East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I received a questionnaire a few weeks ago and binned it.

They are not accepting my non-compliance and have sent another, which adds "you may receive a phone call from your GP practice to check that you have received the questionnaire and whether you require any assistance completing it".

Since I have not contacted my doc for four years, he is not likely to care whether I complete it or not. Some practices provide annual health checks to us elderly persons. My doc just pockets the annual fee for having me on his list. (I don't mind that - I know that if I got shrapnel wounds he would be useful - he is army trained.)

A website for completion online is provided also.

There are 12 pages of 49 questions. Some are intrusive -
"How well are you managing financially?
What is your religion?
How would you describe your sexual orientation?
What is the highest level of qualification that you have?
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with life as a whole?
How many natural teeth have you got?
Do you ever feel lonely?
On an average weekday how do you spend most of your time?"

There are the usual questions relating to diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking and 7 questions about your neighbourhood.(eg. do you feel safe?)

No doubt this personal info will be entered in a database and be statistically analysed.

The expense the NHS is going to to get very personal info is a little eyebrow raising.

I am sure that the money would be better spent on frontline services.

PS There wasn't an option to respond "None of your business!"

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

A few months ago we got notification about something similar....it must have been around the Easter Bank holidays....the letter informed me that the people carrying out the survey would send an interviewer to ask questions....and gave the interviewers name.
I rang the number given on the letter declining to participate....I also e-mailed them, again to decline the'invitation' to participate......not that it mattered one jot.(there was no-one there...it being a Bank Holiday weeknd)
They still sent some chap round with a clipboard to interview us. I told him that I had contacted the company and declined to paticipate.
This man then started to berate me about 'people like me' wanting to take advantage of the NHS, but not wishing to answer questions about my experiences.
I told him that there was nothing in the letter that said it was compulsory, and I was exercising my right to refuse. He then said 'well what about your husband'........I told him that we had discussed the situation and did not want to take part.
I also told him that I had contacted his company to ensure they didn't send someone on a wild goose chase......he said he hadn't been told.

The NHS needs to concentrate on doing what they are supposed to do...treat the sick.
I just wondered how much this survey was costing, and how many cancer drugs it would have bought, or how many Doctors/Nurses salaries it would have paid.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I threw mine straight in the recycling sack a few weeks ago.

Just last night a (very nice) woman called to ask why I hadn't filled it in.

When I explained that I struggle holding a pen, she offered to fill it in for me.

She then asked what age bracket I fell into.

When I told her she said I was too young for the survey, apologised, packed up, and left.

Complete waste of time, and money.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

As a conspiracy theorist;), I find that alarming.

The survey will reveal which of us elderly 'useless eaters' are likely to cooperate in a programme of voluntary euthanasia :D

The world population needs reduction by all means possible, and this would be one way (cheaper than having wars and epidemics)

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

It was odd.

I might join the theorists after all.

The new form the woman brought had my address printed on it, though not my name.

Perhaps because I have a condition more normally seen in the elderly, perhaps I'm down on a secret list of pensioners, due to be knocked off soon.

:eek::D:eek:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

so how old did she think you looked then lol :D

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Now I'm a bit peed of, I haven't even been given the chance to throw one in my white sack:mad: this is down right favouritism Rindi:D

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I haven't had the chance to bin one yet, and by the sound of it, I may be considered too young.
I do tend to write perverse or sarcastic things on surveys but I have to admit that some of them are useful in order for the Govt to plan future services and the funding of such services.
Sure Start services came from such surveys (amongst other evidence). We all know that children from poorer families are disadvantaged with health, education etc but until the powers that be have evidence, they won't fund a service to try and rectify the situation.
Having said that, many health workers also said that throwing money at the problem and opening Sure Start Services wouldn't work........ How right we were..:cool:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I considered replying with rubbish answers (as I did with the census) but then realised that it might prompt a visit from men in white coats, whereas I am only knowledgeable about dealing with Men in Black. ;)

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I have had 4 of those but until recently I hadn't visited the docs new surgery @ the acorn center so I never bothered filling it in.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I accept that there needs to be some information gathering, but surely this is better done by people who actually want to volunteer the information.
If you make it clear that you don't want to participate, then that should be enough, it should not be the practice for someone to come and intimidate you into answering the questions.

I would have complained about our interviewers attitude, but having sent the form back with the information that we didn't want to participate, made this impossible.
I did try to remember the e-mail details, I had deleted the sent e-mail from my files, figuring that I would not need it again........Lesson learned.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

There's a very well worn path up to my front door.

The party beavers, hand-delivering my latest collector's edition of Britcliffe Monthly.

Those worried for my soul, because I haven't heard the 'good news' some Jesus geezer wants to be my friend.

Skin care companies, keen to sign up the most boyish pensioner in Britain.

Deputy Leaders of councils, hoping for my silence, by 'filling me in'...with all the available information about something or other.

Now the NHS, wanting to know what I thought about the art work, and soft furnishing in their waiting rooms.

I think I'll get one of those electronic gates.

:rolleyes:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

A spud gun might be more of a deterrent.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Who knows.

Though when I answered the door she did ask if my mummy or daddy were in.

