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NHS Bed Management madness

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NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 09 Feb 2017, 14:31

We all know the NHS hospitals are under pressure but they are their own worst enemies.

Monday morning Mrs went in for spinal surgery and fair enough they said bring in your own existing medicines.

Everything thing went better than expected medically and they moved her to less critical wards and the same thing last night so a different ward each night. Good game of hunt the patient each time I visited :lol:

But when they moved her, they did not move her medications with her so she was cleared for discharge by the surgeon about 9.30 today and at 13.30 they are still trying to find her medications and they insist that not only that she can't leave without them (we have plenty in stock at home) but they are going to prescribe extra ones to make up for the ones of "ours" that they have used so we will have more than we started.

In the meantime someone else could have had that bed for the last 4 hours. Mrs is crawling up the walls with frustration and I'm sitting here like a pork pie at a Jewish wedding not being able to get on with anything and trying to manage the expectations of friends who want to visit her.

Grrr! Simply for the lack of having a process where meds are moved with the patient, they are missing out on a vacant bed.

Bob
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Andyp » 09 Feb 2017, 17:15

I hope that you are both back home by now and all went well.

Setting here watching and reading the BBC news with no first hand experience of the NHS for the past 10 years I really wonder if it is really is as bad as the media are reporting.
I do not think therefore I do not am.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Mike G » 09 Feb 2017, 17:16

We have a friend with MS. She was hospitalised in November with an infection (a lot of people with MS are immuno-compromised as a result of previous treatments). She was ready for discharge after 4 days. However, as she needs 24 hour care (someone has to turn her in bed through the night, for example) the hospital had to await confirmation that her care package was in place before letting her out. The council, who have funded her care for the last 12 years, were in the middle of a review of all such care packages, couldn't confirm that care was in place for her for nearly 3 weeks, when she was discharged into the exact same care contract and the exact same carers who had looked after her for the last X years.

So, this time it was the council's fault. But there was a bed which should have been available for nearly 3 weeks, leaving the poor girl staring at a wall, unable to turn, with no hoist to get her to the lavatory, no-one to turn her at night, no chance of moving from sitting to hanging to lying as she does normally during the day to relieve pressure. A bloody nightmare all round. I am sure that in some circumstances relatives would actually "kidnap" the patient from hospital rather than see them tortured like this.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 09 Feb 2017, 17:40

Andyp wrote:I hope that you are both back home by now and all went well.

Setting here watching and reading the BBC news with no first hand experience of the NHS for the past 10 years I really wonder if it is really is as bad as the media are reporting.


I think the media like to report the most dramatic of cases, especially patients on trolleys etc.

From our experience the outpatient care could not be better with three consultants monitoring Mrs problems and backed by the GP surgery taking all the samples and providing the medication.

The inpatient experience pre operation was stress ful with mrs being admitted twice, all dressed up ready for theatre only to be sent home, first time for the set of spare parts she needed being sent back the day before and second time for the lack of an intensive care bed which was required just in case given all her other problems which might have kicked in.

Third time lucky the admission "stuck" and the job was done.

The level of care, the nurses, surgeons etc have all been fine but just limited on resources..

In the neurological dept, 75% of their work is emergencies from both their own areas as well as surrounding hospitals. It seems unsustainable to me that they can work with such a high level of emergencies. Little wonder we were sent home twice for a non urgent job.
I'm pretty certain we only got through third time was that they made our case into an emergency.

Upshot is the Mrs is home now and feeling reasonable just the usual sickness/nausea that she gets about 3 days after an anaesthetic. This was her 19th operation and the sickness is a well established effect.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 09 Feb 2017, 17:43

Mike G wrote:We have a friend with MS. She was hospitalised in November with an infection (a lot of people with MS are immuno-compromised as a result of previous treatments). She was ready for discharge after 4 days. However, as she needs 24 hour care (someone has to turn her in bed through the night, for example) the hospital had to await confirmation that her care package was in place before letting her out. The council, who have funded her care for the last 12 years, were in the middle of a review of all such care packages, couldn't confirm that care was in place for her for nearly 3 weeks, when she was discharged into the exact same care contract and the exact same carers who had looked after her for the last X years.

So, this time it was the council's fault. But there was a bed which should have been available for nearly 3 weeks, leaving the poor girl staring at a wall, unable to turn, with no hoist to get her to the lavatory, no-one to turn her at night, no chance of moving from sitting to hanging to lying as she does normally during the day to relieve pressure. A bloody nightmare all round. I am sure that in some circumstances relatives would actually "kidnap" the patient from hospital rather than see them tortured like this.



I don't know what it will take to bang the heads of council and NHS together to sort this out. We have friends who have been involved with this bed blocking problem but not the addition problem of Mike's friend.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Andyp » 09 Feb 2017, 18:04

Please pass on my best wishes. Are you planning a trip over here again this year?
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Newbie_Neil » 09 Feb 2017, 18:13

Hi Bob,

Best wishes to Mrs Bob for a speedy recovery.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Malc2098 » 09 Feb 2017, 20:14

Best wishes for Mrs B's recovery and convalescence.

