Disgusted at the NHS

Oldernotwiser

Much as it pains me to quote from the Daily Mail, it's lateand I can't be @rsed to look any further.

"One in seven patients using the NHS is unhappy, but most do not complain because they believe 'nothing will be done', a report reveals.
Just 5 per cent of dissatisfied patients made formal complaints last year - 133,600 about the health service and 17,100 about social care.

loftus

It's an unacceptable figure - and as I said before any complaint is unacceptable - but the fact is that some here are suggesting that most people are unhappy when the worst case scenario seems to be 6 out of 7 are not.
I'm not arguing that these are wonderful statistics because, in themselves, they are not and show we still have a way to go. However it isn't as bad as is being made out and I still prefer to be in a situation where treatment for a serious condition will not leave me or my family bankrupt.

WolfSong2000

Standard of care varies greatly with NHS hospitals, which seems to be part of the problem. My father had a stent put in due to kidney stone issues, but because it took so long for the hospital to book an appointment for him to have the thing taken out, it was in months longer than it should have been and required *two* operations under GA, when it should have taken just one...the exact same thing happened again recently.

They also performned another treatment on him (using some sort of wavelength therapy...it's late, and i'm ignorant so I forget the name)...sent him home the same day and failed to notice the fact he was bleeding internally...he ended up having to be rushed back to the hospital. Seems like every time he goes to see them they screw it up...he was kept waiting all day for a scan, then was told he'd been booked in for the wrong scan, and the one he'd been waiting all day for was unecessary so he'd have to wait and book another appointment for the correct scan. He never complains though, and that annoys me, I have to say.

As for me, I spent a year trying to convince my GP that I had health issues and he just kept telling me "I didn't have a brain tumor"...that's not what I asked, and wasn't helpful. He'd then go on about how it was okay for me to get drunk and do drugs in moderation because of my age (I do neither), and that he was annoyed that he didn't earn as much as a constultant in London would and how they drove fancier cars, etc. Finally had enough and switched GP's....took a while, but have finally had one that seems (touch wood) to be taking my concerns seriously.

Still, the variations in the standard of care within the NHS are shocking to say the least!

lauhen

I work for the nhs as a hca, I work on various wards, and so far I cannot fault any for cleanliness, patient care, etc (touch wood). I begin an early shift at 7am and straight away, it is time to get patients up and about where possible, prop them up in bed, put them in the their chair etc, we then have probably a two hour window where they all get washed, fed and most of the beds made and dirty sheets changed. This may run over slightly depending on the number of patients. From then onwards we just tend to there needs, I can't speak for others but for myself, I tend to float around to each patient throughout my shift, we chat, are observe and if they ask me for something that a nurse should do or administer, then I find one and pass the message on, and normally the nurse does it. On a late shift, I do obs if needed, help with tea, toileting, getting ready for bed, chatting, and floating again. I just wanted to let you know what the hospital I work at is like. Sorry if others are not the same.

lauhen

Also, I do work flexible shifts so I am not always there, so my approach can be somewhat different to nurses and hca's that are always there and on the same ward. Some patients can be trying, and you do see how stressed the staff get, but I have never witnessed them being mean, or not performing their duties, they may not have a smile on there face but they still perform. My daughter said to me today, that I must get scared working in the hospital seeing all the sick people, and I said it is a little scary but I am there to help them, and it is nice to know at the end of a shift that I have chatted to a patient and made them smile, or laugh and I helped them. I hope people can see the good in some staff, and not let the odd bad member of staff cloud there judgement.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Well i have had two incidents in hospital - once just being kept in to be monitered for a few days (was treated very well, very happy and optimistic about coming back to have my daughter at the same hospital). The second time, the birth of my daughter, initially very bad care that nearly ended in mine and my unborn daughters death - had it not been for my own OH going above the midwives head and actually searching out a doctor, who as soon as he saw me demanded i was sent in for immediate emergency surgery and in front of my OH (and me but i was out of it) dismissed the midwife for one having me pushing for hours at just 7cm dilated and then not acting once i had lost conciousness and babys heartrate dropped dangerously low. Saying that once i was out of that particular midwives care all was positive and i was looked after very well in the coming days.

