The worst care in the UK

[ShyGirl]

Doesn't matter.

Clinic wouldn't give me prescription for my medications even though i've lost them and i've 5 days until new ones are issued.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I'm very angry right now and know this is the last straw regarding my clinic and chemist.

I have managed to lose some meds and last night even forget to take my injection due to stress and things going on i'd rather not go into (i've never forgotten to take a medicine in all of my diabetic life but the stress atm is high even for me).

Chemist says they no longer provide emergency access to medication.
Clinic tell my mum that she shouldn't have called to order a medicine...what?! She rang to ask nurse about my options but thanks for your help receptionist who knows more than nurses and doctors.

I'm weeks away from seeing prof , i'm trying to keep my levels as low as possible and i'm basically told I will have to wait 5 days until my next order is due.

One GP once told me that if I ever run out of meds it's imperative that I get in touch.


I rarely swear but right now i'm close to kicking something and telling someone to shove it where the sun don't shine.

Aaawww shygirl so sorry to hear of your problems, could ask for your doctor to call you for a phone consultation? to discuss getting the medication? Are your other meds diabetes related? if you need your medication then you surely you must have them I hope your situation gets sorted out very soon. With very best wishes RRB

 

[SouthernGeneral6512]

I'm really sorry to hear that shygirl :sick:.

I sometimes wonder if you just get a better service if you go private ... there is something about the nhs being free at the point of need that encourages a bad attitude from some of the staff

 

[Ambersilva]

Your Health Centre can and should issue emergency prescriptions. Our HC did that when a relative lost all his meds in a house fire.

Our HC receptionists are no longer allowed to be mini doctors possibly due to patients like me complaining to the doc about being turned away the day before diagnosis with DKA.

 

[noblehead]

As well as asking your gp for an emergency prescription you can also turn up at the hospital and they should give you a few days supply, not long after I was first diagnosed I dropped my last insulin vial on the kitchen floor, as it was the weekend I went to Casualty and they give me a vial to go on with.

 

[GraceK]

I'm really sorry to hear that shygirl :sick:.

I sometimes wonder if you just get a better service if you go private ... there is something about the nhs being free at the point of need that encourages a bad attitude from some of the staff

Southern - you are spot on with that comment!

And I can tell you that because I'm a Medical Secretary, or rather I WAS until January this year when I was dismissed from my post because ... wait for it ... I had to be hospitalised with pneumonia due to sitting at work with my back to an open window in November. I have asthma as well as diabetes and because I work as a temp the people I often have to work with often resent the fact that I'm 'stealing their overtime' etc (yes it goes on, even in the NHS where you'd expect people to be nice, friendly and compassionate). Hence the open window in November, which no matter how many times I closed it, a colleague would get up and open it and I couldn't say anything because she was further up the unbroken length of service ladder which is sooooooooooo important in the NHS, than I was - and they also wanted me out so they could have the overtime.

So I ended up having an asthma attack which turned out to be pneumonia, not one of my NHS colleagues asked if I needed medical assistance. I clocked myself out of work and went to the local Walk In Centre where I was quickly put in a wheelchair on oxygen and the paramedics were called followed by an ambulance to take me ... yes ... to hospital. Because I couldn't return within 2 days I was dismissed from my temporary post even though I was the person with the best qualifications for the job, am competent and have the right attitude and social skills.

I was trained as a Medical Secretary in 1973 when compassion was fashionable and ESSENTIAL to the role. It's not so today, I'm sorry to say, and nor is it necessary to be qualified or experienced to get a job as a Medical Secretary these days. You can walk straight out of a job in Top Shop and into the NHS without any training these days - and I'm sorry to say - it shows.

And I've witnessed Secretaries speaking on the phone to patients as if they were something to scrape off the sole of their shoe, and I've also heard it pointed out that they should be 'grateful' the doctor would actually see them and that we have a FREE NHS Service. Some of those secretaries actually believe the NHS is free, not free at the point of access as you so rightly point out above.

The attitude stinks and I'm now glad I'm out of it. I'm very passionate about the NHS but not passionate about how it's becoming. It's improving in lots of ways but at the cost of the compassionate attitude which is so essential to good practice.

 

[Dillinger]

Doesn't matter.

Clinic wouldn't give me prescription for my medications even though i've lost them and i've 5 days until new ones are issued.

