Reflections on the NH "Service?"

Daughter developed very severe pain this pm and her hubby took her to A&E. This time she got a decent doctor who gave her a good check over and told her that the chest pains were muscular and due to her coughing due to the bad chest infection that she's had for a couple of weeks. Now why on earth the consultant who first saw her couldn't have done the same is beyond my comprehension.

Our local A&E is quite good and generally a faster option than a local GP referal to hospital. When I cracked some ribs my GP told me to just go to A&E rather than wait the several days it would take to be seen if he referred me for an X-ray.

 

Sorry to hear about your daughter Dave, I wish her well.

It took 21 and 19 months respectively for me to get appointments with two departments at our local hospital. The week before Christmas, that is, this Christmas just gone I got a diagnosis, 4 1/2 years on! If I'd had an MRI scan at the start instead of them stalling until now, it would have saved me the distress and saved on the NHS's pocket after numerous appointments, blood tests etc.

 

Dave, I know its reassuring when chest pains turn out to be muscle related. My wife had her first high speed trip to A&E when she was still in her 20s. She'd had chest pains and shortness of breath, and had gone dizzy. Turned out she'd pulled a muscle, and because it hurt to breath normally, without even realising it, she'd got herself into a routine of breathing too shallow so as not to trigger the pain, and that's why she was going dizzy.

One question though, if your daughter has had a chest infection for a couple of weeks now, should they not have given her antibiotics? Unless its a viral infection I guess, but I always thought chest infections were taken very seriously by the medical profession.

 

Every consultant is different Dave, I've seen my share. Some have the experience and use it, others just can't be bothered. A certain amount of locums tend to be in the latter category.

 

Yes she's been on antibiotics and is now on the second lot as the first didn't help. Local doc has told her she's not to go back to work until fully recovered.
She's a teacher and like many tends crawl in to school when unwell and then collapse when the holidays start. We are hoping she heeds the doc's advice, but she tends to stuggle on, as her job as a principal teacher of guidance involves looking after all the poor waifs and strays and she's very attached to them and for some she's the only caring adult in their lives.

 

When my O.H. was sent for an x-ray for his breathing problems on a Tuesday ,the radiologist asked him when he was going back to Drs for results, it happened to be a bank holiday weekend coming up, so next week after bank holiday,, She gently tried to suggest he went before weekend, it would be fast tracked. I had to forcibly tell him "She is telling you to get there before weekend" ,I had seen the x-ray. That was when his pulmonary fibrosis was diagnosed.
My husband saw his consultant in October 2011 before we went on hols, he had an x-ray and was told, no worse you are ok to go away.
He saw consultant in Cyprus December 2011 as Drs concerned as he had had breathing problems whilst there, CAT scan ordered for January ,,result approx 3 months to live. He died as you all know June.
My faith in NHS is zilch.