After i saw what my poor late father went through with the coronavirus back in Decemember here in the uk, it will put anyone off the NHS for life. The amount of ageism he recieved from doctor and nurses was disgusting!
This coronavirus has been around for a long time here in the UK and doctors did nt even realised it, as it affected only really the elderly then so no one really cared, it was only it when it stated affecting the young that they took notice.
My father use to say to me, don't ever get old son. Well i hope that i never get old Dad with the NHS looking after me that's for sure as knows my days will be numbered!
So please think twice before applauding our so called amazing NHS
Written by
markmason095
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I am really sorry to hear of your loss and that you feel your father didn't receive good care. It is true to say coronaviruses have been around for a long time in the UK but probably not the particular coronavirus that everyone is so concerned about at the moment (COVID-19). That only emerged and was identified in Wuhan in early December 2019.
You don't say how old your father was or whether he had any underlying conditions but, as we get older, we are less likely to recover easily from additional problems. I think it was George Burns who said: "Getting old sucks but it's better than the alternative".
Sometimes we have to accept that life comes to an end but it is hard when it is a loved one. I hope the medics did everything possible to treat your father - and, if he was in ICU, they probably did - but they can't solve all problems and, sometimes, they are defeated. The 'ageism' you report might have been them recognising that they couldn't solve your father's problems. If it was more than that, you might want to speak to the PALS (I forget what that stands for) in the hospital to raise your concerns.
Dear beardy_chris, Thank you. My father was 82 and did have underlying conditions but then i guess everybody at 82 does. Do you really believe what the China goverment tell us? It was identified in Wuhan in early December 2019 because of a good doctor who was the whistleblowe and unfortunately died not long after. The fact is this has been in the UK since at least October/November and it has killed many in that time but unfortunately most of us didnt know about it then that is apart from China. The 'ageism' my dad recieved was because he was a inconvenience and in most of the doctors eyes he should have died years ago... George Burns was right in a way when he said: "Getting old sucks but it's better than the alternative". However i think being treated in Hospital like a piece of meat is even worse. I hope when my time comes that i will have the guts to make sure i'm dead before i ever get to a NHS hospital...
Hi Vicky, No doubt you do but you are a young woman, i very much doubt you would have the got same respect and treatment had you been in your 70s unfortunately...
PALS were not very helpful, i did see around 8 law firms who were helpful but in the end couldnt really bring a case against the NHS as judging by my fathers medica records they did everything right and if we believe that we believe anything!
We should applaud the NHS, but should not applaud all employees employed into it! Nothing wrong with the NHS service itself, it is certain individuals employed into it that massively let it down with their selfish behaviours, inflated egos, open mouths & their own inabiliy to show patients dignity & respect. Some employees looking for arguments, seeking glory & worship by arguing with patients & being extremely condesending & extremely ill informed about the conditions of the patients they are supposed to be tending & their care requirements! Employees choosing not to show/give care, respect & dignity when & where they should be doing! They hate their jobs, despise the patients, behave as if they are on reality TV blabbering off their mouths loudly, overacting as if a TV crew is about & that they may be captured on video & end up famous on YouTube! They are going into their NHS careers for the wrong reasons, not to be in caring well informed intelligent roles & positions, but to be bullies & to feel as if they are in such positions of power over hospital patients that they can therefore treat patients as they please without comeback/reprimand! They have no care, no understanding & no compassion for patients & no interest in them or the proper care towards them! Their only cares are towards their own egos & nothing more! They feel overworked, underpaid & resentful. That resentfulness is taken out on hospital patients by employees regardless of patients ages & proper care withheld out of resentfulness! That of course does not apply to all employees within the NHS, but those that do behave in those ways do the NHS a big massive disservice & it is so incredibly sad that those behaving so heniously feel so resentful that they convince themselves it is perfectly acceptable to take out their resentments or inflated ego issues out frequently on patients who are not deserving of that disgusting treatment! Patients being treated as if by them being hospital patients that they are the dregs of society, unworthy of proper care, compassion & respect whatsoever. To many going into their NHS careers already with significant attitude issues & chips on their shoulders. Feeling themselves high & mighty & entering into NHS careers for reasons not related to the care of patients, but only to bully patients & feed their own inflated egos further. And that is not what the NHS is about!
