Latest Moan From You and Me 2025

I really feel for patients who have no one to go in daily and check on them. My mother got pneumonia. It was me that pointed out to the nursing team that her breathing was laboured. They could have seen that for themselves, but all they cared about was discharging her as quickly as possible. Once I had alerted them, they could not ignore it and started her on treatment. Someone without a visitor might just have slipped through the net.

 

My Dad was initially in an orthopaedic ward in Macclesfield General. One day I took my step-mum in during the morning and as soon as we saw him we knew he was having a stroke. Nobody else had spotted it! He then had to be transferred to Stepping Hill Hospital in Greater Manchester where they have an emergency stroke ward. They treated him well but it was a really difficult place for family to visit - some having to make an 80 mile round-trip and spend ages driving around trying to park.

 

If they dont want to look after dying people properly they should at least give them the chance for a good death IMO.
The system is based on nobody wanting to take responsibility or some religious rubbish that deserves to be consigned to the middle ages.

I have nothing but contempt for those that stand in the way of assisted dying.

 

I have to speak up for the NHS. Last month my hubby spent nearly 2 weeks in hospital as an emergency and was diagnosed with AIHA. He went from Resus, to Majors, to AMU then a normal ward. He received 10 packets of blood and this had to cross matched with a donor. He had so many tests that we are so grateful for. The nurses were so helpful and kind and were constantly rushing around and stayed cheerful. I stayed with hubby in daylight hours as much as I could. Hubby and the other patients loved the food - two cooked meals and a choice. Puddings too with fresh custard! Hubby says he cannot fault them at all. He is now on very high steroids and his haemaglobin has increased from a shockingly low 25 to 119. The cause of his rapid hemolysis is unknown, but likely to be a virus that triggered it. Overall we are very grateful.

 

It seems to me that the NHS manages, in some quarters, to perform with exemplary efficiency and effectiveness which is good not only for patient outcomes but the morale of their loved ones and the staff caring for them. Other areas seem to be badly managed tho, presumably, they're all working to the same basic rules and premises.

The conclusion is surely that management systems and styles should be the same across the board and that requires training and manuals for best practice yet it seems each health care area is allowed to do as it pleases with the funds and resources available. They don't seem to talk to each other either about what works, what doesn't, how to spot problems like rogue staff causing harm nor understand how important good nutrition and enjoyable food is to recovery.

It's not just the NHS either - Belgium's health care system is excellent but we all knew not to let anyone we cared about be taken to a certain hospital if they fell ill or had an accident. Better, if at all possible, to drive them to a good one rather than risk an ambulance taking them there.

When I needed surgery on both feet to correct problems from over long metatarsals, one "stone age" specialist told me it wasn't operable and I needed to wear surgical shoes for the rest of my life but he could sort out my bunions if I was prepared for pain for 2 years. Luckily the system allowed me to refer myself to others and I had two "new" feet done at a time that suited me and was back doing all my dance classes 4 months later.

The food's good in Belgian hospitals too. Not so much in France, oddly.

 

@cactus_girl, I'm glad to hear that all the anxiety of being ill was not added to by poor care in your husband's case. I hope he continues to recover well.

I think individual staff are trying to do their best, but the system is antiquated and overwhelmed. Add in the constant need to reduce costs and you can see why some areas, eg meal provision, can suffer.

 

In my experience the NHS is better at the big things than the everyday events. Good at bypass surgery for instance but sadly lacking in maternity care.

 

Just listening to the radio and they are saying 1000 immigrants have crossed the channel today. How long can this go on?

 

Indefinitely, I would say. No one in power has come close to suggesting a viable solution. How about if you arrive by dinghy, you can never apply for or be granted leave to stay. While you organise your return trip, you are held securely and you must pay all expenses incurred. If you can fork out thousands to traffickers, you can pay your way here too. Then set up proper centres in the countries from which the bulk of these people are coming (or safe near neighbours) and process people there, but tighten the criteria, eg family ties as a reason for entry should be confined to married partner and children.

 

Still about hospital treatment but a different area. Somebody I know has oesophogeal cancer, it hasn't spread, but he will require surgery. Because he's had 2 heart attack he needs to undergo tests on heart and lungs before they will operate. Nothing wrong with that. The problem is that the hospital they want him to go to is over 40 miles away. We don't live in the sticks, it's a city with a population over 100,000 and the local hospital is 2 miles away. I can understand the operation being done in a specialist centre, but why can't they do the tests locally? He currently doesn't drive so this will mean a train and 2 bus or taxi trips each way. He has no family available living locally who could take him, and he wouldn't want to inconvenience friends that much either.

 

Local availability of medical services is a big issue. Weren't we promised several manifestos ago that we would be able to choose which hospital we attended? Ha! Not much of a choice if the nearest one with the relevant dept is miles away.

 

I know a couple of people who have recently had knee and hip replacements and they travelled half the country because there was an opening. I don't think that's unreasonable because it means you don't have to wait but the follow ups are done at the same place you had the op, or at least that is what they were told.

 

When I was having my triple heart operation in Southampton hospital (they did a great job) there was a patient from Wales in the next bed. Sadly his family could only visited him once a week.

 

I just looked out the front to see if the recycling had been taken and saw nothing there at all - the recycling had gone and so had my recycling crates and bag. Had to go out and walk up the street to find them.
My house number is on them all (I put the number on the inside bottom of the crates too so they can see it when they're carrying the empty ones) but that's clearly just to help me relocate them, not for them to take any notice of.

 

On a different topic a knocker arrived on my door step yesterday and went on and on about how he was raising money for the childrens’ air ambulances which was in a different county. An excellent charity so I went to get my wallet. His reply shocked me. Sorry we do not take cash just give me your bank details and set up a standing order on my IPad. Goodbye.