FabSwingers.com forum: 5 Operations cancelled with little or no notice!

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

My poor neice has needed a stent put in her brain for 18 months and she's been given FIVE dates for the op, and they've all been cancelled on the day while she's been in hospital since silly o'clock, nil by mouth, and then they tell her at 5pm it's not going ahead. The latest was today.

I know what they're doing. They're keeping her off the waiting lists by giving her a date and then cancelling it on the day. Fucking NHS, if ever I needed convincing that this shambolic organisation needed scrapping and rebuilt from the ground up then this has confirmed it.

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

god bless her, sorry to hear that, all the best to her

I just had some surgery and it went great, so when it works, it works fantastically well.

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By *yrdwomanWoman
over a year ago

Putting the 'cum' in Eboracum

"when it works, it works fantastically well."

I had no problems with my procedure last year, and that was at York District, one of the worst hospitals in the UK.

However, 5 cancellations?!

I'd be on to the PCT in that case. Poor lass.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Awwwww god thats awful, can the family not get the local MP involved to get it sorted ....................... they manage to pull strings so much, or get them to discuss and complain to the patients advocate at the hospital ....... some operations and lives shouldnt be disrupted - and good luck hope she gets her op soon

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Awwwww god thats awful, can the family not get the local MP involved to get it sorted ....................... they manage to pull strings so much, or get them to discuss and complain to the patients advocate at the hospital ....... some operations and lives shouldnt be disrupted - and good luck hope she gets her op soon

My initial thought was also the local MP and failing that the tabloids.

Hope your niece gets her op soon Wishy, all the best to her and family. xxx

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

Sorry your family has had such a poor experience of the NHS.

What reasons were given? Five times is unacceptable and a complaint should be made to the Chief Exec, Director of Surgery and the Trust Board (if it's a trust). I'd also tell the papers.

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By *ucsparkMan
over a year ago

dudley

Wishy I feel for your niece, but after spending almost two weeks in hospital from a emergency I must say that most wards and theatres are full to bursting and programmed theatre time gets pushed to the end. If you really think they are not doing what is best for your niece write to chairman of the trust and include it into your MP.

Hope things work out for your niece.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Thats not fair poor thing. The once my son had to have an op we were very fortunate all went to plan. Hope it is sorted soon x

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Sorry your family has had such a poor experience of the NHS.

What reasons were given? Five times is unacceptable and a complaint should be made to the Chief Exec, Director of Surgery and the Trust Board (if it's a trust). I'd also tell the papers."

'Theatre complications' is the reason she's been given every time.

She won't go to the Press without giving the hospital the opportunity to get it right first but they will be told that if there is any delay from this point on then we'll see what national exposure will accomplish (if they print the story that is).

She needs this stent because she has blocked veins in her head and she has dizzy spells, passes out etc which leave her flat on her back for days after and she has a 2y/o to deal with.

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By *innamon!Woman
over a year ago

no matter

They really seem to be very busy.

Last girl in yesterday was sent home.. I got in at 8 15am was eventually taken to get the wire in by 11 .. operated on at 4 pm.. what a long day waiting..

poor girl she must feel terrible having to wait . Hope they get her in soon

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By *smCouple
over a year ago

Liskeard

i know its a pain Wishy. and I too would go to the PCT or your local MP.

we know it gets very busy in our local hospitial, espcailly the chemo ward, the amount of times we are told to be there for 10 am and FSM doesn't get his chemo till gone 3, its tiring, but they are so busy, and there are cronic staff shortages,

hope she gets it sorted soon. xx

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Have your relatives asked what 'Theatre Complications' are exactly in this case Wishy?

Only I was under the impression that it can mean a previous procedure (Surgery) has over run due to complications during the Op.....which is understandable as procedures don't always go to plan do they?

I could be wrong, it's been an awful long time since I have worked in a hospital.

I should imagine they don't see your young relatives condition as life threatening at the moment....if I have read your post right.

