NHS not fit for the 21st century

NorvernRob

There will be uproar on fully privatised health care and those shouting loudest will be from the most unlikely demographic, those who could afford it in my experience.

Goooner

I don’t think my wife had much choice when she started bleeding in her classroom and another teacher took her straight to A&E. We all pay into the NHS and I think she also had a right to expect better treatment than to be left sitting there for 9 hours.

As I said, I avoid anything to do with A&E or emergency care like the plague if at all possible. I’m currently ill with a cough /chest infection so bad it’s wrecked my chest and stomach muscles, I can’t sleep and I’m struggling to breathe properly when I’m at work. It’s my day off tomorrow and I could do with seeing a Dr, but the chances of actually getting a normal appointment on the day I call are zero. The only way is to call literally the minute the surgery opens and get an urgent access appointment, I wouldn’t call my needs urgent but that’s the only choice I have as what good would an appointment in 2 weeks be?

The NHS has, and does continue to do great things,  but the current levels of underfunding/mismanagement/oversubscription (whatever the reason) can’t carry on.

rustybin

My wife finds the same. If you want an appointment, you need to book 3-4 weeks in advance, no exaggeration or failing that it’s a matter of getting luck on the phone on the day, if you Ring the instant they open and more often than not they’re engaged and by the time you get through all the appointments are gone. Or, you can be down at the surgery waiting for them to open the doors and try and get an appointment for that day in person.

Sloppy Bob

My surgery has a special 5-8pm slot for working people 2 nights a week. Never had a problem getting at appointment. The beauty of living in Salford.

weaviemx5

I usually have to wait 2 weeks for an appointment.

My partner lived a few miles away from me and hasn't changed surgeries. She phones in the morning, they give her a rough time to turn up and she waits, usually 30 mins at most and she can get a same day non-emergency appointment.

klaxhu

My point was that, as a country, we're lucky to have funded healthcare but I do understand the problems with it.  My wife is a nurse (not A&E) so I'm obviously slightly biased as I see how the medical staff continue to do their best for all patients in the face of budget cuts/staff shortages and equally challenging patients sometimes (I'm not suggesting your wife is/was one in any way though!).  I've used emergency care in the past for both my wife and children so fully understand how, in those times that we need help the most it feels 100 times worse, but I still try to see how much worse it would be without it, even in its' current state.

Sorry to hear you're not well at the moment but unfortunately the GP is the right place for care in anything other than emergency situations.  We only need to watch something like 24 Hours in A&E to see people waiting to be seen, then explain how they've had a sore toe for 2 weeks so decided to go to A&E for help.  Really does wind me up how they're wasting precious time for actual emergency cases!

tapzilla2k

I share the experience of having to wait for hours either at the GP or A&E. For anything else than these two I can use my Bupa which covers anything I need, but I do have to wait on the GP for a referral to go to a specialist or A&E when it’s really urgent.

I am worried the money is not spent and managed well and no matter what size fund we plunge into it will fix it. My friends who are doctors in the NHS say there are pently of areas where privatising would help streamline cost. PubSec was never able to manage budgets like business do it - we need that now in some parts of the NHS to happen.

Enki

Think we are seeing the difficulties with privatisation in the Health Care system, and GPs have always been private entities just working alongside a NHS contract.  Still saying that, my GP surgery, if you prepared to pitch up with any GP can't think of an occasion of waiting more than a couple of hours for an appointment.  Different matter if you start stating which Doctor and the time you can fit them in, I've known people have to wait weeks for that sort of appointment.

Bl4ckGryph0n

Same here we normally get a same day appointment, but perhaps not if you stipulate one particular GP. When the children were younger, or it is truly bad to come in, one of the GPs normally is happy to do a house visit as well. Being a neighbour and part of the local community helps

My hospital appointments generally been good as well. Normally my availability is worse then theirs....

EarthRod

House visit by a doctor?? ...Be still my beating heart!!

Last time I've heard about a doctor making a house visit was back in the 1970s.