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James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
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I know I'm going to get flamed on here by a few people at least but as I have just driven home from yet another appointment at the hospital, listening to politicians on the radio defending the NHS / There is no deal to be had / it's not for sale / etc. I had to vent. The wastage in the NHS is ridiculous and to me, obvious. I know this is popular to view as management/top-down issue not a front line issue, but I don't even fully subscribe to that, as I think efficiency and quality are responsibility of everyone in the chain, albeit to different amounts.
I have a small skin tag above my eyelid. It's about 3mm long, nothing nasty, just annoying and it stands out a bit. You can buy liquids to burn them off readily but as it's close to the eye I go to the doctor. about 4-5 months ago.
1) Go to the GP (after 2 weeks wait), fully expecting a quick freeze / whip-it-off or cauterize. She says
"its just a skin tag (yes, thanks), it doesn't look nasty though, just cosmetic (great, thanks). However, she won't touch it because it's "on your eye" (it's near my eye not on my eye) so refers to an Eye Clinic.
2) Go to the clinic this morning after about a 3 month wait and about four letters send in the post telling me of this date. I am nearly half an hour late going in despite being the first appointment. The self check-in is broken and looks like it has been for some time. There is one reception for initial check-in and then another one for different 'clinics' within the eye clinic.
Eventually a nurse does a rudimentary eyesight test and blood pressure test as apparently "each clinic like to have its own records". I had a full eye test at an opticians a few months ago that covered a lot more than she did in the cubicle. Surely it's not beyond the wit of man to access those records with consent. I did also point out that this little cosmetic skin thing is not affecting my vision but we regardless we soldier on through the whole process.
She goes through the whole medical history - I thought they would have records on this? I had to give a urine sample amazingly (I suggested a wider tube might be useful for use in an eye clinic - which didn't go down well), which will now need to be paid for presumably to analyse. I did say I'm not here for anything to do with my 'actual' eye and I don't have diabetes (I have a four-hour private medical assessment every year for work - again, happy to share this data if it helps them out). With all the other tests, this whole process takes a trained nurse about 20-25 minutes. I then wait again to see the doctor.
Doctor(?) takes quick look with his scope, says "yes it's just a skin tag (I know this), doesn't look nasty (I know, thanks), but they can bleed a bit sometimes when they come off so I'd like to refer you to a surgeon". I offer to give him a hand with a tissue or two but he's not persuaded. He sends me off to see the receptionist and book another appointment that will now be next year.
I'm not going, I'm just going to pay and have it done privately before xmas. My point is, all they will do is do what the GP could have done in the first place in about 2 minutes in my local surgery. I know this because I checked with the doctor - I said "is there any other procedure they will do?" He said there isn't but they just want to check in case it bleeds. I am pretty sure it will, I also don't have 7 years medical training but I'm pretty confident I'm not going to bleed to death as a result of a tiny, tiny cut. Otherwise they wouldn't sell plasters in Tescos.
This whole thing I am pretty sure could have just been done in a standard GP appointment. Now it's costing nurses, doctors, surgeons, waiting rooms, letters, receptionists, lighting, heating, parking, equipment, cleaning etc. And it's exactly within this kind of 'turn handle' approach and lack of joined-up thinking that the waste lives.
Rant over, fire away, I'm fully expecting it. D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it 
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
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 31st Oct 2019 10:19 am |
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sasdiscos
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 889
  
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Make every one pay bupa and be done with it. Gps are useless. System is broken and so far gone it can’t be fixed.
There, I’ll take the stick for you.
Steve You remind me of a younger me, not much younger mind...perhaps even a little older!
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| 31st Oct 2019 10:28 am |
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ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
 
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At the risk of being on the same burning boat, I think the main issue here is that each individual you see/department you visit is preoccupied with the possibility of a negligence claim and therefore will not commit to anything when they can pass the problem to someone else Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
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| 31st Oct 2019 10:36 am |
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Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
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Oh, sounds like the Surgical Day Case Unit of an Ophthalmology Department.
Couldn’t possibly comment. 
Every hospital and area is different once you’re referred by the GP.
Most Health Boards are spending a lot of dosh and I do mean a lot, employing private clinicians and nurses via Medinet etc. to run clinics at the weekends and evenings to cut down on waiting times, but there’s still a lag.
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| 31st Oct 2019 11:06 am |
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Browny90
Member Since: 19 Jul 2016
Location: Ashbourne
Posts: 698
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I've just booked my wife in for an MRI, and following that a Hysterectomy due to Severe Endometriosis.
We have insurance, but they won't cover this as she's had Endometriosis since when was a teenager (she's 34 now) and it's a chronic illness.
We've had 2 natural Children and one via IVF due to the endometriosis, all done privately and paid for by us.
Plus various other operations for the illness and IVF.
I'm more than happy to pay for our care rather than go the NHS. I'm happy paying my NI but just have the NHS for A&E..
The latest consultation was £250, the MRI is ~£500 and the operation (depending how extensive the Endometriosis is from the MRI) will be between £7-10K, maybe more if its on her other organs and they need another surgeon there.
We chose this guy because he's the leading person in that field in the UK, something you don't get to choose in the NHS.
I know we're lucky that I have a decent job and can afford to pay privately, but to me, the health of my family and I come before anything else, so while I can afford it (and even when I cant) they will get the best medical care they can have. Disco4 MY16 SDV6 Landmark Black
Disco4 MY12 SDV6 XS Orkney Grey (Gone)
Defender 90 200tdi Completely rebuilt.
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| 31st Oct 2019 11:25 am |
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highlands
Member Since: 10 Jan 2010
Location: NW Highlands
Posts: 5103
  
