are you happy with the nhs in your area?

[shanx]

yes or no?

[jno]

No can't see my GP in less than a week except for an emergency - and that seems to mean nothing short of life or death that would show up embarrassingly on his quotas. I was awake all night in agony with gout a year ago, but that wasn't an emergency and he wouldn't see me; I had to go to casualty at the hospital. To be fair, that was fine, but it was way out of my area, there isn't one nearby. So a big NO.

[rabbitygirl]

Moved area 6 weeks ago and asked the neighbours about doctors. He directed me to where he said they had just moved to. Look out for the place painted yellow. Off we went and drew up outside an obviously brand new health centre.

I popped in while hubby waited in the car. I didn't think it would be so easy to get on the books but minutes later I emerged, forms in hand, sample pots and appointments next day to 'enrol'.

I was stunned at the place. It was more like a mini hospital, huge reception/waiting room, comfy chairs, flat screen TV, big in house pharmacy, lifts to upstairs, nurses everywhere and the receptionists smiled too.

Can't judge the hospitals and don't want the opportunity but so far so good.

[shanx]

its best to stay out of hospitals at the moment ,if you can and put up with the pain because they are filthley, and you are coming out worse than you went in ,believe me

[hau kola]

Im not happy with the NSH,i believe they were to blame for my fathers death.

[daffy654]

My GP is a waste of space,same as jno I have to book an appointment at least a week in advance.In an emergency the practice nurse has to telephone patients at home to try and ascertain if they actually need an emergency appointment and as she thinks she is some sort of demi god its not likely you will get seen.There is no such thing as home visits any longer and out of hours care involves going to a drop in centre 8 miles away.
I do have to say that on my many inpatient stays at the local hospital I have been treated very well though.

[shanx]

thats good rabbitygirl you are lucky, where do you live ?

[jodie73]

Yes

[rabbitygirl]

Shank - we are on the outskirts of Derby, almost in Staffs.

[jno]

drat, a bit too far for me, rabbitygirl...

[legend758duo]

nhs here is nonexistent.

bloody have to travel 2500 miles to see a doctor ffs : -)

[megan07]

yes

[shanx]

daffy some of the nurses act superior and are as thick as two short planks ,what dose that say about the nhs ?

[IggyB]

YES - i can get an appointment within 24 hours at my GP, or for none emergency stuff i can organise weekend appointments or even a late night session they operate once a week... and without fail all the doctors there are really very helpful and friendly. Nothing bad to say about them at all.

Not needed the hospital so thats an unknown... and to my shame i haven't been to a dentist in about 7 years

[its_me_baby]

think the nhs is crap and my local hospital is minging.
had a c section which i felt all of on my one side they screwed it up i was bed bound on delivery sweet for 4days they never bed bathed me till i got out of bed for a shower and i had an infection of my wound.
when they placed me down on the ward they said i was to rest and have peace yet they stuck me in a 4bed ward with 3 babies screaming and there mums all crying i signed myself out the following day as i was terrified of catching mrsa the ward was so dirty.

[shanx]

I have got my grrrrrrrrrrrrr head on now ,so meany people are dying going into hospital from all the ***** that is in there, i would rather stay home and treat myself

[its_me_baby]

thats why i signed myself out shanx
i was on tablets 2 clot my blood yet they ran out the day i signd myself out (a sunday). there wasn't a tablet in the whole hospital. i had 2 go back a few days later and all i kept sayin was i ain't stayin i don't want mrsa lol.
u know what i went to have a shower and it was full of dirt and there was blood on the floor i went mad.

[shanx]

sorry hau kola you are probabley right , like lots of others , but at the end of the day the goverment say prove it ,but we know the truth

[rabbitygirl]

There have always been good and bad nurses. I was left in shock and neglected after my 1st baby and I've never forgiven them. A nurse in the special baby ward woke my baby up, rearranged his nightie because 'that's the way I do it', put him heavily back in his cot, now screaming, and walked off.

After I had back surgery however and spent a week flat out, a young female nurse arrived to get me up and properly bathed. She was amazing - caring and taking time to ensure I was OK. That's what nursing should be about.

She said she loved her job and her ambition was to work with old people. That was a few years ago but I sometimes wonder where she is now ... hopefully not driven out by the changes to her profession.

[shanx]

same story where ever you live ,unless you are desperate put up with the pain i say ,at least you are not going to go into hospital and come out with someyhing that is going to kill you by going in there in the first place

[curiosity]

yes, but I agree that the standard of hygiene has deteriorated rapidly, in my experience this has been since the conservative government contracted out the cleaning. It's not all the individuals, some domestics work really hard, the firms they work for are shoddy, they don't get the right equipment or some arn't passionate enough, now I know it's easy for me to say and hard possibly for "domestics" to get passionate about the work, but years ago under the NHS they were very much part of the ward team, they had pride in their work and the standards were high.