Are you a Type 1 diabetic? If so you need to demand your medication; it's not optional. If you are a Type 2 on insulin then again that's not up for debate by a receptionist or a clinic due to their policies; that's down to your consultant and you.

I'm afraid I think you need to 'man up' a bit on this and start demanding some help. If your chemist doesn't 'do' emergency prescriptions change chemists immediately, ditch the clinic too if they are being so unhelpful.

If there are really no alternatives go to A&E and ask if they can help; they'll either be able to give you medication as Noblehead says or give you a prescription.

You mustn't accept this sort of treatment.

Best

Dillinger

 

[ShyGirl]

A couple of weeks later I had another run in.
GP had forgotten to add something to my prescription .

The secretary asked me why i'd not asked earlier in the week to which I replied

"I did and today received my order which was missing item"
Woman- "You need (name of item)?"
ME- "yes ".
Woman- "You mean it doesn't come ready?"
ME- "No ,"
Woman- "It will be included "
ME- "No."

Quite funny looking back as she called back twice, moaned a bit then asked someone to pick up a prescription within the next hour.

I'm afraid I think you need to 'man up' a bit on this

Ummm ,you mean buy a penis and attach it to my underwear?
Grow a beard? No thanks

 

[Robinredbreast]

A couple of weeks later I had another run in.
The last thing I told my GP back in May was "Can you please add needles to my prescription because i'm on a new drug". I received the medicines but no needles.

The secretary asked me why i'd not asked earlier in the week to which I replied

"I did and today received my order which contained lancets but no needles"
Woman- "You need needles?"
ME- "yes , I need needles so I can inject the medicine".
Woman- "You mean it doesn't come with needles?"
ME- "No ,I need NEEDLES and its Friday so.."
Woman- "It will be included with the pen"
ME- "No. I need separate needles as the pen has medicine in , no needle is attached"

Another 5 minutes of kafkaesque madness.

WOMAN- So you need needles? What size?
WOMAN-"Hang on , i'll call you back"

Quite funny looking back as she called back twice, moaned a bit then asked someone to pick up a prescription within the next hour.

I'm afraid I think you need to 'man up' a bit on this

Ummm ,you mean buy a penis and attach it to my underwear?
Grow a beard? No thanks.

Hi shygirl how are you keeping?I think the word assertive comes to mind rather than 'man up' :shock: , but it is very difficult at times to get things across correctly, and a secreatary or receptionist is just that, not doctor and certainly not entitled to talk down or belittle patients ( as mentioned in another post on here). They are not paying for our percriptions,( I'm sure the majority of people dont deliberatly loose their medication or leave it until they have none left), so they should just get on and do the job they are supposed to do and if they are TOLD to act in this way by the doctor :eh: then you could get in touch with the practice Manager, either face to face or a written letter. With best wishes RRB

 

[ShyGirl]

 

[izzzi]

Hi shygirl,

You seemed to have had far to many bad experiences with the NHS.

You need to get your GP or another healthcare professional to refer you to a qualified counsellor, you will receive counselling through the (dare I say it) NHS free of charge.

It is time for you to get things sorted out properly as it should be.

Good Luck.

Roy

 

[sip]

When I joined my present surgery, I was unaware that I would have to see any one of five GPs. I refused and interviewed one of the GPs, advised him I only wanted to see the same GP every time as I needed continuity in my treatment. Basically, as I visit the surgery often, the GP should know who I am, what my illness(es) are without consulting his computer and I don't have to repeat 35 years of medical history.

To my surprise (nay, astonishment), he agreed, and even advised me to make double-appointments or ask for the last appointment of the day so he could give me more than the 10 minutes the NHS prescribes.

Unfortunately, he left the surgery after a couple of years, but I have the same arrangements with the GP I now see. I will not even speak to another GP on the phone, and if the receptionist gives me ****, I just cancel the call-back and advise them that I will seek treatment at A&E (I have been admitted thrice for a different problem) -- this gets their attention.

I also never tell the receptionist why I wish to see or speak to "my" GP on the grounds that the information is confidential, ask her if she knows my medical history and also whether discussing my issues with her will allow her to treat me. That gets the receptionist well-sorted.

