Thinking about people and NHS in general

Well I m misquoted I didn’t say the system was broken oopsadaisy well I didn’t mean to if that was the impression I gave
I think the system is over used by many and should be more regulated so that it’s not abused and I also think there should be a different triage place for drink and drug injuries I don’t believe these constantly self inflicted injuries should be clogging up mainstream hospitals Yes I know lots of injuries and illnesses are self inflicted but they don’t happen every weekend a skier perhaps breaks his leg once in a lifetime even a smoker may have an asthma attack but not daily /weekly
Money much more money need putting into mental health, drug alcohol abuse social services police they have all been cut so badly under the Tories

When my dad collapsed with a heart attack at home, this was 50 years ago, we called the GP, not an ambulance! How times have changed.

Calendargirl When we phone our GP surgery there is a long message with all the instructions of what to do (Welsh and/or English) to avoid having to make an appointment with the GP.
If you are experiencing chest pains etc etc hang up and dial 999 immediately, go on the website for other queries or go to the chemist. If you finally get through you then have to wait in a queue to be answered then you get to speak to a receptionist who asks about your symptoms and what you think is wrong!

Ambulances here are scarce and often take hours to arrive - partly because they are unable to leave patients they have taken to hospitals as there are not enough doctors to assess them.

Your neighbour obviously has problems, Bluebelle and needs help but perhaps not an ambulance.

You can’t get to speak to a dr for love or money. I came out in these lumps all over my arm suddenly so I rang dr sorry no appointments ring in the morning. Within few hours body was covered in these large lumps. I rerang drs and said I was really concerned got told to monitor them and ring in the morning. Within few hours I was blacking out I rang 111 she sent an ambulance right away and as they came to my house I fell into his arms so I’m told I don’t remember. I don’t even remember ringing them. They blue light me to hospital and I spent few days in hospital turned out I was allergic to some antibiotics I’d being given from dentist. My Gp rang me said receptionist should have put me right through. Hospital had contact them.

My friend’s husband was feeling very unwell last week and when they called the doctor they were given an appointment almost a week ahead. He became increasingly unwell and my friend said they must either call 111 or 999. He was very reluctant to do either option and said he would wait to see the doctor. In the end he agreed that they should call 999 and the paramedics arrived, checked him over and wanted to speak to his GP. Apparently they had a special line to his GP surgery but unbelievably they were unable to speak to anybody so they took him to hospital. The last thing I heard is he is very unwell, has had a blood transfusion and is to have another one. He is 82 and my friend is 80, both have several health problems; their experience is so different from ours - my DH has had a few health problems over the past two years and we have always been able to speak to a GP the day we called them and if necessary he has seen a doctor the same day. When he was ill last May because of a gall bladder problem the GP saw him twice in two days and on the second occasion she was so concerned about him she organised his admission to hospital during the appointment. My friend is in North Bedfordshire and we are in Shropshire, what a difference in our experiences of the NHS, we feel very lucky.

Many are judgemental and intolerant when it comes to mental
illnesses

Casdon, x posted there, I agree with you

‘Mental health problems ‘ has become a phrase used too often. People with schizophrenia, psychotic episodes, or significant depression /anxiety have treatable mental health problems.

People who are sad/stressed because of life events can helped, with medication or support.

The Uk has serious problems with drug/substance/alcohol problems which may cause or result from depression/anxiety/traumatic life events. Many people in this group are difficult to help.

These are societal as well as mh issues

For serious mental health issues I agree Oopsadaisy, but there are millions of people with low level mental health/self esteem issues caused by lack of social and financial support. The NHS will never succeed in dealing with those issues because the root cause is not the person’s mental health, it’s the effect of their circumstances.

And I do think that Mental Health is an illness not necessarily part of the ills of Society.

Sorry I meant that the Mental Health system was broken.

I don’t agree that those who can afford to buy health insurance should do so. anyone with existing conditions won’t get one. We are a wealthy country, we should invest in public services along with the various health services.
We also need to look at a culture that has so many alcohol/substance dependent people. Investment in early years is shown to have positive impact on so many things. Fewer teenage pregnancies, drugs/crime/parenting skills - we have had 12 years now if government that ignores existing research rather than build on it

I don’t agree that the NHS is broken though Oopsadaisy, the ills of society are not illnesses, which is what the NHS is for.

Should have added that the Emergency Services do an amazing job for very little reward, that should also be fixed.

