Reply to: NHS

[SueEllen]

You may have to if you get ill......

Bupa doubles premium of KC fighting cancer to £163,000 | News | The Sunday Times (thetimes.co.uk)

Someone I know who had cancer was offered money to have NHS care. Due to where they lived e.g. within a couple of miles of the private hospital they declined.

[Gibbon]

Yeah, I used to pay about that to BUPA. It goes up quite steeply as you get older though. That said, I wouldn't be without it.

You may have to if you get ill......

Bupa doubles premium of KC fighting cancer to £163,000 | News | The Sunday Times (thetimes.co.uk)

[_V_]

Yeah, I used to pay about that to BUPA. It goes up quite steeply as you get older though. That said, I wouldn't be without it.

Most here would rather spend the money on a fancy Merc SUV for the other half instead of looking after the families health.

[malvolio]

AXA Healthcare, full coverage including all pre-existing conditions cost approx £450 a month.

Less that the cost of running a 911 Turbo S per month.

Get a quote https://epmi.axahealth.co.uk/

Yeah, I used to pay about that to BUPA. It goes up quite steeply as you get older though. That said, I wouldn't be without it.

[_V_]

And who is providing such a great service and at what cost?

AXA Healthcare, full coverage including all pre-existing conditions cost approx £450 a month.

Less that the cost of running a 911 Turbo S per month.

Get a quote https://epmi.axahealth.co.uk/

[_V_]

If anyone wants to do the same thing, I used this. https://doctorcareanywhere.com/what-...als-fit-notes/

It was included in my private medical insurance plan, but otherwise is costs £150 a year if you want to pay for it.

https://doctorcareanywhere.com/what-...als-fit-notes/

https://doctorcareanywhere.com/plans...g/annual-plan/

[AtW]

I get a referral using a private doctor via a video call. Can speak to a GP usually same day, and then they fast track private treatment meaning see a specialist at a private hospital within 48 hrs max.

And who is providing such a great service and at what cost?

[_V_]

I need a GP referral for private healthcare.

I then end up in the same hospitals with the same staff when I have had private investigations.

I get a referral using a private doctor via a video call. Can speak to a GP usually same day, and then they fast track private treatment meaning see a specialist at a private hospital within 48 hrs max.

[SueEllen]

You people aren't paying for private medicine, blimey, times must be hard when you can't afford to pop to Harley street in your lunch hour.

I need a GP referral for private healthcare.

I then end up in the same hospitals with the same staff when I have had private investigations.

[_V_]

You people aren't paying for private medicine, blimey, times must be hard when you can't afford to pop to Harley street in your lunch hour.

[SueEllen]

I think this is unfortunately a locality specific problem. I've been having 'man' issues ... called up surgery, got an appointment a week later, p test there and then with GP. Booked in for a blood test following week. GP called me back today with results (although I'd already seen the full results on my online records).

They didn't just do a PSA test, they did the full set of test .... by jove, I'm actually really fit an healthy apart from the old walnut being too big, but at least not cancer.

Spoke to doc today, discussed a few options, I chose the one most suitable for me. Prescription is waiting to be picked up tomorrow.

Pretty efficient.

My friend, who lives a few miles away, different surgery, has her own issue to resolve, can't even get a f-2-f GP appointment.

Does seem to be luck of the draw but so annoying if the luck isn't with you.

The NHS has always been a postcode lottery as GPs (,dentists and others) are private providers with contracts to provide NHS services.

Added on to it you get the prejudice of the GPs at your surgery.

I managed to move to a surgery down the road, so yes less than a mile away, and the treatment compared to what I put up was was light compared to dark.

Previous my old surgery they did everything not to refer you to a specialist. So you saw them about 20 times to get a refer. Once you get referred it takes a 2-4 months to see the specialist. I got shouted at once because I was made an appointment by a receptionist because my test results came back indicating something was wrong. Current surgery if you have the signs and symptoms especially tests that indicate you need referral they refer you no hanging about.

With my old surgery they had a high staff turnover. I rang once and before I could say anything on the phone the receptionist started crying. (It was the same receptionist who booked an appointment for test results. Didn't see or hear from her after her crying episode.) The doctors who said they were trainees never stayed on and there were clearly vacancies as when they weren't there they were locums. There as with current surgery elderly patients were upset when a receptionist who had been there 10 years left and every trainee they offered a job to when they had vacancies accepted.

[courtg9000]

Having spent a lot of time around the NHS in the past 10 years both professionally and privately I make the following observations on this one.

1) The NHS dosen't need more money it needs to better use the £140+ billion per annum it already gets. Procurement, project management and contract management are dire. My dead goldfish could do a better job. Money is wasted daily.

3) The NHS Isn't accountable as a whole and there is too much internal politics. Warring between agencies and trusts. If the NHS was streamlined. Fewer agencies and fewer trusts it might have a hope. For example has anyone seen any valuable output from the NHS Image Authority recently (it certainly did exist). 600,000 managers could easily be slimlined. Other examples are NHS Fraud Authority and the NHS Distribution Authority. Change the NHS once and stop keep reinventing the wheel. We had PCT's then CCG's and now this new one which all are ostensibly the same thing and are in fact job creation schemes for the thick.

2) The main issue with crap staffing is administration and management. Subject to the point below, in general, clinical staff are technically quite competent or better. See also above.

3) There has been a language requirement for over 10 years I believe called the IELTS test and a minimum grade of 7. Which means using english words like communicate and alternate frequently and fluently. There are massive amounts of clinical NHS staff, especially in London NHS trusts who have fraudulently claimed they have a grade 7 pass or higher. Some trusts actually don't care if they meet that criteria on hiring anyway. Guys and St Thomas Trust and st Georges are excellent examples here. I have seen large numbers of staff at these trusts claim high grades when they cannot even string a sentance such as "do you take milk in your tea?" together. Many foreign clinical staff get relations to take the exams for them. Again fraud. IELTS for all its postulating about security seems easy to get around.

4) IT systems are still universally crap. Even a bunch of drunk contractors could improve things within a week!

[d000hg]

No, they are suggesting that it's more people that are required in the right places. Throwing money at redecorating a ward and calling it a new hospital is not the way forward.

How do you get more/better people without money?

[Whorty]

Actually its not, the social prescriber is not. If I want a PSA or other test its reluctantly taken. It should be ah you are over 50 lets take your blood and run a battery of tests.

I think this is unfortunately a locality specific problem. I've been having 'man' issues ... called up surgery, got an appointment a week later, p test there and then with GP. Booked in for a blood test following week. GP called me back today with results (although I'd already seen the full results on my online records).

They didn't just do a PSA test, they did the full set of test .... by jove, I'm actually really fit an healthy apart from the old walnut being too big, but at least not cancer.

Spoke to doc today, discussed a few options, I chose the one most suitable for me. Prescription is waiting to be picked up tomorrow.

Pretty efficient.

My friend, who lives a few miles away, different surgery, has her own issue to resolve, can't even get a f-2-f GP appointment.

Does seem to be luck of the draw but so annoying if the luck isn't with you.

[malvolio]

FTFY

Perhaps you should listen to your Great Leader then...