NHS anniversary

[Hillman avenger]

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the NHS.
There is an excellent programme- at 1345 each weekday for 15 minutes, tracing the emergence of the national scheme.
Yesterday talked about what local doctors were like before it started.
There were 2 interesting examples.
One was a doctor who would call to see one patient every two weeks to take his blood pressure. Even though there was no treatment for high blood pressure at the time. He would leave his bill on the hall table as he left.
Ditto another who had a patient with narcolepsy who he came to see regularly and test his reflexes. No doctor since has been able to understand why he did that, except for the income it created.
Today showed how mass immunisation against diphtheria pretty much exterminated it. It was not possible before the introduction of a national service.

[Basualdo]

I'm celebrating the anniversary tomorrow morning when my two week wait for an appointment to see my GP ends and I get the chance to see some young locum.


Heady times.

[birdie]

I'm celebrating the anniversary tomorrow morning when my two week wait for an appointment to see my GP ends and I get the chance to see some young locum.


Heady times.

You shudda gorn to A%E like thousands of others.
Before I get the usual from certain quarters, that post isn't a daft as some would make out, after my GP spent half an hour on the phone trying to get an emergency appointment with a consultant (after the appointments service cocked things up) he said the only way was to go to A%E, which we did complete with a hand written letter from him, yes, there were people there which cold be described a walking woumded, but the majority were only there because they couldn't get a GP appointment.

[Hillman avenger]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

[birdie]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

The last time I had occasion to visit my GP practice i was told that routine appointments took 3 weeks, I only went because I'd met the practice nurse in the supermarket and she told me to go and see a doctor because 'you're looking ropey', I got an appointment in 3 weeks, got there and there was no record of an appointment, just as well I'd asked the receptionist to write it down for me, showed her the appointment card and 'err, err, I'll see if I can fit you in', too true you will I said and wonder of wonders, got to see a medic 5 minutes later,

[Hillman avenger]

I am not sure that's a shortcoming of the NHS , rather bad management in your GP practice.

[Zambo]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

Post Code lottery then.

[Zambo]

I am not sure that's a shortcoming of the NHS , rather bad management in your GP practice.

You are having a laugh. It's nothing to do with bad management at practice level. It's to do with doctors leaving/retiring and medical groups being unable to recruit staff, and the growing population.

The bad management comes in where the buck stops, i.e Fanny Hunt.

[birdie]

I am not sure that's a shortcoming of the NHS , rather bad management in your GP practice.

Nothing to do with bad management, a health centre close by closed for refurbishment, it was supposed to last about 3 months but they found asbestos and as the cost of removing that spriralled the cost of the refurbishment was stalled and of course it couldn't be used so the patients were transferred to another health centre 2 miles away, but someone put the word about that under some regulation the patients could demand to be seen by the practice nearest to the closed health centre, so they temporarily registered with the practice I'm with, which couldn't really cope, one of the receptionists was tearing her hair our. said they would have to close the list as they couldn't cope and by law, or some such, couldn't refuse to treat the health centre patients.
The health centre has now reopened but I can't really comment on how long it takes to get an appointment now as, thank goodness, I haven't had the need.

[kancutlawns]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

Post Code lottery then.

Yup, Hillman never has to worry about getting in quickly for his cataracts or ingrowing toenail so all’s well and stuff the rest of us poor sods who are put on an endless waiting list for an MRI scan. It really is just about luck.

[Carlos J]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

Same here Hillman. Though do though others who have it longer.

[birdie]

I have never had to wait even a week for a doctor's appointment. If I ask to see a particular doctor it will take longer, but the last couple of times I have been offered same-day appointments.

Same here Hillman. Though do though others who have it longer.

You ARE Jon Gaunt and I claim my £5

Soz, couldn't resist.

[Carlos J]

Ha. Writing quickly before the football starts is my excuse and sticking to it. You do know that GPs are employed by their surgeries don't you? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/0 ... arge-fees/
https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice ... nt-england

[Zambo]

Hillman thinks his life experiences are the same as everyone else's. If he occasionally acknowleges a difference, like in this case, then it's poor management that causes it.

My local surgery had to merge with three others which is run by a medical group. It has 28000 patients on it's books. They are struggling. They went 18 months without being able to recruit one clinical worker. Meanwhile new houses are going up in literally their thousands but no new gp surgeries.

Hillman should thank his lucky stars, but at the same time get his head out of the sand.

[Carlos J]

But, Zambo. These are your GPs making coin. If they can't, offski. And queer as it is, a tale. My surgery. I barely go in.

Had a sign for a Docitor XX. I know that chap professionally (not great). Then lo a few months later, his name is not there. Maybe he inevsted and then withdrew. The fucker is a pisshead.

Even more. Name and shame piss poor