;)

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

The think that annoys me more than anything is, although I haven't received one, yet:rolleyes: I can't honestly believe the necessity. The last time I was in Hospital (2009) the sister had to complete a questionnaire on admittance which took around 15 minutes, plus at around the same time the ambulance drivers started to fill in forms, in triplicate, for patients being transported using oxygen, that was both journey's, but on my last trip it seems that's been stopped, what patients want is less red tape not more, but of course that would mean fewer pen pushers and we can't have that can we:rolleyes::mad:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Totally agree with you there John, there are too many pen pushers and adminstrators now in hospitals. The last time I got the doc out to my mother he said dial 999 and get her in. Every different person she saw she was asked the same questions.They should get on with caring for patients not keep filling in forms.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

This issue isn't about Nurses filling in paperwork. It is about some expensive consultancy, performing a costly survey, that will probably not be acted on anyway.
Money being spent on the wrong things......in my book that is waste.
It is money that could be deployed at the 'coal face' where more hands would be welcome and make patient lives easier, more comfortable...aiding their recovery.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

The thing that annoyed me more than anything Margaret, was the fact that the Ward Sister had to send her valuable time asking me questions such as "are you able to make yourself a cup of tea when your at home" what the hell as that got to do with hospital treatment, surely those are the things that should be down to Social Workers not Ward Sisters:mad::mad:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

The number of people who walk about hospitals with pieces of paper in their hand or a clipboard is unbelievable, I've said before that when I'm in hospital I play that age old game, spot the clipboard, got up to 27 one day:mad:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Can anyone beat that? Replies please to Accyweb.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I would rather they took my details every five minutes in hospital than miss something vital such as an allergy that may cause problems later on.

Reading the posts on here it would seem that there might be more than one questionnaire going the rounds. MargR and MargP have had one, both ladies of a certain age, yet Garinda was told he is too young to respond. Then Restless says he has had one yet he is younger than Garinda. Unless they sent out the same questionnaire without checking whether the recipients were part of the target audience - now that really would be a waste of resources.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

These questions that the Sister asked you were important, in that they allow for discharge planning. The staff need to identify possible social/problems in the home early, in order to alert social/homecare services, so that your dischrage home is not delayed by the late identification of situations that would make it unsafe to send you home.
This is done on admission because patients are having much shorter stays in hospital.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

It's good to have someone who has worked at the coalface who is able to fill us in on these details. Thanks Margaret.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

When the interviewer came to see me, one of the things he said to me was 'I bet most people in this street would be glad to have a chance to influence future care'
I politely suggested that he go and ask one of them instead of me.
He told me that this wasn't permitted as these were random address selections, done by the computer, to pick out a variety of households - it wasn't age, gender, or health specific.
He also said that the survey results would be compromised by my non compliance.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

So why was Garinda told that he was too young?

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

You are welcome.
I ran a pre-op clinic once a week, and we did all these questions at that visit - which was a week to 10 days before the patient was due to be admitted.

This gave us a good amount of time to identify potential problems that might delay discharge, and put interventions into place(sometimes these were organised before the patient had even been admitted).
At the pre-op clinic, patients were told when they would come in, and when they would go home(barring any problems of course). Helpful to both patient and the staff. We were able to maximise the use of our beds in this way.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Probably they didn't like saying he was ugly?:D

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I can't answer that one Sue - just telling you the info that our interviewer told me.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

That is all so obvious and common sense when you think about it.

I found this online if anyone is interested.

www.cph.org.uk/showPublication.aspx?pubid=286

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

He hacked into their database and changed his DOB from 40 way back in the 1980's.:D

He should never have had the portrait done in the first place -i do hope he has it under lock and key in his attic -wouldn't want anyone to catch sight of him as he really is...;):rolleyes:

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I Agree, Sue. That's what they do here too - husband has been in for a couple of minor Ops. and they were very well prepared in just the same way.

All these extra surveys are keeping people employed - though the money would be better spent on real jobs and/or equipment within the health service.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I have looked at the link and it seems that the survey I was asked to complete has been formulated using those guidelines.

My problem with such surveys is that they infer that anyone eating copious amounts of saturated fats and not eating '5 a day' is injuring their health.

I strongly disagree with the 'healthy diet' guidelines we are bombarded with, so my answers to diet questions would be interpreted as 'unhealthy'. I object to my diet being so classified by use of flawed nutrition research.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

I hated doing the pre-op clinic, but the benefits(for both the patient and staff) were hard to dismiss....we had fewer ops cancelled because of medical complications, and if people did not come to the pre-op visit, then we would replace them with someone who was on the'able to come in at short notice list'.
Myself and my staff would review test results and check through the casenotes a couple of days after the pre-op visit.....just to double check there were to be no hiccups on the day of admission.....pre-op clinic often meant that ladies who were on an afternoon list need not come into hospital until midday on the day of their operation.
By the time I retired, I had changed and quite enjoyed the challenge that the long day in clinic invariably provided.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

ive had the experience the last few weeks of nhs in various forms .... the minor injuries units at accy vic and at the rawtenstall hub, blackburn royal and the scottish nhs ... in fact i know how much you knock a & e at blackburn ... but after my experience up there be grateful we have the minor injuries units to go to if we have a knock or need some stitches ... cos up there they dont have them ... you end up at a & e .. and it only takes an hour on a bus to get there .... 4 hrs in there getting the cast changed and an hour back on the bus ...

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

This only started 3 years ago Margaret, and why a sister or staff nurse, why not the ward aid, isn't that what they're for.

Re: East Lancashire health and lifestyle survey from the NHS.
 

Maybe the ward aide was doing the questions for someone else who had been admitted.
Nurses do have a lot of paperwork to complete....and sometimes the questions are better interpreted by a nurse than a ward clerk.