howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
Wouldn't be Winter without a crisis, appointment waiting times for non urgent getting longer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38453534Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#2
I always have at least a three week wait for an appointment with my doctor unless it is an emergency,
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
Same at mine Jan but if one asks to see a GP the same day it is no problem as long as the request is made early on.
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
#4
Another example of the idiots that govern us, the population is growing and people are living longer: guess what - more people want to visit a GP and therefore have to wait.
All around our district new houses are being built but I don't see any new schools, hospitals or doctor's surgeries. Instead I see Buckland hospital decimated and the Health Centre empty, total madness.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#5
The Health Centre is by no means empty whenever I am there visiting my doctor, all sorts of different clinics are in there.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#6
Buckland is now doing better than it has for many years with many people I know praising the Minor Injuries unit for doing things that normally get done in an A & E department and in the fraction of the time. There is a GP service on site for those who cannot get an appointment at their own surgery.
The site is underused at present but more services are being added, one procedure I had back in the Summer was previously only had at Ashford or Margate.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#7
A third of people visiting A & E at peak times are there with alcohol related problems, not very nice for the staff to have to deal with. There will come a time when such patients may be charged for treatment.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nhs-latest-national-hangover-service-simon-stevens-chief-executive-new-years-eve-alcohol-booze-a7503061.htmlPaul M likes this
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
#8
Both government’s conservative and labour have not trained up an adequate numbers of health professionals ,relying instead on poaching from the third world.
The door are still wide open and demand is increasing. And we are still giving away money instead of diverting it into the NHS
Jan Higgins and Paul M like this
Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
#9
I think the time has come to start charging for A&E treatment as well as seeing a GP. The unnecessary visits to tell the GP that you have a bit of a cold or a sore throat will stop immediately if they start charging £20 a visit.
Jan Higgins and howard mcsweeney1 like this
Guest 1792- Registered: 2 Jul 2016
- Posts: 111
#10
Also too many tourist patients like the Nigerian woman who came here had her twins then bogged off bk to Nigeria ,suppose we should be thankful she did go bk instead of claiming benefits house etc
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
Hunt will come under the cosh but I think he is right in that too many people use the service when they don't have a serious problem.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/01/09/jeremy-hunt-says-four-hour-ae-target-only-applies-to-urgent-cases-6371337/Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#12
My surgery has a notice that shows missed appointments and there are always a lot, I guess most will be those who have recovered after waiting three weeks to see the doctor and forgotten to cancel. These are the ones who should pay some sort of penalty fee.
howard mcsweeney1 and Paul M like this
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#13
Jan Higgins wrote: I guess most will be those who have recovered after waiting three weeks to see the doctor and forgotten to cancel.
Or have died while waiting?
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Button
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 3,109
#14
When I lived in Aylesham, experiences were mixed. I recall a home visit on Christmas Day, but having to go through the 08.30 lottery of phoning and hoping to get an appointment. Now, in Dover, I have yet to fail to get a GP appointment the same day (usually) or the next (occasionally). Can't say fairer than that, and I noted Mr McS's advice of a last resort GP service at Buckland.
(Not my real name.)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#15
The question of joining up health and social care keeps arising but there is just talk about how it will be rather than how it is.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38570177howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#16
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#17
After hearing a medical expert this morning (sorry can't remember who) it seems that cutting waiting times to see a consultant from several months to weeks is one of the reasons for A&E problems.
I think that some medical services should possibly be paid for or at least means tested, some cosmetic surgery and fertility treatments being an example. You are not ill but are simply unhappy with what nature unfortunately gave you.
howard mcsweeney1 and Guest 1849 like this
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#18
I think that cosmetic surgery on the NHS should be restricted to disfigurements caused by crime, accidents and fire. I was astonished when they originally began doing it just because people didn't like their nose or something else.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#19
Howard surely that list should also include some of the awful disfigurements that some people are born with, I agree about nose jobs etc.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#20
Our 'free' National Health Service. (Poster available in 43 other languages!)
We could pay 100% of our GDP towards it and it still wouldn't be 'enough'.
Jan Higgins likes this
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
