How dare brexiteers jeopardise my daughter's life!!

I think humpty meant ‘the government’ Pantsglas2

Sorry humptydumpty - how did GrandmaJan create ‘the problem’? I just thought how brave of her to come on this thread and calmly share her work experience with us.

Except Pantglas2 they would have been better not to be creating the problem in the first place...

Yes she’s very reassuring which must be lovely for her worried patients. The last thing you need when you have health problems is professionals spreading doom and gloom instead of problem solving.

GrandmaJan
Thank you for your informative and reassuring posts.

Goodbyetoallthat
However what happens to those not deemed to be a priority, will they just be left to fend for themselves

It will be the same as it ever was. Have there not always been waiting lists prioritised upon need?

Goodbyetoallthat I’m not exactly sure what you’re referring to exactly but if you’re worried about how the NHS will treat you, then I don’t think anything will change. If you’re not classed as priority you’ll go on a waiting list like most patients

I am very pleased to hear that dragonfly46 will be a priority (& rightly so).
However what happens to those not deemed to be a priority, will they just be left to fend for themselves?

dragonfly46 good luck with the radiotherapy . Try and eat and drink as much as you can during treatment. Hope it all goes well and remember you will be a priority for treatment no matter what happens

I am a remainer, I do not want to crash out of the EU, but I am also a pragmatist and I do not believe the horror stories we are hearing about medicines etc.
I am shortly going to have to start radiotherapy. I have heard reports that the isotopes are not going to be available after Brexit. However, I am not going to worry about this until it actually happens. Nobody knows for certain what is going to happen, all we can do is speculate and there is no point to that.
I do wish though that they would sort the mess we are in out and get on with it. As an aside maybe we should have a cross party committee headed by Ken Clarke to get us out of the EU and alleviate everyone's worries.

growstuff the Emails I mentioned were professional Emails a GP recieves not from patients. I can’t help it if you’re Nurse Practitioner isn’t very good, perhaps you should direct your anger to the Practice Manager.

I voted to leave and think that as we live in a democracy that the majority vote, which was to leave, should have been upheld. The health angle is just one point among many pros and cons and it is pointless to debate on just this issue in isolation. Others will have had concerns for employment, industry moving abroad, immigration and everybody which have different feelings according to THEIR priorities which I suspect will depend on which part of the country they live in and what their occupation is along with their personal health circumstances.

I do not feel that sniping at the leave voters who turned up at the polls achieves anything apart from making the remainders feel better by lashing out verbally.

I am disappointed to see this debate thread aggressive.

PS. The Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the practice also denies there are ever problems and fobs people off, so I refuse point blank to see her.

Because you mentioned emails!

All I can say is that you don't speak to the people working for trusts where things don't work well.

I am really quite angry that you don't seem to think my experience is the truth or important. I can assure you it's very real - and I know other people who have experienced the same.

The other GP in town is reputedly even worse. I've been with the same practice for 20 years and have never had the same kind of problems.

The practice does have appointments on the same day, but they're intended for emergencies. There are hardly any prebookable appointments available - ever!

It seems to me that doctors should be seeing emergencies, not wasting their time chasing up medications.

BTW It isn't just this practice. My friend works for another practice and also spends time trying to source medications.

growstuff I’m not patronising you at all. I have friends who work in NHS Trusts around the country and they feel the same as I do that things are working well. Not many GP’s accept Emails so I’m unsure why you mentioned that to be honest. From what you have said your GP practice isn’t that well run especially if you have a waiting list to speak to someone. If a patient needs to speak to a doctor or nurse they do so the same day and that’s the same in the practice where I work and my own GP practice. GP’s have a responsibility to their patients and if that means checking every repeat prescription so be it. The buck stops with them. I can’t speak for all areas but if I were in your position I’d be looking for a new GP.

It sounds as though your chalk face experience isn't valid for all areas.

I'm glad your area works well, but please don't patronise me by claiming that it's the same in all areas.

A very good friend of mine is a GP and she has told me that the practice spends hours (when it could be treating patients) trying to sort out problems with medication shortages.

In my practice, the GPs don't even sign off repeat prescriptions. The receptionists (or whatever they're called these days) do it. The GPs themselves don't have time to check the availability of medications for the 12,000 patients on their list. The first they know about it is when there's a problem.

I am on long-term medication and have been for years. I really don't need the hassle of contacting my GP (they don't accept emails) every time there's a problem. As I said, there's a lengthy waiting list to speak to anybody (even on the phone) who can help.

growstuff I cannot explain what is happening in the area you live in but it’s certainly not my experience. We regularly talk to Pharmacists and have a Pharmacist attached to my GP practice (part time) who updates us all the time. If a patient was having the same problems as you are I would be speaking to a Consultant in hospital. Hospital pharmacies sometimes have drugs we can’t get hold of in the community as well. Your GP not knowing about shortages astounds me especially as daily Emails inform us of any problems and I make sure I constantly update myself regularly.

Great reassurance GrandmaJan thank you. I for one would be hugely reassured by your posts.
?

PS. This has absolutely nothing to do with better diagnosis and approval of more medications!!

GrandmaJan I have no reason to disbelieve what you're saying. However, my experience is that GP surgeries and pharmacies don't always communicate as well as they should.

About five minutes ago, I came off the phone from my local pharmacy because there has been a delay in one of my repeat prescription items - again! They referred me back to the GP. This happened last month and there was a three week waiting list to see a Nurse Practioner or GP. This would have meant going without diabetic medication with no explanation as to what was going on. I did eventually get an emergency appointment (taking up time which should have been available for genuine emergencies) and a new prescription was written.

Worryingly, the GP surgery was unaware that there were shortages and delays, so wouldn't/couldn't give me an explanation or strategy for avoiding future problems.

Yet again, there have been problems this month. Yet again, I was referred back to the GP and I'm about to go to my surgery and stamp my feet. I really hate having to do this, but I hate even more being treated like a mug, whose health doesn't really seem to matter in whatever is going on.

For health professionals to deny there is a problem isn't causing patients not to worry!!

PS. I realise this is probably not Brexit related.

Dinahmo some HRT is still produced from the urine of mares.

MaizieD I have mentioned already on this thread what I do but just to clarify. I work as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at a GP surgery so I see patients daily, diagnose and prescribe. My qualification allows me to prescribe Controlled Drugs such as Oromorph etc. I’m a Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor and have worked as a Senior Nurse in hospital. Read my previous conversations and I think my post is valid

but I work at the coal face so to speak

Using GG54's criteria, GrandmaJan, your post is about as valid as Sallywally's.

Urmstongran I have just read your post above. GabriellaG54 is absolutely correct, people saying they work for the NHS but not clearly saying what they do can give people the impression they are a Nurse, Midwife, Brain Surgeon etc. All the scaremongering isn’t helping because we haven’t even left the EU yet and where drugs are available they are still coming into the country. Those produced in the UK are mostly available. Has anyone considered that a shortage in some areas could be because we are getting better at diagnosing and NICE are approving more medication? I think I have access to more drugs as a Nurse Practitioner/Prescriber and I’m better at diagnosing. Patients are also more aware of what’s available thanks to the www and Dr Google. Sorry to go on but I work at the coal face so to speak and I do know what’s going on at the moment