point of use.

I’m not wholly against privatising parts of it as long as this is guaranteed.

 

[Blue Hefner]

It’s not the best but it’s certainly not the worst. And less NI contributions, it is free. So we get what we pay for and to that extent the starting salary for a Band 5 Staff Nurse is circa £22k. We get what we pay for

There is very little chance of any political party doing much more to improve it because a) criticism will result in the other ‘side’ jumping down their throat and b) people don’t want to pay more money. There is also zero chance it will be improved in a post-Brexit Britain

In short, the NHS does things well and some things not-so-well. The politicians have a similar record

From a personal perspective, I don’t ‘love it’ but I appreciate people need it for its various services

 

[markbmcfc]

Agree with a lot of the OP, he isn't wrong, but he's generalizing far too much.

They are aspects of the NHS and those who work for it who are absolutely a representation of the criticism in the OP. That's not the NHS's fault, it's human nature. Where I work, we perform shite and have shite staff that make shite mistakes sometimes. I'd imagine any other place of work is the same. Human beings are an inefficient and mistake ridden species, and so the NHS is no different.

That said, as someone that spent time in intensive care at 21 with his family at his bedside ready to say goodbye, the care I received from the NHS and the doctors and nurses that helped me, was nothing short of superhuman. The care of the NHS and the performance of the nurses and midwives that delivered my Son, was nothing short of amazing either.

I guess it's all about experiences. You can't tarnish everyone with the same brush and that works in both ways, one amazing nurse doesn't make them all amazing.

It should however, be protected from anyone trying to tear it apart.

 

[Metal Biker]

As someone who's wife is kept alive by the nhs, and grandson as well, and has been at a hospital almost every month for the last 7 years i can say unequivocally you are very very wrong.

Then all I can say is that you've experienced a very different level of care and attention that I did not when I came to rely on the NHS for treatment and healthcare.

I do trust your family is well and on the mend and hope that they recover soon with no complications.

 

[SilverFox2]

I wonder why designing and implementing an integrated computer system is so elusive?
Other sectors of. Industry have been streamlined by such measures so what is it that is so special about the project?