The NHS is a useless pile of ****
Discussion
Some background info: My dad suffered a major heart attack on Wednesday night and was taken to hospital by ambulance (who were first class BTW, arriving in 15 minutes). This came as a total shock to me and my mother, as he's only 62 and as fit as you like, doesn't smoke or drink to excess etc.
He's now on the cardiac ward whilst they monitor his blood enzyme level. This is pretty much back to normal now and by tomorrow he should be fine (he looks and feels fine at the moment).
Here's the really stupid bit. He's now on the "priority" out-patient waiting list for an angiogram, which is a test they do, so they can figure out what's caused the attack. This is a minimum 4 week waiting list (normally 6 weeks), for which he MUST remain in hospital. If he chooses to leave, he goes on the out-patient list which is a 9 month waiting list.
So, he either has to sit in hospital occupying a bed and going board out of his mind, or he can come home and have to wait months, fearing the worst.
Of course the ward is full of over 80s who are probably more than happy to sit around all day doing sod all, but my dad hardly wants to do that! No wonder there's such a bed crisis.
Then there's the fact parking is £3.50, to phone him up costs 50p a minute and he's got to pay £2.50 if he wants to watch TV!
What a pile of
I really don't know what I can do 
>> Edited by KITT on Friday 20th May 18:28
He's now on the cardiac ward whilst they monitor his blood enzyme level. This is pretty much back to normal now and by tomorrow he should be fine (he looks and feels fine at the moment).
Here's the really stupid bit. He's now on the "priority" out-patient waiting list for an angiogram, which is a test they do, so they can figure out what's caused the attack. This is a minimum 4 week waiting list (normally 6 weeks), for which he MUST remain in hospital. If he chooses to leave, he goes on the out-patient list which is a 9 month waiting list.
So, he either has to sit in hospital occupying a bed and going board out of his mind, or he can come home and have to wait months, fearing the worst.
Of course the ward is full of over 80s who are probably more than happy to sit around all day doing sod all, but my dad hardly wants to do that! No wonder there's such a bed crisis.
Then there's the fact parking is £3.50, to phone him up costs 50p a minute and he's got to pay £2.50 if he wants to watch TV!
What a pile of
I really don't know what I can do >> Edited by KITT on Friday 20th May 18:28
BliarOut said:
Do as I used to years ago.... Just go on trips out. Say he was in the restaurant or something
He doesn't actually have to be in the bed all the time. OTOH it's also worth finding out how much the angiogram would cost privately. It might be relatively cheap and save a lot of hassle and time.
I've just been through similar with my MiL in similar circumstances. She's 67 and apparently as fit as a fiddle. It's a very stressful time. She lives in Ireland and treatment was very quick - angiogram and operation within a few days but she did get presented with a large bill at the end
Matt glad your Dad's getting better.
I agree with you about the NHS. This following bit just shows you how F**king stupid the NHS and social serves are
I my line of work (resuidental care of the Elderly) Some of the elderly stay in hopsital for months because Social services don't have the money to put them into Care homes for rest. Cost about £400 per week for this. But it costs us tax payers about £1500 per week to keep these beds open in Hospital. WTF
Something needs to be done but it looks like we are stuck with the same goverment for another 4 bloody years.
I agree with you about the NHS. This following bit just shows you how F**king stupid the NHS and social serves are
I my line of work (resuidental care of the Elderly) Some of the elderly stay in hopsital for months because Social services don't have the money to put them into Care homes for rest. Cost about £400 per week for this. But it costs us tax payers about £1500 per week to keep these beds open in Hospital. WTF
Something needs to be done but it looks like we are stuck with the same goverment for another 4 bloody years.
Sorry to hear your news, but fingers crossed no major lasting harm...
Looks like it is a couple of thousand for a private angiogram.
www.bupahospitals.co.uk/asp/paying/priceguides.asp
Looks like it is a couple of thousand for a private angiogram.
www.bupahospitals.co.uk/asp/paying/priceguides.asp
randlemarcus said:
And one of those little DVD players, with a portable TV. PIsses them all off no end, as they cant charge you for it. Mate of mine was in for a fortnight last year, and caught up on his DVD watching..
i got my mate to bring my 14in tv,video and playstation in to hospital for me,we all sat around eating weed cookies (courtesy of the girlfriend of the guy in the bed next to me) whilst watching cheech and chong films
Private could be an option, although at ~£2k for the angiogram and a possible ~£6k if he just needs an angioplasty to fix the problem, we'll have to dig deep. However, our fear is it might be more serious requiring a full on by-pass which is ££££ or a massive, more than a year long waiting list
He's not allowed to leave the hospital, so trips out are
and he's not the type to sit around watching TV all day. He likes walking our labrador, flying model airplanes, photography, i.e. going out! I don't see him staying there, getting depressed, any longer than needs be.
It's just so infuriating as he, like all of us, has contributed to the NHS all his working life and now he really needs it, it's not there for him. We just feel so let down by the whole system.
Oh and mobiles are a strict (I wonder why 
)
>> Edited by KITT on Friday 20th May 19:29
He's not allowed to leave the hospital, so trips out are
and he's not the type to sit around watching TV all day. He likes walking our labrador, flying model airplanes, photography, i.e. going out! I don't see him staying there, getting depressed, any longer than needs be. It's just so infuriating as he, like all of us, has contributed to the NHS all his working life and now he really needs it, it's not there for him. We just feel so let down by the whole system.
Oh and mobiles are a strict
(I wonder why ) >> Edited by KITT on Friday 20th May 19:29
Very distressing for all concerned . Agree the initial reaction of the NHS, ambulance casualty etc is second to none, even private can help you with that bit.
It is a wake up call to us all to ensure that either the NHS improves greatly in this area or we are suitably covered with insurance. I wish you all well.
Harry
. Agree the initial reaction of the NHS, ambulance casualty etc is second to none, even private can help you with that bit. It is a wake up call to us all to ensure that either the NHS improves greatly in this area or we are suitably covered with insurance. I wish you all well.
Harry
cotty said:
Yeah, I wonder why ...
Supposedly its something about affecting the machines they use. Sound like that other myth about phones being dangerous in petrol stations
yep... its nonsense... watch the doctors use their telephones in the hospitals and on the wards... use it anyway and ask them to justify it to you... most machine have to be rf interference proof.
I went through all this last November (at the age of 42), if you would like to talk to someone who had just the same problem then please fell free to send me an email with you number and I will call you.
I would take me to long to type all the crap that I went through to get my angiogram, sent it to doug (at) su77on-se7ens.com only to pleased to pass on any help.
Doug.
I would take me to long to type all the crap that I went through to get my angiogram, sent it to doug (at) su77on-se7ens.com only to pleased to pass on any help.
Doug.
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