NHS problems

[madasafish]

Today I took my close neighbours to the nearest hospital for a routine appointment. ( I act as a part time taxi service

We waited 20 minutes for them to be seen so I had plenty of time to observe teh waiting room.

Of a room of about 40 people, I would estimate 60% were over 70 years old.

And of the remaining 40%, half were obese.

Very few of the over 70s -(one?) - were obese.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Very few of the over 70s -(one?) - were obese.

Probably because they've got no money left for food after paying the gas bill

 

[Dishmop]

Today I took my close neighbours to the nearest hospital for a routine appointment. ( I act as a part time taxi service

We waited 20 minutes for them to be seen so I had plenty of time to observe teh waiting room.

Of a room of about 40 people, I would estimate 60% were over 70 years old.

And of the remaining 40%, half were obese.

Very few of the over 70s -(one?) - were obese.

The car park must have been full of electric buggies.

 

[BeeJayBee]

There was a chart on display showing the number of missed appointment for the last 4 months. Over 200 missed per month with highest 265. What a waste of resources. Patients should be fined for missing appointment.

How many of those appointments are 'screening' ones that are sent out automatically by the local 'Trust' to people who haven't asked for them?

Fairly ancient Mother in Law gets called for an annual blood test close to her birthday, even though she has them done via her GP. Locally those appointments cannot be cancelled, only rescheduled, so we were told to ignore them. So they would be listed as missed appointments.

She also, we're told, had a phone call telling her when she should go for her flu jab. She didn't write it down, so forgot all about it. That will also have been listed as a missed appointment.

 

[MikeT]

"How many of those appointments are 'screening' ones that are sent out automatically by the local 'Trust' to people who haven't asked for them?"

These were appointments made to see either a doctor or a nurse, I asked at the reception desk as the figures seemed so large for a small practice.

 

[BeeJayBee]

"How many of those appointments are 'screening' ones that are sent out automatically by the local 'Trust' to people who haven't asked for them?"

These were appointments made to see either a doctor or a nurse, I asked at the reception desk as the figures seemed so large for a small practice.

Yes, her appointments were to see a practice nurse - within, and on the premises of, the GP practice. The system that generates those appointments is controlled by the local NHS Trust, not the GP practice. Presumably the Trust block books the relevant times and then either phones or sends out a letter saying when the (unexpected) appointment is.

They then complain, and add numbers to a list, when people don't turn up because either the appointment letter didn't arrive, the appointment isn't needed and can't be cancelled, or because the content of a very short, and unexpected, phone call is forgotten.

 

[MikeT]

Yes, her appointments were to see a practice nurse - within, and on the premises of, the GP practice. The system that generates those appointments is controlled by the local NHS Trust, not the GP practice. Presumably the Trust block books the relevant times and then either phones or sends out a letter saying when the (unexpected) appointment is.

They then complain, and add numbers to a list, when people don't turn up because either the appointment letter didn't arrive, the appointment isn't needed and can't be cancelled, or because the content of a very short, and unexpected, phone call is forgotten.

Not the case here the appointments were those made with the surgery not a block booking.

 

[Dishmop]

I get letters telling me that I didnt have the flue jab I was offered.

I never asked for them....had one once and for years after every time I got a cold it tooks weeks to clear.

.................I get regular phone calls from my GP asking me how I am getting on, whereas the hospital cant seem to find the time to let me know when I am going to have my stents changed this month...

 

[madasafish]

I see Wales and NI A&E response times are worse than England.(MUCH worse).

As the NHS is devolved, this suggests a problem irrespective of whom is in Government.

Hospitals are meant to see 95% of patients in four hours.

But during December just 76.7% in Northern Ireland were, while in Wales it was 81%, a drop since November for both nations.

The figures have been published just a week after data for England showed waiting times were at their longest for a decade.

In England 90.2% of patients were seen in four hours during December in what is proving to be one of the most difficult winters for years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30847730

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Strange how figures can be massaged to suit the argument (Slagging off the Welsh NHS seems popular at the moment - probably a smokescreen to hide failings elsewhere) from the same website today England's figures seem much lower - 84% this week in major A&E units which is noted as an improvement (from last week I assume) seems the NHS has failings across the board regardless of country.