Good news VQ
Retiring and living frugally in money from downsizing after years of stress
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In praise of the NHS
(38 Posts)At about 4am on Thursday morning DH got out of bed and the world went insane. He managed to get to the bathroom before he vomited even though the world was spinning and he could barely walk. Over the next two hours he went downhill. The vomiting continued even when his stomach was totally empty. At the worst he was baulking every couple of minutes. His temperature shot up, he couldn't bare the light on and the world was bouncing around him (from his viewpoint). By 6am I was phoning 111 and from that moment the NHS kicked into action in the most amazing way. Within 10 minutes an ambulance arrived. The paramedics spent an hour stabilising him enough to move him to hospital. We rushed through the traffic with blue lights and siren. A nurse was waiting for him at triage. He was having obs and blood drawn before he'd even been officially handed over by the paramedic. Within 20 minutes he was in a cubicle in the main A and E area. When I say cubicle, think of light airy room with a trolley that was like a single bed on wheels. As soon as we got there more obs were done and more blood drawn and a doctor arrived. By this time DH had a bandage over his eyes as the light was so painful and he described the pain in his head as a 10 (he's incredibly pain tolerant so must have been terrible). He was still trying to be sick even though he'd had anti vomiting meds. The doctor did a quick examination and said that she suspected meningitis or a bleed around his brain. She organised more pain relief, more anti-vomiting and meningitis meds (they treat before they get the blood results just in case). They organised a CT scan and he had it within an hour.
Although still in A and E he couldn't have had better treatment. The CT results were normal so no brain bleed. Next thing a consultant was visiting him to check on the meningitis. Meanwhile the first blood results were back and didn't show any sign of the illness.
So immediately they started to look for other causes. The consultant arranged for him to be taken to a ward and do further tests. She pencilled in a lumbar puncture but only in case he got worse because she was sure it wasn't meningitis.
In all DH spent 13 hours in A and E which sounds terrible but he couldn't have had better care. So many doctors and nurses cared for him and he received all the tests and meds he needed. When he went up to the ward all the meds etc. they'd need for him had been organised and he was put in a private room.
He is still in hospital. Not meningitis or bleed thank goodness but they don't know what it is yet although they suspect that there is a inflammation or infection of the nerve that takes the message from the balance area of his ear to his brain so he's going to have an MRI.
So there it is. The NHS, free at the point of access. No money worries. No fears that we'll end up owing thousands of pounds. No needing private insurance.
We have to fight for the NHS. We cannot let them take it away from us.
Glad he's home Vampire it must have been terrifying. This is when you can't beat the NHS. When DH had peritonitis the paramedics were wonderful. So cheerful and giving him plenty of time until he felt ready to be moved.
In our area there appears to be a new service that has recently been introduced -- self referral for physio. It seems that you don't need to go via your doctor, you can make your request for NHS physio online, this is then triaged by a senior physio and suitable treatment arranged at local clinics or hospital. Both my wife and I have used the service, myself for my hip pain and my wife for a groin strain. We were both given appointments with an NHS physio within 3 weeks. I have just referred my self to see if i can get some physio for the shoulder pain that I am suffering form ATM. My doctor gave me a sheet with exercises, but there were 20 different exercises and if i did all of them as recommended it would take 4 hours a day !!!. i hope a physio will be more selective and give me exercises specific to my problem. I wait with baited breath.
Glad to hear hubby home VQ .hope your d improving Annie I worked in nhs for over 40yrs how things have changed the pressures now are horrendous and I am glad I am
Out of it now . Myself and hubby and both had serious health problems in last few years and I cannot praise nhs enough God help us if we lose it .
I'm relieved that there are some good NHS areas around because my family including myself has not been impressed to date - until they've actually been taken into hospital where they've been well cared for overall.
I've had 2 misdiagnoses: one 20 years ago which has left me with IBS and another which was considered to be just 'back pain' but turned out to be a big difference in leg length which my body could take no more. I'm now learning via an injuries specialist [non NHS]and an orthotist [non NHS] how to walk, what exercises to do and not to do and have adapted shoes etc etc
My 4yr old grandson broke his arm recently - not a greenstick - and waited in A&E for over 2hrs. When the doctor finally saw him he was horrified at the long wait as it could have affected the blood supply to his fingers. He & DD were told to hot foot it to the nearest hospital where he was well taken care of
And of course there's the tale of another GS who contracted meninigitis [not confirmed at the time] and the receptionist told his parent waiting time was 2 hours; this was after being turned away from another surgery as it was closing. The child became unconscious & a doctor was called & all hell was let loose.
I've even been sent to the GP by a pharmacist - and was turned away until I protested and nearly passed out.
So sorry folks I'm dead scared of being anywhere near the NHS at the moment.
I also think that receptionists should NOT be allowed to diagnose at the desk
The daft thing is the hospital DH received such amazing treatment from is deemed to be failing by the QCA.
Some of the criteria they use to 'fail' a hospital seem stupid. My local hospital was deemed to be failing too, but I've never had anything except first class service from it.
Our local hospital has had terrible reports and press, but i have never had anything but praise for the care and short wait times. I suspect, most of the problems were administrative and did not affect the care given.
I sent off my online self referral this morning, got an exercise plan back this afternoon, hows that for a quick response.
Excellent! Hope it does the job Wobbly, nothing worse than constant, nagging pain.
I hope they will come back to me with a face to face appointment in the next few days.
In my area the blue light ambulance service is second to none as is the treatment at the local hospital if the problem is life threatening. It fails if one needs to see a doctor but not immediately so the wait in A&E as others have experienced can be horrendous.
My local Urgent Care has been privatised so they will only xray one limb! I knew I had broken my big toe after a nasty fall at home but I also needed my recent knee replacement xrayed in case it had loosened. I had to choose so I chose my toe! I was correct, I had broken it.
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