I have also twice ignored the surgery managers and written to the PCT which has resulted in prompt responses from "my" GP -- it is so unfortunate that PCTs are being phased out as they have the authority to direct surgeries to take action without prejudice. In both cases, there were no reasonable clinical grounds for refusal to refer to a consultant -- I was simply told that the surgery had overspent on that quarter's budget. A request for referral to a hospital/consultant can only be determined on clinical grounds and refusal of treatment on financial grounds can only be determined by a consultant.

I have also stated that I am more than willing to de-register myself and use the GP-clinic at my local hospital or use a walk-in clinic, which they prefer to avoid. I have learnt that the only reasonable grounds for a surgery to de-register a patient is use of abusive language, threats of violence or actual violent behaviour -- they can't just get rid of a patient for, say, being hypochondriac or just being a pest.

We definitely need to learn about patient's rights, the surgery's duty of care and responsibilities towards patients. Also, we need to be more assertive in requesting a decent level of service & treatment. Every one is accountable to someone, until you get to the top of the pyramid and though you can still end-up with the "who polices the police" kind of situation, there may be grounds for judicial review in certain cases.

Going private is not the answer because that is exactly what the government wants. Every time successive governments have privatised a service, it has ended-up costing more, being less efficient and just a way for ministers to help out their cronies. Also, a lot of privatised services are now owned by US-based companies, who are ruthless in their treatment of staff and clients/customers.

Check out the US system and see how much it costs, not just in money terms, but also lives. There are numerous incidents where people have had to re-mortgage or sell their homes to pay for treatment that medical insurance firms refuse to pay for. Also, people are denied treatment if medical insurance payments take a long time to come through, again sometimes leading to death.

Apologies for the long post/rant.

 

[dawnmc]

Great rants, I've no problem reading these.

 

[robertwt]

Dear sip,
What a time of it you're had.

I have a 5 doctor surgery but I will see any of them. They're all brilliant. One Doc, I won't mention her name, is supportive to the extent that when she heard I'd been diagnosed with cancer, was heard to exclaim 'f***' in a loud voice. She tells it like it is and I have noooo problem with this.

Your rant was a breath of news from the old country (I had the first 5 years of diabetes in Wales - now I'm living with it 0 or despite of it - in Ireland). Perhaps it's the 'it'll be grand' attitude that pervades every aspect of Irish life is our saviour.)

I may come 'home' again one day so I hope that your story isn't of general application.

Chin up (what else can we do?) it'll be GRAND.

Robert wt

 

[sip]

It gets worse -- blood pressure which has always been in the average range has suddenly shot up, average of 200/103 over 24-hour period. Basically this is classified as a Hypertensive Emergency, but doctor won't ask for hospital admission, simply gave me a low dosage of meds, and said if there was no improvement, we could double the dose.

The surgery's digital monitor shows me at 187/90, my own digital monitor 178/96 but the old fashioned way of doing things with stethoscope, the meter shows 138/86. ***?

Going to make an appointment with the dietician and take advantage of a free ten-sessions with a one-to-one personal trainer -- if my lower back and knees can cope!

 

[robertwt]

Pardon my being naive but is high BP usually a biproduct of diabetes? It probably is, most other things seem to be.

After years of 125/70s I was coming round after my gall bladder removal op and my BP shot up to 220/130 and refused to come down. I had 3 days in intensive care, and the application of the alchemist's pallette, which I've been on ever since, and down it came again. The diabetic clinic tests (pump & stethoscope) show I'm back to 120/70 but my own meter (buzz, buzz, buzz) gives a fairly constant 150(ish)/85-90.

*** indeed! It makes no sense!

Robert wt

 

[GraceK]

I'm really sorry to hear that shygirl :sick:.

I sometimes wonder if you just get a better service if you go private ... there is something about the nhs being free at the point of need that encourages a bad attitude from some of the staff

Yep ... you're 100% right there ... I'm a Med Sec and have often heard colleagues moaning behind patient's backs if they've complained or queries something, about the NHS being 'free' and how they should be grateful we have an NHS at all. And they really believe that entitles them to treat patients like s***. The NHS is NOT free, it's paid for by NI and taxes and by other stealth means and it's OUR money the NHS has been wasting on setting up new Trusts, Strategic Health Boards, paying huge bonuses to their Executives, and then dismantling the bloody Boards they've spent millions creating - because THEY DON'T WORK. They've also wasted millions of public money by making the stupid mistake of having different computer set ups in different hospitals which aren't actually COMPATIBLE and so can't transfer information they way they were supposed to be doing by now. You'd have thought someone at Executive level at least would have had the INTELLIGENCE to work that out before the computer systems were installed, wouldn't you?

