Bring back hanging...........

[Martin]

for health "executives" - as you may have noticed in the news, several hospitals in the Kent and East Sussex areas were in such a disgraceful state, that 90 (I repeat - ninety!) people died from clostridium difficile
My mother was recently in the Kent and Sussex in Tunbridge Wells, and from my own eyes, it was pretty grubby (but nowhere near as bad as the Eastbourne Hospital - which isn't in that health trust)
My spies in the local hospitals tell me that the staff are all in utter despair - all the money and power is with the "suits", who make a total pigs ear of everything..........isn't it about blessed time we brought back Hattie Jacques?
And should the chief exec of the hospitals in the c.diff outbreak be put on trial for manslaughter?.........discuss!

[mrsflibble]

is it me or does the whole nhs system look like communist russia at the moment? the very rich and powerflu tapping money out of the very poor to make themselves more rich and more powerful....?!

[Martin]

I remember a time when we had a proper family doctor (nhs), - you could always get an appointment - he knew who we were, the family, our past health history, and would willingly turn out in the middle of the night if needed! The local hospitals were temples of hygiene, the wards spacious and uncrammed, and all the staff knew their job - nursing!
And not a trendy "exec" anywhere in sight! - progress????

[mrsflibble]

My dr- a lovely old school village practise- has just been forced to retire and his practise closed because he refused to get a computer.


we are now in limbo, registered as temporary patients at the other local surgery where the dr is waiting until his pile of temp patients is big enough, then he will go through it and in the words of the receptionist "you'll be told if he wants you on his list".

we are moving in 2 weeks. thankfully the surgery round the corner from our new place is really nice and helpful... but I will still be linked for hospital care with the place that killed me.
twice.


ok so they fixed the mistake and rescucitated me both times but still... the principle is... wait, i need to explain. bad childbirth, 2 heart attacks resulting in total arrest, two full rescucitations and defibrillations... all because i was left for 16 hours in labour (3 pushing) even though they knew soph wouldn't fit and that i would need a c section... this is all to keep their "targets".

[Martin]

on a personal level, I gave up with the NHS years ago, and have found far better, safer treatments in the alternative medical field - would that proper therapies like them were available as a right through the NHS!
(what have they just done? - shut our local Homoeopathic Hospital!)

[the.fee.fairy]

I think you're right Martin.

When i had to go to casualty (twice in the same night...) i went in first at 1am, and then again at 6am. Both times there was the same bloody dressing on the floor. it was disgusting. When mum asked why it was a mess, they replied that the cleaning staff have saturday night off...

After learning about sterile procedure and the risks posed by blood-borne pathogens, i was tempted to get rubber gloves and clamps and clear it up myself. i was in because of an infected wisdom tooth, but i was getting worried i was going to walk out with Hep B!!

I think that the 'managers' should be forced to keep the place clean, or be fined...out of their personal wages. They earn more than the nursing or cleaning staff, so fine them!

[circlecross]

Dh's sister had to go to an inquest into their gran's death because of neglect (possible) as she was undiagnosed with a broken hip for a couple of weeks, then when she went into hospital she "wasn't eating" (maybe couldn't sit up, in too much pain, lonely etc or maybe just cantankerous?) So effectively starved into unconsciousness, then resus was too much for a very frail, in pain old lady.

Dh and I find that certain sections of nhs wonderful, and also hospice care is unflinching, but a lot of people who go into "caring" professions, or semi-servile professions are anything but.

And of course, the money does seem to get taken away from the areas that need it, ie the "shop floor" and into management, admin etc.

[Jack]

Gidday

How dare you suggest people in suits should be made accountable!

In our country we can't even get the stats of how many deaths are avoidable medical stuff ups.

In the States, the so called health system kills more Americans every year than the entire Vietnam War.

It's the same all over mate and there aint nothing you can do about it.

[Stonehead]

It's the same all over mate and there aint nothing you can do about it.

We have lamp posts and ropes for good reason. Maybe it's time to dust them off again...

[Jack]

Giddat

Aint nutjhin like puttin a bit a air under their feet Eh!

[possum]

Jack having used the UK health system and the NZ one, I can say that without a doubt the UK system is way worse than NZ.
Here I fell over a kitten, and landed with the back of my hand through a glass, severing a tendon
I was treated the next day at the GP where is was stitched up, went back to have them taken out. A few weeks later I realised the finger was not working as it should.
Referred to specialist hand surgeon, got an appointment within two weeks (imaging that in the UK - 6 month waiting list at least)
Appointment at physio the next week physio every week for 6 weeks, referred back to surgeon
two months later had tendon recontruction surgery, and currently a physio appointment twice a week

In the UK I would still be waiting for the surgeons initial consultation

The cleanliness standards that I observed were way better than the Uk also

[Jack]

Gidday

O.K. then Possum but there are two points here.
You were treated under A.C.C. which I don't think the Poms have. Even that criminal who shot a poor bugger up in Welling a few months ago got straight through to get his leg amputated cos the Police bullet smashed it too much and he would have pushed anyone waiting for an op who was not on A.C.C. down the list.

Second thing, our daughter went into Dunedin hospital for day surgery and the following 15 months she had to go in another 8 times, all because of their stuffups or infections she got whilst in hospital. We looked at her charts and her discharge papers and saw that they were lying on the forms to cover up what had happened.

I also know that we lose around 1500 people from avoidable mediical mistakes a year and the stats are hidden where as if we lose a third that many from traffic accidents they just can't shut up about it.

[glenniedragon]

I haven't worked as a nurse since the birth of No1 son, the morale 7 years ago was pretty low- and it ain't got much better. I looked to return to nursing just recently and was told that they were no longer running return to nursing courses to regain my registration as they hadn't got enough jobs for the nurses that had just qualified- if the NHS is so burgeoning over with staff is it in such a state?
I started working before the creation of Trusts/PCTs etc, you knew the name of the cleaner on your ward and the Lady who bought up the Dinners (that had been cooked on-site!) I was there during the transition to Trust status, and the restructuring of Nursing grades (which was devisive). I have worked with some excellent nurses, some under extreme circumstances and for the most part they want to do their job properly. I have been the only qualified member of staff to 15 patients, not ideal The only one to do the meds, dressings, pumps, drips, dr rounds, dealing with relatives, discharge letters etc things like beds and tidying do get left to other members of support staff as you simply don't have enough hands. I had hoped in 7 years it would have improved but it doesn't appear so. Maybe I should go for Management as at least I'd have an idea what I was managing.

No Nurse gets up in the moring with the resolve to do a c**p job.

Kind thoughts
Deb

[possum]

Yes ACC is wonderful, it is on a par with private health insurance in the UK, what I am saying is that no matter how bad you think NZ is, the UK is worse. I find it rather ironic as one of the things we were warned about when moving to NZ was that there was no public health care system here.

I am sure that there are many mistakes made here, just as in the UK, not trying to play it down.

[Jack]

Gidday

Please please, nobody think I am running nurses down. The nurses are the only members of the entire system that I trust. I would rather be treated by a nurse or a vet than a doctor.