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I've had a few encounters with NHS and private services.
Without exception the private services have been run massively more efficiently, although there is a big caveat with regard to generally excellent A&E provision of the NHS. It seems to be once the urgency abates the efficiency drops precipitously.
My most recent major experience was when I crashed the D3.
I spent a week in hospital when it should have been 2 days.
The reason for the delay was solely due to my 'Iron Man' back brace needing to come from another part of Glasgow.
The first day it arrived at the physio department just after 4:30pm, when the dept had gone home.
They didn't keep it at the hospital and it was sent back.
I enquired what was happening the next day and they told me that^.
I said I could get a courier to collect it. Answer: No, it has to come through the internal NHS delivery.
Anyway, that day it arrived after 4:30pm again and was sent back, again.
The next day was Saturday and nothing happens on the wards at the weekends.
So Monday arrived and the same thing.
On Tuesday it arrived before 4:30pm!!! but after the Physio rounds, so nothing could be done.
On Wednesday they arrived with it on the ward and adjusted the straps, gave me a couple of web links and discharged me. Black 05 TDV6 HSE Auto
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54 TDV6 SE Man (killed by me  )
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:04 pm |
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James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
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Just to be clear - my rant is at the wastage and inefficiency not the wait as such. I have full private cover but they won't do this as it's 'cosmetic' - It should be a quick 5 min job, but everyone is making a meal out of it. After this debacle I'll just pay it myself and have it done at the local private hospital, quite probably by the guy who just tried to refer me to a surgeon anyway (he said it may well be him, in his private clinic  )
Also - really good point about A&E. I think our emergency medicine and in particular the capabilities of our Paramedics and pre-hospital care are world leading. They are drowning through under-resourcing and idiots using them inappropriately, but they are amazing. D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
Last edited by James W on 31st Oct 2019 12:08 pm. Edited 1 time in total
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:06 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50978
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Stanley knife ...DIY  21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:07 pm |
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James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
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I am seriously tempted. My mate said I should tie it off with a bit of floss. D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:09 pm |
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Hardware
Member Since: 28 Jun 2016
Location: Hiding under the M60
Posts: 13024
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Firstly ... I'm going to guess it wasn't the Royal Manchester Eye Hospital. Seen way too quickly and very efficiently. I've walked out twice after waiting past 11:30 for my 8:30 (first appointment of the day) slot ... reception only opens at 8:30 and there's usually a queue before 8.
Secondly ... just man-up and pull it off. (hastily point out I mean the skin-tag before smutty ones arrive on here ). I did that with one under my arm. Bled for days and grew back. Maybe not best approach after all ? 
Thirdly ... when you go down the "private" route, first sign of it going tits up and they send you to nearest NHS hospital. .
Dean
====================================
2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:09 pm |
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Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
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They will still adopt the same admissions procedure once your in the DCU, private or NHS tbh.
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:10 pm |
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RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13556
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highlands wrote:I've had a few encounters with NHS and private services.
Without exception the private services have been run massively more efficiently, although there is a big caveat with regard to generally excellent A&E provision of the NHS. It seems to be once the urgency abates the efficiency drops precipitously.
It's worth remembering that a lot of private stuff is done by the same doctors etc. as the NHS stuff, it's just that because it's paid for directly, wheels turn faster. And of course if the staff are doing private stuff then they're not doing NHS stuff so the situation gets worse. Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:18 pm |
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RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13556
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The NHS is drowning because it's used as a dump for a lot of cases that should be dealt with out of hospital - old people, for example, who end up in hospital for very long periods because no one can/will sort out suitable care elsewhere. Once they're in hospital they're "safe" so other systems can back off.
The whole system needs to be looked at and funded appropriately. That's probably going to require us to pay more tax, of course, but that is probably the price to get it back where it should be.
Going down the insurance route as in the US isn't the way forward. Too many people will be left without any proper medical cover, just as in the US. It's also worth noting that the US, with all its private insurance etc, spends way more per head on healthcare than we do. The US system is not at all a model we should look to adopt.
Interesting little graph about admin costs in healthcare. The UK appears to be very cheap in this regard compared to our economic peer group. So perhaps the "there's too many managers" line isn't as accurate as it feels to us punters.
Other graphs that might interest:
Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:32 pm |
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RootinTootin
Member Since: 23 May 2013
Location: Here and now
Posts: 469
 
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James W wrote:I am seriously tempted. My mate said I should tie it off with a bit of floss.
. That was always what was done in our family for such things; that and bash ganglions with the family bible 
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:43 pm |
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Ivan
Member Since: 01 Mar 2011
Location: Malvern Worcestershire
Posts: 691
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Would be quite happy to pay a little more tax but have one stipulation. The money should be ring fenced and only be allowed to be spent on the NHS. Too often a tax is raised for a specific purpose (i.e. Sugar tax) and the income disappears into the government coffers.
In Australia they have a Medicare levy (Medicare = NHS) which is supposed to be purely for Medicare but, as usual, it disappears into the government coffers along with everything else.
Ivan 2013 RR Vogue SE SDV8
2013 Freelander 2 HSE Luxury SD4
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| 31st Oct 2019 12:50 pm |
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