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Why not get her gp to send her to a private clinic

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Used to work in a senior management role in the NHS, the best way to resolve this would be to write to your MP as some others have already said. In my experience that was the quickest way to resolve such incidents as this.

Good luck x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Wishy ..sorry to hear about anyone's ill health and I best wishes from here.

But her GP is the key person now as they are the fundholders and commissioning agents. If the local hospital can't / won't do it then the GP can source treatment anywhere including private or abroad.

Well the NHS may well need replacing. But with what? It is still the best overall model for 'free' treatment at point of need for all its faults

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Have your relatives asked what 'Theatre Complications' are exactly in this case Wishy?

I could be wrong, it's been an awful long time since I have worked in a hospital.

I should imagine they don't see your young relatives condition as life threatening at the moment....if I have read your post right.

They've told her she HAS to have the op or she WILL go blind. She hasn't been given any other reasons apart from 'theatre complications' and I don't suppose they're going to discuss someone else's case with her.

Five times it too much though. That can't be pure coincidence and it makes one wonder if she got bumped again because someone else had been bumped more times than her already and now it was that person's turn. They are massaging the waiting list figures, it's blatantly obvious. How can the same doctor bump the same patient five times over 18 months? And this is supposed to be the world famous Addenbrookes. Addenbollocks more like.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Well the NHS may well need replacing. But with what? It is still the best overall model for 'free' treatment at point of need for all its faults

It's a pile of shit, pure and simple. I wouldn't keep a turd in the toilet because it's the only one I have at the moment, I'd flush it away, which is what the NHS needs doing to it.

I'd allow private companies to buy the hospitals and run them as businesses, and they'd soon see their profits fall if they provided a shit service and patients went elsewhere for treatment. It's no good trying to sort out the waste because nobody wants to sort it out. Not the politicans, nor the hospital admins, it's not in their interest to do so. MPs see the NHS as a white elephant and to try and tackle it's problems during their brief tenure in office will make their tenure even more brief, so they don't bother and pass the problem to whoever comes after them, ad infinitum.

Get rid of it I say, and good friggin riddance to it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Did your wife use the maternity services recently? How did you both feel that went. Was babe delivered safe and well, did you get lots of midwife support to ensure childbirth went naturally. Were you aware that if an emergency occured there would be a fully staffed theatre on hand for emergency situations.

Or did you stick to your principles of the NHS being a crock of shit and not entrust your most cherished to their care and did you go to a private hospital and pay for all your pre and post natal care.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Did your wife use the maternity services recently? How did you both feel that went. Was babe delivered safe and well, did you get lots of midwife support to ensure childbirth went naturally. Were you aware that if an emergency occured there would be a fully staffed theatre on hand for emergency situations.

The actual birth went well, no faults there and it was a c-section, but the aftercare was absolutely appalling. Siren was left in agony at 4am until I got there at 10am and I found her in tears in her bed. Her call button had been moved out of her reach and she was desperate to go to the loo but she couldn't even sit upright yet without assistance. The attitude of the midwifery team was that she should be able to haul herself out of bed and hobble to the toilet. She was made to feel like she was being deliberately awkward and when I went to get a wheelchair to take her home I was told that 'if she cant walk out of here she's not going anywhere' - which was met by me with a 'you wanna fucking bet!' ... and this was in a hospital that had second best rating in England for maternity care!

A soldier with an abdomen wound like that wouldn't have been expected to up and about 18 hours later. I made up my mind that day that we would have private healthcare cover for the whole family from that point on so we'll never have to go NHS again.

I don't see why we can't have a system where hospitals are run privately as a business and payment for treatment is still made by the govt using N.I. contribs but these hospitals would be run much more efficiently (and taxed like a business would be, returning more money to the Treasury), and those on benefits would still get treated as they are now. From Joe Public's point of _iew it wouldn't be such a drastic change in front line care, but behind the scenes you can bet your life that wastage would be cut back drastically as it would eat into the hospital's profits. It would still be an NHS of sorts but a much better managed one where profits are directly hit by poor administration and/or service, and patients can decide which hospital they want to be treated at if they're not happy with their local hospital.