So as i am lucky to have only been in hosp twice i was assuming the second incident was a just an unlucky one with a bad member of staff - but later talking to many people who have had surgery at the same hospital they will tell you the care is poor. I still don't know what to make of it as i like to be optimistic (or try as i might).

I am due to have surgery in a different hospital in a few months but luckily for me having done my research has great feedback from patients. We will see! So far my care has been good and the hosp appears very clean and the nurses friendly and fairly upbeat.

I think unfortunately alot has to do with areas. The staff in the first hospital did appear under alot more stress than those at my local hospital now.

angie_baby

My mum also had troubles while in hospital, well trying to get in! Mum had been ill for about 6 months with chest problems. GP didn’t seem too worried even after me going in with mum and even suggested it was all in her head.

Then one evening my dad goes to check on her and she can’t talk so takes her to hospital straight away. They wait until a doctor sees them. My dad explains the situation and the Dr says I need her to tell me this. My dad explains again, getting annoyed now that she can’t talk, that’s the problem. The Dr Then tells my dad that they must leave. That my mum is drunk and that’s why she can’t talk. Security makes them leave.

I go round to see mum the next morning and she couldn’t even open the door I had to force my way in. Mum couldn’t move / talk / smile. It was then it clicked that it was a stroke.

Those first 24/48 hours are so important. And she was turned away. As soon as she was admitted to A&E they confirmed it was a stroke.
But we also then found out that she really was ill for those six months, she had TB.

Mum caught various bugs in hospital; she was there for over 5 months. A month before she was due to leave she had a massive clot in her brain and died. She was never going to come out of hospital happy, my mum was still clubbing and going out. And she would have come out in a wheelchair. I think she just gave up in the end. I always think what if the TB was caught before the stroke, did the stress cause the stroke, what would of happened if she had been admitted to hospital straight way. I will never know now but I hope that no one ever gets turned away from hospital like my mum did. She was only 39.

Sorry this isn’t just about hospitals but GP’s too. TB has destroyed my dad, hes had it 3 times, DS has had treatment for it and so have i. The GP knew our family history and never checked it out.

patchwork_cat

The 90 000 complaints how have they been submitted? If that statistic is for written complaints then I am not surprised, if that 90 000 is for people who said I am fed up with this and would like to complain, then I am surprised.

Don't forget though people have ongoing treatment and follow up appointements following in patient stays and don't want to compromise any further care, so think I'll complain when this is over, but then by the time it is over they are so fed up all the fight has gone!!!

These days TB is quite rare in this country can I ask was the TB contracted abroard. Did your parents not receive the BCG? There is a ressurgence in TB in some sectors, but beause it was virtually eradicated in this country younger Dr's don't recognise it. However that does not excuse the not looking into it, nor the stroke. She was young for a stroke, my sympathy for your lose angie.

loftus

I repeat what I have more than once, every case of poor care is a case too many and should not happen. I am not saying that there aren't many things in the NHS that need improving.
However, as with everything, we tend to hear when things go wrong and not when things go right.
In May 2009 the independent Care Quality Commission published it's latest patient survey results. One of the conclusions was:-

"The percentage of respondents rating their overall care as either "excellent", "very good" or "good" has increased from 92% in 2007 to 93% in 2008. This includes 43% who rated their care as "excellent", up from 38% since the first survey in 2002."

This doesn't seem to me like an organisation that gets it wrong more than it gets it right but I understand that if your experience has been poor you are not going to be convinced. I'm not going to change your mind and you are not going to change mine so I'll leave it there.

Errata

Loftus - does the survey relate only to hospital care, or all health care ?