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NHS

I had read that.
I dread to think what the health service is then like in other countries
 
Absolute cheek to have a quote from J Hunt there, he either thinks what he is doing is working or going to try harder next year to cripple it. US at the bottom, no surprises there yet thats the way he wants the NHS to go, we just have to keep fighting with the staff and reduce the privatisation as much as possible. Rant Done.

I thought the Scandinavian countries would have fared better actually.

But well done to the Staff, they really deserve medals, my mother worked in the NHS her whole career and now I have a lot of dealings with them, due to, of course the reason I am on this site. They are understaffed but do everything they possibly can to get things in motion. Real dedication and its admirable.
 
I have no negative thoughts about our NHS. It has done well for me over the years and looked after me very well. I've never had any private medical insurance, and never needed it. The NHS has given me all I have needed and I will be forever grateful.
 
Re treatment at hospitals have been very good
If you include gp,s in this, at the moment I am very disappointed
 
We know that there are problems with the NHS, largely due to financial constraints, but the staff are in the main dedicated and caring people. I'm glad we don't have the US system where a third of the population can't afford healthcare. But that is what our Government want to move towards, a privatised profit making business.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I have no negative thoughts about our NHS. It has done well for me over the years and looked after me very well. I've never had any private medical insurance, and never needed it. The NHS has given me all I have needed and I will be forever grateful.
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I do agree, I have no personal grievances, but the bigger picture looks bleak sometimes.
 
If Hunt and May get their way.
40 pounds for phone call from your doctor and eighty pounds per consultation at the surgery.
 
I have a lot to thank the NHS for and will be forever grateful that we have access to such a service- they have saved my dad's life twice in the last 10 weeks and although things have changed a lot for him I am so glad for the NHS or today I would be telling a different story
 
Most of the world do not have GPs, so someone will see 3 or 4 different doctors for different parts of their body and the records will not even be combined! Our GPs are being asked to do more and more, with no more money to fund it, and a lot more sick people to look after - at this rate there will be no GPs left in 10 years as they are getting out as soon as they can afford to.
 
There are clearly issues regarding admin and management as well as problems with how budgets dictate what is prioritized. I get that some of the diabetes advice is pretty out-dated too. That said, I have to add that all the support I have received has been excellent..and I could never praise staff enough in relation to my transplant (from surgeon to consultant to nursing staff). I have just been in contact with a woman in the US who needs to find money to pay for her son to have dialysis three times a week and to have a transplant if it comes along. She is near to breakdown because he insurer won't pay. I am in Scotland where I don't have to pay for all the meds I need. I think some people need to get a grip in their broad criticism of the NHS.
 
Today my husband collapsed with chest pain and was very unwell .
I called 111 for advice and within 10 mins I had 2 paramedics in my house treating him and then transferring him to hospital. Once we arrived he was treated by a consultant and given intravenous drugs to slow his heart down and monitored constantly. He has now been found a bed in the cardiac department and awaits more tests tomorrow. The treatment he received was second to none by all staff from the paramedics to the consultant and I can't thank the NHS enough . Whilst waiting I was talking to the senior nurse and she said it's not the wages that are the problem it's the staff shortage that make their job so hard.
 
ally1 said:
I dread to think what the health service is then like in other countries
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I have no problem with Australia coming second Ally.

I prefer our health system to the NHS, with a choice of GP's Specialists, etc.

Being in a private health fund I have the best of both worlds in private and Queensland Health hospitals if needed.

My GP made an appointment for a pulmonary specialist at the private hospital up the street from where I live the week before last, and I get to see him on Wednesday of this week.

I get subsidised testing strips as a T2 as a member of NDSS.
 
noblehead said:
The NHS has been ranked the number one health system in a comparison of 11 countries.
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The UK health service was praised for its safety, affordability and efficiency,

The UK has one of the highest rates of avoidable deaths in western Europe, and tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if NHS patients with serious conditions such as cancer were treated by social health insurance systems in neighbouring countries, such as Belgium and Germany.

Two statements from the same link. I'm confused.

Maybe we have been able to impose the 1% cap because we've been able to take advantage of European trained staff (among other foreign countries), the supply of which is already showing signs of drying up. God alone knows what happens post Brexit.

As a pensioner myself, as much as I appreciate the triple lock thing, maybe it's time to start paying people who are essential to society, nurses, doctors, teachers, firemen, policemen etc etc instead of "buying" votes from OAPs.
 
