My poor hubby Dave has been feeling very unwell.
Last January, he got swine flu, which turned into some kind of chest infection. Since then, every now and then he gets the following symptoms :
-Chills that make the bed shake
-Breathlessness/Difficulty breathing
-Chest Pains - across whole chest, worse on breathing in
-He is grey with huge black circles under his eyes
-Sweats so bad, the bed is drenched and has to be changed
-Exhaustion - like when you've just had surgery. He's been asleep for the best part of this week
His father had triple bypass surgery at 50, his cousin had his first heart attack at 32, he's had peri-carditis 7 times and when he was thirty, they discovered one of his aortic walls was missing entirely, resulting in major open heart surgery to repair it. He has high cholesterol and his heart rate keeps dropping from 80 to 55.
What do you think it could be?
Go on have a guess......
Ready??
Yep, depression (?!?!?!?!??!)
Because he has a history of depression, he can't possibly be physically unwell too. The first GP didn't even listen to his chest (during either appointment)
I've seen my husband severely depressed. He can't answer me or relate to our children. He can't answer the phone or think properly. He's like a lost little boy stuck behind glass. At the moment, thankfully, that is NOT how he is.
I've known GPs fob people off many, many times, with many, many conditions, but I honestly thought the list at the top of this article were worth investigating. Silly me eh?
Showing posts with label NHS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHS. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Save Our NHS
I am an "end user". Sometimes I am a "customer" and sometimes I am a "patient."
I am someone who relies on the NHS to stay alive. Not only to stay alive, but to achieve a standard of life worth living.
I have severe, surgical, crohn's disease. Surgeons have saved my life many times. Medicine and the research needed to develop it have saved me too. Conditions like mine cost the NHS a lot of money. I cost the NHS a lot of money.
I have no idea at which point I am "worth it". I am blessed to live in a country where this question is irrelevant. To live in a country that never asks any other question than "can we?" Never "is she viable?" "Does she have insurance?" or "can we afford her?" Simply "What can we do for her?"
I realise that this is an enormous privilege. Nowhere else in the world could I turn up at a hospital and expect the very best care available, free at the point of care, based purely on clinical need. We are the most equitable health nation in the world.
I have a full and beautiful life thanks to the great achievements of a National Health Service and a Welfare State that allows people like me the great gift (NOT right) of equality and dignity.
Today, I had an MRI scan. I have equally expensive and brilliant tests most months and the very best doctors in the world to analyse and act upon them.
It's a Saturday and I walked into a state-of-the art MRI department and was greeted by a lovely receptionist who couldn't have done a better job. I'd got the time of my appointment confused and was over 2 hours late, but I waited just a few minutes in a pleasant waiting room. I'd only waited 5 weeks for the scan itself for a non-urgent matter.
The radiographer who conducted the test was professional and kind and the whole thing took around half an hour.
Our NHS is cheaper than other EU health systems and more efficient. Most importantly of all, it is free at the point of use. Say it again, it is free at the point of use. What a wonderful, special, amazing, democratic thing we did. What a brave and impressive thing.
This is why we must not chip away at it. Not erode it or dismantle it. All the while we can say that we still have this precious thing to be proud of, all of us, left or right, rich or poor, sick or healthy must protect it.
It works. The public love and value it.
Save our NHS.
I am someone who relies on the NHS to stay alive. Not only to stay alive, but to achieve a standard of life worth living.
I have severe, surgical, crohn's disease. Surgeons have saved my life many times. Medicine and the research needed to develop it have saved me too. Conditions like mine cost the NHS a lot of money. I cost the NHS a lot of money.
I have no idea at which point I am "worth it". I am blessed to live in a country where this question is irrelevant. To live in a country that never asks any other question than "can we?" Never "is she viable?" "Does she have insurance?" or "can we afford her?" Simply "What can we do for her?"
