NHS - oh dear!

MOnica I moved from the black country Dudley heath authority. To Merseyside and the health care I have had is excellent. I only picked my GP because the bus stopped opposite. And I couldn't have chosen better.

In 2020 sent to my new neurologist who prescribed Clonazepam and after 32 years of limb jerks and 4 seizures within 2 weeks my limbs where still. He sent my blood to have my whole genome genetically tested. But didn't get sent the results until March 2022 because of covid. I was born disabled but didn't know until April 2022 what with I was finally was diagnosed with hereditary Hyperekplexia gene mutation SLC6A5 type 3.

Also my GP sent me to see a cardiologist and over 2020/2021 and was finally diagnosed with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and found I was born with small hole in the side of my heart . And on heart medication. But I had to laugh when my cardiologist told me as I have had 3 major and 2 minor ops all with a dicky heart.

Moving here changed my life for the better healthwise and am living my life to the full instead of just existing like I did after my husband died. Moving here made my happy even though things have happened that tried to mar it. I can honestly say I have a home again and real friends and see my daughter and family regularly.

Having the 2 diagnosis my whole life finally made sense and found people with HPX. I am no longer weird but normal for HPX and PAF. Funny how life can change in a few years.

Oh dear, we hope to move just north of Herts to Cambridgeshire - Hinchinbrook and Addenbrooke's hospitals.

Monicagps are probably average but West Herts definitely has a lovely bunch of doctors, surgeons, nurses and robotic surgery. In fact, so impressive that I have signed up to the hospital lottery! Small way of saying thank you.

Could all those people getting wonderful service from the NHS,specfically GPS and hospital outpatients, tell us which Primary Trust (or whatever they are called) they live in, so that we can start planning our next house moves.

I am also receiving excellent service from my local NHS hospital. It’s so heartwarming to find doctors who care. I enjoy meeting all the nurses and doctors from such diverse countries - Egypt, Syria, Romania and India so far . A truly global experience. And great service!

Golly 5 mins for a brain scan is quick. I have to have them regularly and way more than 5 min especially when they insert the dye. Was it a CT or MRI?

I don't like to boast but .......... my husband was due have a brain scan at 10.30 am. As parking at our hospital is expensive and difficult I decided to take him by bus. Allowing extra time for the vagaries of buses we went successfully, had the scan which took 5 minutes waiting time and 5 minutes for scan, returned home by bus and sat down at home for a cup of tea/coffee before the designated scan appointment at 10.30 am. We giggled about our success all day.

Luckygirl3 That is absolutely disgusting. You must contact PALS (Patient advice liaison Service) at the hospital where you were seen and get them to sort it out. I used to work in OPD in a large hospital. The powers that be in their infinite wisdom (NOT!) decided to cut costs by getting rid of half of the secretaries allocated to each consultant and those that were kept on had to do the correspondence for two consultants. Now it doesn't take an idiot to work out what happens if a particular secretary is on annual leave or is off sick for any length of time, There are no available staff to take over her work because they are all ready doing two peoples work. Unless they get temporary or agency staff all those letters to GP's and other departments are stuck on a dicta-phone somewhere! If this is typical of all hospitals no wonder the letters take so long to be written and sent out. Oh and the post only went out once a week on a Friday.

Just reading all this I thought I'd let you know about the letter I received from the NHS today saying I was removed from the list for cervical screening due to one of 3 reasons. The reason for me was I had a hysterectomy 27 years ago and have never been called for screening in all that time. I assumed I had been removed all those years ago as I never received an appointment after the operation. Where on earth did they dredge my name up from!

One health authority does not share results with another. Had blood tests done at one hospital, but referred for treatment at another in a different area. Hoping I can share results via NHS app on my phone. No joined-up system on computers. Do not understand.

I’ve just had a hip replacement on the NHS and I’m extremely pleased with it. Had to jump through hoops for several months, but once I got a referral to the consultant the process was surprisingly quick. I’d been fully expecting a queue of years and having to go private, as for the first one.

I am going to have to rebook my cardiac appointment as it has come through with a date when I am on holiday. I will meniton it then.