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By *acreadCouple
over a year ago

central scotland

It would all get even worse and more expensive to the taxpayer if it went private as everything before it has done gas electric being just one example of many.

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"Wishy ..sorry to hear about anyone's ill health and I best wishes from here.

But her GP is the key person now as they are the fundholders and commissioning agents. If the local hospital can't / won't do it then the GP can source treatment anywhere including private or abroad.

Well the NHS may well need replacing. But with what? It is still the best overall model for 'free' treatment at point of need for all its faults

agreed..

(now there's a 1st lol)

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

Our NHS rocks, and glad it was celebrated at the Olympics - we're the envy of much of the world.

However, current cutbacks etc are putting them under the wrong pressure. We obviously wouldn't need to cut anything, if people paid their tax, but that's no consolation, as there doesn't seem to be the will anywhere to really stop that.

I would make an official complaint, as it's now potentially making her health, wellbeing worse. This may help get her prioritised for an earlier appointment, either date or earlier on the day when she's scheduled for her op. As others say, the MP's pressure could help too.

It's definitely been a ploy to massage waiting list times too, as it's now very common for appointments to be made and then cancelled same day, which is not right.

Good luck to her!

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

'This is a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative party'......

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

Wishy,

recognise your frustration about your niece but your idea of making hospitals a 'business' and people can go elsewhere is a nonsense m8..

not everyone has the freedom nor the means to travel to x, y or whatever if they dont like their 'local' hospital..

and as for going private, respect your choice but any emergency surgery if needed is not provided by the private companies..

its your local NHS hospital..

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

There are very valid reasons for getting C Section patients out of bed at an early opportunity, they don't do so to be awkward or bitchy, they do so for the good of the patient.

Wouldn't be any different in a private hospital, it's common practice....and for very good reason.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My initial thought was also the local MP and failing that the tabloids.

Hope your niece gets her op soon Wishy, all the best to her and family. xxx"

Definately plan of action! Local press too - no Nhs trust likes bad publicity - and I've had a couple of bad experiences with the NHS before myself (including being minutes away from death to to short staffing and being left on a trolley in A&E while they rushed to deal with urgent 'cuts and bruises' from the Friday night pub fight club!).

I feel for Frontline Nhs staff - its often not their fault - but to cancel pre-booked appointments so many times just shows the problems with admin and trying to play the 'numbers game' that targets have created!!

Hope it gets sorted for her soon!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It’s big, it’s sometimes slow, it’s sometimes good, it’s sometimes pretty poor and sometimes as with the OP issue it can be diabolical … overall though I will take it over other models. I don’t think privatising the system and making profit the basis of the service will work as a disproportionate ammount of resources will be be directed to the most lucrative operations/procedures/treatments to the detriment of all others. The NHS does need to be more accountable to the public, with clearer more defined routes to advice and complaints, and it maybe needs a management shake up but more than this it needs greater funding. I would happily pay another 5p in the pound income tax if that could be ring fenced for the NHS.

From personal experience varying from 3 premature births (including one at 28-weeks), to several weeks intensive care for my son, to reconstructive surgery, the vasectomy of course and all the usual breaks, bumps and cuts (parents will know what I mean here) I know it can be a difficult journey sometimes but I have nothing but praise and thanks for the individuals involved in each encounter and it must really piss off those individuals when they are tarred with the same brush as the disinterested and sometimes malicious few.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

When we had problems with my grandads hospital treatment, after we were messed around the second time we went straight to the PALS (Patient advice and liason service) most larger hospitals will have an office onsite i beleive but if not you can access their locations thought the website (just google PALS it comes up at the top)

They were really quick to sort stuff out, and my grandad got seen by a doctor, treated, moved to the appropriate ward and put in a side room within a day. whereas he had previously gone to the wrong ward, not been seen by a doctor for 4 days, and was left next to a man who did a dirty protest every time they tried to feed him. The NHS can be a shambles but there are the people out there that can help and are actually there for the patients.

