An NHS rant

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Mad Dilys
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Mad Dilys »

Grandad it didn't really hurt when I put the fork through my foot either! :lol:

Partly because of our hereditary neurological differences to the "norm" my daughter is studying neural mechanics with a view to going into research. She has an incredible tolerance of pain, but that doesn't mean that she can't feel it. Interesting subject.

LLL yup, childbirth was a bit different years ago. Yes indeed!

I do think you can get used to pain and gradually your tolerance can increase.

Those of an independent spirit find it easier to keep going, where others really do need to call it a day.

My present problems are largely mechanical from many old injuries directly or indirectly caused by dislocations. A mis-spent youth largely contributed too, but I don't regret a minute of it! :snig:


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LovelyLadyLux
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

So because Grandad started this rant it caused me to think "I" need to go to the Doctor for my annual physical.

Called the office.

Happy little clerk answers the phone, gets my name and asks me what I want.

I say - "It is time for my annual physical I need to make an appointment."

She replies - "We don't DO physicals just because you ask for one but I can give you an appointment for a PRE-Physical and the Doctor will determine if you NEED a physical?"

PRE-physical??????????? and the Doctor will decide now if I NEED a physical based on my PRE-physical?

I honestly can't believe the level of #$#@$#! that our medical now has ... I get to go and see the Doctor and he'll decide during a PRE-physical if a Physical is warranted????

Probably more than half the people here don't even have doctors yet the few that are here are filling up their schedules with nonsense. You have to walk into the clinic for the results of anything that could otherwise be emailed to you or even mailed which is cheaper than a doctor visit.

Talk about RANT!
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Grandad
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

Last Thursday, 15th, my daughter was walking across the hall at the school where she works and for some reason fell. Maybe some water on the floor? She broke her right arm at the elbow.
She was taken to the local minor injuries unit where they x-rayed and sent the scans to the nearest hospital for review. The response was, immobilise with a sling and they will contact her after the weekend, it might need pinning or just plaster'
By yesterday she had heard nothing so managed to get in touch with the hospital department (and you need a detective to find your way through the automatic telephone responses)

She was given an appointment for Tuesday 27th, 12 days after her fall. I always understood that the sooner a break was dealt with, the better the outcome. I am simply lost for words in this instance, I thought triage was supposed to assess urgency but perhaps broken bones are no longer urgent???
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Horus »

Ridiculous! broken bones can be very dangerous and a diagnosis should be made straight away. :x
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LovelyLadyLux
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Far as I'm aware you need to set a broken bone asap for any number of reasons. I can't imagine the pain she must be experiencing having a broken bone and an arm in a sling.

Our medical system is in chaos and our local hospital is in an absolutely terrible state with allegations flying all about from all Departments and people working there the one common thread being it is an abusive workplace........????

Hopefully your daughter will keep track of absolutely everything and will be onto whomever is in charge of her recovery so that if anything does go amiss she will know WHO the culprit is (although if your medical system is like ours a Doctor can blatantly misdiagnose and nothing will happen at all)
Mad Dilys
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Mad Dilys »

My daughter's next door neighbour who lived alone in central London tripped as she left a shop.
She was taken to the hospital, where she was given a cloth sling and told to " see how it goes". After she had been sleeping in a chair for a couple of nights without letting either her son or neighbours know of her accident, my daughter popped round to see if she was OK as she hadn't heard much sound coming from the old ladies house.

By this time the neighbour's right arm was swollen from above the shoulder to the wrist and a charming shade of deep plum. Of course daughter was horrified and put things in motion to notify family, take her back to the hospital see that she got treatment where xray showed a bad break just below the shoulder, etc.

She "didn't want to make a fuss" and when her irate son turned up she kept saying "I'm alright, don't worry about me." but she agreed to go and stay with him while her arm healed, then in spite of his pleading and the lovely accomodation he had prepared for her, she went home to the house where she had lived since 1945.

The attitude of some hospital staff makes one wonder why they entered a "caring" profession.

My mother was living alone but fairly mobile living in an upstairs flat and I called in on her every day after work.

One day I was greeted by her with both herr arms in plaster of paris from the elbow to the bottom of her fingers. She had made a routine visit to the hospital regarding her arthritis in her hands. they hardly spoke to her apparently and the next thing she knew she was plastered and returned home by ambulance.

She couldn't remove her clothes to use the toilet, the telephone, wash or even make a cup of tea.

Having met her immediate needs I took her back to the hospital, where there was much indifference, eye rolling and shrugging in response to my barely controlled enquiry about how the expected Mum to cope with everyday life.

I insisted that at least one plaster should be removed, or arrangements should be made for her care and accommodation. Then the staff woke up. "If you interfere with her treatment madam, then you must sign a declaration taking responsibility for the future care and treatment of your mother and exonerating the hospital from any blame should her condition deteriorate."

