Praise for the NHS

I've just had fab service, had problems in the bowel dept, thought 'oh heck, could be cancer' so went to the GP who agreed & sent me for various tests, one scan showed a thickened uterus so I was sent for biopsy which the gynaecologist thinks is ok, although the has sent it off to path lab. Someone I know paid £400 for an appt. with a private consultant so goodness knows how much this investigation would have cost me but it would be a lot. The end result is I do have a bowel problem but its not cancer thank goodness & I'm delighted to have had so much excellent free care, I couldn't speak highly enough of the NHS

It’s so good to hear these positive stories.

I think we all need reminding how fortunate we are to have our NHS - free at the point of need, from the cradle to the grave. We often take it for granted because ‘it’s always there’.

In a private health care system, such as the US has, people are often bankrupted by illness. How tragic is that!

In all of my 73 years I have never had anything but praise for our hospitals - the staff being most professional and caring. My local hospital is falling apart with buckets everywhere to catch the leaks but the staff work round them with smiles. On a recent A&E session they even brough DH and I sandwiches and coffee in the middle of the night.

I've just had a year of cancer treatment and again not a single complaint - and I have had the "all clear".

The local GPs don't rate as highly in my book, with frequent staff turnover and no means of getting a quick appointment from the doctors. The nurses though are brilliant.

What a great thread to read! Good old NHS- I worked in it for more than 20 years. Good to know despite the creaks it's still doing well!

My daughter had an assessment for a back problem on Thursday. She was referred to another hospital for an MRI. We were expecting at least a month if not longer. She had a call today to go next week. I'm really pleased but she's now worried it's more serious than the assessor told her.

I love and respect the NHS. Years of experience with one child with health/other issues and myself in recent years. It's a huge organisation and rare negative moments were down to individuals.

I saw my GP because of debilitating foot pain mid-October. Sent for an X-ray that day. Call from the surgery three days later informing me of an appointment with a foot surgeon the following week. He is reluctant to operate because of the oedema in my legs, but I’m having steroid injections in both feet this Thursday. I’m absolutely amazed! There are areas of excellence.

So pleased for you. It's wonderful when you get treated better than you would expect.

Think you won the NHS Lottery that day

What a great post - and get well soon 🤗😘

Two and a half years ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer after using a pilot screening service. I went into hospital six weeks later and had half a lung removed. The hospital experience did those nurses and doctors proud.

Today I wrote an e-consult to my usual doctor at my practice. I had a reply from her this afternoon to go for an X-ray locally with details of the place. The receptionist called this afternoon to arrange the blood tests she has ordered. As soon as she has all the results she will call me in for a consult.

My local pharmacy was recommended by the practice. We have three close by and I originally used the local Boots. They were not good! I changed pharmacy and I’ve had excellent service from the start.

My husband too is very well cared for by our local surgery.

I just feel so thankful we still have the NHS.

I’d like to add that my usual doctor works part time. I’ve been seeing her for over 10 years. In my e-consult letter this morning I stated that I would like the letter referred to her but would happily be helped by another doctor. I live in a poorer area in the NE and the service here is great.

We both have had excellent treatment from NHS. I had a slight pain near my shoulder, I called in at the health centre. The receptionist told me to sit down and she would tell the doctor to put me on the end of his list. Waited 10 minutes. Checks on chest. blood oxygen levels. cardiogram, blood samples sent off for testing, Form supplied to go for a chest x-ray, All done within a couple of hours.
OH had a lump behind his knee , His leg was painful , interfering with sporting activities. Wednesday. A physio said "See your doctor, cysts don't have a pulse" Monday morning doctor's receptionist said come back at 3.30pm. Doctor ordered scans at the hospital which were done on Thursday, Vascular surgeon was called to see the scans. diagnosed an aneurism and recommended an emergency op - within 2 weeks to save his life.
I can only say Thank You NHS.

Nothing but praise, both for our GP practice and our NHS trust, which we have kept very busy recently, not least with two cancers in the family.

JenniferEccles

I’m pleased to hear you are feeling better, and I was interested to read that you were monitoring your blood oxygen levels at home.

During the early stages of the covid pandemic I read an article in our paper by a doctor who urged every reader to buy an oximeter to enable us to check our oxygen levels if we caught Covid.
I think a lot of folk read that piece as they seemed to be in short supply but I managed to track one down.

I have COPD and have had an oximeter for a long time.As a retired nurse I know what the safety margin is for me, it is lower than normal levels but all COPD sufferers have a lower than normal level.
Whenever I have a bad flare up it always drops so when it gets to danger levels I get myself to A&E for treatment.
In fact it showed its worth two years ago when I got a pulmonary embolism and my blood oxygen dropped very quickly to very dangerous levels,It also records your heart rate.
I get mine from Boots about £14, Amazon sells them as well.

Excellent GP surgery experience today. A GP appointment following up a non ocular issue identified by bloods taken at the eye hospital. After a discussion the GP found a space she could squeeze me into for a range of bloods this afternoon. 7 phials in total, painless experience by the surgery cheerful phlebotomist, not at all put out that I been added to her busy clinic. By the time I got home the GP had sent a referral to the relevant consultant for specialist input

I’ve an appointment at the eye hospital tomorrow, exactly the six promised weeks after the last appointment. Details arrived electronically the same day as I was travelling home on the bus. Can’t fault either service.

As an ex primary care employee it is good to know there is still some excellent care available along with the not so good we hear more about.

So happy to hear so many positive stories. Maybe we should send a link to this thread to Wes Streeting as he must hear so much bad stuff this would give him a boost.

I'm getting better day by day. I only had one bad coughing fit in the night so I've had a decent sleep.

We tax payers (60 years for me) have paid a fortune to have this service. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s good. It needs more incoming folk to pay their tax and if no tax is paid then the service shouldn’t be available freely. If someone is born here and incapacitated then of course the NHS should be free but incomers no, they need to pay the full cost. I enjoy the new comers to our country but the taxes need to be paid. Schools and NHS are not free, we have paid a fortune for them over our working years. Nothing is free.

Please don't make this about immigrants. Most of the staff who cared for me were not British born, obvious from accents where people came from. Such a shame to change the good news on this thread.

Lovely Lady this has been a really heartening thread about the good experiences that people have had when they have needed care from the NHS. I'm sure if you want to discuss who should or should not be treated on a free basis there will be lots of people willing to provide links about how much visitors, tourists, people on visas etc actually pay for any treatment they need whilst in the UK. I could but I don't want to take the thread in a different direction.
I had an echocardiogram with a technician on 28th October and today received a copy of the report that has gone to my GP and cardiologist. It was dictated on the 1st Nov and dated the 4th Nov. I am pretty impressed and also rather relieved.

The individuals who ive dealt with in the NHS have nearly always been professional, thoughtful and kind.
It's the bureaucrats including the DEI staff and sometime the structure they work in that restricts them, and causes problems.