Good luck!

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

Hi Wishy ,

First off its a sad situation for your niece and my commiserations to your niece. You have in the past always banged on about "labour wasting money"

and also about "how they left the country and if torys are to be believed are responsible for the european crisis and the world financial system systemically collapsing.

So why are you angry over the NHS its basically as good as the resources placed at its disposal, you cut the money and the service drops you add resource and the service gets better.

This is not just related to our NHS but globally for example France in 2001 spent 8% of its GDP and its people had a life expectancy of 79 ,when it increased its GDP to 8.7% over 8 years its life expectancy rose to 81.

The usa in 2001 spent 5.8% of GDP on health with a life expectancy of 77,it raised it to 7.4% of gdp by 2009 and the life expectancy rose to 78,all National Health systems are effectiveness is related to funding globally .

The Uk in 2001 spent 5.8% of GDP with a live expectancy of 78 ,by 2009 it was funded to the tune of 8.2% with an increased life expectancy of 80.

If a government cuts funding and throws thousands of health workers on the dole

(eg .50,000 from mental health alone),then its your or my nearest and dearest who will pay the price,if you stack the NHS up against others around the world it holds its own in some cases exceeds expectations,in some cases under performs.

To condemn it as you have points the finger in the wrong direction ,this is a political decision made from the current coalition,not the staff of the nhs ,most of which work bloody hard in difficult circumstances and on poor pay.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When we had problems with my grandads hospital treatment, after we were messed around the second time we went straight to the PALS (Patient advice and liason service) most larger hospitals will have an office onsite i beleive but if not you can access their locations thought the website (just google PALS it comes up at the top)

Good luck!"

Similar problems here you worry they are going to get proper care these days.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Wishy,

recognise your frustration about your niece but your idea of making hospitals a 'business' and people can go elsewhere is a nonsense m8..

not everyone has the freedom nor the means to travel to x, y or whatever if they dont like their 'local' hospital..

and as for going private, respect your choice but any emergency surgery if needed is not provided by the private companies..

its your local NHS hospital.. "

I'm not knocking treatment in the operating theatre once you actually get there. Doctors and surgeons are professional people, it's the aftercare that we've found to be shocking. The difference in care between the births of our two children in the same hospital is markedly different.

As for Siren getting out of bed - she couldn't do it without assistance, I had to help her get on her feet and by the time I'd got there she'd been sitting on the edge of her bed for two hours too scared to put her feet on the floor and put her weight down. The nurses regarded her as some sort of attention seeker and Siren is far from that, she's a fiercely indepedent woman. The birth of our son was completely different and the staff bent over backwards to ensure her stay was as comfortable as possible. The second time around they were working to rule and generally doing as little as possible during their shifts. The theatre staff were amazing though.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Hi Wishy ,

First off its a sad situation for your niece and my commiserations to your niece. You have in the past always banged on about "labour wasting money"

and also about "how they left the country and if torys are to be believed are responsible for the european crisis and the world financial system systemically collapsing.

So why are you angry over the NHS its basically as good as the resources placed at its disposal, you cut the money and the service drops you add resource and the service gets better.

The Uk in 2001 spent 5.8% of GDP with a live expectancy of 78 ,by 2009 it was funded to the tune of 8.2% with an increased life expectancy of 80.

If a government cuts funding and throws thousands of health workers on the dole

PD, I really couldn't give a fig what the figures are in France, or America, or anywhere else for that matter as I am a citizen of the UK and that's where I'll require treatment (if I fall ill abroad I have comprehensive travel cover to take care of that).