I realise that this is an enormous privilege. Nowhere else in the world could I turn up at a hospital and expect the very best care available, free at the point of care, based purely on clinical need. We are the most equitable health nation in the world.
I have a full and beautiful life thanks to the great achievements of a National Health Service and a Welfare State that allows people like me the great gift (NOT right) of equality and dignity.
Today, I had an MRI scan. I have equally expensive and brilliant tests most months and the very best doctors in the world to analyse and act upon them.
It's a Saturday and I walked into a state-of-the art MRI department and was greeted by a lovely receptionist who couldn't have done a better job. I'd got the time of my appointment confused and was over 2 hours late, but I waited just a few minutes in a pleasant waiting room. I'd only waited 5 weeks for the scan itself for a non-urgent matter.
The radiographer who conducted the test was professional and kind and the whole thing took around half an hour.
Our NHS is cheaper than other EU health systems and more efficient. Most importantly of all, it is free at the point of use. Say it again, it is free at the point of use. What a wonderful, special, amazing, democratic thing we did. What a brave and impressive thing.
This is why we must not chip away at it. Not erode it or dismantle it. All the while we can say that we still have this precious thing to be proud of, all of us, left or right, rich or poor, sick or healthy must protect it.
It works. The public love and value it.
Save our NHS.
Monday, 4 July 2011
But patients are so THICK!
Aaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrr!!
That is my scream of frustration at the NHS. I have splurged many such screams over the years, too countless to mention.
Today's farce :
I have had a really nasty chest infection. I also have osteoporosis and have managed to pop/snap/crack a rib coughing. It's the third time in 2 months that it's happened.
I also have a crohn's flare and my hospital consultant in Cambridge wants to start me on the chemo-style shots again.
Before I can start the treatment for my crohn's (priority No1), Any infection must be eliminated and there needs to be a reason I'm getting all this pain in my chest. This must be coordinated here, through my GP.
This is where "integrated care" comes in.
So, GP faithfully writes an X-Ray request that says "Chest infection, check before commencing Humira"
I know that osteoporosis fractures are very difficult to see on an X-Ray and ask the radiographer to make a note on my notes that these must be eliminated too. (Consultant specifically asked me to tell them this.)
Radiographer says it's not on the form.
I say I know, but if not checked now, I'll just be back for more radiation, which is to be avoided in someone like me as much as possible.
Radiographer pats me on the head, throws me a dog biscuit and tells me GP knows best.
I say that, no, my Consultant knows best and would it be possible to speak to someone in charge.
More conflabs.
No, it isn't possible, now be a good girl and if there's any problem the radiographer will write to the GP, who will write to my consultant who will write back to my GP........
I explain that the Consultant stressed I must explain that the Humira is very urgent and if it would just be possible to speak to someone in charge, it might save lots of time and money.....
Radiographer is blushing and awkward - we have reached an impasse!
So this is what will now happen. A Consultant radiographer will get a heap of X-Rays tonight, glance at them, see I have no chest infection and write to my GP.
Addenbrookes will ask whether there were any fractures - the radiographer will say "I wasn't asked to check to fractures....."
And all because I'm the patient and couldn't possibly know anything about my own care.
In a few more weeks, I will have to have some other kind of test to get to the bottom of the pain and meanwhile my crohn's will get worse. If it gets too much worse for too long, I will grow another blockage and end up costing the NHS tens of thousands in in-patient stays and surgery to sort it out. All because I can't be trusted to tell an X-Ray department to simply write on the X-Ray notes - "Patient also has osteoporosis and fractures should be eliminated."
Now, as you know, I'm no fan of the coalition, but they do talk an awful lot about integrated care. If they could truly improve the system so that patient's weren't treated like a slightly slow relative you'd rather ignore, then I feel I could forgive them rather more of the disasters they are brewing.
If anything else ever goes wrong with my useless body (which it does with boring frequency) it is like trying to herd treacle to get anyone to understand that the two things have to be dealt with together, not as isolated events.
