So fed up

It’s now over 4 months since I fell and suffered a dislocated fracture of the humerus. The bone is sticking into the soft tissue. So far I’ve had 4 X-rays, a CT scan and an MRI…..but no treatment. For all this time my arm is pretty useless. Can’t drive, cook, wash myself easily. Can’t do much housework. Can’t sleep.

At last I’ve been told I need a total reverse shoulder replacement. Not holding my breath. My consultant works 2 days a week for the NHS and the rest is private. Guess I’m not a priority.

Where healthcare is concerned it's still a post code lottery. My brother has been waiting 10 years to have his hands operated on under Birmingham health authority. They moved to Lincolnshire 2.5 years ago. Within a month he saw the consultant month later one hand operated on . Second on 3 months later.

I had a neurologist in the West Midlands. Had something wrong with me my whole life. Moved to North West 4 years ago . Saw my new neurologist January 2020 put me on a tablet and within 2 weeks my limb jerks and seizures stopped after 32 years of limb jerks and 4 months of seizures. My new GP sent me to see cardiologist due to blood results shown heart failure.

Long story short I was born with a rare hereditary neurological condition also born with a hole in my heart . On tablets for both conditions.

My old neurologist could have put me on the tablet and have my blood genetically tested but didn't. My old GP knew I had problems with my heart but never sent me to see a cardiologist.

Just depends where you live how good your healthcare is. Funny thing is I only picked my new GP because the bus stops opposite. But because of that finally having the health care I should have had for years . I am now 65.

For NemosMum (& others referring to the Oz system based on insurance, like many abroad) -- this is precisely the system that gets protested about under the 'privatised' label, loudly too!!

Would be a very brave politician who got his party to adopt such a plan and stand for election, as 'Privatised NHS' has been a dirty phrase for vast numbers of folk for many years! [and yes, it would work better - as they do in all the locations mentioned! I think in France - maybe elsewhere - you have to pay to see a GP, or A&E (?), then claim the fee back later IF it's a justified call. That would slash those nasty A&E queues here, also the problem getting GP appointments, and quickly?!].

As DaffyDilly says, the care is usually excellent, except very often delayed. That's because we have so many people now, many old and with all sorts of complaints -- older on balance because . . .the NHS has done so well for them?!

For Suzs, yes, I've had both hips replaced, in each case about 2.5yrs from being told it was Chronic Arthritis, going gradually up the list, and getting it done. The 2nd one was in a private facility, but paid by NHS. In both cases, they have been a wonderful success (but for any potential recipients - make sure you do all the exercises they say, maybe even some extra!).

I think most people agree that the NHS needs a radical re-structuring but I don’t think any government would be prepared to do it.
Instead, billions more get poured into the black hole with no discernible benefit to the patients.

Meanwhile hospital doctors and consultants have just been on strike yet again, claiming an unbelievable pay rise of 35%.
Yet they still have the cheek to insist it’s not about money.

The NHS isnt working. I agree with NemosMum we need some radical change. We pay a lot over our lifetimes in National Insurance and tax to fund the system, which is not 'free', and we dont get good value for money as compared with other nations. However no one is going to do anything about this whilst the public put up with it and continue to talk about the NHS as world class and wonderful. Maybe it was 50 odd years ago, but it isnt now. There wont be any quick fixes either, nor indeed does the NHS need massive injections of cash. It needs a complete top to bottom overhaul.

I’m so sorry, Elless - I won’t get into my NHS woes, but I feel I’m being fobbed off from having a hip replacement because I’m a fat old lady! However, both for post-menopausal bleeding and a mole that had grown, I was seen very quickly once I was on the appropriate ‘pathway’, so I guess the pain and loss of mobility I’m suffering with my hip just aren’t an emergency!

But not much consolation for the OP, still waiting and constantly delayed.

BlueBelle

I do totally understand your frustration Elless but I want to just give a positive story about the NHS
Yesterday I took myself to A and E in a lot of pain after a fall I got there at 7.30 am I was seen by a triage nurse within 10 minutes, a little wait then called to see a doctor who was very kind and lovely and she decided I should have an X-ray.
Off I went to the XRay dept waited about 15 minutes then had my X-ray, toddled back to A and E which by now was filling up Waited another half to three quarters of an hour got called to the nice lady doctor who told me nothing was broken but a leision had shown up in my lung that needed to be checked I was given a slip to go to the CT scanning department. I waited about half an hour there then had a CT scan the nurse told me I should get the results in about an hour, so back I went to A and E to wait, it took about half an hour (in which I had already decided whether I would go bald and be proud, have a wig or wear flamboyant scarves) then I was called in to see the lady doctor again (by now Aand E was full and we had our consultation in a quite corner of a corridor) She told me it was all good news there were no breaks and the leision was actually a small boney protrusion on a rib in front of the lung and nothing at all to worry about very common in older bones
I was home by 2 pm having had an xray and CT scan and good news

I know that doesn’t help your problem Elless and I truly hope thou get the treatment you need soon but we all need to remember and talk about the good things our wonderful NHS does too

BlueBelle What fantastic treatment you received well done NHS.

The answer to your question is "Yes, these people, as you so unkindly call them, are hard-working doctors, nurses and medical secretaries and they are no happier with their working conditions than you are."

They do know how much planning and rearrangements you are having to make and how infuriating these cancellations are, of that you can be sure, and they wish things were different, but like you, they individually, have little hope of changing things. If as a body they strike in order to try to change things, you are assuredly one of the first to complain about that

Write letters to newspapers, your member of Parliament of the Minster of Health in a effort to get conditions changed.