The NHS has been a white elephant for successive governments who take one look at it and decide to leave it for someone else to deal with - they don't want the responsibility of sorting it out, not on their watch. Labour's answer was to continually throw money at it and conveniently ignore the colossal amount of waste inherant in an organisation that is inefficient from top to bottom and the Coalition are not fairing much better if I'm honest. Healthcare in the UK needs a radical new approach as the NHS was designed in the 50s when the UK population was significantly less than it is today, and let's not forget that it's overseen by the GMC which is in itself an organisation steeped in self interest and populated almost exclusively by the upper class (how does it work that a system employed to give the masses access to equal healthcare is run by the elite).

Surely it can't be that difficult to figure out a system whereby we still pay our N.I. contribs but instead of hospitals receiving direct funding from central government they are run as a business and bill the govt for services provided.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Our NHS rocks, and glad it was celebrated at the Olympics - we're the envy of much of the world.

My cousin lives in America and she had to explain to her friends what the NHS was - they didn't have a clue what the opening ceremony was referring to. Although they did comment that it must be great to live in a country where healthcare was free (although she did point out that it isn't free, it has to be paid for via N.I. contribs).

Envy of the world? In some quarters who know what it is maybe, but most are ignorant of what we have over here.

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By *utmegsMan
over a year ago

Closer than you think

Five times is wrong and as suggested above you should be giving the PCT a hard time. But, if she has actually been admitted before they cancelled it they can't be doing it for waiting list reasons. It will have cost them a bomb (and believe me, someone will be poring over the figures and asking 'WTF').

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

"Hi Wishy ,

First off its a sad situation for your niece and my commiserations to your niece. You have in the past always banged on about "labour wasting money"

and also about "how they left the country and if torys are to be believed are responsible for the european crisis and the world financial system systemically collapsing.

So why are you angry over the NHS its basically as good as the resources placed at its disposal, you cut the money and the service drops you add resource and the service gets better.

The Uk in 2001 spent 5.8% of GDP with a live expectancy of 78 ,by 2009 it was funded to the tune of 8.2% with an increased life expectancy of 80.

If a government cuts funding and throws thousands of health workers on the dole

Well if you do not look at other systems and costs per head as a percentage of GDP ,how can you ever judge how effective our nhs is or isnt ? ,unless your advocating a utopian situation where everyone gets what they want immediately,you can not side step the fact that performance is related to resource and that goes for every country in the world,

The only country on paper who have bucked that trend is Germany who's life expectancy went up by a year despite a cut of 0.7% to funding in the last 10 years ,but when you look deeper at there stats ,German citizens have to pay to see a GP and the whole of their lottery funding goes to there version of the NHS.

Do you really want a triage where despite your injuries they are hassling you for your med insurance details,I dont ,and funnily enough neither do the Americans any longer.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My poor neice has needed a stent put in her brain for 18 months and she's been given FIVE dates for the op, and they've all been cancelled on the day while she's been in hospital since silly o'clock, nil by mouth, and then they tell her at 5pm it's not going ahead. The latest was today.

"
are they not supposed to send her Private after 2 cancellations ?

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

"Our NHS rocks, and glad it was celebrated at the Olympics - we're the envy of much of the world.

Envy of the world? In some quarters who know what it is maybe, but most are ignorant of what we have over here. "

But that is political apathy wishy ,if they did not know what the NHS was they clearly have no interest in politics as in the last 2 years under Obama the Administration have held the British NHS up as a model of an efficient national health care system,and forced through changes to a similar system.

There are 16 year olds in the USA who do not know there was a world war 2 and also think the UK is in the middle east.

To me a country is only great in relation to how it treats its weakest people ,I am proud of the NHS and people who can afford it and want to can if they wish go private ,but for the vast majority like it or lump it the NHS is a god send and I am proud of it .

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

are they not supposed to send her Private after 2 cancellations ?