Last year, I ended up with 4 abscesses on my teeth because of the Humira (immuno-suppressants). Because of my health complications, no-one would take them out at a dental surgery, so I had to wait 5 MONTHS with raging pain and infection before they could be taken out in the hospital and I could start again on the crohn's treatment. Why 5 months? Because no matter what any of my doctors said, the maxillo-facial surgeons at he hospital just could not understand that the procedure was "urgent" not "routine". The crohn's made it urgent, but without integrated care this mattered not. The whole palava gave me a massive seizure and meant that by the time the teeth were out I had another blockage and....you guessed it.... needed expensive bowel surgery.
People like me, with serious, long term conditions are one of the largest costs to the NHS. Acknowledging that and prioritising integration of care could save billions. It could also stop me combusting one day from sheer frustration.
Bring it on condems! If you manage this one thing at least, you will have improved long term patient care immeasurably.
That is my scream of frustration at the NHS. I have splurged many such screams over the years, too countless to mention.
Today's farce :
I have had a really nasty chest infection. I also have osteoporosis and have managed to pop/snap/crack a rib coughing. It's the third time in 2 months that it's happened.
I also have a crohn's flare and my hospital consultant in Cambridge wants to start me on the chemo-style shots again.
Before I can start the treatment for my crohn's (priority No1), Any infection must be eliminated and there needs to be a reason I'm getting all this pain in my chest. This must be coordinated here, through my GP.
This is where "integrated care" comes in.
So, GP faithfully writes an X-Ray request that says "Chest infection, check before commencing Humira"
I know that osteoporosis fractures are very difficult to see on an X-Ray and ask the radiographer to make a note on my notes that these must be eliminated too. (Consultant specifically asked me to tell them this.)
Radiographer says it's not on the form.
I say I know, but if not checked now, I'll just be back for more radiation, which is to be avoided in someone like me as much as possible.
Radiographer pats me on the head, throws me a dog biscuit and tells me GP knows best.
I say that, no, my Consultant knows best and would it be possible to speak to someone in charge.
More conflabs.
No, it isn't possible, now be a good girl and if there's any problem the radiographer will write to the GP, who will write to my consultant who will write back to my GP........
I explain that the Consultant stressed I must explain that the Humira is very urgent and if it would just be possible to speak to someone in charge, it might save lots of time and money.....
Radiographer is blushing and awkward - we have reached an impasse!
So this is what will now happen. A Consultant radiographer will get a heap of X-Rays tonight, glance at them, see I have no chest infection and write to my GP.
Addenbrookes will ask whether there were any fractures - the radiographer will say "I wasn't asked to check to fractures....."
And all because I'm the patient and couldn't possibly know anything about my own care.
In a few more weeks, I will have to have some other kind of test to get to the bottom of the pain and meanwhile my crohn's will get worse. If it gets too much worse for too long, I will grow another blockage and end up costing the NHS tens of thousands in in-patient stays and surgery to sort it out. All because I can't be trusted to tell an X-Ray department to simply write on the X-Ray notes - "Patient also has osteoporosis and fractures should be eliminated."
Now, as you know, I'm no fan of the coalition, but they do talk an awful lot about integrated care. If they could truly improve the system so that patient's weren't treated like a slightly slow relative you'd rather ignore, then I feel I could forgive them rather more of the disasters they are brewing.
If anything else ever goes wrong with my useless body (which it does with boring frequency) it is like trying to herd treacle to get anyone to understand that the two things have to be dealt with together, not as isolated events.
Last year, I ended up with 4 abscesses on my teeth because of the Humira (immuno-suppressants). Because of my health complications, no-one would take them out at a dental surgery, so I had to wait 5 MONTHS with raging pain and infection before they could be taken out in the hospital and I could start again on the crohn's treatment. Why 5 months? Because no matter what any of my doctors said, the maxillo-facial surgeons at he hospital just could not understand that the procedure was "urgent" not "routine". The crohn's made it urgent, but without integrated care this mattered not. The whole palava gave me a massive seizure and meant that by the time the teeth were out I had another blockage and....you guessed it.... needed expensive bowel surgery.
