Sunak intervening to prevent end to doctors strikes

Iam64. But is it more expensive to do immediate ultrasounds and mri scans if you consider the cost of X-rays, nerve conduction studies, hand specialist, physiotherapist, gps etc. Also if such lengthy waiting is involved in diagnosis, surely there is a lot of pain and mental anguish? How much is an MRI scan as a cost to the NHS?

It’s the cost ronib

maddyone My understanding is that in Germany every gp surgery has ultrasound available to patients. That must save time diagnosing some conditions. I wonder why MRI scans are not used sooner in treatment? With the huge backlog in the NHS, technology which speeds up diagnosis needs to be considered.

It’s taken a year for me to be diagnosed with stenosis of the spine, between C4 and C5. My GP was good, and kept referring me to the appropriate people for the next test in the search for the diagnosis of why I had appalling pain my right hand. X rays, nerve conduction studies, hand specialist, psyiotherapist twice. Eventually we got to the MRI scan which showed up the problem and I have now got my first appointment with the spinal consultant next week when we return from NZ. A whole year since I first consulted my GP, and all the time in pain. I’m on steroids now to cope with the flight home. The reason for the delay was because each appointment entailed waiting. And then more waiting after I’ve seen the consultant for the initial treatment of a steroid injection into my spine.

I’m so sorry to hear about your sister Whitewave. I hope she’s receiving the treatment she needs now. And that your treatment was successful and you are well.

what the tories have done is an absolute scandal

The devastation of our NHS including mental health, drug/alcohol services along with the 20,000 experienced police officers they made redundant, the swathes of experienced social care managers/workers, the disdain with which ministers speak of teachers in state schools and much much more - we live in a broken country led by an arrogant group of people with inflated views of their own importance.

maddyone

I find it appalling that a person can wait 62 days for cancer treatment, or indeed even longer, at what must be the most worrying time of their life. How is it in any way acceptable? And Sunak has the nerve to blame junior doctors, most of whom, are nothing like junior!

I watched my sister receiving a cancer diagnoses for aggressive melanoma this autumn and saw her agony as she was told that the waiting list for urgent referral was at least 31 days. That would have been 31 days of terror, that it would spread, and 31 days that she faced imminent death. What happened to the immediate referral - I was referred within a week and that was dreadful.

In the end she chose to go private which took a large amount of her savings, and even then I guess because of the pressure from people going private because of what the government has done to the NHS, there was a two week waiting list.

The whole system has become inhuman. We don’t live in a developing country, or a country where health care is dependent on your wealth.

We live in a country whose health system just 14 years ago was judged to be the best in the world.

What the Tories have done is an absolute scandal.

I find it appalling that a person can wait 62 days for cancer treatment, or indeed even longer, at what must be the most worrying time of their life. How is it in any way acceptable? And Sunak has the nerve to blame junior doctors, most of whom, are nothing like junior!

Waiting for cancer treatment after diagnosis should take no longer than 62 days for 85% of patients - that's the NHS target - but only about 60% begin treatment in that timescale. The failure to meet the target has been a problem since 2014 so Sunak can hardly blame it on the 'junior' doctors' strikes (or the pandemic) though he may well try to do so.

Iam64

It’s a shameless tactic and one I hope will be rejected by the electorate.
I’ve been away in a group of 12 none of whom I’d met before. A mixed group of people from different parts of the country. One of our party needed antibiotics, easily bought at a local pharmacy. This led to a chat about our health service. The solid consensus was the ‘junior’ doctors aren’t junior, their Pat claim should be met.

No, junior doctors is the wrong term altogether.

I really don't know what was wrong with the previous terms which were in use.

A junior doctor could be a Foundation Year doctor or a Specialty Registrar.

It doesn’t say anything positive about him, that’s for sure, but then I’ve never liked him, nor had much time for him.

I hope the article in the Guardian is untrue. It paints a very bad picture of the prime minister. Again the use of the word sources rings some alarm bells.

It’s a shameless tactic and one I hope will be rejected by the electorate.
I’ve been away in a group of 12 none of whom I’d met before. A mixed group of people from different parts of the country. One of our party needed antibiotics, easily bought at a local pharmacy. This led to a chat about our health service. The solid consensus was the ‘junior’ doctors aren’t junior, their Pat claim should be met.

Totally agree Casdon.

Having read the article it looks like his intention is to claim in the election build up that waiting list targets have failed to be met due to the doctors strikes. It’s quite a convenient excuse, because he can incite his supporters by saying he stood firm against the doctors on principle, demonstrating his strength as PM. Millions on waiting lists is neither here nor there.