We're in 2012 and STILL patient records are kept in paper casenote form, which are trundled round the hospital, handled by many many people, stored on dirty shelves and also on DIRTY FLOORS and are then placed on your bed and handled by the doctors and nurses who examine you. The back office rooms of your 'politically-hygiencally-correct' hospitals are rarely cleaned because the Trusts won't pay for cleaners, the admin staff are lucky if they can get their hands on a waste bin, the carpets are filthy dirty and the dust on desks and computers is millimetres thick! Your case notes are being placed on the floor for storage because there's no room for adequate shelving to store them. I wonder how many different bacteria there are on ONE PATIENTS CASENOTES?

So to me, all the hand washing and sterilising in the world and all the money spent on those cute little gadgets on the wall and the sanitiser that goes into them is absolutely USELESS and is totally just for show.

It's THANKS to patients who are actually PEOPLE WHO PAY taxes one way or another, be it through employment, or stealth taxes, that we have an NHS and they have jobs, but to listen to some of them employed within the NHS, you'd think they OWNED it themselves and they're doing the patient a favour by answering the phone.

Whenever I have hospital treatment, I make sure I give credit where credit's due and thank all those concerned, but I have something to complain about I do that also. Too many patients are made to feel like a nuisance by simply asking to be INCLUDED in their own treatment when they should be INSISTING on it.

 

[Unbeliever]

I am answering the last post but I think it possible we may have gone off -topic somewhere but I am too lazy to check.

I spend quite a lot of time at my local hospital and have done so for the past 5 years. The oint you make about the files has often occurred to me. Of course, when you mention it to the staff they always tell you that the systenm is about to change.

Patients really can't win can they? The attitude that "they" should be grateful is prevalent especially as most consultants also have private practice{s}. They can ususally only do his if they have a post in the NHS so he NHS patients make it possible for them to have their lucrative private practices.

I have always wondered why paients -unless in an urgent situation- would want to pay enormous sums o see someone iwho is possibly already ired from also working in the NHS sometimes all day before hey see private patients.

I recently on a few occasions accompanied nmy daughter to a private hospital for an operation and then a follow up consultaion.
I really could not see much difference in the two insofar as the procedure was concerned.
She wishded me to accompany her o he follow up appointment as the procedure had been unsuccessful and she feared the consultant would fob her off and she would be too upset o object. On the other hand knowing what a warrior I have become since diagnosis and complications she was a little afraid of any ensuing battle. I did not tink hat there would be a problem. Just having someone else present would be sufficient. And so it proved. The initiial reaction was dismissive but he recived my unspoken message loud and clear.
My daughter now accuses me of somehow "putting his back up" just by being there - which of course , is eactly what she wanted.!
I have had o remind her that the purpose of a consultaion is NOT to please and ake hings easy for the CONSULTAnt.

I get on very well with my NHS consultant but hat is because we respect each other - it is not a one-way st.

I must say that many of the consultants I noticed in the private hospitl did indeed look tired {it was evening}. My daughter's consultant , very late in the day, requesed a test which i think would have been routine on arribval in the NHS but as people were paying for it I suppose it was not offered auomaically.

As I said , paients can't win. They see he same people whethe r privately or on the NHS and seem o consider private medical insurance to be the same as the NHS . Maybe sonme spectacularly expensive surgery might spark their interes but the atitude o patients seems to be the same.

 

[GraceK]

I am answering the last post but I think it possible we may have gone off -topic somewhere but I am too lazy to check.

I spend quite a lot of time at my local hospital and have done so for the past 5 years. The oint you make about the files has often occurred to me. Of course, when you mention it to the staff they always tell you that the systenm is about to change.

Patients really can't win can they? The attitude that "they" should be grateful is prevalent especially as most consultants also have private practice{s}. They can ususally only do his if they have a post in the NHS so he NHS patients make it possible for them to have their lucrative private practices.

I have always wondered why paients -unless in an urgent situation- would want to pay enormous sums o see someone iwho is possibly already ired from also working in the NHS sometimes all day before hey see private patients.

