In praise of NHS and joined up systems

[vaud]

I know the NHS gets a lot of criticism for being very analogue and lacking coherent digital systems (or rather some of the systems are good, some are appallingly bad)

I forgot to bring my medication to my in-laws and it’s a 200mile round trip to get mine. I discovered late last night and started to get worried (it’s anti-anxiety drug that you really don’t want to go cold turkey on - not life threatening but deeply unpleasant)

Started Googling and found it was actually very easy to get an emergency prescription.

Filled in the online form, it was sent to the local Boots immediately. I arrived when they opened and was out in 15 mins - I had my NHS app for NHS number etc but they can do it without. Issued 5 tablets (enough to see me home) and they were very helpful.

No doctor visit, no need to even call my GP. All resolved in 10 hours. If I had needed something more quickly (like a dose within 4 hours) then I could have been referred to a 24hr pharmacy.

Impressed.

[mike9009]

Did something similarly stupid, whilst visiting my sister in Glossop.

Mine was insulin, so was life threatening.

All done through the NHS app and insulin prescribed 200 odd miles away and collected in the morning. Pretty slick compared to just ten years ago which was a trip to the local A and E and a four hour wait....

[Riley Blue]

My O/H's Libre 2 glucose monitoring sensor failed when we were on holiday in Northumberland. We normally take a spare but I'd forgotten to pack one so we thought we'd have to buy one at around £50.

When we called in to the Tesco pharmacy in Hexham we were told they could issue an emergency prescription for one and within 15 minutes her entitlement had been checked, the prescription issued, the sensor supplied and we were on our way.

On the other hand, after an appointment in August it took two months for a consultant's letter to reach her GP, a distance of two miles. The reason given: 'holidays'.

[grumpy52]

Having multiple health issues over past decade I thought it a good idea to have the various apps for my GP surgery and the NHS app and later the NHS patients portal . Originally the GP app was OK great for ordering prescriptions and pretty good very booking appointments. Covid killed most things apart from the prescription service . Can book blood tests fairly easily . Now we have to book GP appointment via an attachment on the surgery web site ,giving reasons and symptoms which are then triaged by a GP ,face to face or telephone appointment follows but can take upto 3 days . IMHO this is why A&E is swamped by minor ailments . The NHS app was initially near on useless but has improved greatly over the last year and I have deleted my GP app because everything on it was so out of date . I can do most things previously done on the GP app on the NHS which is more up to date. My online medical records were way out of date online ,I was diagnosed with cancer in August and up to just lately it wasn't on my records .
The NHS patients Portal has been waste of time . It's supposed to contain the communication from the hospital, doctors, surgeon, etc . Took months to actually get registered on the system ,recently had a notification of communication on the system and suddenly I had 7 items on the system going back eight months .
In summary the front line service and staff are as good as the system allows them to be . The back up and administration is dire .
I had recent experience of the worst and best of the NHS . 11 hour wait for an ambulance, then 4 hrs wait to see a doctor in A&E. Into CT scan in 15 mins and 30 minutes later in theatre and woke up in ITU .most of the front line doctors, nurses and surgeon are fabulous.
Now to do battle with my GP over the latest medication given for B12 deficiency, new type 2 diabetes and return of anemia. They conflict with each other and my existing medication which is possibly responsible for the latest problems.