PPE Care Homes GP Practices

[Prada47]

I am wondering if I am missing something here.

Care Homes and GP Practices are not NHS they are a Private Business

Did they not have a stock cupboard with PPE equipment, or is it the NHS supply chains fault !!!

Take Care and Stay Safe

[Heythrop51]

I would imagine they have store cupboards but are using it up at a far higher rate and having restocking issues. Look at us struggling to get loo rolls and sanitizer!

[SianMonnow]

Are GP surgeries private businesses, or are they NHS funded, locally managed parts of the NHS? At times of national crisis, do we really care? Are we not just glad that they are there? Or would we rather have to pay for every visit, like when we take a pet to the vet. Or when your NHS dentist decides to go to private practice and guides you too paying for insurance for treatment.

[Alison1960 in reply to SianMonnow]

Well said Sian. Yes of course they are funded by NHS England!

[Prada47 in reply to SianMonnow]

Hi

Yes they are a Private Business paid for by the NHS which in turn is paid for by us All . Very little in this life is Free and I am afraid Medical Care is one of them that is Not, be it in the US or in the UK. Social Care is not free either there is a chunk paid for from the Council Tax bill, and if your not in a Private Care Home the rest is funded indirectly by us All. I have no issue with this just I don't like them Bleating when they don't have any PPE, it was up to Them.

My point being was if say Kwik Fit didn't have PPE that's up to them, But your General Medical Practice or Care Home mmmm

Stay Safe and Well

Never Forget The Patient is also the Customer.

[Prada47 in reply to Prada47]

When this is over a lot of things are going to be different., and an awful lot of things are going to need to be paid for. Stand by for major Shocks !!

[SianMonnow in reply to Prada47]

So are you in business? If you suddenly had thousands of people wanting to buy widgets all at the same time could you cope? What about lead time on orders? Production capacity in the widget plant? Supply bias to the larger customers at the expense of the ones who but a few every now and again? Have been to my surgery and heard no bleating, just ordinary people dealing with an extraordinary crisis. A little support would be good. It is easy to knock.

[Prada47 in reply to SianMonnow]

Sian

If I was in business and something was Critical to how I operated my business I would have Stock.

It's like the NHS had to decide did they want Millions of Pounds of PPE stock ( which has a shelf life ) or did they want to spend the Millions on say Premature Babies

Someone made that choice it's what being in Business is all about, some you win some you lose !! I am not looking to fight on this, but as I said earlier when this is over difficult choices will still need to be made.

Stay Well and Safe

[SianMonnow in reply to Prada47]

I am not going to fight about it either, but I still think you are being rather unfair. This virus was unknown before Christmas. You go try to buy a washing machine and you will find a one to two months lead time even at the best of times. Imagine every country in the world looking for a supply of washing machines at hugely increased numbers and all at the same time. Do you seriously think that all of the companies making washing machines could satisfy the world demand in the same lead time.

I worked in industry. I can assure you that the answer is no. That the demand is beginning to be met is a sign that, like The Royal Mint, manufacturing companies are switching production to supply the health services around the world.

[cowhide in reply to Prada47]

If they NHS itself can't get enough PPE why do you think 'private sector' could do any better? Would there in fact (quite rightly) be an outcry if 'private sector' had stockpiled them all?

The NHS does not 'normally' provide long term residential care directly. If an elderly person is in an NHS hospital not because they are still in need of hospital care, but because no care beds available outside, why should their carers have PPE whilst those in private sector do not? They are all doing the same job,, putting themselves in a vulnerable position in order to care for someone else. My point is that if you are a carer, nurse, GP, consultant or hospital porter, you are all equally entitled to the correct PPE. Businesses would carry 'normal use' stock levels', just as they would for food and other essentials, but they do not have the power of the Government / NHS to order firms to make more for them.

[adrian64]

well my local gp surgery definitely had ppe last friday when i went in to enquire where my mums antibiotic prescription was as a lady gp walked past me with it on whilst i was waiting near the reception desk.

[Prada47 in reply to adrian64]

Hi Adrian,

My GP surgery has PPE, but it is a very efficient, even slick operation obviously not like a lot of them. I like the NHS even Love it but I do recognise it's a business that at times leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Stay Well Stay Safe

[-MOLLY]

I started ordering extra "just in case" PPE when I heard about people being stranded in Wuhan from the UK. I have a small budget for this, but just kept ordering what I could. Masks, I have to say, became unavailable very quickly! We cant get the fancy masks with eye protection at the top, but I'm sure the councils would supply in the event of an outbreak in the home. Area managers have a few in their cars that they will drop off at whichever home gets it first if that should happen. The whole country was just not prepared for something of this magnitude. We stopped non essential visitors long before lockdown and hopefully that will help. I still worry about going in to work as I have my own family to think about too but I know I did the best for us that was possible as far as PPE goes.