NHS - the "S" stands for S***

[Vogue]

The S stands for.....

 

Mrs Vogue was diagnosed with a cyst in December. Obviously worrying. Yesterday it was finally her time to get her appointment with the Doctor/Surgeon/Registrar bloke.

 

She had been waiting at the Hospital (having taken the day off work, arranged childminding etc etc) for an hour before someone came to tell her that he was actually off sick yesterday and that she would have to re-arrange the appointment.

 

Obviuosly it would have been too much effort to phone the patients who had appointments yesterday. Or even tell them as soon as they turned up.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Well i didn't think the "S" stood for sensible.......did you?? <img src="/images/graemlins/doah.gif" alt="" />

[mala_D]

Hope it's sorted out quickly Vogue!

[CANV EFM]

you'd think with a manager for every memeber of actual medical staff they would be fighting for something to do..!

[Vogue]

Just to bring this old chesnut back:

 

Mrs Vogue was supposed to see gynaecologist today (after he was ill last week). However they phoned (well at least they did this time) on Friday to say that he was on a training course today.

 

She's now having to PAY to see him (yes the same bloke) as a private consultation on Wednesday.

 

The "S" stands for lots of things - shafting shtbags are two that come to mind.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Had the same sort of thing happen a few years ago........I needed an operation on my foot(ater an accident at work).......saw the Doctor at Gravesend Hospital......sorry no beds available...My firm decided to pay for the Op as it was the accident was their fault..Went back to the Hospital........saw the same Doctor...OH YOU ARE A PRIVATE PATIENT.......WE CAN OPERATE NEXT WEEK.............magic how a bed suddenly appeared!

 

[Mr Happy]

I have to say, I am a pretty right wing type of chappy and on the whole belive in a free market economy. However, I would ban private health care in this country and use the money that people pay into private healthcare to bolster the NHS. The money should be collected in taxes.

 

Blimey I'm not becomming a leftie am I, surely not..........

[mala_D]

Well..the thing is this...I think it's fine for people to pay for their own health care. If I could afford to go private and have a private room then I would.

The problem is Private treatment is using the facilities and staff dedicated to the NHS.

While the NHS may be gaining some ££££ for this, what's the point if non-private people are pushed further and further down the list? It's that way at my hospital, anyway! And I've still not received notification as to when my op will be rescheduled.

Not holding breath at mo!

[Mr Happy]

Thus, if private healthcare was banned and more money raised through fair and proper taxation then all could benefit from a fair and quality NHS service.

[The Invisible Man]

Shock horror, Happy and Invis in agreement on something!

 

Mal, don't you need a machine that goes "pong" as well?

[Uncle Urchin]

fck that...if there's anything wrong with me I just wanna jump the queue and get sorted quick....cheque book in hand....

 

as a man who serves the people...(well I keep 'em warm and reduce their heating bills dunti...?)..I need to be healthy and on the streets... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

ha ha ha.....women children and unc first comes to mind....I'd have been orf that fckin titanic to tell the tale thats for sure....

 

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Vogue]

That's the whole ptoblem though innit?

 

I want a good and succesful NHS. I want to pay tax to fund it (Bugger it - i DO pay tax to fund it).

But when you can't see Mr Gynaecologist b-coz he's:

1. Ill

2. On a training course

and you've got a potential cancerous cyst, you've got to:

3. Pay to see the bastrd.

 

They've got us by the short and curlies.

 

And just to save me having to post a reply tomorrow night, this what will happen:

Mr G: "Yes you've got a cyst - very dangerous - we'll need to remove it blah blah quite urgent..."

Mrs Vogue:"Really - well we'd best do it urgently then."

Mr G: "Yes, but there's lots of people in your situation. Can't really see it getting done this side of August."

Mrs V: "But I thought you said it was urgent."

Mr G:"Well it is - but targets, blah blah, beds blah blah staff blah blah there's really nothing I can do. Unless..."

Mrs V: "Yes?"

Mr G: "You could go private"

Mrs V "And when could you do it then?"

Mr G: "I've got a slot next week."

Mrs V:"OK let's do it."

