End of last year I had an echo, Feb on advice of my GP I wrote to my NHS specialist asking for more clarity about results as he had said previously that I was on cusp of having AV replacement surgery, after 8 months and 3 more letters from my GP he sent a very partial reply. I checked this week with local private setup where he also works and they told me he could see me in a couple of days for £225 for half hour session. I feel this is possibly a pretty frequent move for money grubbing medicos, he couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone to talk to or reassure me but fora bung Gary Linekar would be happy with he can see me, pretty bad. Anyone else recognise this syndrome, the NHS money for old rope syndrome (MOR)?
Money for old rope: End of last year I... - British Heart Fou...
Money for old rope
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ronnyharry
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•
Hi, not a move I am familiar with at all. Every time I have spoken and written to surgeons and consultants, I have had replies and phone calls free of charge, that is the joy of our NHS. Perhaps raise this with your GP or the hospital PALS service? HTH
Yes that is what I thought previously, but this experience has made me somewhat jaundiced. There is an awful lot of money sloshing around in the NHS and much is wasted, I think private practice should be heavily curtailed as this is the cancer nibbling away at a once proud service.
MichaelJHHeart Star
I paid for a private consultation after my initial appointment with the Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic and felt it worth the £200 I paid. The consultant I saw was not the original one I saw but a more senior one who didn't do clinics. It clarified a lot of things and included a private prescription that considerably reduced my angina.
"Remember that survey highlighting that the NHS was the most efficient in the world, but had many of the worst outcomes?"
Worst outcomes in what, in the world? Worse than Yemen for example, or Libya? Sounds a bit far fetched to me, considering life expectancy in the UK is higher than the US.
I know a lot of people like to have a moan about the NHS, but they did me proud in my hour of need. So I'm going to say how grateful I am to the good ship NHS and all who sail in her!
Yes, but I fear this noble vessel is holed below the waterline by a greedy and socially devisive private sector.
Unfortunately that’s such a good image. A very confusing and divisive system.
spot on I worked as a qualified nurse for NHS for 40yrs and its true I am afraid
Is it?
I am not so sure.
I have experienced life affirming care also care so poor that I have been diagnosed with PTSD.
The NHS is by no means perfect. It is made up of imperfect human beings who may not have the emotional maturity to have the courage to admit their mistakes and the humility to apologise.
Those who care for us are human too.
This forum I would hope is a place of safety for us to support each other without judgement.
• in reply toChappychap
I wish I could say the say but in my experience and that if my family in various parts of the country, the NHS is not fit for purpose. My partner who is a doctor in Germany would not work for such an inefficient and sloppy organisation even though he could get twice the salary here.
NHS said my gran had a bruise on leg when it was gangrene, she died.
My aunt’s stomach ache was a grapefruit tumour, I sat with her at home as she vomited her faeces. Died.
Both my parents went in with falls but died if hospital caught infections Mum was racially abused by a couple of nurses & hospital swept it aside
Sister nearly died in child birth as arrogant doctor insisted on natural birth when she was bleeding due to rupture & second birth they left placenta in and it came away in toilet day later .
Cousin told she couldn’t have cervical cancer as only 22yrs . Took 3 yrs several docs to get diagnosed as stage 4 and to die in agony
GP told uncle his chest pains nothing and to go home where he died hour later alone of heart attack
Nephew broke ankle but A&E nurses would not X-ray and sent him out with too big a boot
I gave been in hospice as patient & visitor and seen nurses prefer to gossip rather than answer buzzer and several times actually verbally abuse elderly patients on the ward when asked for a bottle or food when then haven’t eaten all day and not due to over work
We pay billions for a inefficiency and a health service with worse record for cancer and heart disease treatment in Europe
We need a German or Dutch system and due to my own wrong treatment for heart failure, I dread going into hospital again
IrisCarter• in reply to
You and your family have had a lot of terrible experiences. I worked for the NHS as a staff nurse for five years and never came across anything like your experiences. I have also been a very frequent patient for over thirty years and have never experienced personally, seen or heard anything like what you describe.
I am sorry that you feel as you do.
Well my mum was a matron in a teaching hospital and she would be so shocked by what is going on. We have a culture where money rules the roost and this is infecting our NHS, NHS specialists should be bared from private work and a cap on hourly rates for private operators should be imposed. Pig trough comes to mind, they are importing the American model, god (if there were such a thing) help us.
I don’t disagree regarding expensive spending on irrelevant and useless policies, goods, staff and marketing. The NHS 111 line for example is incredibly inefficient and I am very concerned about the import of US style healthcare. However, that is not what I was talking about, which was the alleged abuse, neglect and poor care that Meenzer described.
ronnyharry• in reply to
I am really sorry for you. There seems to be a widespread blindness to the obvious amongst those who rule the roost in this country, specialists get paid very handsomely in the NHS not to mention those who head up NHS trusts (what the hell do we need them for) plus all the 'managers' overpaid, unneccessary lackies. I could cut the costs by half and make big improvements very quickly, get rid of the deadwood, and get doctors and matrons to run the hospitals. What a mess.
