Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

i "talk" to fred as and when it suits ..... most of his stuff i just leave for you guys :-)

I always thought you felt superior to everyone else here , but wondered why when you go away you feel the need to constantly be here , strange cynic . never mind .

Dil.

The problems with the NHS in Wales compared with England is the demographics and funding.

Also, the changes and degradation of in the NHS are partially due to mismanagement during and after the Coalition with its loss of understanding of the service.

Also, the demoralising of NHS staff, use of agencies for staffing as well as the wilful playing of the dissatisfactions by some medical staff.

Private practice benefits from NHS dissatisfactions.

=-=-==

A few people fiddling the books doesn't mean all or the majority do so.

I have some "tory" friends, (believe it or not, even a few members of my family are
tory supporters) who make what I describe as "false claims" and doing their damnedest to avoid "death duties" etc.. and when they break the law consider it OK for themselves to do so. (Just a silly law like speeding, parking on double lines. It is different for some people and some rules and laws.)

I think there are some daft applications of Welfare benefits, I think modifications are long overdue. It is the introductions without disregard of possible ill-effects of changes which is problematic.

One of the problems in a "democracy" is educating those who "need or would benefit from" from modifications or changes of their "lifestyles". (Like drinking too much, which is OK for those who can afford it.)

Forced "reparenting" is not acceptable, even if you can get it right.

-=====

There is a need for changes to immigration policies, but alienation and encouragement of Zenophabia are not the routes.

Why has there been a concerted effort from all parties to get the A&E waiting time down to under 4 hours? If the majority of the patience are so stupid to go there instead of waiting for a GP appointment, perhaps the funds used so inappropriately can be used more efficiently. I have never understood the logic. Perhaps I'm as dumb as the politicians.

Try getting an appointment with your GP on the day you twist your ankle, cut yourself, or "your" child has a temperature and a funny rash.

And there lies the problem. If you go to your GP when you twist your ankle or cut yourself then what a waste of GP time. As for a child with a temperature and funny rash the it should be AE not waiting for a GP

Obviously the patience have no patients elrico.

You mean the twisted ankle is not a fracture and the cut needs stitching and a tetanus boost or the rash is acne etc.?

Your choice.

8-)

It is easy to get it right!

Fred cannot appear to tell the difference between:

1. A 'Twisted Ankle' and a broken Tibia or Fibia.

2. A cut that obviously need stitching and one that doesn't.

3. A cut done in circumstances which might indicate the patient might well need an anti-Tetanus injection as against a cut that doesn't.

4. The likely indications from the characteristics of a rash. eg. He apparently has no idea how to differentiate between Acne and, say Measles, Scarlet Fever, Cellulitis, Impetigo, Chicken Pox, etc.

Refusing to use 'ANY common sense', in the first instance he would ALWAYS visit the Doctor and NOT visit A&E.

GP's in my area will see you on the day , you can't choose what day in advance unless you want it in 3 weeks time. If you phone, the doctor in most cases phones you back after morning surgery to assess you problem.

Exec,

You seem out of your depth.

1) could be the navicular or some other bone the doctor mentioned.

2) Some GPs and nurses stitch, others knit.

3) Bull-shit, cuts with a garden implement of a farming tool, a dirty piece of glass, or dog-shit soiled cut.

4) early meningococcal. Only missed once.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Also, patients don't always know the facilities of their doctor offer or the capabilities of their doctor or what they are prepared to treat.


Ring around a few doctors' practices and try to get an "urgent" appointment.


-=-=-=-=-=

Also, some patients are more capable or knowledgeable than others.


Poor parenting, or no knowledge of First Aid etc..
==--=-

Perhaps, you were or are a boy scout.

Fred - right on cue with a silly comment. Surely even you must realise I am talking about the wasters with minor ailments...its been all over the news for years. I am aware it take me 3-4 days if I am lucky to get a GP appointment. And yes, often I'm over the worse of whatever my ailment may have in most cases, so I don't even bother. I certainly don't go to A&E even for a twisted ankle. What are they going to do? They will give you a prescription (over priced) for painkiller and tell you to keep weight off it.

Ever heard of the NHS helpline? Jezz!!

Well done.

Come on, Fred.

"Ring around a few doctors' practices and try to get an "urgent" appointment."

What a stupid thing to ask someone to do. 'A few'?

I think you are a 'cheat', in that you try to win an argument(s) by changing the topic and bringing in some kind of additional false cause.

Originally, you said, "Try getting an appointment with your GP on the day you twist your ankle, cut yourself, or "your" child has a temperature and a funny rash"

Well, I wouldn't necessarily. But if I desperately needed the doctor, I do know that my own doctor's surgery has a system in place for emergencies. In the first instance, he (they) is(are) shielded from his patients by a front line member of staff called The Receptionist. A chat with her might easily be the first port of call. My doctor might be taking a dayweek off.

And then there are the Emergency Numbers (eg, 999 or 111, 101, 112)

Ring around a few doctors' practices and try to get an "urgent" appointment
unless i am much mistaken, all doctors' surgeries will give same day appts for genuine emergencies ..... and of course if it's THAT urgent, it may well be that you should call for an ambulance

Manuel,

There is a difference between practice and theory.

-=-==

Elrico,

You must be an intelligent fellow, but unfortunately, a lot of patients are not so gifted and can't recognize the difference between trivial, self-limiting and serious.

They can be helped to learn.

-=-=-=-=

The quality of general practice and A and Es varies from one place to others.

Practicing in well-heeled upper-middle-class practice is different to a run down practice in Cwmbran.

-=-=-=

Dil.

I supported the some of the goals and aims of the IRA.

I didn't support some of the methods they used to achieve their goals.

A bit like not supporting Maggie Thatcher's approach to "social" and "economic" problems. (Hillsborough etc.)

my local surgery is most definitely in practice :-)


Practicing in well heal upper middle class practice is different to a run down practice in Cwmbran
not entirely inaccurate ..... more to the point, i suspect cwmbran has trouble recruiting gps at all ..... thus, harrogate gets plenty of applicants (and so pays relatively little), whereas halifax needs to offer bribes (financial incentive!)

Manuel,

You spelt "heeled" wrongly.

That will teach you to copy.

-===--=

All that glitters is not gold, but there swings about practicing in all areas.

Elrico,

PS.

If the patient is thought to be a "time waster" taking trivia to the doctor, perhaps the doctor should ask the question why the patient is really consulting him or her.

I.e looking for the real cause of the "discontent" and trying to resolve the real problem.

But that may be beyond their skill levels.

-=-=-=-=-

i suspect that quite often it is just someone to have a chat with
sad though loneliness may be, it's not the doctor's job to sort that, except perhaps in extreme cases

much more annoying are the "no shows"

I know somebody who complained about the "no shows".

He was informed by his receptionist that the undertaker was looking after them.