....... and the dire state of the NHS for anyone who doesn't have Covid, is being ignored. I accompanied my husband to the doctors surgery for a blood test by the nurse. While we were there I overheard the receptionist triaging someone who had asked to see a doctor. After consulting the person doing the repeat prescriptions, she advised the person to go to A and E. No one else in the waiting room at 10am. Not a doctor in sight. Meanwhile A and E is bedlam. It's high time someone told the GP's to get back to work actually seeing patients.
I
well understand what you mean @Figetbones, but I can only write about our
experience of needing A&E.
OH
and I have had two
occasions each over the past 12 months where we needed A&E. I took myself to A&E in a
taxi when my
pulse had been racing at 120bpm for several hours. On the 2nd
occasion I was sick and in pain, OH drove me to
the hospital, where it was discovered I had problematic kidney stones
which needed intervention surgery. Regarding my husband, I called 999 when
he collapsed (low BP), and the 2nd time he went to A&E
was at the request of Doctor after having many blood tests at the doctor's surgery.
Doctor's
referrals to hospital for treatment would have resulted in us waiting
weeks. I know this because..... we moved new house last September,
moving to new area and a new health authority, our new GP referred me to both the cardiology and the urology department of our now
local hospital. This resulted in me receiving more or less the same letter from both departments
saying there's a waiting list of 40 weeks and that they'll contact me
in due course.
My
point is that I believe the normal referral system is broken, and
the only way to get to see a consultant, and the necessary scans is
to go to A&E. Our doctor knew this when she told my husband to go
to A&E (with a letter from her). Though we had to wait most of the day (including waiting
in a queue outside of A&E in the street for a couple of hours) my
husband eventually got the medical help he sorely needed including urgent scans and monitoring.
It's
a whole different world since Covid Many people are not getting the help they need because it's all about Covid.
FFS. That's beyond extraordinary in the sheer lack of care, compassion and just plain, old fashioned attention. No coordination in services at all, and when you consider that information [of all kinds] nowadays is at the touch of a button, it's even more unbelievable. No wonder you feel the way you do. I sincerely hope things get better for you both - it could hardly be much worse.
Sending you love x
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Making progress. Mainly due to me driving him to the gym or pool every day. Someone turned up to tick a box that we had sufficient grab rails around the house, and we had already sorted a wheelchair. The occasional physio by phone does sod all except tick some boxes, and the continued requests by us for neurophysio are falling on deaf ears. It's always someone elses department. Stroke consultant not seen since day admitted when he said it was the wrong sort of stroke (blood leaking due to sepsis, not clot or burst). ENT surgeon wants to remove the nasal polyp currently causing no bother, but the anaesthetist thinks one 5 hour operation (to replace an aortic valve damaged by the sepsis,) this year is quite enough. Even though his hip was the initial source of pain, and the PET scan showed inflammation there, no sign of anyone from orthopaedics. Power of attorney forms sent off in September, cheques cashed but no sign of them being stamped yet. ESA and PIP payments likewise. They apparently have to do an asessment, again probably by phone. Still getting the blue badge in 6 weeks was a big milestone, makes life easier. His doctor will apparently issue a new fitnote , even though he hasn't seen him for two years, he wouldn't come out the day before he collapsed and I called an ambulance. Good job we had some savings, or we'd be down the food bank.
Gosh.... so sorry! We're walking more or less the same path. We missed having to go through the assessment as my husband's condition is terminal. Just wanted to say I feel what you're going through. Hold tight!
@Jenny_Aster, Forgive my jumping in, but if you haven't already got a DS1500 form on behalf of your Husband, see if you can get one from consultant / specialist nurse / GP. It's speeds things up a lot.
Thank you @Hostafan1, yes we've sent the DS1500 sometime in November. Last week the form was returned because a signature was missing..... it's feels like a bad merry-go-round.