There was a dull red glow over Tunbridge Wells hospital before I left - I found it very hard to control my anger.

Mum had both plasters removed, we called our excellent GP who was horrified at the treatment we had recieved amd made immediate arrangements for further treatment to be at a different hospital with a different specialist.

Unfortunately sometimes the system seems to be run by morons.
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Grandad
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

Most people applaud and appreciate our NHS, myself and my wife included, BUT there are so many things wrong with it.
In my daughters case, even the NHS website says that broken bones should be taken direct to hospital and not a minor injuries clinic. In their wisdom the staff at her school took her to the minor injuries unit because it was nearby. I do not criticise them, they sought the nearest assistance.
I do blame nursing/professional staff at the clinic who should have told them to go straight to the nearest hospital.
She still has 5 days before she will hopefully get some proper attention.
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

My Grandmother who lived well into her 90ies never saw a Doctor (all 3 babies born at home by way of a mid-wife) or got any kind of treatment until she was somewhere in her late 80ies (I think 86 but memory fails0 when she fell on the ice and broke both her wrists. Each was plastered and she was also in a fine kettle of fish as she could not do anything for herself at all. I was across the country or out of the country, the other Granddaughter in Egypt actually (Alexandria working in Banking) and the other Granddaughter living on Grand Cayman with her husband who was in Banking.

She managed via her daughter in law and neighbours but it definitely was very difficult for quite a long time. That was also when Doctors, seeing her for the first time, diagnosed that she had extreme osteopsorosis. Bad to the point they put her on xray treatment in efforts to harden up her bones.

@Grandad - all in all your daughter IMO should have been casted (Canadian word for plaster). Doesn't sit well with me that there is this delay which could ultimately lead to further complications.
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

Grandad wrote:I emailed a very long and detailed complaint yesterday to the PALS office which I understand is where all complaints are dealt with.
Just to update on this topic. The email referred to above was sent on 4 February. After a couple of weeks I did get a telephone call advising me that my complaint would be considered by the PALS team and I would receive a written reply within 6 weeks from the date that I raised the matter.
As I was unaware how many others might be similarly affected, I sent a copy of my email to my local MP. I did receive the reply from PALS. All very detailed but it DID include assurances that three new clinics were being planned around the district, one of which will be in the city later in the year.
I don't know if this was always the plan or if others had made similar complaint but it does seem that before too long we will have a more accessible clinic in the city. :up
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

Another update: my daughters broken arm.
She needed a doctors note to cover her absence from work. He said that with some breaks it is quite normal these days to just support the break and not plaster. She went to the hospital this morning and after xray the doctor said that she had done a good job of keeping it immobilised and it is already healing well. she is to continue for another week then start some light use of the arm.
Good news because they celebrate 25 years marriage today and David has booked 4 nights in Rome from 2 weeks today. (school half term).
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Horus »

Glad she is OK now and at least it has been checked by the professionals. :up
Talking of wedding anniversaries, we would have been married for 51 years last Sunday, wow half a century, :o she still gets the big bunch of flowers though, its hard to break the habits of a lifetime. :D
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@Granddad - Great news re: daughter's arm. Definitely seems to me though that it should have been checked out right away vs the keeping it immobilized. Would have been a worry. Good to know it is healing well and now a lovely holiday to look forward to as well :)
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

If it had been a compound fracture they would have dealt with it straight away but it broke right up close to the elbow so by keeping it immobile it had time to start to fuse.
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Kiya »

Glad to hear your daughter is on the mend :)

They will love it in Rome :)
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Ruby Slippers »

Horus wrote:Glad she is OK now and at least it has been checked by the professionals. :up
Talking of wedding anniversaries, we would have been married for 51 years last Sunday, wow half a century, :o she still gets the big bunch of flowers though, its hard to break the habits of a lifetime. :D

You've just reminded me, Horus, that it's mine next week - 53 years, which is quite an achievement when I think how young we were when we got married, and we'd only known each other 10 weeks. Proved all the people who said it would never last wrong! :lol:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Grandad »

Ruby Slippers wrote:You've just reminded me, Horus, that it's mine next week - 53 years, which is quite an achievement when I think how young we were when we got married, and we'd only known each other 10 weeks. Proved all the people who said it would never last wrong! :lol:
Obviously a child bride then RS ;)

I think some today forget that they say 'For better or for worse', or perhaps those words are not included any more?

Sad that you and Anne were denied reaching 50 Horus but you nearly did and you were together all that time. :up
Well done RS and your DH for reaching 53 years. We will be 61 in July but my family have had their share of divorces. My brother, sister, and our daughter but happily having now reached 25 years her marriage is solid. :up
:gg:
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Re: An NHS rant

Post by Horus »

Congrats RS :up
The strange thing is that I knew Anne for almost exactly 50 years and we were together for all of that time, I think I have said it before, but she really was the love of my life from our very first date together. ;)
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