LaceyLady• in reply to
I am horrified at this catalogue of despicable treatment. I’m afraid NHS is not the wonderful system it once was. Yes, I saw how the local a&e operated recently in the early hours, having sat in an empty area for hours and hours ignored whilst the staff gossiped. It took one guy to ask me if I’d been seen by a dr, when I said no his eyes reside to heaven. Went to seek someone telling me he’d sort it. Hour later no dr, again he asked, no! He then went and got one. Totally waste of time.
Danceawaytheblues• in reply to
I also worked in the NHS 1965-2012. I am sorry to hear about the dreadful experiences that you and your family went through. In all my years I never experienced such things either. Sure the NHS is not perfect, but I would rather have it than not.
You are quite right
• in reply toChappychap
Well said that man. I have just read thought this post after coming back off holiday and have never heard such a load of c**p in my life from some of the contributors.
ronnyharry• in reply to
You have not read the posts in full
• in reply toronnyharry
I most certainly have and some of them I find very difficult to believe, and obviously come from people with a political axe to grind. If they think the NHS is so bad I suggest they try going elsewhere and make comparisons. Maybe you should apply for a few senior NHS posts do you have any experience of working in such an environment?
ronnyharry• in reply to
If you find them difficult to believe then either this sort of experience is foreign to you or you do not believe the writers. As far as I can tell you have no reason for disbelief apart from your predisposition. I am not a liar.
Kristin1812Heart Star
I have only been to one Private Cardiologist, because my first NHS Cardiologist Appt was too long to wait (3 months)
He saw me twice, did echo and blood tests. Told me there was nothing wrong with my heart and talked about his golf.
A week later I had the first of three heart attacks and 9 stents.
Shit
Thanks! One of the most supportive, one -word responses I’ve ever had!
Don't letter the buggers grind you down.
I had the same years ago when I had a hernia but then I had company private health insurance. I went through NHS & told 8 month waiting list but same consultant could operate within week privately.
Now we have covid, NHS instructions reduce the number of dental procedures but the dentists can do anything if privately as it seems money is a great repeller of the virus. I have been waiting 10 months for a wisdom tooth extraction, pre covid but can only get it done if private at same dental hospital. I don’t have the insurance now so have to wait.
If you have the money, Some GPS with do face to face as my uncle was offered at his practise in Somerset. He doesn’t though so waiting Diagnose on lump.
IrisCarter• in reply to
If that is true then you and/or your uncle should report his G.P. Here is the link: england.nhs.uk/contact-us/c...
In your situation I wouldn't hand over your hard earned cash to a consultant who's standard of care is unacceptable. If it's below standard in the NHS then it's not likely to be any better in the private sector and you will feel even more aggrieved. I would try and see if I could be referred to an NHS consultant who is doing his/her job properly. I remain optimistic and would say there are many more good ones than bad ones.
Have no intention of giving any cash, simply wanted to see if this 'overworked' specialist was as overworked when extra cash was available, it certainly loosened up his all too busy schedule. Now I know what should I do?
I think one of the biggest problems in the NHS is admin, I attend my specialist heart hospital but I was also getting appointments to see a cardiologist in my general hospital, which seemed a waste of time when people are struggling to get appointments, I had my icd put in at one place but the clinic was at another, when I lost my id for it they just bounced me back and forward, and then my gp refusing to prescribe lifesaving meds after my transplant, making me find a new practice after 54 years, what gives them the right to be able to just dump patients when it suits them, but in the end I cannot thank the care I am receiving from my specialist hospital, it is second to none, from the tea ladies to the surgeons they always have time to listen and a smile for everyone, but don't get me started about the general hospital, the way I have seen patients treated in there, including myself
Almost 30 years ago now I woke screaming in pain. I spent over a year bedridden with GP refusing to send me for tests. At one point he suggested I "get in touch with your inner self and pray". 3 private appointments with useless neurologists, 3 with useless pain consultants before a 4th neurologist took one look and admitted me on NHS immediately. He diagnosed a problem in spine at T12. There was an 18 month wait for our local pain clinic because the consultant assessed me (Without seeing me) as non urgent following a useless letter from my GP saying I was hysterical. A different pain clinic refused to accept the neurologist's diagnosis.10 years later after requesting referral from a new GP to a distant pain clinic; within 5 minutes I was given a diagnosis that I'd known myself for years and told it was too late for anything to be done as the damage was now permanent but he could at least give me pain relief that worked. The neurologist who had admitted me 10 years earlier had been right. That's 30 years now in a wheelchair in constant pain, on strong opiates which the NHS is now trying to stop me taking because of the cost. I could have been completely cured .Two years ago spent a year going to GP with breathlessness- put down to spine problems until my heart attack. In A&E I was left on a corridor for 5 hours before being checked.
Dad taken to hospital in severe pain after 10 years of mild bladder cancer; treated for kidney infection and had kidney removed but still in pain. When I spoke to his consultant he said they were going to treat a blockage in ureter. When I asked if it was connected to his bladder cancer the doctor shot out of the room with his notes. He hadn't even read them. Insisted on different consultant and dad was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and died 12 months later in unbelievable pain.
Say no more, so sorry for you hope you get off the opiates.
I don't- they work. They are the only things that do work. I've tried absolutely everything else they have to offer and a lot that they don't offer. Without them I couldn't tolerate the pain at all. Even with them I merely exist. Never leaving the house, going shopping, visiting friends, being able to clean house or stand and cook, is not living.
Sorry for hoping for the wrong thing.
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