I have never before posted here but thought I would give it a go as feeling rather frustrated. I’ve just watched today’s news with regards to all the funding and specialist services for long COVID patients who may be suffering symptoms like fatigue and breathlessness. We all need specialist services at times, I’m in AF daily, often breathless and have faitigue on the maximum beta blocker dosage with limited impact. To me my symptoms are minor compared to some posts on this site. I’ve now got to wait in excess of a year for an ablation due to COVID taking priority. Haven’t seen or heard from my EP or cardiologist since earlier in the year but have now been sent a telephone appointment for the end of February. My GP whose excellent has written to my cardiology 3 times and received a Nil response.
What about other specialist services such as heart attacks, strokes, cancer treatment we hear about longer waiting times or increased unexpected deaths what’s the future for them.
Figures suggest the in excess of 10000 patients have caught COVID whilst in hospital for other reasons. Is it just me that’s totally fed up with hearing about COVID ?
COVID is overtaking everything else health wise which I feel is more dangerous as we have taken our eyes off the ball, at 67 and ex NHS I’ve never seen such chaos around service provision.
Why didn’t we do track and trace at the beginning, why didn’t we use the nightingale hospitals for the purpose that was intended not just overflow......some never saw a patient.
Well that’s my rant over...... have a very merry Christmas and a even merrier new year. Let’s see what 2021 brings
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Lucymoo
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In many ways I tend to agree. Last autumn as he was concerned about (X-ray) shadows on the arteries in my lower left leg one of my GPs referred me to the vascular team. When I eventually got an appointment it was for the 2nd April so never happened. A few days later the area where I had been treated for an ingrowing toenail ulcerated. My podiatrist checked with a Doppler and found there were issues starting behind the knee and extending through the calf. An urgent referral was made via the GP to another vascular team as the original one was not functioning due to CovID. My first hospital visit was before Easter but an angioplasty not attempted till mid-July. This failed and in late July I had a BKA (below knee amputation). Moving swiftly forward before you all get bored I only resumed amputee physio this week after a seven week break! The system was broken before CovID but now is....
I am currently in Tier 3 area in a DTA (direct to assess) bed so not out and about but friends tell me that a large number of people are still neither wearing masks nor social distancing!
As I said in my post your end result is so much worse than mine and you have my sympathy. Such a lack of clear leadership. I think the only winners will be the solicitors in clinical negligent cases. Stay well stay safe
The Government has changed the law.The Coronavirus 2020 Act which has implications about how complaints can be raised against the NHS during the Covid 19 pandemic.
How interesting and informative .....this pandemic really is a crisis with real suffering all round.NHS staff working tirelessly and professionally with many volunteers and charities supporting .......I have found compassion in my community were I've been treated on the NHS and a bond with my family and friends I will never forget good wishes to all
It's not only you all my cardiac investigations cancelled during lockdown n not been done or started to be reorganised till recently.....and then in 2021! .......I blame government top down decisions I'm sure health care workers just has upset frustrated with situation......... unfortunately they are trying their best .......I recently had two admission s treated well but staff working flat out on long shifts .....,.n had surgery that I needed . And was treated exceptionally well in and out in day told isolated before n tested has on a clean ward.........think that's what they've tried to do and no visitors .............so they have plan in place trying to prevent spread hospital quite safe been in three times for long periods and didn't catch it......I washed hands often kept distance etc .........my g.p still trying for me too and no reply also......so lots in same boat..........you are allowed to phone secretary of your consultant who may be able to let you know where things up to...........wishing you all the very best I know it can be a stressful time waiting in need .....I'm thinking of you and sending you all my warmest regards and good luck with your ablation procedure when it happens........if you are getting iller or symptomatic don't forget to tell your g.p or go in as EMG.take care big hugs x
Thank you as I mentioned I’m well compared to others. My GP contacted cardiologist for advice regarding my treatment and he’s managing it well. It’s just so chaotic and no real plan by the government to care for everyone. It’s not the nhs fault be lack of clear leadership
I have to agree with much of what you say. I wasn't able to access treatment for my rheumatoid arthritis during the first lockdown and was left in very significant pain for months. By the time I was treated I've been left with permanent damage to my wrists and loss of muscle mass that will take months to rebuild. At the time we had very few covid cases where I live, rural West Wales, now we have lots and services have been shut down again. I dread to think what would happen now for anyone needing treatment for anything other than covid.