Mr G: "OK then. And that'll be £200 for today's chat too. Give the cheque to the receptionist on the way out. See you next week."

 

[mala_D]

It's disgusting Vogue!! A prime example of "private healthcare" encroaching on the NHS's territory.

What happens if that consultant/surgeon's slot went unused next week?

No NHS patient can have it, as it would be too late to call the patient in - thus, another unused slot is left!

 

Latest News Item:

It also makes you wonder about the admininstration of the NHS too, when a highly-skilled and eminent brain surgeon can be suspended on full pay - no doubt creating further backlog of operations for others with serious conditions - all because he took too many croutons with his soup!

 

It has been said that part of this country's malaise is the growth of middle-management; AKA, jumped-up, unskilled clowns with an overly inflated opinion of their own importance.

 

I hope Mrs Vogue has the problem sorted quickly!!

I wish you both well.

[The Invisible Man]

All surgical treatment should be treated in order of medical priority, whether you pay for it or not. Medical/surgical staff and facilities are a relatively scarce resource, the access to which must not be decided on the ability (or even willingness) to pay.

 

To each according to his or her need.

 

As a concession to the views of others on the forum, I concede that hospitals should all have double glazing.

[CANV EFM]

fk the nhs its crap and pisses more money up the wall.. flog the whole thing off and give everyone vouchers to go private.. im guessing what is spent per person on the nhs pays for a lot of private health care.. plus it stops ponces from abroad and we all get our own room with sky t.v. in fact the windfall from selling all the land etc and facilities to private firms will generate anough dough to pay some decent pensions or the proceeds could be invested in research.. nhs pah! plus all the nurses would get paid a decent screw as well and we could all have a tax cut as the nhs probably wastes at least half the dough thats ploughed into it

[The Invisible Man]

Well CANV I'm all in favour of nurses getting a good screw! May I put my name down as a volunteer?

 

The prob with private healthcare is that it is not interested in chronic or long term aliments. If you need a quick in-out (ho ho) op, fine, if you've got the readies you're in and out, bunch of flowers in the corner, bandages and aspirins itemised on the bill, nice little profit and go on their way rejoicing.

 

But if you've got something that needs long term care, maybe something terminal, mabe a disbility from birth and/or something needing huge time input as well as expertise, with all the support specialists - physiotherapists, speech therapists, careers, home helps etc - there's no money in it and the private boys don't want to know.

 

Mental health is another field - how would that operate privately?

 

You can tell I'm bored can't you?

[Colin, Germany]

I'm certainly in favour of private health care, but the tales on this forum show that public health care is getting too few resources. Some of the money spent on public health care is wasted. That has alwaxs been the case. The NHS needs to become more efficient. However, there is nothing wrong in principle with private patients being able to jump the queue. What is important is that non-private patients should also receive adequate health care. This is obviously not happening at the moment.

[Mr Happy]

I couldn't disagree with you more Colin. Why should a private patient jump the queue just on the basis that he/she has more money. As Invis said, healthcare should be provided on the basis of need.

[CANV EFM]

if you give 5 firms (3 u.k. 1 american . 1 european.) the franchise to makes lots of money by fixing knees n doing bypasses im sure its not beyond the wit of a modern g 7 country to factor into the equation long term care .. and mental care.. its all part of the overall cost.. research wil be in the private sector.. with the potential rewards of developing live saving drugs and treatment the investment levels will rocket..

[pabird]

Getting a bit mixed up here Mr Happy, The NHS was devised in the first instance to ensure that poor people gained essential life preserving treatment when required

The poor people concerned where to be British and those working would contribute via NI ETC, IT DID NOT HAVE TARGETS IT WAS FRANCHISED TO PERFORM TO THE NEED

Now if we could just focus todays MPs on the need to be British and the British needs were to come first second and third we may just get some value out of the billions invested into their care by us (the British people)

The J.Arthur Rank we call Prime Minister should be able to give us the figures released recently of the numbers of children and senior peoples who have lost their lives due to a super bug whilst under the care of the NHS

OR?? let the British people direct their NI etc payments into private insurance healthcare