Debt. Medics and life.

The old saying is. Never a lender or borrower be.

Hey I well remember the days after the war. Saturday morning and the 'tallyman' would call. Yes times were hard and most folks had to turn to getting things on the TICK. In those days, perhaps a customers account amounted to just two or three pounds. Chicken feed to todays debts. I remember my mum, going down to 'Uncles' This was the then term for the pawnbrokers. Heres hoping dad wouldn't need his one and only best suit for a week. Mum would walk away with half a crown in her purse. In those days that amount would feed and clothe a family. Then the tallyman appeared on the doorstep. Now folk could really start to live. New mats and carpets to fancy frilly underware for the ladies. It seemed to be a blessing from heaven. So often the tallyman would knock and a kid would come to the door. Mum says she's sorry, but she had to go out. Call back next week. So over the years the debt saga has continued. Now owing a few bob has multiplied. Now million owe millions. Now in debt, it's not so easy to get out.

So what's this got to do with medics. Well in my own case. OK in the past a visit to the quack might get you a sick note and a bottle of jollop. Now you have a consultation. This is me. My psoriosis got bad, so the GP sent me to a dermatologist. So0 Michael how long have you had psoriosis. Since I was twenty. Um. So you are now 79. I could hear his brain working....60 years, what the bloody hell do you expect me to do? Then I began weeing blood. That was back in 2014. Medics really did move fast. What a slap in the face to be told. Yes! you have bladder cancer. Not to worry. Since then I have has seven operations and the cancer is still here. My case was forwardede to Guys hospital London. Here they don't hang around. My age relegates me to the 'Older persons clinic. I have now been rushed through CT scans, cardiac systems and to come bone scans. Question such as. Do you drink, and how much. Hells bells come the end of this month and I will be aged 80. What have I got to enjoy in life. Due to the cancer, my twiddly bits don't work, I tend to sleep a lot and have lost my desire to garden etc. I ask myself. Why all the fuss. One minute the system is complaining about the cost of keeping the oldies alive, next they are treating us like guinea pigs. So once in debt, always in debt. Once in the consulting rooms and there's no way out.

 

Hi mike you have freinds here and remember true freinds are priceless

 

YES. Half a crown a time.

 

Today I took the letter from my GP asking me to make an appointment....I was told I can't pre-book and to call or phone at 8am when the doors open.........madness.........What's the point of posting me a letter when I can't get an appointment
I've been trying all week, hanging on to the phone,then when someone answers you are told no appointments today, please try at 8 tomorrow

 

If your gp is online you can join Patient Access

Patient Access
www.patientaccess.com
Book GP and pharmacy appointments, order online prescriptions and view your medical record at your convenience. Patient Access, in partnership with NHS.
. It's like a 24-hour GP receptionist in the palm of your hand no need to phone or go to surgery to make appointment
Once you join you will recieve update info on
Articles and content on health & wellbeing topics
Patient Access product & feature updates
Patient Access surveys all only according to your preferences
. Which is entirely optional
If not sure ask as More than half of GP practices are connected to Patient Access with more joining every day. If yours is one, register today to benefit from a faster, smarter way to manage your healthcare.

 

I went to the Dentist yesterday. All Dentists are private here. I had a 30 minute consultation re some work he will do in February and March. There was no charge! ... then he asked if he could take a call on his mobile and stood with his hand on my back ... then he "air kissed me, cheek to cheek both sides) as I left all in front of his Nurse and T'other Half! I think in America there would be a lawsuit looming for sexual advances. My last consultation with him (again about 30 minutes) was 25 Euros but no 'touchy feely' stuff. Most people hug here, even men to men ... but Rui just shook hands with T'other Half.

Doctors (and Lawyers) here are very casual people, 99% of the time wearing jeans. Everybody always goes by first names too. You are computerised by first name also ... when the Dentist (Rui) went to my records, he went to V not B. For four years I took a medication I had to go to the hospital pharmacy monthly to get (free there, had to pay if I went to a chemist) and it was logged on a sheet in a binder ... under V! Even Banks do this, strange system, but it works for them.

 

Hi shinny
Your GP surgery might use more than one and give you a choice.

Information:
Ask your GP surgery, check their website, or check the information about your GP surgery if you do not know which provider you can use. You can phone the surgery or email patient access
there is another site who does simular to this site called docterlink

 

Hi,

Here in the UK we hear lots of adverse comments regarding our National Health Service. Both Bron and I would never knock the service and help we've received from the NHS; to go private our treatment would have cost us a fortune.

Years ago Bron was very ill and on the NHS there was a waiting list for an MRI scan so we decided to go private for the scan; at the private hospital on Friday the consultant arranged the scan; this was carried out the following morning in a mobile scan unit in the hospital car park the cost all those years ago was £425 just for the scan.

I can understand the frustration of having to wait but our NHS takes some beating; it can take ages to be admitted to hospital but once in things happen quickly; emergencies are rightly fast tracked.

What annoys me are the foreign patients visiting the UK for hospital treatment then returning back abroad this must help to overload OUR NHS further?

How many here in the UK are being kept alive on NHS medication.

Good luck Mike my friend.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Thats great
I too don't live two far from the surgery but I registered cause you never know when you need them.and sometimes waiting on phone to.make appointments you can wait forever yet you can make an appointment online and next day you can see the doctor or have a home visit
I don't use it often as I tend to email them every month for my AED tablets but its there if I need it
I did use it last night as I was online
So I suggest register and use it whenever
They dont penalize you if you use it rarely