I'm very sorry to hear that....... but this is just the very example of what is happening..........I do hope you are getting care you need now and physical therapy not delayed any longer ........you can fill out a card stating not happy with what has happened a kind of registration of your thoughts so at least it's been documented but only if you want to!?-)but don't know what it's called.Wishing you all the very best with your care so sorry you have been like so many others and myself having treatment cancelled and delays.........having consequences that impacting all our lives.
Unfortunately I have to agree with much of what you have said. The NHS is barely functional over winter and that is without Covid. How many years have we heard that they struggle with seasonal flu, yet nothing has been done about it?
I don't understand why there have been no hospitsls dedicated purely to the treatment of Covid keeping it separate from normal services. What happened to the Nightingale units? - another waste of money, no doubt! A friend of mine fell over in the street and banged her head and was admitted to the local hospital for scans. She has now been sent home with Covid. It is an absolute disgrace. There needs to be an independent review when this is all over.
But its not unique to the Uk, the whole world is experiencing these problems. America is overwhelmed as is Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy etc. All along its been about protecting the NHS as the situation was always going to get worse over the winter period.Unfortunately, people didn't take this virus seriously enough and that's caused the escalation. Just look at the people attending Christmas markets with no social distancing, masks etc, crowds of people celebrating their last night of 'freedom' before going into tier 3 etc. The problem is because this situation has been going on for so long people are 'fed up' with it and are taking their chance with it, which has been of concern.
Germany appeared to have it under control, everyone held them up as an example on how to deal with this virus, they've just gone into 16 day lockdown!!
I don’t have any problems with what you are saying but do feel it’s taking priority and other illnesses are being left behind and more people will die from heart disease, cancers ect ect than COVID. Shouldn’t there be provision for services for everyone? You never mentioned the 10000 plus who have caught COVID from the hospital they attended for something else?
We need better government leadership not lead by scientists who have admitted to using out of date data to scare people, made wildly inaccurate predictions and closed pubs at 10pm without clear risk assessment and say they pulled it out of the air......that’s why people are sometimes not following the rules as trust has gone. The Bennington declaration is a good read. Take care
That's not entirely true of the situation!! My husband has heart failure & he was diagnosed with cancer in July. Hes attended 4 different hospitals & the GP surgery for his heart and his cancer many times since March. Hes currently waiting for a phone call today to see if he needs to attend hospital today for a situation that has cropped up. Additionally. I belong to several support groups both for cancer and heart conditions and while some routine appts have been cancelled those that need treatment are getting it! But only the scare stories make headlines and sell news!!People have not been following the rules since day 1 hence the spread.
Not sure why responsible people need to be held by the hand though!
Ta muchly, but your comment sounds a tad sarcastic! Having either HF or cancer is not lucky and even more so when you have both. And as I said, hes not the only one who's getting treatment!
But likewise, well done on your obviously political post!!
Unfortunately not everyone is getting treatment. I have been waiting since October for an urgent triple bypasss. Now postponed to January with no guarantees as if they need icu nurses for Covid patients then my urgent op will be postponed. I am constantly sick have list 2 stone in weight and angina every day. My gp. Cardio rehab and cardiologist have all tried to get me seen but the surgeon says there are so many people in the same situation the only way I will be operated on is if I have a heart attack but as the main block is in LAD good chance I won’t survive. That is the reality of secondary covid
Hi, I'm very sorry that you've had your treatment postponed. I did say that it's not entirely true to say other conditions were being ignored as my husband has had excellent treatment as had others in support groups that I belong to. I didn't say everyone was getting treatment but I do believe this post was started purely to deliver a political message rather than give support, advice etc which is what this forum is about. Can you speak to your GP about your concerns? I hope it'll give you some comfort to know that my husband has lived with a blocked main artery for 23 years after a massive heart attack, a bypass has never been an option for him, we've lived a fairly normal life in that time, holidays abroad etc
As the writer of this post I find your comments inappropriate. You have had treatment but I am still waiting so do feel you are just looking at this issue from your own prespective......I am writing from mine and as you say this forum is for support for everyone. This is not a political statement this is purely my perspective and I feel you are being disrespectful to others on this site. We all have different stories to tell so please don’t make assumptions we all have good and bad days.
