Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

On the NHS point, this is what puzzles me. Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was possible to get an appointment with the GP, usually the same week. You phoned up, a human being answered, you agree a time, and off you go.

I get that there are a few more people now. But not that many. And in addition to the GP surgeries we also have walk in centres, and NHS 111. More recently we can even use a pharmacy for things that previously had to be a GP.

So with all these apparent additional facilities, how come it's now nearly impossible to get medical attention unless you're actually in the process of dropping dead? In fact from what I'm seeing in the news about the ambulance services, it seems even threatening to drop dead isn't enough to guarantee help these days. I can think of only two possibilities. Either we're all just permanently ill now, or there is just no efficiency in the NHS to the extent that it doesn't really actually exist anymore. I really can't fathom it because I see people about. By and large most people don't seem to be permanently ill, so how on earth is the health service so knackered when it used to work fine years ago?

 

My mother worked in the NHS back in the 70s and 80s. Even back then, she related how there were at least two 'managers' to every useful, i.e. functioning medical staff, person in the hospitals. The Government can throw billions at it, but until it's restructured to do away with the unnecessary 'management' in favour of what it's supposed to be about, it's an inefficient money pit.

 

Covid didn't help, I think it produced a population of hypochondriacs that is going to take a while to either disappear or whatever they do these days, not classing long covid sufferers in that, but there is a lot of it about.
They used to be called malingerers but I didn't say that.

Somebody posted the dates that a local GPs surgery will be shut on Thursday afternoons, on facebook, I stupidly asked why they shut one Thursday afternoon once a month and was immediately dragged over the coals by a bunch of doctors receptionists, gangs of them.

I only wanted to know why, with a queue of patients going out the door each morning they thought it was OK to do a four and and half day week, just asking.

 

Absolutely.

This is something that makes me shout at the telly every time some politician boasts about throwing more money at something, as if that's the solution to everything.

Who else measures success by how much money they've spent?

Its like two people doing their weekly shop. One buys twice as much food as they need and ends up throwing half away. The other works out exactly what they need and eats just as well for half the price. It would be ridiculous to say that the first one had done better shopping because they'd spent more. But that's exactly what politicians do all the time, and people vote for them for it.

 

Ahh, I was wondering what the GPs at my practice got up to, my GP only does 3 days and some there only do two, others do a couple of mornings, but none do a full week, obviously struggling on a GPs salary.

 

Our local full time GPs only have face to face booked appointment clinics on some days of the week. The rest of the week, they are the ones doing telephone consultations with urgent cases, and bringing them in that day for a face to face appointment. Or going through the blood test results or letters from the hospital. Of course some do only work part time, but several of ours have part time commitments at the local teaching hospital, which we all benefit from. Not all off playing golf for half the week.

 

The other major point everyone here is missing, is the effect of an ageing population with vastly increased needs.
Some of you maybe surprised that some things are getting a lot better in the NHS. I had both hips replaced last year and spent less than 48 hours in hospital each time. 5 years ago the stay would have been 5-10 days. Sadly my surgeon can’t do more ops. because he is told there isn’t enough money.

Over the course of my career, I managed to increase the number of ICU beds in my hospital by 200%, but they were still always full, at a cost per patient per day of approx. £3500. That is where the money goes.

 

"We send the EU £350 million a week. Let's fund our NHS instead".

 

Someone I know very well, works in a small NHS team. Recently they closed an office in another hospital, and transferred the managers across to hers. Now they have 20 managers. Twenty!
Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. And putting these random positions in like 'diversity managers'. Seriously.
At my GP practice, the doctors now give their schedule a month in advance, so for the last fortnight they've had no appointments to book for anyone. It's 3 weeks as standard to get a call from some GP you've never heard of now, and you're bloody lucky if you can get a face to face.
Add to that, the bits of the NHS which have already been sold off to the US.
It's not so much about money, it's about mismanagement, and as usual the people doing all the hard work are suffering, as well as patients.

 

Indeed! I speak from personal experience when I say a Band D property in one area can pay over twice that of a Band G in another! Them's the breaks, I guess!

 

I understand that you have some personal reasons for disliking doctors, @Fat Controller, but I think you are misguided in your views that the NHS is full of incompetent doctors.
I know I am one, ( hopefully not incompetent) but like you I have had much need for their help throughout my life, and I would not be here without them.

 

I don't think the NHS can be full of incompetent doctors as they have to have 3 grade A A levels, then 5 or 6 years in medical school. GPs need another 3 years. The main problem is that there aren't enough of them since the government cut down the numbers admitted for training.