NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

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Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by Yummiemummie »

Friend has been ill for a month. Eventually referred to a consultant appointment came through in August. Felt she couldn't wait so called to ask about private appointments and was seen the very next morning. The invoice will follow apparently.
mm23292
Posts: 446
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:57 am

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by mm23292 »

Well the fact that I'd finally managed to get an appointment for the end of June, raised my hopes a little. But having spent a night at A&E, we are now seriously thinking we might just have to dig deeper again, and go private. There has been a definite worsening this past few nights, and having watched and listened while she struggled to breathe for 3 hours last night, compounded by some scary oximetry readings and the poor thing being drenched with perspiration, we decided enough was enough, and legged it down to A&E. Waking her in the process of course, and returning all those scary readings to normal. The Dr we saw, was the most aloof we have ever encountered, one of those, never makes eye contact types. He commented that her observations were all normal, well of course they are, we had to wake her. He then asked why we just didn't let her sleep through, to which we answered that because she normally wakes herself 5 or 6 times a night..we would do normally, but after 3 hours of gasping for breath, a heart rate that was dropping to 40 while not breathing, then shooting upto 180 over a minute later when she finally could, and oxygen levels in the low 80's, as parents we were very concerned. To which he responed with a somewhat derisory laugh..that parents don't normally check things like this, so perhaps we are alarming ourselves unduly!! Well I was itching to point out that as reasonably intellectual parents, we don't subscribe to the ignorance is bliss brigade!! While we waited in a&e, we were surrounded by some scary tattooed parents, kids as young as 6 months with 2 ear piercings..and one woman who had brought her very obese child in with what she suspected was a broken foot, while he rampaged around the place, climbing over chairs and tables as his mother watched a very annoyingly loud tv! No wonder the Dr was grumpy!
Anyway, in response to his derision, I told him we were there because we have been waiting many months for an appointment and her problem was getting worse, to which he responded that we were likely to wait a whole lot longer, because they have a severe shortage of ENT staff, and even with our appointment for the end of the month, he reckoned scheduling an operation could take even longer. If you don't like the sound of that, why don't you head into the London, proceeding to tell us whcih tube lines run to Paddington?! By this point I was collecting our coats off the floor ready for a hasty exit..yet another weeks dose of steroids for our poor long suffering mite and another long wait...we are just gobsmacked by this whole horrible experience :shock:
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by Y »

Have you considered contacting your MP?
mm23292
Posts: 446
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:57 am

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by mm23292 »

Yes, I have considered that..have already filed a complaint with the NHS too, but haven't heard anything since. It simply seems that there aren't enough ENT surgeons to cope with current demand, but rather than advise people truthfully, we are just held in a queue that goes nowhere, with no explanation. When I asked my GP last week, she said, 'sometimes people just get lost in the system'..when I asked the ENT secretary at the hospital why she hadn't received the referral request yet, she said 'I've no idea, but this is the procedure so you'll just have to wait'. And the hospital appt booking team response was even more informative...'if we can't see her here, she's not there'... :?
Anyway, I've ranted enough on this one, and DH has had enough too. He's decided we are waiting not a second more, and she has a private appt with a surgeon tomorrow. So having held back on the 'paid our taxes, owed our dues' kind of principle, hoping that children would somehow take a little higher rung priority, we are yet again giving in. Should have done it long ago :|
DenDe
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:45 pm

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by DenDe »

I really feel for you mm23292.

Our health service should be a wonderful, equal care for everyone, system but in reality is not. My daughter had a strange knee complaint a year or so ago. We took her to our GP who, knowing we had health cover, suggested we go private. 2 days , a thorough examination and an x-ray later a condition was diagnosed and a series of physio arranged. Problem sorted very quickly. A friend whose daughter had very similar symptoms went down the NHS route. She waited months to be seen by a variety of different consultants who did lots of different quite unpleasant tests, took lots of blood, worried her parents about all the possible things it could be and finally diagnosed the same problem as my DD. :shock:

We have a 2 tier system, not an equal one. If you have the money to pay, you get better treatment.
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by drummer »

My Y7 DD was ill throughout her entire Y5 at school. Nobody could care less. Every referral, every appointment was messed up, usually lost entirely. It was months and months of torment. When I turned to the PALS dept at my local hospital in tracking down the referrals (to eliminate potentially limb or even LIFE threatening conditions) I explained to them that she was getting really depressed and starting to refuse to go to school (because it was taking so long to sort her physical condition out). They did NOTHING, they didn't care, I was read the "difficult patient/mother script" and then told it was ok, the hospital could deal with her depression "and they might not even have to use drugs" !!!! (all they needed to do was sort her physical problem and her depression would miraculously disappear!!)

We finally ended up at Great Ormond Street where they did care what was wrong, diagnosed it and fixed it but their admin too was shocking. Lost her MRI referral which set her treatment back for weeks etc etc.
mm23292
Posts: 446
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:57 am

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by mm23292 »

Well it certainly wasn't worth the wait in our case either, and we are so glad we haven't waited any longer. Saw the ENT surgeon, and his verdict was severe obstruction..grade 3 tonsils, very enlarged adenoids and a hefty dose of glue ear too. That was a surprise..her hearing tested more than 50% below normal, and explains the 'in her own world' comments I've often had from the nursery staff. Op next week to fix all three...light in the tunnel at last...now where's that cheque book :D So good luck to anyone who ever has to contemplate joining the queue to nowhere, hope your experiences have better outcomes than ours!
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by Y »

If you can bear it, a letter to your MP would be worth sending. I always wonder in these situations what happens to the child whose parents don't have the money to go privately or the knowledge to pursue the problem through the system. The impact on your daughter's learning and future prospects could have been significant without early treatment - deafness and inadequate sleep - what a combination.
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by drummer »

Y wrote:If you can bear it, a letter to your MP would be worth sending. I always wonder in these situations what happens to the child whose parents don't have the money to go privately or the knowledge to pursue the problem through the system. The impact on your daughter's learning and future prospects could have been significant without early treatment - deafness and inadequate sleep - what a combination.
or for anyone (elderly?) who doesn't have someone who can fight and advocate for them. I used to think very highly of the NHS and thought private was only for those who wanted convenience and plush surroundings. But my experience was horrendous, and CONSISTENTLY horrendous (except for staff attitudes at GOSH). It was the same using their maternity services. I can't even begin to tell you how much time and energy I had to put into tracking down appointments, referrals etc And don't get me started on my GP who said they were not allowed to even QUESTION anything someone further up the 'food-chain' had said (eg a hospital registrar who didn't even have paediatric experience). I think that GPs should be your advocates but instead the Govt wants them to be the purse defenders.

I can't even bear to imagine the situation my DD might now be in if I hadn't taken advice, learned tips of how to navigate the system, figured out what was probably wrong (myself) and subsequently fought for her to see the right people. NOBODY her, GP, the local hospital staff (I can't call them medical 'professionals') cared for her at all.

So yes, what happens to those without an advocate? If you even get a chance ask you MP whether they have private medical, ask your GP, ask ANYONE in the know. I certainly wasn't in the know and sadly can't afford private cover.
DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: NHS v Private dilemma -Sorry it's a long rant!

Post by DC17C »

The trouble is that is is often in consultants' interest to have this 2 tier system - otherwise they would not their lucerative private practice.
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