And I found your post inappropriate. This is a peer to peer support group for advice and support, there was nothing in your post that gave either of these things. Yes, people do have off days but in your own words you wanted to, have a rant, you then quoted figures that we can all read about daily in the papers and said, amongst other things the times pubs were to shut being plucked out of thin air, that we need better government leadership & ignore the science and to read the Bennington declaration, so I'm sorry if comments like this led me to a wrong assumption. Perhaps it's you being disrespectful! Maybe before we post our personal rants we should consider how what we're saying could impact others particularly in this time where we're all so much more aware of mental health issues. And, when I say 'we' I do also include myself!
Continuing to discuss this helps no one so I'll wish you a merry Christmas & hopefully a better new year.
You are very lucky and as I’m not political I’m surprised by your comment. Numerous Other posts are also clearly giving evidence that they are not receiving treatment so hence the comment you are lucky. Happy Christmas and stay safe
Very true. I had a positive poo screening test about six weeks ago I had a colonoscopy in less than two weeks ( all fine fortunately ) I was really impressed with the service
My husband has just got back from the hospital as something needed checking out, no issues there & usual precautions in place. Glad to hear all was fine after your colonoscopy, no doubt waiting for the results was scary!! My husband was referred by his GP, the hospital called him the same day to confirm telephone appt the next day. Had his phone call, attended the hospital the same day and had a biospy a week later. Had results and had to have further scans which he had, the whole process took just 6 week. He was immediately given injections to shrink the cancer & radiotherapy hopefully will start in the new year. And that was only delayed because of his heart condition. Unfortunately, these type of responses don't get reported, which is such a shame.
Yes there is an unfortunate trend in the media to focus on if not invent the negative . Must be very disheartening to those working in the health service and indeed in politics . I refused sedation for my colonoscopy so was watching the investigation with the clinical staff on the screen so no wait involved got the results as they went along as it were ! Am glad your husband got good treatment and hope very much things turn out well for him. You take care it’s hard being the partner also
The state of the NHS is due to it being run down by cost cutting measures by Jeremy Hunt and Philip Hammond . The health service was on its knees before the pandemic hit and Jeremy Hunt had stockpiled the wrong PPE. The current government have been in office a year and have undoubtedly made mistakes but who wouldn’t have ? Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott ? My daughter is an intensive care consultant and before the pandemic ICUs nationally have been understaffed and working ridiculous hours . It doesn’t matter how many nightingale hospitals we have you can’t magic the staff to work them out of thin air . We don’t have the staff . I hate the people who are breaking the Covid restrictions and expecting others to pick up the pieces . And unfortunately the more Covid spreads the less facility there is for all the poor deserving people waiting for treatment for other things because the really sick with Covid are an immediate critical emergency we can’t just leave them .It comes down to the personal responsibility of every citizen so fat chance of us making progress and no consolation for the poor people waiting for treatment or the staff being run into the ground and exposing themselves and their families to the risk of death everyday
I have been waiting 3 months for an urgent heart bypass. Surgeon says there are a lot of people in my situation. I am in constant pai and have list 2.5 stone in weight. Surgery scheduled for January but not confident it will go ahead as intensive care nurses get seconded to the Covid patients. This is Covid killing people because they cannot get treatment or left in daily miserable pain. I despair. I also live with the anxiety of a looming major operation.
I am really so sorry for your situation as I had my bypass last year and really feel for all of you. Just hope people are responsible over Christmas. Quite frankly I think the whole celebration should go on hold.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve been waiting for an ablation for most of this year and there’s no sign of it happening anytime soon. It’s very galling when some doe eyed Covid patient appears on tv complaining of being constantly breathless and you know they are going to get treatment straight away.
I suppose it’s because coronavirus is new and exciting and doctors and scientists want to learn as much about it as quickly as possible. Nevertheless it’s very frustrating for those who feel they are being left behind.
I know a lot of doctors and not one of them would describe Covid 19 as exciting. I think it get gets priority because it’s highly infectious and can kill you in 10 days
I think about the poor people every day who are awaiting surgery for cancer and more. That is why I get so annoyed when I see irresponsible people disobeying the rules and think that this virus is not serious. They are incapable of seeing the whole picture: loss of life from non related COVID , loss of jobs, more and more lockdown
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