If my parents had become ill just a year before they did, in 1949, (one needing emergency surgery, the other involved in a serious accident) they would not have lived and of course I would not be here. Any medical treatment would have been from the poor peoples hospital insurance schemes, limited scope, and far inferior to any private medical attention prior to the NHS. They had not had NHS in their youth, and people were afraid to be ill, as they could not afford the doctor, the dentist, or to have eye tests and hearing aids. Women could not have maternity care, and the midwife was often a local woman who had not had training, other than being present at the labour and births of neighbours.
I was born in an NHS hospital, as were my siblings, care free of charge. Since then, I have had ailments attended to, again free of charge. I have had five major surgical procedures, without which I would not still be alive. I have lost count of the minor surgeries. I gave birth to children with NHS care. I can see a GP without wondering how I will pay. I have had accidents and needed to travel by ambulance, again not worrying about how I would be able to pay. I have probably forgotten lots of the other benefits I have had from NHS. I did work for the NHS for a few years. Some members of my family still do.
Don't get me wrong. I have had cause to feel aggrieved by some of the people I have encountered. I have also sat with loved ones in A&E waiting for hours to be attended to, and wondering what the heck was going on, and despairing at the poor quality of the facilities. I have had issues with the way some NHS staff have behaved, spoken to me, or treated me. That is a minority, though. I have also seen, and been on the receiving end of some dreadful abuse by patients. The majority of staff work much harder and stay beyond shift end time later than they ought. Some of their patients are rude and belligerent.
What often strikes me when I am having negative thoughts about the NHS is that I haven't needed to treck barefoot through desert, for days on end, carrying a child on my back, to camp outside a ramshackle building waiting for the remote chance that someone with some scant medical knowledge will have the scarce resources to offer the chance of some relief of suffering.
The NHS is in need of rescue. It would be a travesty if it is allowed to wither and die. Already we have privatisation of some of the services, and a postcode lottery for some none emergency treatments. It does need a thorough overhaul. That costs money. I would be willing to be taxed more, as long as the revenue was ringfenced and used to fix the problems within the NHS. I wonder how many more would agree to being taxed more for this purpose? We have to keep it available for all in need. Sadly, I can't imagine any of the current politicians have the knowledge and courage to manage to sort it.
 
connie104 said:
Today my husband collapsed with chest pain and was very unwell .
I called 111 for advice and within 10 mins I had 2 paramedics in my house treating him and then transferring him to hospital. Once we arrived he was treated by a consultant and given intravenous drugs to slow his heart down and monitored constantly. He has now been found a bed in the cardiac department and awaits more tests tomorrow. The treatment he received was second to none by all staff from the paramedics to the consultant and I can't thank the NHS enough . Whilst waiting I was talking to the senior nurse and she said it's not the wages that are the problem it's the staff shortage that make their job so hard.
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That is the NHS at its best @connie104 , I do hope your husband makes a full recovery. Best wishes and take care.
 
Well, funnily enough, I have spent today visiting a relative who is in hospital about 450 miles from his home (and quite a long way from mine, too, but that's neither here nor there). Aside from the food, ease of use of the wifi (free there, which it certainly isn't in my area), and the cost of his TV package, he had nothing but praise for the care he has received at a very traumatic time for him.

The hospital is fairly new, immaculate, in the areas I visited, and the staff helpful, once I was face to face.

As I have mentioned many times before, having been saved from an early demise several times during my life, and having witnessed the impact of a privately funded health care system, where people regularly have to resort to begging outside supermarkets, in an effort to fund vital surgery (not just the locals either!).

Even there, as Brits, we are very fortunate to be able to take a 40 minute flight, or sail a few hours to a French overseas territory to "enjoy" reciprocal medical services, under the EHIC system (even though Europe is a a looooong way from these places).

Just, how lucky are we? Yes, the NHS is significantly underfunded and in many places very tired indeed, but it is a fantastic resource. I'd be happy to pay an increase level of taxation to hang onto it, without a blink of an eye.

@connie104 - I really do hope your husband makes a quick and full recovery and can be at home with you asap.
 
DavidGrahamJones said:
The UK health service was praised for its safety, affordability and efficiency,

The UK has one of the highest rates of avoidable deaths in western Europe, and tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year if NHS patients with serious conditions such as cancer were treated by social health insurance systems in neighbouring countries, such as Belgium and Germany.

Two statements from the same link. I'm confused.

Maybe we have been able to impose the 1% cap because we've been able to take advantage of European trained staff (among other foreign countries), the supply of which is already showing signs of drying up. God alone knows what happens post Brexit.

As a pensioner myself, as much as I appreciate the triple lock thing, maybe it's time to start paying people who are essential to society, nurses, doctors, teachers, firemen, policemen etc etc instead of "buying" votes from OAPs.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I am in no doubt that the NHS is not the problem...the government is. Still, bad management is bad management..and in my experience it is in almost every industry as short term thinking dominates across the board.
 
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