Thank you Mark, I'm sorry about what happened to your dad it's very sad. My post comes from personal experiences had during my stays in hospital. Some staff I can't fault at all, and don't go about to pick or find faults that aren't already their within certain staff and very evident. Those not doing the jobs properly they are paid to do need to be reprimanded or replaced and hospital bigwigs doing the hiring need to double check those they are taking on to be part of the NHS service are up to scratch & in it for the right reasons. And not just employ left right and centre because they have the skills required. Having the skills required doesn't mean they have the attitude required a d correct bedside manner. A pay increase for all NHS workers wouldn't go a miss either as there are many NHS workers who give it their all, but are let down by those who don't have the same or similar ethics work & patient wise.
Thanks Mijmijkey74. Very sad to hear that you have had quite a few bad experiences with the NHS but not surprised by it unfortunately, i really liked what you said here
"Having the skills required doesn't mean they have the attitude required and correct bedside manner" Spot on!
My father had triple heart bypass surgery on 28th Oct and on 31st Oct he started struggling to breathe. He he was sedated and put on a ventilator through a tube in a mouth. He died 2 months later.
In this time, the doctors did all they could for him. One thing they repeated over and over again was we are sending samples to the lab and everything comes back negative, but the xray and ct show there is something in his lungs.
They could not figure out what it was and gave the best of care they possibly could.
In hindsight now, I think it could have been Covid 19. However, the surgeon and his team did all they could. My dad was 65 and other than heart was all good.
I think its hard to accept, but eventually they had to let him go as his lungs were totally destroyed.
I clapped for the NHS staff, but because I saw the care they gave him and how attentitive they were to him. Now with the virus I can only imagine how they feel and they themselves are exposed so that the fatalities could be lowered. I appreciate that fact and that they are doing all they can to manage the situation.
Could they have done more for my dad? Maybe. But at the end I am a man of faith and I believe everyone has a time to go, human efforts at times cant stop that but i am content that the NHS and its staff did all they could against a virus in October they had no idea about. Also now that the whole world knows about it, medics are still struggling.
I hope we all find our peace and acceptance in our losses but praise those that are trying to save further lives.
Really pleased though that you seem to have a positive experience with all the doctors and nurses that were look after your father, unlike my experience. Big difference between me and you me though is that you are a man of faith and i am a atheist so i can not find any comfort in death, i understand we all must die but it's how we die that matters. Nothing worse that losing someone you love who may not have died had they had the right treatment. With this Covid 19 and all the other horrible other diseases out there proves to me unfortunately there is no god or gods, just us.
Sorry to hear that NICOLETTE2020 but not surprised at all! For some reason when we are old the NHS finds us a great inconvenience anyhow on better note at least it seems your father is getting better which is fantasic! Please keep us updated x
Still not too impressed with this ward. Atleast they are doing physio with him. I just cannot bear the thought of him sitting for ages suffering and needing them to do something and being unable to himself.
Hi NICOLETTE2020. Just been looking at your post about your father and the awful treatment your father has been receiving from the so called wonderful NHS!
As i said before as your father is eldery so he is a huge inconvenience to staff at the hospital.
What i would do now is request copy of your fathers medical files which takes around two weeks to receive, you should get them on CD that you can play on your computer. I found this to very useful as it gave me a good timeline on how my father was treated but also if you can do your own timelinethat is put things down when they are still fresh in your mind as that could be very useful later on if ever you have to do any legal proceedings against the hospital. Please keep me updated and wishing your father all the luck in the world, hopefully he will be home soon where he belongs.
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