MOnica I suggest that you try to get your 24hr ECG sorted before September because there may not be much point of seeing the cardiologist unless the results are available to him.
I would go into the surgery and speak to the ‘care navigator’ and see if she can sort the appointment to have it done .
I prefer receptionist to care navigator, as the latter gives the impression that they can sort these things out for you 😀

Eirlys

U have AMD and have had eye imjections and regular hospital checkups. Had an appointment at 11.25 this morning and was out at 12. I had had an eye test, an eye scan and a consultation with my specialist. This has happened ion every occasion. I cannot praise the Eye Department enough.

I took my late mother in law to our local eye clinic.
He passed a page of text across his desk and asked her to read it: I informed him that my mother in law is blind 😡

I had an eye operation over 18 months ago but told I should have another very soon after. I’m now on my 7th cancellation and each time I receive a text with letter to be opened online. I then do that but then get same letter in the post. Then get another text asking if I have read the letter. A few days later the appointment gets cancelled. I live in hope the latest appointment will actually take place. What an awful amount of money the NHS is wasting in administration

I have to say, that we are having excellent service from the NHS. My DH saw a GP about a month ago, she put him on the two week pathway, he saw someone very quickly, he said scan needed, had that , saw consultant the next week, had an op the next week. We got the results yesterday, sadly it's cancer, he's having another scan tomorrow and we see the team again next week when the second lot of histology will be back. The specialist cancer nurse was absolutely wonderful, I know we're really lucky to live near two centres of excellence. As for me I got a new knee lasr year five months after the initial xray, at a unit that only does hips and. knees.

My DH was called in to the surgery for a general health check-up. He hadn't been to a doctor for years and has always been very healthy. He rang me from the surgery to say that his BP was so high they'd called 999 and he was stretchered into an ambulance and sent to A & E. He spent the day there with them trying to get his BP down. They wanted to admit him - he wanted to go home - so reluctantly they discharged him home with a mass of tablets and told him an appointment would be made for him to see a cardiologist. That was in November. The surgery continues to dole out repeat prescriptions without even seeing him. He had an email asking him if he still wanted an appointment with the cardiologist, and asking him how far he was prepared to travel, but apart from that he hasn't heard a word from anyone. Shameful!

I have read all these and I am in the same situation, I feel like I have been round and round in circles, I feel like I am getting things done going for scans and xrays and all sorts of rests, sometimes the same ones done several times, one particular day appointments in 3 different hospitals, we had to race around them to make sure we got there in time, scans and things for illnesses I knew for sure I didn't have, every finger , toe. knee and ankle scanned or xray while waiting for a full body scan - why? then some results sent to me, letters lost, some results to GP some to whoever asked for the scan, others you have to phone and can can't get through - total chaos. I really believe all this going for test etc is to make us feel that we are being treated but actually we aren't and it is just keeping us from going on the waiting list so Rishi can carry on saying that the waiting list has gone down I can't think of any other explanation

There should be a telephone number at the top of the letter with the consultant name on , phone it and speak to the Secretary ,say you have had a copy of the letter sent to your GP and it is incorrect, sometimes messages can be mixed up on the tapes that have been used but they should have also written in your hospital notes so will be able to check for the correct information. Please make the effort to get it corrected straight away otherwise your GP, notes will be incorrect.

I wanted to be treated like my dog does at the Vet. A one stop shop. No sending you to large hospitals for most tests. Have one main hospital with cottage hospitals around. Put GP back to working as hospital Doctors. Hides behind sofa!

Eirlys How fortunate you are.

U have AMD and have had eye imjections and regular hospital checkups. Had an appointment at 11.25 this morning and was out at 12. I had had an eye test, an eye scan and a consultation with my specialist. This has happened ion every occasion. I cannot praise the Eye Department enough.

M0nica

My god daughter has been seriously ill for over 3 years. She has been for tests of all kinds but it has been difficult to work out what the problem is. She has now been told she needs to see a specific specialist. There is a 70 week waiting list.

If she is seriously ill with a 70 week waiting list I would pay for her to see a private consultant who will often then refer you for urgent tests/treatment on the NHS.

My god daughter has been seriously ill for over 3 years. She has been for tests of all kinds but it has been difficult to work out what the problem is. She has now been told she needs to see a specific specialist. There is a 70 week waiting list.

I have the NHS app for my doctors and regularly they type up wrong information or put down something I haven’t said. Only yesterday one out I’ve lost weight due to diet

I have lost weight 2,stone and I’ve never been on a diet the weight loss is a mystery