Sodding NHS why do we bother?
Discussion
I think we should be able to opt out and just pay for medical cover privately that way i might get something in return for my monthly contributions.
In a nut shell i could do with seeing a dentist relatively soon. Since Friday evening I think i have a wisdom tooth coming through which has caused an infection to my gum. Now i'm not going to die but it's not comfortable and distracting, also makes eating pretty painful.
Can i get an appointment in the next two weeks? Can i f k.
No dentists at my surgery for two days, fully booked Wednesday and Thursday and then out for the Easter hols.
Every other surgery that is supposed to do 'emergency' appointments in the local area are either shut or fully booked.
NHS direct are next to useless and just provided me with a list of phone numbers which either don't work, have a answering machine or are surgeries that are fully booked until 2012.
Now i don't expect to be seen this second as it is not life or death but sometime in the next 48hrs or even this week would be nice.
Grrrrr.
In principle i'm pro NHS but any time you need a Dr or in this case a Dentist (which i might add is rarely in my case) it seems you have to wait a unfeasible amount of time to be seen.
Just wanted a winge
Have a look here http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/our-services/d...
Cheers guys. Eventually got seen at 9pm. There is a walk in health centre at south hornchurch just in case anyone else has the same issue.
Swessex no I'd tried already, they basically just gave me list of dentists phone numbers.
Anyway £24 lighter and a two Hour wait I got some antibiotics. I wish you could self prescribe them.
Swessex no I'd tried already, they basically just gave me list of dentists phone numbers.
Anyway £24 lighter and a two Hour wait I got some antibiotics. I wish you could self prescribe them.
If your own dentist is NHS..they have a legal responsibility to have emergency slots each working day. So if you phone early you sould be seen...this didnt happen and so not good. Contact the PCT and ask why you werent seen!
sometimes they fill up slots,if they have any at all, with routine patients..
all this is rubbishing the rest of us who try to help people and stop this bad press!
sometimes they fill up slots,if they have any at all, with routine patients..
all this is rubbishing the rest of us who try to help people and stop this bad press!
MacGee said:
If your own dentist is NHS..they have a legal responsibility to have emergency slots each working day. So if you phone early you sould be seen...this didnt happen and so not good. Contact the PCT and ask why you werent seen!
sometimes they fill up slots,if they have any at all, with routine patients..
all this is rubbishing the rest of us who try to help people and stop this bad press!
Thats not strictly true is it. Under the new contract the dentist only has a binding responsibility for people under an active course of treatment. The patients are assocaited with the practice for up to 3 years but the dentist only has to see them if there is space in his books to do so. It is reasonable for the patient to expect to be seen but the dentist is under no obligation unless an active course is open.sometimes they fill up slots,if they have any at all, with routine patients..
all this is rubbishing the rest of us who try to help people and stop this bad press!
You also do not have to have slots avaialable you could just say if you come in and wait I will get to you.
I realise this does not seem great customer service but the dentists are under pressure from PCT s to reach targets. Empty gaps that are not used do not help achieve these targets.
Maybe the next new contract will address the patient experience to improve this
depends on your PCT maybe. I've not heard of the open course of treatment bit before. You may be correct..must check. But surely common sense says to help patients and save goodwill would suggest doing as I mentioned above with having slots free only for emergencies. Always filled in our practice.
MacGee said:
depends on your PCT maybe. I've not heard of the open course of treatment bit before. You may be correct..must check. But surely common sense says to help patients and save goodwill would suggest doing as I mentioned above with having slots free only for emergencies. Always filled in our practice.
Oh I agree with these sentiments entirely. Despite public opinion most people got into the profession to help.The new contract was poor when it was brought out. Next new one, who knows. Registration is appaerntly coming back with the assocaited rights that had. However as with any contract there will be some good and bad points for all involved.
waterwonder said:
I think we should be able to opt out and just pay for medical cover privately that way i might get something in return for my monthly contributions.
In a nut shell i could do with seeing a dentist relatively soon. Since Friday evening I think i have a wisdom tooth coming through which has caused an infection to my gum. Now i'm not going to die but it's not comfortable and distracting, also makes eating pretty painful.
Can i get an appointment in the next two weeks? Can i f k.
No dentists at my surgery for two days, fully booked Wednesday and Thursday and then out for the Easter hols.
Every other surgery that is supposed to do 'emergency' appointments in the local area are either shut or fully booked.
NHS direct are next to useless and just provided me with a list of phone numbers which either don't work, have a answering machine or are surgeries that are fully booked until 2012.
Now i don't expect to be seen this second as it is not life or death but sometime in the next 48hrs or even this week would be nice.
Grrrrr.
In principle i'm pro NHS but any time you need a Dr or in this case a Dentist (which i might add is rarely in my case) it seems you have to wait a unfeasible amount of time to be seen.
Just wanted a winge
how about looking to the actual cause of the lack of NHS dentistry , the wonderful contract the liarbore regime introduced which made it remarkably unattractive for many Dentists to continue seeing adult patients on the NHS.In a nut shell i could do with seeing a dentist relatively soon. Since Friday evening I think i have a wisdom tooth coming through which has caused an infection to my gum. Now i'm not going to die but it's not comfortable and distracting, also makes eating pretty painful.
Can i get an appointment in the next two weeks? Can i f k.
No dentists at my surgery for two days, fully booked Wednesday and Thursday and then out for the Easter hols.
Every other surgery that is supposed to do 'emergency' appointments in the local area are either shut or fully booked.
NHS direct are next to useless and just provided me with a list of phone numbers which either don't work, have a answering machine or are surgeries that are fully booked until 2012.