Thank you @Hostafan1, yes we've sent the DS1500 sometime in November. Last week the form was returned because a signature was missing..... it's feels like a bad merry-go-round.
BBC licence fee to be abolished in 2027 and funding frozen
Government announcement will force broadcaster to close services and make further redundancies
Nadine Dorries is framing it as: "“This licence fee announcement will be the last. The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors are over. Time now to discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting and selling great British content.”
After rail, post office, Royal Mail, the national grid, power and water the BBC and NHS are all the Tories have left to sell. Everything turned over to foreign powers, multinationals and tech. companies.
The Tory party is nothing more than a gang of smash and grab hoodlums, robbing the public purse for their own gain.
Before the usual bunch of BBC Naysayers jump on the bandwagon, I trust they'll tell us who THEY trust to give honest, impartial news?
Currently nobody.
The freezing of the licence fee may mean the BBC having to dispense with the services of a few overpaid presenters. How does somebody who's sole job seems to be sitting talking about football justify a multi-million pound salary?
Thank you @Hostafan1, yes we've sent the DS1500 sometime in November. Last week the form was returned because a signature was missing..... it's feels like a bad merry-go-round.
That's appalling treatment Jenny. I appreciate many staff are working from home, but DS1500 was treated as an absolute priority when I worked at DWP. 3 months is simply unacceptable. If you can, I would take it up with your local MP. One call from them normally get things moving.
The freezing of the licence fee may mean the BBC having to dispense with the services of a few overpaid presenters. How does somebody who's sole job seems to be sitting talking about football justify a multi-million pound salary?
How does someone kicking a ball about justify theirs?
Thank you @Hostafan1, yes we've sent the DS1500 sometime in November. Last week the form was returned because a signature was missing..... it's feels like a bad merry-go-round.
That's appalling treatment Jenny. I appreciate many staff are working from home, but DS1500 was treated as an absolute priority when I worked at DWP. 3 months is simply unacceptable. If you can, I would take it up with your local MP. One call from them normally get things moving.
Good suggestion @KT53, I will be writing to my MP. We have a nice lady advising, she's warned it's taking over 12 weeks. She's visiting us tomorrow so no doubt the timeline will be discussed, and I'm pretty sure she's 'on the case'. Never been in this situation before and it's a learning curve, I doubt we're the only ones.
Posts
I well understand what you mean @Figetbones, but I can only write about our experience of needing A&E.
OH and I have had two occasions each over the past 12 months where we needed A&E. I took myself to A&E in a taxi when my pulse had been racing at 120bpm for several hours. On the 2nd occasion I was sick and in pain, OH drove me to the hospital, where it was discovered I had problematic kidney stones which needed intervention surgery. Regarding my husband, I called 999 when he collapsed (low BP), and the 2nd time he went to A&E was at the request of Doctor after having many blood tests at the doctor's surgery.
Doctor's referrals to hospital for treatment would have resulted in us waiting weeks. I know this because..... we moved new house last September, moving to new area and a new health authority, our new GP referred me to both the cardiology and the urology department of our now local hospital. This resulted in me receiving more or less the same letter from both departments saying there's a waiting list of 40 weeks and that they'll contact me in due course.
My point is that I believe the normal referral system is broken, and the only way to get to see a consultant, and the necessary scans is to go to A&E. Our doctor knew this when she told my husband to go to A&E (with a letter from her). Though we had to wait most of the day (including waiting in a queue outside of A&E in the street for a couple of hours) my husband eventually got the medical help he sorely needed including urgent scans and monitoring.
It's a whole different world since Covid
Many people are not getting the help they need because it's all about Covid.
Sorry this is a long thread...Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
I sincerely hope things get better for you both - it could hardly be much worse.
Sending you love x
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
That's appalling treatment Jenny. I appreciate many staff are working from home, but DS1500 was treated as an absolute priority when I worked at DWP. 3 months is simply unacceptable. If you can, I would take it up with your local MP. One call from them normally get things moving.
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.