Ed Milliband And The Nhs

[emmie]

says that under Labour you will get a doctors appointment within 48 hours or 24 hours if urgent, needed. Has he spoken with anyone at all in the NHS recently, in the medical profession, governing body. Making a promise like this is a vote catcher perhaps but i can't see it as remotely feasible.
one of our surgeries has one and a half doctors, as related by the receptionist, one full time the other works 3 days a week, and a full time nurse, heaven help us

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-pledges-100m-per-year-to-target-nhs-waiting-times-scandal-9358502.html

[woofgang]

Not in my surgery they don't. They will ask if you can tell them what is wrong, if you say its personal, that's the end of the matter. One doctor and one nurse do phone calls, if you don't want to tell the receptionist what is wrong they put you on the phone list. If its urgent, you will be seen that day.
While I think Red Ed is talking out of his....hat, I do think that the whole GP framework does need looking at. If some surgeries can give a satisfactory service, I really can't see why all of them can't.

[lynbrown]

Does Ed m really think that's possible? Unless he floods the service with money, it can never happen.

[BlueToffee]

At our doctors we have open surgery every morning. Want to see him/her, just go and wait, but you will be seen.

[horseshoes]

I am in TOTAL agreement with Emmie. What has happened to our GP services is scandalous. My OH was able to walk into his practice if he needed to see a GP and was seen even if it meant him waiting a while. (Remember those days when you were ill, you could see a GP)? Now his GP has retired and he has a very rude awakening to the modern GP practice. Poor soul. Ring at 8 am...... No, sorry we only had 5 appointments and they've all gone! My poor 83 year old Mum, was asked last week if she'd see an unqualified GP and have the consultation videoed! She had a kidney infection (she also has a tumour on her kidney) and was in absolute agony. I realise GPs have to train but really!! Was that appropriate? If it happens again she'll go straight to A&E ....then they wonder why A&E departments are overstretched. My Mum refused by the way.

[horseshoes]

Blue toffee, that's how it's been in OH's practice until the GP retired. Now he's had to join a practice which is as awful as most others.

[New Judge]

The problem with all these matters is that politicians (of all persuasions) always equate spending money with successful delivery. "We spent £100 squillion more on it last year, so it must have improved".

Unfortunately this ain't necessarily so. Gordon Brown spent huge amounts of money on GP services - he gave them all enormous rises whilst agreeing to them abrogating many of their responsibilities. The result of all this extra money was, unsurprisingly, a worse service.

Setting arbitrary targets in any large organisation simply means that managers will find ways to meet the targets (on which their hefty bonuses depend, natch) come what may. I think I have related this tale before but a couple of years ago I was in my local A&E with Mrs New Judge who had had an accident. People in there were being "discharged" (without having received any attention) after 3 hours 55 minutes and "readmitted" (without moving from their seat) five minutes later. What was the "target time" for them to be seen? Full marks to all those who said 4 hours. A nursing sister was devoted to administering this ridiculous farce and of course the hospital needed no more resources because it always met its four hour A&E target. Priceless!

Miraculously all patients on my GP's list get an appointment within two days. I don't know how they do it but it could be something to do with the fact that the practice will not allow a patient to make an appointment more than two days hence. If the quack wants to see you again in a week's time you cannot make the appointment on your way out. You have to ring or go online two days before you need your appointment. Target fully met (tick) no extra resources needed (tick) everybody's requirements being met (tick) bonuses all round (ker-ching).

The NHS has plenty of money. But it also wastes huge chunks of it. At the same hospital as in my tale above the "fracture clinic" had two qualified nurses in attendance. They do no nursing. (on leaving the consulting room I had to strap up Mrs New Judge's arm after her examination). The “nurses” spent their time retrieving paper files from a box and showing patients in to see the quacks whilst two receptionists (for four doctors) sat chatting and filing their nails.

Mr Milibean’s £100m will not go very far when there are these necessities to pay for.

[emmie]

no it won't, and i could write a book on my mothers appalling treatment from the GP's down to the hospital - snotty consultants, lack of info, a
GP who threw out a urine sample telling her that she didn't have cancer, though blood could clearly be seen, and not just one sample, but any number, and she did have cancer as it happened. if it wasn't for the intervention of a friend she may have died.