It could be so much better.

Just for balance and perspective, my husband had a routine operation about 10 years ago and developed unexpected complications which meant two further emergency operations to save his life. This meant at least two people had their surgery cancelled. We're grateful.

4 years ago I had surgery for bowel cancer in the middle of that first covid winter when nobody went out and everyone was very scared.

In a hospital where hundreds of ops are usually carried out every day I was one of just three. My care was superb. We're both grateful.

Both ops were on the NHS. It's flawed but we feel so lucky to live in a country where these surgeries are avaliable and also that we don't have to worry about whether we can afford them.

It could be so much worse.

When I was told I needed a hip replacement the waiting time was 6 months. 18 months later, and 3 cancellations it was finally done. Wonderful - makes life worth living again. Things in life unfortunately don't run smoothly, don't ever lose hope there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Wishing you good luck.

Elless you need to realise that the NHS is run for the convenience of the managers, not the patients, just be suitably grateful that you seem to be likely to get the operation sometime in the next six months.

My daughter broke her ankle very badly in 2012 and several pins and plates were inserted. Recently it's started to be painful and, after a visit to A&E and a Fracture Clinic she was booked in as an emergency to get the plates removed two days later. This was cancelled, as was the next appointment.
She started the process of having the operation privately (on work health insurance) but was called by the hospital the same day for an operation yesterday.
The night before she had a two private number calls on her mobile and answerphone messages which firstly gave her information about preparation for the next day and later told her to wait at home on standby. She ignored the second and went in first thing, was told it was a good think she had come in as they could probably do it and it was done late yesterday afternoon.
This makes me wonder how many operating spaces are actually wasted when procedures are cancelled.

Try looking on the positive side at least you didn’t turn up at the hospital then were told your op was cancelled. I know of numerous folk this has happened to
Hope you get sorted soon

Full sympathy - it's unacceptable. We pay mid-G7 of our GDP for the NHS, but are trailing along the bottom of the G20 nations for results. All the others are insurance-based systems. Many doctors say they are sick of our "under-funded" NHS say they are going to work in Australia. Ahem - an insurance-based healthcare system which costs less than ours, in which ALL citizens are insured (those on benefits have it paid by the state) and the insurance companies are not allowed to refuse membership on grounds of medical history. The system works not by a bureaucratic and inefficient state behemoth, but by the Australian states giving contracts to hospitals and other service providers on the basis of service agreements. If they don't meet them, they lose the contract. Simples! The standards are far higher than here. Other models are also available: look at Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, etc. etc. All insurance-based and all better than ours. Time for a change. Yes, and I worked as a clinician in the NHS for 20 years and have 4 family-members who are doctors. 3 of the 4 are embarrassed by the current strike. I see that even Wes Streeting is saying the NHS needs reforming, having experienced cancer treatment and seen it first-hand. Time for change! I hope you get your hand surgery very soon Elless.

I do totally understand your frustration Elless but I want to just give a positive story about the NHS
Yesterday I took myself to A and E in a lot of pain after a fall I got there at 7.30 am I was seen by a triage nurse within 10 minutes, a little wait then called to see a doctor who was very kind and lovely and she decided I should have an X-ray.
Off I went to the XRay dept waited about 15 minutes then had my X-ray, toddled back to A and E which by now was filling up Waited another half to three quarters of an hour got called to the nice lady doctor who told me nothing was broken but a leision had shown up in my lung that needed to be checked I was given a slip to go to the CT scanning department. I waited about half an hour there then had a CT scan the nurse told me I should get the results in about an hour, so back I went to A and E to wait, it took about half an hour (in which I had already decided whether I would go bald and be proud, have a wig or wear flamboyant scarves) then I was called in to see the lady doctor again (by now Aand E was full and we had our consultation in a quite corner of a corridor) She told me it was all good news there were no breaks and the leision was actually a small boney protrusion on a rib in front of the lung and nothing at all to worry about very common in older bones
I was home by 2 pm having had an xray and CT scan and good news

I know that doesn’t help your problem Elless and I truly hope thou get the treatment you need soon but we all need to remember and talk about the good things our wonderful NHS does too

I hope it is sorted out for you soon

Same here had a phone call last week to ask me if f I wanted an earlier appt as they had a cancellation so I too said Yes.. it was for this coming Monday.. then I received an email saying sorry we’ve had to cancel Monday .. all in the same week- this is soo frustrating and upsetting.. so now back to November Appt😞

Sadly seems to have become the norm nowadays. Like you say so many arrangements have to be made by us all before these things can happen. Hope you're soon sorted!

Think we are all fed up of ' sucking it up' !!?

These people…..are not out to upset you, I can guarantee it won’t be personal. Sadly it is the way things are and we all have to suck it up.
I actually feel for you as it’s the most frustrating thing and very stressful.

Sorry you have been messed around so much Ellsee.Its so stressful.

This messing people around is often the norm these days. No one can actually believe the timescales they are told by their surgeons these days.

It's so stressful for the people waiting. The waiting is bad enough but this cancelling and cancelling again and again is so stressful. You need to gear yourself up and, as you say, get things in place for someone to take and collect you, your recovery plans etc.

It's disgusting.

I also feel sorry for the staff in theses situations. I think they are very demoralised and done in! And they are at the front line having to face people like you who are totally fed up. They would love to be able to go their job properly.

Quite frankly there is a 'lack of care' feeling in many areas of life these days.
The government is (now) very dysfunctional and Britain is definitely in decline. Health is just one area!