In Praise of the NHS

[BridBoy]

I've been suffering from indigestion for a few weeks, I was diagnosed with angina 10 years ago and had a HA resulting in 2 stents being fitted 19 months ago.......as you can guess the indigestion feeling sent alarm bells ringing, when I had my HA I thought it was indigestion.

I phoned our surgery on Monday afternoon with some trepidation after listening to all the storys on the news about how busy the NHS is. Within 2 hours a GP had phoned me, on Tuesday lunchtime I was in the surgery having an ECG, it looked fine and blood taken to check Troponin levels amongst other tests.

At 9am this morning our surgery phoned me, they said my Troponin was borderline, they asked how my indigestion pains were, when I told them they recomended that I go up the coast to A&E at Scarborough Hospital.

When I arrived at A&E they had already received a fairly detailed email from our GP. Within 10 minutes I was sat with a triage nurse and within another 10 minutes I was in the EAU having an ECG done and bloods taken.

I had bloods done twice to check Troponin and clotting by lunch time.

The Doctor and nurses were all brilliant, very caring and very proffesional.

I am pleased to say that after a through examination and studying my ECG's and bloods the Consultant thought me heart wasn't the issue, although he wouldnt rule it out. He said for people like me (and my fellow hearties I guess) the Doctors always thought "heart" just as we as patients do.

He's given me some Isorsobide Nitrate just in case he's wrong and arranged an appointment for me with his cardiology colleagues just to double check that the ticker is all ok.

I'm back on Friday for an Ultra Sound of my liver and surrounding organs......I get the results of this immediately back in the EAU unit i'm pleased to say. Issues in this area can cause the symptons I'm experiencing apparently.

I'm having the camera down my throat next week to check for stomach damage after 10 years of taking "heart" meds. Again issues in this area can cause the symptons I'm experiencing

I'm also having an MRI scan on my upper back, I have stenosis on my lower spine, again the Consultant thought this could be cause of my symptons.

As you can guess I'm feeling much happier and I'm over the moon with the service I have recieved and the fact that the Consultant realy wanted to resolve my issues.

Sorry for the long post!!

[MummaSoap]

Sounds like an exemplary example of our beloved NHS! I’m so pleased for you that this was your experience and I hope that they can get to the bottom of what’s causing your symptoms and help to get you feeling better 🤞

Let us know how you get on and I hope it’s something easily treated!

Best wishes

Soap

[Yumz199725]

Wow sounds like you had some brilliant doctors who really took you seriously and checked everything thoroughly! ♥️ Hope all the other tests go well and you get the results quickly.

[francesw47]

The NHS has had a lot of adverse publicity recently, so thank you for posting such an encouraging story of wonderful treatment. It really is not all doom and gloom at the coal face. Not only was the care great but you have come out of it with a positive result! Pleased to read its not your heart.

[Scroll]

Good news, HA and stent in August, upper gastric issues since then, get a bubbling in my throat and sensitive area on my chest :). Now on lanzoprazole and nitadine mix a lot better, I went from 2 tablets a day to 22, due to all the other tests and scans recently giving me the thumbs up, they are putting it down to the pill loading.

Good luck with your further tests, yes I agree the service I have had has been superb.

[TeresaMay]

The NHS can be very varied. I was being treated for 6 months for stomach pains. Eventually 999 ambulance took me into hospital. Quick response to 999 call and no wait at the hospital. 6 months medication wasted but feeling better now

[Wheesy]

You are living in a wonderful part of Yorkshire. Like myself I was taked to this bril hotel in Scarborough, along with my 4 lung problems I have had a few strokes and TIAs over the last 2 years. At Scarborough Hospital they were fantastic with diagnostics and care, They were most conserned I was admitted for a 2 week visit and after many tests done it was found that I had Coroted arteris Cerebral Infarctions etc. The specialist said that these are more serious than my local Hospital had failed to diagnose the severity of my health. Luckily I am now under specialists at a better hospital, and things are improving. Hope that you are now feeling better, with no more visits to the HoteL In Scarborough, They are a fantastic and caring team of experts. I personaly contacted PALS as I feel that not only bad but good comments are recieved. It is a pitty that Brid is only Minor Injuries Unit.Keep getting out in that SEA AIR Take care

[BridBoy in reply to Wheesy]

Hi there, I've had a few visits to Scarborough and have nothing but praise for them, likewise at Castle Hill I have been extremely well looked after.Brid is a lovely place to live, luckily we are both fit and able to drive.....if you can't drive accessing healthcare here can be problematic.

Look after yourself

[Wheesy in reply to BridBoy]

We have a Caravan In Bridl overlloking the North Sea which is bril for me along with all of my cvomplaints but I just get on with life. If needs be I can always get by big Yellow Taxi with its Blue Lights and get help. I also get great care etc from my tram of medics, apart from Doncaster Hotel [A&E] which are rubbish and all patients hate having to goi

[meadfoot]

Wow, just wow. Amazing.

[jerry12953]

Good to hear some stories of how the NHS works well when it should do. Most medical professionals seem to treat heart "issues" very seriously.

[fishonabike]

it's always reassuring to know the the NHS is still there when we need it - i'd still rather live in the UK with our crumbling NHS than any other country with an insurance based system, but as they pay my pension i might be biased😀

[Thanksnhs]

I'm so glad you had a good experience of our NHS things seem to be so bad in certain areas at the moment, my personal experiences with them have been great whether it's because I have had a transplant they go an extra mile for me or I am just lucky with my GP and my referrals. I had to cancel my MRI scan because of the virus and I got my new appointment within a couple of weeks. I live in Scotland and I really can't thank them enough. Char

[Ellie-Ann]

I was put onto Isosorbide mononitrate a few months back. Instructed to break a 60g tablet in half and to only take a half for a couple of weeks then go to the full one a day after that.

My head started hurting and I felt very nauseous so I got back to the doctor as it said on the packet instructions not to break the tablets as they were supposed to be slow release.

I was given a new prescription for a lesser dose for a couple of weeks which were better than using a broken one. After two weeks I went onto the full doseage.

If you think of a snow plough…That’s how I’d describe what happened next. For a few days my head ached a bit and I felt a little queasy but it’s like ‘ once the snow plough’ had shovelled its way through, I was perfectly alright.

It’s helped my angina a lot. So if you get some weird sensations at the start stick with it, it should all clear after a few days, much like the snow plough shovelling the snow away…it must unblock and open up the pathways a bit.😃

Been absolutely fine after the first two weeks.

Good luck.

[BridBoy in reply to Ellie-Ann]

Thanks, Ive taken it before with great effect i may add, a bit of a wonder drug in my book......I've got a slight headache today due to it, but I reckon thats a small price to pay if its looking after my heart.

[Heyjude31]

so glad to hear you are okay and great news about the NHS. Take care, Judi

[Purpled]

wow what brilliant service you are so lucky. I live in a city with a very large teaching hospital and the service one you get to see a Doctor is great but the wait is aweful. At least an hour for an ambulance for chest/heart pains. Two hundred people waiting to be seen with up to 11 ambulances waiting outside with their patients for what can be hours, this was what it was like in December. They have now built a small unit with 12 beds to receive ambulance patients to allow them to get away again but there are still three waiting outside at any one time.

[BridBoy]

It really is a post code lottery.I'm sat here now waiting for an ultrasound, all very relaxed.

[BridBoy]

My ultrasound sound was booked in for 11.20 today, at bang on 11.20 I was called in.By 12.20 after having the ultrasound on my abdomen and sitting down with a Doctor to discuss the results I was walking back to the carpark.

I'm pleased to say everything was A1