Nhs - What A Wonderful Service When It Works Well

[SIRandyraven]

Where we live in north Devon the GP medical centre we use is top rate.
You can make online appointments for telephone call back same day, even within the hour at time. If GP face to face is required you can see them same day or next.
For routine checkups aka talk to GP about a non urgent issue then wait can be 10 to 14 days.
Example:
October 2020 and I had an eye infection due to pressure washing car and dirty water splashed in eye. No grit, just a wet eye. Next day it was infected.
Did an online call back booking. GP called back within 1 hour, said come in now and I will have a look. 30 minutes later saw GP who said it looked like an infection but to be safe go to eye clinic at hospital. Appointment made and saw eye clinic consultant or maybe lower rank next day.
She confirmed it was just an infection and had medication (antibiotic drops) same day.

I have blood cancer (myeloma) and I was having injection twice a week with a drug that cost £1000 for 6ml plus other very expensive drugs.
I see posts online from people in USA who have same and have to lay 10% of cosys to insuranve company where it costs them about $500 a month.
I worked with a chap based in New York USA and he had a stroke at 50 and years later his meds plus doctors fees were costing him $1000 a month where he paid 10% of costs.

We are lucky to have the NHS and when it works it works well.
All,the treatment I have had has been first class and prompt when needed.

[237SJ]

They need to expand that hospital or build a new one though. With hoards of people moving into the area, not to mention the plans for hundreds of new houses it won`t be able to cope.

[Sqad]

Randy, that is excellent, but what you are describing is a Local Health Service (LHS) which may not be representative of a National Health Service (NHS).

[ladybirder]

It's good to see a post which isn't knocking the NHS.

I too had excellent service when it was suspected I might have lung cancer. I happened to be in A&E with very low BP While being examined I was given a CT scan and they noticed a shadow on my lungs. Very quickly I was in Guy's Hospital having the operation to remove the area of the suspected cancer (which wasn't cancer after all). All documented on here at the time. Sorry!

The way I was treated, so kind and caring, and how quickly I was treated by all concerned was brilliant. Funny at times as well. I am so grateful to them.