A positive NHS experience

My OH called in to the reception , late Monday morning, He got an appointment with a doctor for 3.30 Monday afternoon. He has now an appointment for an ultrasound scan tomorrow afternoon.
I have had appointments very quickly after visiting out health centre reception.
We can not fault the NHS in south Lancashire, (except long waits for Physios)

This morning I thought I'd have a go at getting someone to look at my leg which has been swollen for a while. Rang the surgery and the queue was quite short. I was told someone would ring me in the next 48 hours. Same old, same old I thought. However someone rang me half an hour later with an appointment for 12.10. Saw a very nice guy who sent me to the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit. Had bloods done, 1 1/2 hour wait for results but that can't be helped. A long talk with a trainee practitioner who had all my details in front of her and made me an appointment for an ultrasound tomorrow. I really began to think things are working again.

MissOops is in hospital at the moment, everyone from the Ambulance Paramedics down to the Porters have been so kind.

She is still having tests and is being checked every 20 minutes, blood tests every 6 hours. The NHS at its best.

Our NHS does a remarkable job despite long-term underfunding, under-resourcing, and poor pay rates. Yes, I know there are long waiting lists, and A&E patients can wait for hours in hospital corridors, but that's not the fault of the staff. They must be so frustrated and stressed by the limitations they are constantly trying to overcome.

Oopsadaisy : sorry to hear that.I hope that things improve for your daughter.

About 5 weeks ago I contacted my gp on Patches online and was rung a couple of hours later and got an appointment to see him that afternoon. I was worried about an area on my back. He took a photo and sent it to dermatology.

Three weeks later he rang at 6 10 on a Friday evening to check if I had heard from the hospital and when I said I hadn’t he referred me on the urgent cancer? pathway and on the following Wednesday I had a call from the hospital with an appointment for this Wednesday and have now been referred for surgery within the next three months as unfortunately it is a basal cell carcinoma.

I couldn’t have asked for better treatment.

I think the NHS excels at Emergency treatment and the 2week Cancer Pathway.
You might have to be on a trolley overnight in A&E ( as MissOops was) she was isolated, but checked on every 10 minutes, sent up to an isolation room the next day. So many tests and X-rays, blood tests also and constantly monitored.

The problem is when you have a chronic problem and or are trying getting a GP appointment to get a referral to a hospital appointment, that’s when the problems seem to arise.

My BIL was diagnosed with Cancer 2 weeks ago and had his first Chemo appointment this afternoon. You don’t get much better treatment than that.

I have phoned the surgery on 2 occasions in the past 2 years, one for a gynae problem, one for a cardio problem. GP referred me to hospital for further investigatiom. Cardio good result, (slrhough I waited over 6 months for appointment) heart working perfectly well (hopefully it will stay that way). Gynae been waiting since last October, got a letter from the hospital department a couple of weeks ago asking "if I still had the problem?) and if so would I fill in the enclosed form. This form asked me where I wanted treatment, with a list which included London (futhest away) and other areas along the way, I live in Manchester !! I sent it back saying I wanted the Manchester hospital that I have been treated in before and know my way around. So to my mind, it's the hospitals that have the problem (or are GP's to quick to refer to hospitals to get "rid" of patients ?.....

I know some people are worried about the training of nurse practitioners to take some of the doctors' workload, but the two I have seen this week have been great. They had both looked at my notes before they saw me and they both went into great detail about what my problem was, what the story was so far, and what the next move would be. They also had lots of useful practical ideas. The doctors I have spoken to in the last 18 months have all basically said "What name is it? Here's a prescription"