Now i don't expect to be seen this second as it is not life or death but sometime in the next 48hrs or even this week would be nice.
Grrrrr.
In principle i'm pro NHS but any time you need a Dr or in this case a Dentist (which i might add is rarely in my case) it seems you have to wait a unfeasible amount of time to be seen.
Just wanted a winge
as for 'getting something back' i'd personally love to issue ever person who uses the NHS with an Invoice of the actual cost of their treatment ... I think people would soon STFU about what they do pay ... anyone who has ever had to take a pet to the vets will be able to relate to this ...
mph1977 said:
how about looking to the actual cause of the lack of NHS dentistry , the wonderful contract the liarbore regime introduced which made it remarkably unattractive for many Dentists to continue seeing adult patients on the NHS.
as for 'getting something back' i'd personally love to issue ever person who uses the NHS with an Invoice of the actual cost of their treatment ... I think people would soon STFU about what they do pay ... anyone who has ever had to take a pet to the vets will be able to relate to this ...
Seems to have touched a nerve, it may not have been clear in my post but i was frustrated at the system not the actual dentist specifically. I don't really understand your point about the cost, it doesn't matter whether i pay up front or via tax and NI. I sometimes think as a relatively fit and healthy person i'd get better value if the whole thing was privatised. Now on a macro level i understand the case is different and as i stated i am actually pro nhs just personal experience leaves a little to be desired on occasion.as for 'getting something back' i'd personally love to issue ever person who uses the NHS with an Invoice of the actual cost of their treatment ... I think people would soon STFU about what they do pay ... anyone who has ever had to take a pet to the vets will be able to relate to this ...
waterwonder said:
I think we should be able to opt out and just pay for medical cover privately that way i might get something in return for my monthly contributions.
I have no children - I'd like to opt out of paying for schoolsI have gym membership - I'd like to opt out of playing for leisure services
I hate opera - I'd like to opt our of arts subsidies
I don't go out at night - I'd like to opt out of paying for street lighting
I don't break the law - I'd like to opt out of paying for police, the justice system and prisons.
Paying for the NHS is not about what you personally get for the money. It is a collective systems that means that the person who delivers your mail is has health care, the person who serves you in the supermarket has health care etc. Each citizen has health care regardless of their ability to pay. If we allow the healthy people to not pay the system doesn't work. You see the benefits of your contributions in other ways such as employers not having to pay health benefits. If they did they'd have to charge more for the goods and services you consume.
Paying your NHS stamp is a sign that you value your fellow citizens.
And as MPH1977 says, if people knew what their healthcare cost they would be quite shocked. Then add on a 40% profit margin for the private sector and you might just realise how daft you statement can sound.
waterwonder said:
Now on a macro level i understand the case is different and as i stated i am actually pro nhs just personal experience leaves a little to be desired on occasion.
I take it you missed this? My first post was out of frustration. It took me 10hrs of fairly frequent calling to find a solution.
I agree with your points, although I still don't get what point you are trying to make re the cost. It doesn't matter how much it costs, we still pay for it. I'm not aware of dentists putting their hands in their pockets to pay for it....have the cuts got that bad?
Edited by waterwonder on Friday 22 April 21:03
Your thread illustrates how much cleverer dentists are over doctors
Imagine what would happen if as many docs opted out of the NHS as the dentists have
Toothache is a misery but what would it be like if you couldn't be seen on the NHS for appendicitis, a heart attack or whatever??
Be careful out there
We live in interesting times
Antonia said:
waterwonder said:
I think we should be able to opt out and just pay for medical cover privately that way i might get something in return for my monthly contributions.
I have no children - I'd like to opt out of paying for schoolsI have gym membership - I'd like to opt out of playing for leisure services
I hate opera - I'd like to opt our of arts subsidies
I don't go out at night - I'd like to opt out of paying for street lighting
I don't break the law - I'd like to opt out of paying for police, the justice system and prisons.
Paying for the NHS is not about what you personally get for the money. It is a collective systems that means that the person who delivers your mail is has health care, the person who serves you in the supermarket has health care etc. Each citizen has health care regardless of their ability to pay. If we allow the healthy people to not pay the system doesn't work. You see the benefits of your contributions in other ways such as employers not having to pay health benefits. If they did they'd have to charge more for the goods and services you consume.
Paying your NHS stamp is a sign that you value your fellow citizens.
And as MPH1977 says, if people knew what their healthcare cost they would be quite shocked. Then add on a 40% profit margin for the private sector and you might just realise how daft you statement can sound.
BMWBen said:
Antonia said:
waterwonder said:
I think we should be able to opt out and just pay for medical cover privately that way i might get something in return for my monthly contributions.
I have no children - I'd like to opt out of paying for schoolsI have gym membership - I'd like to opt out of playing for leisure services
I hate opera - I'd like to opt our of arts subsidies
I don't go out at night - I'd like to opt out of paying for street lighting
I don't break the law - I'd like to opt out of paying for police, the justice system and prisons.
Paying for the NHS is not about what you personally get for the money. It is a collective systems that means that the person who delivers your mail is has health care, the person who serves you in the supermarket has health care etc. Each citizen has health care regardless of their ability to pay. If we allow the healthy people to not pay the system doesn't work. You see the benefits of your contributions in other ways such as employers not having to pay health benefits. If they did they'd have to charge more for the goods and services you consume.
Paying your NHS stamp is a sign that you value your fellow citizens.
And as MPH1977 says, if people knew what their healthcare cost they would be quite shocked. Then add on a 40% profit margin for the private sector and you might just realise how daft you statement can sound.
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