No Nebulisers On The Nhs

[Theland]

Article about housing on Newsnight, showed a woman whose 7 year old son was having an asthma attack and his inhaler was ineffective. She tried to get him to the hospital to be put on a nebuliser, but he died on the way.
I understand the NHS has stopped supplying nebulisers and patients have to buy their own, as I did recently, after my GP told me they will only supply the nebules but not the machine.
This cost this little boy his life.
I wonder how many more people die because they can't afford a nebuliser?
A decent one costs about £100, yet getting an ambulance to get to hospital to use one costs at least £500.
The economics of the madhouse and so inhumane.
Punishing poverty.
Isn't this disgraceful?

[LadyCG]

You believe that if you want to, Chris. I for one am inclined to believe that these hoards of economic migrants have no intention of doing a hard day's graft and will only bring a massive wave of crime and unrest to the streets of the UK.

But hey ... we're going off on a tangent here, and that is frowned upon isn't it ... ;)

[vetuste_ennemi]

Fascinated by the diversion (apologies, Theland).

If the "dependency ratio" is important, rather than just an interesting observation of demographic change, then it tells us that the costs of pensions and health care for the retired are funded by current taxes and not by the former contributions of the retired and their employers through NHIS.

If this is the case then any increased disparity between those over and those under retirement age, or the proportion of those in work to those not working, will require an accelerating or (just possibly) a decelerating rise in "net" immigration.

I'm assuming that the vibrant healthy immigrant youngsters who are today's net contributors to the economy will at some stage grow old and infirm.

(PS: there's probably an obvious logical flaw in the above chain of reasoning)

[vetuste_ennemi]

The "dependency ratio" is a reference to the Buenchico article.

[rowanwitch]

Asthma relief can fund nebulisers for those in financial need, and there are grants available. There are also long term loan schemes. You do need to look at what is available locally. Btw for many people a properly used inhaler with the right spacer is as as effective. Poor technique is often the problem. I manage my severe asthma with a combination of inhalers only needing nebulisers in attacks that are out of control due to a concurrent chest infection. Even then only a one off dose.

[1ozzy]

04;11

//Am talking about for home use, not IN the ozzy.//

Theland, what can I say except...............

[vetuste_ennemi]

I sympathise with your condition (asthma?), RowanWitch, but there are more serious ones from which Theland suffers like COPD. Apologies if I'm trivialising your own situation.

Surprised that a "routine" treatmenlike a nebuliser tis not available in some health authorities.

[1ozzy]

//I came out of ozzy Jan 2017//

Please think of a different way to air your grievance Theland.

I'm feeling a tad uncomfortable.

[Rockrose]

Might of guessed this would turn into an antiimmigration rant again but the usual parties

[woofgang]

As a retired nhs clinician and manager, I think thst the problems of the nhs are multifactorial. Yes there is poor management and leadership, but there is also the problem that more can be done and that “more” is often very expensive. People of all ages who would have died from their illnesses and birth defects now survive, often with residual problems that need continuing treatment. My grandmother died from sepsis caused by a single leg ulcer. It wasn’t neglected, she had the best care available at the time. IVF is now funded. Joint replacements are now routine, as are joint replacement revisions when the first one wears out. Care equipment such as alternating pressure beds, is now in common use. I am not suggesting that any of this is wrong, but its expensive.

[douglas9401]

I'm sure Theland will be happy to, err, withdraw, Ozzy. :-)

[mushroom25]

//(PS: there's probably an obvious logical flaw in the above chain of reasoning) //

the "flaw" is that the pension model in the UK is probably the world's biggest Ponzie scheme, an ever growing pyramid of incomers to support those already in it. immigration can support it for now, but there's no long term future in it, we simply cannot grow the population at the rate required to support the scheme. collapse is inevitable. maybe not for tens of years, but it will happen.

[TheWinner]

Having two children who were severe asthmatics, and who had many hospitalisations, we asked about having a nebuliser at home, and were told, by their Consultant, that if they were having severe attacks, it was better being treated at hospital by specialists, rather than the parents trying to fix it with a nebuliser at home. It was good advice, and I agree absolutely.

[anneasquith]

" his inhaler was ineffective" maybe we require a reliable link here ?

[Mamyalynne]

Difficulties in getting nebulisers for home use is not at all new, we bought one for my Mother in the late nineties.

She was discharged from hospital with one and the meds to use with it but told to return it after a month's loan.

[margarettom]

I attend a local Breathe Easy group ( for people with lung conditions) and we have regular talks from the head pharmacologist at the local hospital ( which specialises in lung complaints). She says that 10 puffs of Salbutamol through a spacer gives the same dose as a nebuliser. Which would be useful in an emergency whilst waiting for a paramedic/ambulance. Nebulisers are not prescribed very often these days, as modern inhalers are much better at delivering medication.
How vestute-ennemi can say to rowanwitch that COPD is more dangerous than asthma I don't know. COPD is a chronic disease which mainly affects the elderly and usually takes some years to prove fatal, often with some time spent on oxygen . Asthma can strike suddenly and kill quickly people of any age.

[anneasquith]

Great post M. Very informative. Never underestimate an asthma attack .

[Theland]

Thank you all. Very informative.
Sorry Ozzy, I feel I may have inferred an inappropriate relationship with you.
Please don't cite me for sexual harassment.

[1ozzy]

Sleep peacefully Theland, never was I an altar boy ;-))