I don't know tbh. Is that the policy? I'll be sure to mention it to her if it is. Tks.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"But that is political apathy wishy ,if they did not know what the NHS was they clearly have no interest in politics as in the last 2 years under Obama the Administration have held the British NHS up as a model of an efficient national health care system,and forced through changes to a similar system."

Obama is not going to slag off the NHS if he's trying to sell the idea to his own people is he. The NHS is not efficient, not by a long shot, and it's all well and good singing it's praises to anyone who wants hear it but dig under the surface you find a system that needs a drastic overhaul to make it anywhere near what people like Obama believe it to be. When did he last tour a British hospital at length and ask questions of patients currently undergoing treatment? He hasn't is the answer, he's had British politicans telling him how wonderful our NHS is and he's taken that at face value. I'd be interested to see how he plans to implement an NHS to cater for 300m+ people when we can't seem to get a system for 70m people to run smoothly.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

are they not supposed to send her Private after 2 cancellations ?

I don't know tbh. Is that the policy? I'll be sure to mention it to her if it is. Tks. "

From nhs.uk:
"

What if the hospital cancelled your operation?

If your operation is cancelled by the hospital at the last minute (on or after the day of admission, including the day of surgery) for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund your treatment at the time and hospital of your choice.

If you have not been offered an appointment within 28 days, you should contact PALS at your local PCT.

If you are not happy with the PCT’s response, you also have the option of taking the complaint further using the NHS complaints procedure.

For operations cancelled before the day of admission, the cancelled operations guarantee does not apply. However, the right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions, as stated in the NHS Constitution, continues to apply.

So it looks like they've covered their arses by stating 'theatre complications'.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i can only speak as i find.. as sad as it is to hear of these stories, i still feel that they are by far in the minority.

i have had need of NHS treatment on a number of occasions, once saving my life and i have had 5 elective surgery procedures.

i have always found my treatment to be more than acceptable, especially in light of the financial restraints the system has.

privatising the system is not the answer, it will lead to companies concentrating on financially lucrative treatmenst at the expense of others.

the answer is increased efficiency and a reduction of the incredible amount of waste there is.

i had an accident abrord on holiday and bought a large number of bandages and dressings privately from the pharmacy whilst there. when i returned to UK the district nurse said she couldnt use them as they were not from their supplier and the instructions were in Spanish!!! She also opened a complete dressings kit each time she dressed my wounds and used about 1 third of them and threw the rest away.

This is where we need to save money and channel it into other areas.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"i can only speak as i find.. as sad as it is to hear of these stories, i still feel that they are by far in the minority.

i have had need of NHS treatment on a number of occasions, once saving my life and i have had 5 elective surgery procedures.

i have always found my treatment to be more than acceptable, especially in light of the financial restraints the system has.

privatising the system is not the answer, it will lead to companies concentrating on financially lucrative treatmenst at the expense of others.

the answer is increased efficiency and a reduction of the incredible amount of waste there is.

This is where we need to save money and channel it into other areas."

and next time any of us have to visit the Hosp just look and the No's of missed appointments that occur and how much money is wasted because of that

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

are they not supposed to send her Private after 2 cancellations ?

"
only going on a relative of mine had 2 ops cancelled and was sent a private hosp in Washington to have his op ( and its Washington Tyne @ Wear ) not America before the silly comments start coming lol

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Our NHS rocks, and glad it was celebrated at the Olympics - we're the envy of much of the world.

Envy of the world? In some quarters who know what it is maybe, but most are ignorant of what we have over here. "

I have been watching the NBC coverage of the Olympics just to get a 'non-British' _iewpoint and its been very well received but they did drop a clanger by calling the NHS the 'National Hospital Service'!

I have only had need of the NHS a few times but its been serious when I have and all I can say is my treatment has been excellent. Not perfect but we don't live in a perfect world do we?

I would rather have a doctor first reach for his /her stethoscope than my credit card....

