Reply to: Yesterdays potential day billing was sent mostly sitting in A+E (and sleeping)

[psychocandy]

FFS. It gets worse.!

The private health care policy is being signed up as we speak - Im scared of having to possibly be at the mercy of these idiots any longer to rely on mine and my families healthcare. Also, seriously considering moving away from the catchment area of the Royal Gwent hospital in Newport just in case I have to go there ever.

After tons of GP visits, Mrs candy is now back at hospital for the 4th time in a month. First 3 times complete shambles. Admitted again on wednesday and she's been sat on a trolley for 48 hours now (remember shes 22 weeks pregnant also).

Now it looks like consultant won't be able to see here today. So they expect her to sit there all weekend? Apparently so. Chances are you'll get some idiot on monday who hasn't got a clue then.

In the past few weeks, all we've seen is healthcare professionals who don't care how long you wait, and all they want to do is pass responsibility to someone else. Shes got asthma and is pregnant. Chest people won't deal with her because shes pregnant and Gynae people won't deal with her because its a chest problem. So shes being passed back and forth. Its just scary to see how bad they actually are.

And there's no-one to co-ordinate and make decisions. Appalling.

Had enough now. Made private appt for monday evening for her and off to pick her up in a bit...

I will complain but chances are nothing will be done about it....
Look forward to the day when the NHS is abolished and we go to an insurance system where the provider is accountable. That's the problem - NHS can do what they want and there is no accountability or recognition that the patient is their customers. They just don't give a toss.

[mos]

Yeh. There did seem to be 3 polish fellas there as well. Whats the betting they hadn't even registered for GP and had just turned up at A&E?

Now I know why I have been so poorly treated at the NHS. Its the statistics. Btw. how would you like it if I described you as 'english'

[socialworker]

Ok I'll stick me two pennorth in.

Much as the drunken chavs in A&E are annoying ( and they annoy me too) they are not the real problem in the NHS. The real problem is the ageing population who conitnue to live into their 90's but with numerous complex medical conditions that would have seen them off 20 years ago. I am not knocking old people here but it is just a fact. The hospital where I work at present had 14 people in A&E needing beds last week and nowhere to put them. Fact is about 10 years ago they got rid of a lot of older peoples step down beds ( less expensive non acute) thinking they could all go straight home with a bit of help. We all knew it wouldnt work and it hasnt.

Do we really want people not earning contractor's rates to be left in agony if they have a toothache

Do we really want asylum seekers or others who turn up here and then find they have TB to go untreated and end up coughing over your child on the bus?Not health tourists but they really don't know they have it until they get tested here.

As for lifestyle related illness, how would you actually judge this? e.g this week I saw someone who at 65 has just been diagnosed with both vascular dementia probably caused by years of heavy smoking, and MS. She is now heavily disabled but it is impossible to say how much of her current state is caused by each condition. Or a dear friend of mine who is very overweight partly caused by being on heavy steroids for asthma and partly by drinking too much. He has worked all his life.

Real life is not that simple.

[The Spartan]

You dropped the coin on him to the benefits office & HMRC?

Despite what d000hg may say I stay out of that malarkey, personally I'd love to but given recent events I do believe they hung themselves and there's even a mention of jail time.

[SupremeSpod]

Big hospital. She doesn't work in A&E.

Was tempted but she wouldn't let me because she didn't think it was fair to do so. Amazing how much nicer people are when they know you're a fellow medical professional though.

Nothing wrong with letting on that you work at the hospital, there are few enough perks as it is.

[psychocandy]

Oi Psycho, how come the little lady wasn't recognised by any of the other staff and why didn't you drop the magic phrase "The wife works here!"?

Big hospital. She doesn't work in A&E.

Was tempted but she wouldn't let me because she didn't think it was fair to do so. Amazing how much nicer people are when they know you're a fellow medical professional though.

[psychocandy]

You dropped the coin on him to the benefits office & HMRC?

I reckon if I planned to do this I could grass up about 20-30 people amongst friends, familty, people I know.

[SupremeSpod]

Oi Psycho, how come the little lady wasn't recognised by any of the other staff and why didn't you drop the magic phrase "The wife works here!"?

[vetran]

The fact remains that it does happen and given that those who can't be arsed to work and also those that gorge themselves on takeaway are already burdening the system it doesn't need anymore added strain.

