The Tories

[Margaret Pilkington]

I asked for a home visit when my daughter was very ill and we got a telephone consultation instead......How is that any good? The doctor could not see her, check her BP, feel her pulse, look at her face to determine the levels of pain, check her skin to see if it was clammy...he had to rely on me for this information...luckily, I am trained to collate it. The upshot was she was carted off in an ambulance with flashing blue lights......if she had not got to hospital when she did, she would be dead now.
It can be as serious as that.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I asked for a home visit when my daughter was very ill and we got a telephone consultation instead......How is that any good? The doctor could not see her, check her BP, feel her pulse, look at her face to determine the levels of pain, check her skin to see if it was clammy...he had to rely on me for this information...luckily, I am trained to collate it. The upshot was she was carted off in an ambulance with flashing blue lights......if she had not got to hospital when she did, she would be dead now.
It can be as serious as that.

Thats a disgraceful state of affairs, many would never be able to collate stuff as you have been trained to do.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I know that Cashy...and that is my point.....many people would not be able to give the important details because they do not know what is important....except of course in cases where there is obvious collapse..but then you would ring 999.
Telephone consultations are never a good idea when the doctor has not seen the patient, and many cases doesn't know the patient.

[Less]

A very good friend of mine used to use a surgery were the chief receptionist was a real sower puss.

He could never get an appointment always booked up and no system in place to book for the following week.

He changed to the surgery I used, could get an appointment usually within 24 hours or book for something routine to suit himself and the staff a few weeks into the future. He started getting the treatment he had needed at last.

Then one morning he went in and our Doctor had a new receptionist, good old sower puss, within weeks no-one could get an appointment, if you asked for one for the following week the only way to do it was to ring or call in after 4.30 on a Friday, even then you would be lucky.

Also, the Doctor didn't have Surgery on a Wednesday, I imagine even Doctors want a day off? Suddenly the reception desk was also closed Wednesdays so no way of making an appointment etc.

I asked at the surgery next door if I could start with them? (My friend didn't).

I'm now back on a system were the Doctor tries to see you within 24 hours, routine appointments can be made in advance and the reception staff are lovely.

I dread the day, if ever it comes, when sower puss turns up behind the desk of this surgery.

[DAV007]

Can I just remind people,
Labour during their 13 years where just as happy to get into bed with the private health care providers, especially when they gave the party juicy donations.

Its funny how Andy Burnham has wiped it from his memory!

[Less]

Originally Posted by DAV007

Can I just remind people,
Labour during their 13 years where just as happy to get into bed with the private health care providers, especially when they gave the party juicy donations.

Its funny how Andy Burnham has wiped it from his memory!

Perhaps it isn't wiped from his memory?

Perhaps 'New Tories' (no way should they be called New Labour), have learnt from their earlier mistakes?

Who knows maybe their representatives that will want our votes in 2015 will promise to do things,
erm', at random for example, promise a referendum on the EU and not back-slide on it?

Yeah right, I and 95% of the rest of us on here know, that won't happen.

[Barrie Yates]

Had a recent experience with the Health Line at 0200, within 20 minutes they had the paramedics at the house and by 0300 I was in BRH - after that it turned into a fiasco. So for me the Health Line itself worked fine.

[GJWatson]

they all promise the world just to get the keys for No 10!

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

Had a recent experience with the Health Line at 0200, within 20 minutes they had the paramedics at the house and by 0300 I was in BRH - after that it turned into a fiasco. So for me the Health Line itself worked fine.

Worked well for me too Barry last year, which ward at the Royal did you have the pleasure of a fiasco Barry, would be interested to swap notes on that one

[Barrie Yates]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Worked well for me too Barry last year, which ward at the Royal did you have the pleasure of a fiasco Barry, would be interested to swap notes on that one

I think it was C18/Bed 18 Jay but I am trying to erase those memories from the archive

[Margaret Pilkington]

What is Health Line?
Is it a variation of NHS direct or is it the dreaded 111 number you call for emergencies that are not considered 999 calls.
If it is the 111 number, then it does not echo my experiences of it.
I spent one of the most frustrating (and scary) days of my life -( and I do not scare easily)trying to get someone to come out and look at my seriously ill daughter on one of the hottest days of the year.
It took 8 hours for someone to take me seriously. I was passed around from pillar to post, from nurse to doctor, back to nurse...and in the end I rang the hospital ward and it was they who organised an ambulance.
My daughter was then admitted and needed 7 litres of fluid to rehydrate her( and IV meds to stop her from being sick) It was a nightmare.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

I think it was C18/Bed 18 Jay but I am trying to erase those memories from the archive

Ya those days are better out of your mind Barrie, I've just about forgot about my stay's last year

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

What is Health Line?
Is it a variation of NHS direct or is it the dreaded 111 number you call for emergencies that are not considered 999 calls.
If it is the 111 number, then it does not echo my experiences of it.
I spent one of the most frustrating (and scary) days of my life -( and I do not scare easily)trying to get someone to come out and look at my seriously ill daughter on one of the hottest days of the year.
It took 8 hours for someone to take me seriously. I was passed around from pillar to post, from nurse to doctor, back to nurse...and in the end I rang the hospital ward and it was they who organised an ambulance.
My daughter was then admitted and needed 7 litres of fluid to rehydrate her( and IV meds to stop her from being sick) It was a nightmare.

I've never had any problem like that Margaret, mind you if I ring my GP I get a very quick visit, maybe its because they know I don't cry wolf when ringing the Doc, If I ring the sugary they know I need attention

[Margaret Pilkington]

All I can say John, is that you are very lucky. This incident happened on a weekend, so no services from Pals at all...was just referred to the 111 service...and no-one there has access to any of your current medical records, or your health details.

[Guinness]

Follow up to the old dear who was finally given a bed after their records showed she was dead....

Discharged at 1pm..needed a hoist to get her into a wheelchair....hoist could not be found until 6.44pm (sole communication from BRH at 4.23pm 'we can't find an available hoist')

Old dear is doubly incontinent, has osteoporosis and learning difficulties. At 6.44 she would have been a mess if left to NHS care.

How do I know this?...because her carer was with her throughout....she was unpaid throughout..she stayed because she has a bond and she cared...

And thats what this nasty Cameron 'big society' government relies on, ordinary people taking up the slack (because they care), without pay (because they care) so that he can make money for his cronies (who don't give a monkey's as long as they can fuel their yachts).