And just for once I will avoid getting involved in the politics ..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Some people will complain about their treatment no matter what. There has to be a budget, procedures have to be managed and at times some get cancelled for various reasons including staff getting ill amongst other things. The simple answer is if you are not happy with it then go private as many people do.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"i can only speak as i find.. as sad as it is to hear of these stories, i still feel that they are by far in the minority.

i have had need of NHS treatment on a number of occasions, once saving my life and i have had 5 elective surgery procedures.

i have always found my treatment to be more than acceptable, especially in light of the financial restraints the system has.

privatising the system is not the answer, it will lead to companies concentrating on financially lucrative treatmenst at the expense of others.

the answer is increased efficiency and a reduction of the incredible amount of waste there is.

This is where we need to save money and channel it into other areas.

and next time any of us have to visit the Hosp just look and the No's of missed appointments that occur and how much money is wasted because of that"

the problem is, because it is free at the point of service, people see no value in the appointment.

i have a business interest in a chain of opticians and the ones that miss appts are usually the ones who get an NHS test because it doesnt have a value to them.

it costs our practices about £110 to sit a patient in the test chair just in overhead and staffing costs alone and it is downtime that is unrecoverable. i know that a hospital appt can cost anywhere between £50 and £200 yet because it is free to the patient they dont care.

if people were charged for missed appointments then the non attenders rate would soon fall and fficiency would rise.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"if people were charged for missed appointments then the non attenders rate would soon fall and fficiency would rise."

I think a far better system would be one based on exclusion - if you miss an appointment (if one can pick up a phone to make an appointment one can easily pick it up again to cancel it), then that's one strike against you. One more and you're out for three months. I think people will be more akin to keep or cancel appointments than just not turn up if they know they won't get an appointment the next time they really need one.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

When people experience bad treatment it is personal and affects how they _iew the system. But it is a system and therefore not personal in that sense.

I have had abdominal gynae operations and understand why being able to walk unaided is one of the criteria for being released. I have also been the 'complication' that has led to other surgeries being cancelled a couple of times. Of course I don't want to be the cause of other people being sent home and having to come back but sometimes when they open you up things aren't what they were expecting.

I have experienced bad mid-wifery treatment and excellent treatment. I discharged myself during the bad and had to be re-admitted as an emergency.

American private health firms have been working with the NHS for a couple of years now on how to 'improve'. The feedback I have had is that they go away with fat cheques and lessons to take back to apply to their own practice. They are often surprised at the sheer size of the free at the point of access offer.

There have been very few 'let the private sector run this' examples that fill me with any hope. The profit motive may lead to financial efficiency but the space and the funding will never be there to build lots of new facilities and still have a free at the point of access model paid through N.I. The profit will be stripped and the service will deteriorate because emergency care has to be where it is.

My mother stopped breathing on one trip to the US of A. Her insurance was all in order but because she was not carrying the original documentation when she taken, in a rush, to hospital, all that was done was give her emergency ventillation in the equivalent of the corridor. A credit card had to be produced and a payment taken to secure treatment and then we spent days sorting out the insurance with the hospital and the insurance company. The production of the credit card had complicated the whole system! I don't want that to happen to anyone here.

Wishy, do advise your niece to use the systems that exist - PALS, complaints procedures, MP etc. - and don't take it on the chin. It's her right and if she isn't strong enough to get noisy you need to get noisy on her behalf where it will help her. That is not Fab, I'm sad to say.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"if people were charged for missed appointments then the non attenders rate would soon fall and fficiency would rise.

The hospital I use most often has a clear non attendance policy - if you don't show up you are deemed to have got better and you have to start again. You are fully 'discharged' from their care and returned to the GP. There is also a statement that missed appointments mean that someone who needs an appointment has been kept waiting and that it has cost money. I know not everyone will take this seriously but having to get through the referral hoop again is a small deterent.

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