I recently on a few occasions accompanied nmy daughter to a private hospital for an operation and then a follow up consultaion.
I really could not see much difference in the two insofar as the procedure was concerned.
She wishded me to accompany her o he follow up appointment as the procedure had been unsuccessful and she feared the consultant would fob her off and she would be too upset o object. On the other hand knowing what a warrior I have become since diagnosis and complications she was a little afraid of any ensuing battle. I did not tink hat there would be a problem. Just having someone else present would be sufficient. And so it proved. The initiial reaction was dismissive but he recived my unspoken message loud and clear.
My daughter now accuses me of somehow "putting his back up" just by being there - which of course , is eactly what she wanted.!
I have had o remind her that the purpose of a consultaion is NOT to please and ake hings easy for the CONSULTAnt.

I get on very well with my NHS consultant but hat is because we respect each other - it is not a one-way st.

I must say that many of the consultants I noticed in the private hospitl did indeed look tired {it was evening}. My daughter's consultant , very late in the day, requesed a test which i think would have been routine on arribval in the NHS but as people were paying for it I suppose it was not offered auomaically.

As I said , paients can't win. They see he same people whethe r privately or on the NHS and seem o consider private medical insurance to be the same as the NHS . Maybe sonme spectacularly expensive surgery might spark their interes but the atitude o patients seems to be the same.

Unbeliever ... glad you've been so honest in your post. You're right, if you go private you see the same doctor, get the same treatment, and you also get the same attitude - it stinks. In my experience, the only tired doctors are newly appointed Registrars who take the bulk of their Consultant's caseloads. The average Consultant is not run off his or her feet - unless they want to be because they're also juggling private patients with NHS patients. Newly appointed Registrars take the bulk of their Consultants caseloads and they DO work long hours and take a lot of flak into the bargain.

No-one forces Consultants into private practice in addition to their NHS post, they choose to enter it AND TO USE NHS FACILITIES AND RESOURCES for it because it's a lucrative second income. Consultants are well paid, the average wage for a hospital consultant is £74,000 approx minimum. I don't know about you, but I could live comfortably on that without the need for a second job. And please, let's get OUT of our heads that doctors and nurses are somehow our SAVIOURS and we should be grateful to them for doing the job. They GET PAID for doing a job of THEIR CHOICE.

In my last post at a hospital, some secretaries did PAID PRIVATE SECRETARIAL WORK in NHS time, using NHS premises, and NHS equipment, while at the same time the NHS employs TEMPS to cover the outstanding work that the secretary isn't doing because she's busy doing private work. And believe me, as a private patient you're no better thought of than the NHS patient - you're still a nuisance and an unwelcome interruption to some people.

I've been approached to do private work for Consultants but on principle I've always refused because -

a) I object to NHS human resources and facilities being used for private patients with the exception of specialist medical equipment which would be unavailable elsewhere
b) I believe the doctor should pay a private secretary out of his private income from private patients. Doctors are notorious cheapskates when it comes to paying staff privately and they're under the impression that a box of chocolates, a bottle of plonk at Christmas and the mere status of being a secretary to a doctor impresses some women enough for them to work for practically nothing - none of that has ever impressed me, it's a job I enjoy doing because my motivation is patient welfare not being a doctor's sidekick.
c) I have enough workload with NHS patients which is what I enjoy doing and I would never want to make myself so busy that I couldn't be civil and helpful to NHS patients.

You're right where your daughter is concerned - she is NOT there to please the doctor and give him all the 'right answers' or tell him what he wants to hear. She is there FOR HERSELF and HER OWN WELFARE and if treatment isn't working or she's not happy, she should say so. Many patients feel obliged to make the doctor feel better rather than the other way round. The doctor's fine, he's rich.

One of the very worst experiences of my career was hearing a female doctor tell her secretary that she'd just signed several death certificates that day and at something like £80 a piece that was her gas bill paid for the winter. That was the day I decided there is something radically wrong within the NHS if it allows people like that to practice medicine because as far as I'm concerned there was no excuse for such a callous remark.

Lastly, there's a programme on ITV later on this week at around 10pm or 10.35 about private practice and the NHS. I'm not sure what day or specific time but going to check it out - I think it might be the EXPOSURE programme on ITV 1 AT 10.30PM WEDNESDAY.

 

[Superchip]

Morning Grace ! and Unbeliever !

What belters of a posts !

Almost enough for a book there, entitled ' NHS Exposed '

TTFN Roy