Here's an anecdote for you Mrs Spartan's older sister has 4 children by the same guy, this guy likes to abuse solvents and has done for many a year so much so he's knackered his body up and cannot work (those he does fixing cars on the side). He had an operation and his heart stopped or something of that nature and they were thinking of suing because of this. He's never contributed in his life and yet the first thing he can think of is there could be money in this despite the fact he's responsible for the state he's in.

You dropped the coin on him to the benefits office & HMRC?

[The Spartan]

The fact remains that it does happen and given that those who can't be arsed to work and also those that gorge themselves on takeaway are already burdening the system it doesn't need anymore added strain.

Here's an anecdote for you Mrs Spartan's older sister has 4 children by the same guy, this guy likes to abuse solvents and has done for many a year so much so he's knackered his body up and cannot work (those he does fixing cars on the side). He had an operation and his heart stopped or something of that nature and they were thinking of suing because of this. He's never contributed in his life and yet the first thing he can think of is there could be money in this despite the fact he's responsible for the state he's in.

[psychocandy]

Only those on tourist visas or other non-LTR visas have no right to free NHS treatment. Everyone is entitled to emergency treatment tho, I think that would also be the case all over the World, apart from USA probably!

I remember Mrs having a dental emergency out of hours in Florida years and years ago. They wouldn't even let you show up until they got credit card number out of you.

Excellent service mind but it cost an arm and a leg which I had to stump up front. Not that I was bothered because holiday insurance paid for it in the end.

In a way, I think this may be the better option for healthcare.

[psychocandy]

And the rapid turning away of non emergency at A&E should be done regardless of eligibility we need to reclaim A&E.

Those with Alcohol related violence injuries should be dealt with by the police as well.

Yep. When we were there police dropped off a fella found wandering around pissed up. Quite why he needs to be in A&E I'll never know.

He caused loads of hassle for the staff while there (police dumped him and then buggered off), then after a few hours, sobered up a bit, and wandered off home anyway.

Not sure what happened with my Mrs. Maybe because she had been there earlier on in the day and had arrived back and, for whatever reason, she was wrongly classified.

But this piss head and the polish fella with the chest infection got seen before her. All the while, shes sitting there in agony, struggling to breathe, pregnant. After a few hours, had a polite word with the nurse but that made bugger all difference.

But when she did get seen they seemed to go overboard then being nice (because I think they realised). Even more so when they realised she was a member of staff at the same hospital.

Unfortunately, not the first time in the last few weeks where things like this have happened.

[stek]

Yesterdays potential day billing was sent mostly sitting in A+E (and sleeping)

Only those on tourist visas or other non-LTR visas have no right to free NHS treatment. Everyone is entitled to emergency treatment tho, I think that would also be the case all over the World, apart from USA probably!

[vetran]

And the rapid turning away of non emergency at A&E should be done regardless of eligibility we need to reclaim A&E.

Those with Alcohol related violence injuries should be dealt with by the police as well.

[vetran]

No we are arguing more about health tourism!

Health tourism: why the NHS became popular destination - Telegraph

Soon afterwards West Middlesex Hospital – close to Heathrow Airport – was disclosed to be the first to demand foreign patients that they pay before treatment.
Yet the practice does not appear to have spread, and Friday’s proposals will only catch health tourists who attempt to return to Britain or extend their visas having previously failed to pay for hospital care.
The debts of any patients who leave the country after being treated, never to return, will remain almost impossible to recover.

Overseas patients owe health service £60m - Telegraph

The figures reveal that hospitals threatened with closures over mounting debts have written off some of the highest amounts. Imperial College trust, which is £100 million in debt and in the process of making major cuts, is owed £2.5 million and has written off a further £2 million.
The trust for Chase Farm hospital, in north London, which received a bail-out from the Challenged Trust Board and is being forced to close its A&E department, has a foreign debt of £2.5 million.

I would suggest this is the tip of the iceberg, I'm fairly dark skinned think Italian / Turkish (I suspect a few Grand parents back may have been the wrong side of the blanket), have a weird surname more common in Australia than UK and have never been asked about my eligibility.

But if you are in A&E and between drunk eastern European (not Polish) and Indian/African people who can't speak basic english you have to assume some of them might not have a right to free care.