Anything that is free will be abused. That’s a fact.

Mental health provision is dismal, our Family Member has severe problems, his career has been told that if all else fails with her coping with him to ring 999, I’m not sure where they would take him, as it isn’t an A and E problem.
Their GP is, I won’t say useless, maybe untrained? unwilling to help? Or maybe there just isn’t anything available now that will help him.
bluebell is right, the system is broken and it’s only when you need them that you realise it. We are all ok if there is a quick pill that can fix it, anything else and it’s a problem.

IMO those that can afford to buy a Health Insurance Policy should have to, I know it will have to be means tested, but something has to happen soon. There are too many people going to hospitals for minor problems, so there will never be enough money or staff.

There are already first response paramedics in the system mokryna, and they do relieve some of the burden on the ambulance crews.
Misuse of the ambulance service has been growing for years unfortunately, as has misuse of GP services and of A&E departments. It’s because these services are the default, when nothing or nobody else is available to deal with the fallout from peoples personal problems. At the root is underfunding of social and welfare support.

mokryna

Just an idea, expensive at first, set up a system where instead of sending an expensive ambulance, send a medical person on a motor bike to these people, to assess the gravity of the situation. Less expensive and time consuming than an ambulance in the long run.

Unfortunately a paramedic working alone like that has to be one of the more experienced staff members, therefore leaving very sick patients without the benefit of their experience and expertise.
Also many of the frequent callers have danger flags so lone workers cannot attend for fear of attack or false accusations. Even female patients can cause damage by throwing objects at staff or thumping them with walking sticks and courts are loathe to prosecute them. Many of the male frequent callers cannot have dual female crews let alone a single female responder due to previous sexual assaults.

Burn-out just as a result of these callers is a huge problem. Both clinicians and call handlers can only cope with being called a f**** c* and being told that they hope they get cancer and die so many times before they've had enough and leave.
I'm a tough old bird with years of experience behind me but I have never seen it as bad as it is now.

There are paramedics on bikes mockryna that’s a good idea

Desperate for help but there isn't any this just isn’t true lemsip as lteve has demonstrated these people have reams of help . but it is NEVER. enough just like the paramedics the mental health team are near breaking point I have a close family member a mental health community senior they are over run over worked and stretched and stressed beyond belief It s a revolving door No ONE agency is involved it can take four or five for just one person Multiply that by a few plus the people that ring for a sore throat ot a cut finger and you have your answer
There has to be a firmer way of dealing with time wasters

Just an idea, expensive at first, set up a system where instead of sending an expensive ambulance, send a medical person on a motor bike to these people, to assess the gravity of the situation. Less expensive and time consuming than an ambulance in the long run.

How awful. I had no idea. LtEve, you and your colleagues deserve medals.

Blimey BlueBelle
Thank you for explaining the situation.
It must be quite stressful for you

JaneJudge

would more community based support work for people who ring many times a day?

To be honest probably not, the people that call the most generally have a huge amount of community support and input already in place. They will call sometimes, when support workers are on scene, the moment they leave and sometimes when someone is sitting right next to them. The only way to stop them would be to take their phone away.
We have even had calls from in patient wards in hospital.

At the moment we are so busy with six hour waits for ambulances being the norm, the amount of time frequent callers take up is very frustrating. Most of the callers appear to have researched serious medical conditions so can describe cardiac sounding chest pain, for example, and therefore get a response. Another favourite, is to refuse to answer the phone if one of our clinicians call them back, it then goes down as a concern for welfare and again an ambulance is sent.
Added to this is the fact that, as a country, we have become incapable of dealing with even the most minor illness or injury independently, I don't know what is going to happen. The service is under such pressure now it is totally unsustainable.

I watch '999 what's your emergency? on channel 4 and it features some of the cases of repeated calls by same people. They usually have mental health problems sometimes saying they are going to harm themselves.... They are despe.rate for help but there isn't any.

Iam64

The austerity approach started by Cameron saved money by devastating mental health, social work, health visiting, family centres, drug/alcohol services, police and more. It’s costing a huge amount financially and unmeasured damage to society because we have two emergency services stretched to breaking point. The police and the ambulance service.
We need to invest properly in public services.

Yes.

It's like the boy calling 'Wolf!' One day a frequent caller might really need an ambulance so they respond to all calls, just in case. Can you imagine the stick they would get if the ignored such a call?