Our 'Wonderful' NHS

notanan perhaps I wasn't clear. I was only talking about the well publicised incident when parts of the NHS were attacked by a ransom issue. It only attacked the computers of those who had not done the updates they were given. In fact it wasn't a new system it was a legacy one.

Consultants fulfil their NHS contracts and if they also do private work that is in addition. I know one who is contracted to work 4 days in the NHS and works privately in a different place one day a week. Why shouldn't he?

I have 2 acquaintances who work in NHS admin. Both are off sick A LOT, with the most minor ailments. (Both are in generally good health.) There appears to be no managing attendance procedures. Im sure they’re not the only people doing this - multiply that out over the whole organisation. This must lead to staff shortages and mistakes being made.
I also worked in the public sector and our managing attendance was so robust, you hardly dared take a day off no matter how ill you were (which I know isn’t good either).

Please don’t think that just because you know 2 people who are off a lot that it means the NHS is soft on absence - quite the opposite. I’ve been a manager in the NHS for many years and low level absence is dealt with in a number of ways both informally and formally. If they’re off a lot ( in our Board it’s 3 times in six months) then that triggers HR intervention which can include an absence management plan. There will always be people who play the system but the overwhelming majority don’t.

My GD had very poor treatment over last weekend in A&E but I have to say it seemed no-one was to blame apart from the sheer numbers attending.
The corridors were ful of patients on trollies.
Ambulances were queuing up outside and the being turned away and sent to other hospitals, after nearly 7 hours waiting on a hard chair for ambulance transfer to another hospital, my GD was allowed to be be taken by car, something we had been told could not happen as she had a canula in place .
On getting to the next hospital she again Sat in A&E for over 5 hours before being given a bed at 3:15 am.
She had had a tonsillectomy on Tues and was not supposed to mix for a week.
When eventually seen by ENT she was told she could go home later in the day but was asked to vacate her bed at 11am as it was needed.
She sat in a chair until discharge about 5pm.
This was purely due to overcrowding.

Yes, I doubt whether the NHS is any worse in this respect than any other organisation. I work in a university department where we, also, have had a couple of people like this, but they were sealt with within the department, and were very much in the minority.

annsixty what an awful experience for your GD. But as you say no-one to blame really.
It puts into perspective my own experience in June when I had one of those dreaded post-op infections and returned to A&E with vomitting and diarrhea. Waited about 2 hours but re-admitted and TG got good treatment.

If drunks didn't attend and those with minor injuries/ailments the system would be allowed and given the time to run better.!

The volume of patients has increased tremendously but those who look after them haven't. I can't tolerate anyone who runs down the NHS.

Not sure how I feel about addicts attending. If there was a system in place that they received help I would think it was a good thing. I don't actually know any addicts but I can't believe anyone sets out to become one. Not sure there is much difference between them, smokers etc.

one department doesnt tell any other the appointments they have got.....

I have spent many an hour in A&E with my elderly mother so can really sympathise with those who have had poor experiences.

It is too simplistic to blame particular hospitals, there is a whole knock-on effect when public services are starved of cash and resources.

There is inadequate provision in the community for social care for the elderly. Most of the attendees at A&E are over 80 statistically.

Mental health services have been cut, and there are fewer services for rehab for drug & substance dependant people, so they end up with the police or A&E.

GP appointments are hard to come by, and so people turn up at A&E, which never closes.

It is the whole infrastructure that is crumbling.

how on earth he is going to 'magic up' 50000 more GP appointments, when people can't have appointments now? Ridiculous.

I’ve had good experiences with NHS admin recently as I’m nearing the time when I need a hip replacement. I couldn’t attend the first appointment they sent me via the post but there was a simple online procedure for changing to a more appropriate day.

We are quite lucky here. Able to get a same day GP appointment and good, quick access to services. But I know this isn’t reflected across the country.

Certain areas attract more staff. It’s the same with teachers and dentists. There needs to be more incentives for people to move to less attractive areas for work ...that is if you can even find the staff to recruit in the first place.

The "incentive" the government are reported to be offering, is an increase of the health surcharge, which non EU NHS staff have to pay (for each member of their family) from £400 to £625 a year. That is a whopping £2,500 for a doctor or nurse, who is married with two children to pay, annually.

Will apply of course to EU staff after Brexit.

My experience of NHS has always been brilliant, thank you.

Greeneyed yup! That’ll do the trick ?

Pat3 like me, you must live in one of the few ‘lucky’ areas where it is easy to recruit staff. Believe me it is not all hunky-dory elsewhere,