People like me, with serious, long term conditions are one of the largest costs to the NHS. Acknowledging that and prioritising integration of care could save billions. It could also stop me combusting one day from sheer frustration.
Bring it on condems! If you manage this one thing at least, you will have improved long term patient care immeasurably.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Back you or Sack You? Oh Dave, we will.
So today, the seller of snake oils, wee Davie-boy Cameron will swoop in and save the NHS.
This is fantastically good news for lefties whichever way you look at it.
"David Cameron will today invite the public to vote against him at the next general election if he fails to keep his promises to protect the National Health Service." (sorry, but snigger - who told him to say that?)
He will offer five personal guarantees: "that the Government will not endanger universal coverage; will not break up or hinder efficient and integrated care; will keep waiting times low; will increase spending on the NHS; and will not "sell-off" the NHS to create a US-style private system, but will ensure competition benefits patients."
The elusive Mr Healey, like a rabbit out of a trap, points out that Mr Cameron is already breaking all five of his "guarantees"
Study after study shows that it's very unlikely that spending will in fact increase in real terms, though he may just manage that one by a whisker. Waiting times are as likely to "stay low" now that targets have been scrapped as I am to find a miracle cure - possible, but history proves unlikely.
Of course, they are all very woolly. He doesn't really say anything at all. Kind of "The NHS will be safe with us" in full sentences.
Come 2015, he'll hope the spinners can drag the pledges to fit reality. But, as I've pointed out over and over,this is not like any other issue. He can't stand up today, full of pledgery and hope the public give him leeway when an election lumbers into view.
So that's why it's such good news for lefties - especially as with his usual strategy blind spot he tells us to vote him out if he fails.
Either he does what he says, keeps waiting lists low, doesn't privatise, keeps funding up etc and we're all delighted. The most important policy area will be safeguarded and Cameron will find no amount of fudgery will get him off the hook.
OR he fails miserably and the public take him at his word, kick him out and never trust the Tories with the NHS again.
Either way, it's an extraordinary gamble to take.
For instance, "The government will not endanger universal coverage". Whatever he means by this, I think the public will take this to mean no postcode lottery. He may find it difficult to remind them that it meant "a national services free at the point of use"
When he says he will "not "sell-off" the NHS to create a US-style private system, but will ensure competition benefits patients." Just how much "competition" will the public allow him? They still hear privatisation instead of the word competition. As they should.
So I'm sorry if I seem to write about this as a kind of amused bystander, sorry if I'm a little flippant, but after all the policies I think so disgusting, all the economic horror stories, all the damage his government is about to inflict, it's the NHS - the one thing he should never have gone near - that looks as though it will finish him off.
Now it all comes down to pledgery V fudgery and Cameron's record on the second is rather better than the first.
This is fantastically good news for lefties whichever way you look at it.
"David Cameron will today invite the public to vote against him at the next general election if he fails to keep his promises to protect the National Health Service." (sorry, but snigger - who told him to say that?)
He will offer five personal guarantees: "that the Government will not endanger universal coverage; will not break up or hinder efficient and integrated care; will keep waiting times low; will increase spending on the NHS; and will not "sell-off" the NHS to create a US-style private system, but will ensure competition benefits patients."
The elusive Mr Healey, like a rabbit out of a trap, points out that Mr Cameron is already breaking all five of his "guarantees"
Study after study shows that it's very unlikely that spending will in fact increase in real terms, though he may just manage that one by a whisker. Waiting times are as likely to "stay low" now that targets have been scrapped as I am to find a miracle cure - possible, but history proves unlikely.
