One silver lining to Brexit - the NHS as it exists will probably disappear

[vetran]

I've seen some fairly impressive improvement. The missus had a visit to AE minor and it was all very smooth. Nurses trained to read x-rays to avoid taking up doctor's time and that sort of thing. My GP has an open surgery every morning. Sixty people seen on a first come, first severed basis and works very well.

The missus also works for the NHS. In her area they managed to do away with nearly all overtime by introducing a better shift system.

Oh, and the one everyone knows. They've massively clamped down on contractors.

Local doctor is getting better. Text reminders for appointments which they have assured me has got attendance up ( I mentioned how handy it was and they said it was working and they had fewer missed appointments.

Appointment waits are down a bit. Blood is taken at the doctors not the hospital.

Joined pharmacy so fewer - you need to go back to the doctor moments. (was funding changed for pharmacies because they seem to be popping up everywhere).

generally a much nicer service.

[vwdan]

Just for the record, Chemotherapy is not always in the headline grabbing cost bracket and it's not just the Elderly that receive it. Let's hope you never need to find that out for yourself.

We have a very good private hospital 5 mins from where I live. It has it's own A+E and Ambulances. I was present when an elderly non-English speaking man was brought in in the throws of what looked like a heart attack, he was treated immediately, in the waiting area, and the person who brought him in was relieved of £50 (I suspect the final bill was much greater but that got you stable).

@TomTom: Thanks for putting facts in place of fantasy for the single minded.

As opposed to the NHS which has A+E's full of people having heart attacks while being quietly ignored in the corner?

[vetran]

I have a suggestion to solve the problem.

When one of your Mrs. Mum's patients is waiting for an interpreter, she could treat the next one until the interpreter arrives.

I think we've hit the nail on the head here common in the public sector......efficiency!

seems reasonable for appointments, maybe ask at the point of booking if you need an interpreter and book them all on say Wednesday afternoon so the interpreter only makes one journey and one minimum charge.

For hospitals you would expect them to have most languages covered internally.

[vetran]

So foreigners make up 10% of the population and they cause 80% of the workload ?

Sounds like BS.

Mrs TTA may be quite willing but she doesn't actually do all the work in the NHS don't fall for the SAS route of assuming one statistic covers everything. He is saying 'Her workload is mostly' because of what she does.

I would imagine a dementia expert deals mainly with old white British women.

[hugebrain]

I think a lot of the problems in the NHS are deliberate. Doctors drag their feet to cause delays, so they can make you go private and they can charge double for the same thing. (even if you don't pay, the NHS will).

Or like the pretend junior doctors strike. The overtime payments are so high that they just made ludicrous demands so they could take a few days off. Then when the system was backed up they cleaned up on overtime.

Everyone thinks they are saints, but doctors are just like contractors!

[vwdan]

I think a lot of the problems in the NHS are deliberate. Doctors drag their feet to cause delays, so they can make you go private and they can charge double for the same thing. (even if you don't pay, the NHS will).

Or like the pretend junior doctors strike. The overtime payments are so high that they just made ludicrous demands so they could take a few days off. Then when the system was backed up they cleaned up on overtime.

Everyone thinks they are saints, but doctors are just like contractors!

You think a lot, but what exactly do you know?

[The_Equalizer]

You think a lot, but what exactly do you know?

The previous (of seven years) was a cardiologist. Some of the Locum stuff - 48 hour weekend shift - paid for a nice holiday. The private hospital round the corner was known as 'the till on the hill'.

Blair managed to get doctors' salaries lifted across the board - especially if you were a GP. Basically New Labour's negotiators were shi7e.

[amanwhoisquiet]

Sixty people seen on a first come, first severed basis and works very well.

That'll cut down the wait lists.

[VectraMan]

Local doctor is getting better. Text reminders for appointments which they have assured me has got attendance up ( I mentioned how handy it was and they said it was working and they had fewer missed appointments.

Appointment waits are down a bit. Blood is taken at the doctors not the hospital.

Joined pharmacy so fewer - you need to go back to the doctor moments. (was funding changed for pharmacies because they seem to be popping up everywhere).

generally a much nicer service.

I checked the opening times of the town centre pharmacy where I get my prescription, and it turns out they only open 9-5pm Mon-Fri. Not even Saturday morning. Good job I'm unemployed.

I agree Re: improvements. My GPs being doing text messages for the last year or so, many years after the hospital half a mile up the road started doing it. They also have a touchscreen check in system so you're not there queuing to see a receptionist, I order repeat prescriptions online, and when you phone up they now tell you that if you want an urgent appointment they'll take a number and a doctor will call you back to assess your need. So it does seem they're finally embracing the 21st century in many ways; only 15 years or so after they should have done it.

None of this fits the narrative of the NHS dying due to Tory budget cuts, though I accept this is just my experience of one area.

[hugebrain]

You think a lot, but what exactly do you know?

I know (hope) that I'm having a private MRI scan on Monday.

I know that if the doctors hadn't waited seven months to do approx 20 minutes work, my condition wouldn't have had time to worsen and I wouldn't be in pain and looking at more operations to come.

I know from the doctors/nurses perspective they're making a lot more money than if they'd kept me healthy. How much do 70 appointments cost the taxpayer?