Of course, they are all very woolly. He doesn't really say anything at all. Kind of "The NHS will be safe with us" in full sentences.
Come 2015, he'll hope the spinners can drag the pledges to fit reality. But, as I've pointed out over and over,this is not like any other issue. He can't stand up today, full of pledgery and hope the public give him leeway when an election lumbers into view.
So that's why it's such good news for lefties - especially as with his usual strategy blind spot he tells us to vote him out if he fails.
Either he does what he says, keeps waiting lists low, doesn't privatise, keeps funding up etc and we're all delighted. The most important policy area will be safeguarded and Cameron will find no amount of fudgery will get him off the hook.
OR he fails miserably and the public take him at his word, kick him out and never trust the Tories with the NHS again.
Either way, it's an extraordinary gamble to take.
For instance, "The government will not endanger universal coverage". Whatever he means by this, I think the public will take this to mean no postcode lottery. He may find it difficult to remind them that it meant "a national services free at the point of use"
When he says he will "not "sell-off" the NHS to create a US-style private system, but will ensure competition benefits patients." Just how much "competition" will the public allow him? They still hear privatisation instead of the word competition. As they should.
So I'm sorry if I seem to write about this as a kind of amused bystander, sorry if I'm a little flippant, but after all the policies I think so disgusting, all the economic horror stories, all the damage his government is about to inflict, it's the NHS - the one thing he should never have gone near - that looks as though it will finish him off.
Now it all comes down to pledgery V fudgery and Cameron's record on the second is rather better than the first.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
The NHS - It's a jungle out there Cameron
As I said on this blog back in February and before, the NHS is not an animal Prime Ministers ought to underestimate:
In policy terms, the NHS is a lion, snoozing in the midday sun. It might look sleepy, it might seem unconcerned. You might be foolish enough to believe that it is cumbersome - lazy even, but you wake it at your peril. You won't win. Politicians never have been and never will be a match for NHS-lions. If you anger it or make it lame, you won't survive. It will gobble you up and spit you out, adding more politician bones to the sun-bleached pile of decades.
In policy terms, the NHS is a lion, snoozing in the midday sun. It might look sleepy, it might seem unconcerned. You might be foolish enough to believe that it is cumbersome - lazy even, but you wake it at your peril. You won't win. Politicians never have been and never will be a match for NHS-lions. If you anger it or make it lame, you won't survive. It will gobble you up and spit you out, adding more politician bones to the sun-bleached pile of decades.
It's been clear for some time that Lansley is a "Dead man Walking." It was only ever a matter of time before Cameron would have to step in with his earnest promises and hypnotic snake-eyes, reassssssuring us that all is sssssafe. The BMA, the RCN, GPs, patients and charities are all against his plans, with the BMA coming a hair away from a vote of no confidence in Lansley last month.
Even the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil monkeys of Clegg, Alexander and Huhne were urged by their conference to stop chattering amongst themselves and step up to protect the King.
According to the Independent this morning, next week, Cameron will announce a "pause" of up to three months in the progress of the bill through parliament. This will be :
"to allow for more time to reassure clinicians, patients and coalition MPs."
According to the Independent this morning, next week, Cameron will announce a "pause" of up to three months in the progress of the bill through parliament. This will be :
"to allow for more time to reassure clinicians, patients and coalition MPs."
Take three months Mr Cameron, take three years if you will. When it comes to the NHS, we can sniff out rotten flesh at 100 paces. We are told that these plans took Lansley up to 8 years to put together. Three months won't persuade us to like them any more. The press-vultures are circling, ready to pick your policy bones clean - the longer you take, the more deadly they become.
When even wily old crocs like Tebbitt and Owen step in to criticise their own, it's time to go back to the lodge and search out other prey.
Law of the jungle Mr Cameron; survival of the fittest. If only you'd left the beast alone; protected it as you promised, it would have have no cause to gobble you up. As it is, it will be feasting on political capital for years.
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