I have a cousin and a close friend both with breast cancer. NHS could not have been better. Aforementioned friend also has tetraplegic husband and has a care package costing £thousands but is still cheaper than staying in hospital. And he still works and carers go to work with him. So sometimes the the different agencies can get it all together. But, I understand the frustrations when they don't.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 09 Feb 2017, 20:35

Thanks for all your good wishes Gents.
We have got used to some sort of running repair each year since 1999 although its rather like having an older car. Once you have to do too many repairs, it can be better getting a newer model but I just left it a bit too long when it came to the Mrs and we are where we are! :lol:
She could get a job testing airport metal detectors with ease.
Naturally I love her dearly - she is worth her weight in scrap metal

Andy: We are quite likely to be over to France again sometime later this year quite likely to be September once the UK kids are back to school.
Now with Mrs head bolted firmly back on, a road trip will be a lot lower risk.
Last year we had already booked when the consultant dropped his bombshell "Well I really don't know what is holding your head on Mrs Minchin. You had better wear this collar if you are going to travel by car" :shock:
So I had to drive like a nun and minimise all chances of getting a rear end shunt in the car.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby TrimTheKing » 10 Feb 2017, 01:13

Bloody hell Bob that sounds serious!! I know you've mentioned before some of the physical issues Mrs B suffers from but I can only recall leg/ankle related ones. What one earth (feel free to not answer if it's too personal a question!) is/was the whole head falling off situation all about???

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 10 Feb 2017, 09:42

TrimTheKing wrote:Bloody hell Bob that sounds serious!! I know you've mentioned before some of the physical issues Mrs B suffers from but I can only recall leg/ankle related ones. What one earth (feel free to not answer if it's too personal a question!) is/was the whole head falling off situation all about???

Cheers
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Mrs has lupus which is a malfunction of the auto immune system which instead of fighting bad things starts attacking the good bits. It can have a go at all sorts of parts of the body.
In Mrs case years ago it attacked lungs but that is now in remission. For 25 years or so it has been destroying cartilage which has led to replacement or repair of joints.
This latest episode has destroyed the discs in the upper spine as well las the tendons that go between the top of spine and the collar bones or in that area hence the potential for head falling off.
We have yet to see the X-rays of what has been done but we expect a mix of metal and bone grafts fusing the top 5 vertebrae.
She will be able to nod up and down but not move her head from side to side so I'm looking forward to her agreeing with me fully in future :lol:
Other repairs so far to toes ankles knees knuckles thumbs wrists and shoulders.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby TrimTheKing » 10 Feb 2017, 09:57

9fingers wrote:
TrimTheKing wrote:Bloody hell Bob that sounds serious!! I know you've mentioned before some of the physical issues Mrs B suffers from but I can only recall leg/ankle related ones. What one earth (feel free to not answer if it's too personal a question!) is/was the whole head falling off situation all about???

Cheers
Mark


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Mrs has lupus which is a malfunction of the auto immune system which instead of fighting bad things starts attacking the good bits. It can have a go at all sorts of parts of the body.
In Mrs case years ago it attacked lungs but that is now in remission. For 25 years or so it has been destroying cartilage which has led to replacement or repair of joints.
This latest episode has destroyed the discs in the upper spine as well las the tendons that go between the top of spine and the collar bones or in that area hence the potential for head falling off.
We have yet to see the X-rays of what has been done but we expect a mix of metal and bone grafts fusing the top 5 vertebrae.
She will be able to nod up and down but not move her head from side to side so I'm looking forward to her agreeing with me fully in future :lol:
Other repairs so far to toes ankles knees knuckles thumbs wrists and shoulders.
Bob


Well that sounds truly *! Fingers crossed everything went to plan and I look forward to your ever ludicrously increasing demands! :lol:

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Mark
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Tusses » 11 Feb 2017, 16:16

Wow Bob ! :o
All the best for Missus Bob.
Not a lot else to say ... put's things into perspective a bit !


Our lad had a car crash and smashed his pelvis .. that is now a mechano kit.
The repair team were excellent !

The recovery team not so. :evil:
After he'd been bolted back together, then next ward was terrible . Total lack of interest or communication from the nurses etc.

Finally, they discharged him.
Wheeled him down to the "departure lounge" and dumped him there. No Wheel chair.
Left him sat there with a pair of crutches and all his belongings, so he couldn't go to the loo or anything.
They didn't notify us to collect him, and it was an hour before he managed to get a text through to us.

Out patient care and the consultant has been good though.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Rod » 16 Feb 2017, 15:35

Hi Bob hope your wife is feeling better?
I've been In UHS since the 5th - 23hr operation carried over 2 days but under anaesthesia for all the 2days.
"LSD" tripping for over a week !!
Have to lay on sides ( no sitting) so makes life pretty boring. NBM so dreaming of ice cold G&T's

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 16 Feb 2017, 15:54

Rod wrote:Hi Bob hope your wife is feeling better?
I've been In UHS since the 5th - 23hr operation carried over 2 days but under anaesthesia for all the 2days.
"LSD" tripping for over a week !!
Have to lay on sides ( no sitting) so makes life pretty boring. NBM so dreaming of ice cold G&T's

Rod


Wow Rod, you are not doing things by halves mate! your 2 days under makes Mrs 5 hours pretty trivial.
She is doing well. Still some side effects of the anaesthesia but appetite coming back and wound healing very well.

I hope they start feeding you soon but the G&Ts might be a while away yet. Best of luck

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Andyp » 16 Feb 2017, 16:47

It is a bit difficult to calculate what we pay here for our private top up cover as it is benefit within the missus' salary. As you would expect the service is exemplary.
I booked an appointment for one of those "look arounds" that are required when you past 50 and have a family history, under anaesthetic unfortunately as I am too slim for the camera to make all the turns without excruciating pain.
Having followed the dietary advise, which, BTW, varies with the UK, I get a call the day before saying please come in it at 2pm. Form filling, interviews with anaesthetist and consultant took about 45 mins and was told then I should be OK to go home at 6pm.
Woke up from the anaesthetic and about 20 mins in recovery room. Back to room, shared with another Englishman also called Andrew who had already told the nurse that we like our tea with milk so she didn't even ask me :D Bread roll, jam, and compote. Chat with consultant and left at 10 mins before 6.

After 3 days on a zero fibre diet I am now eating like a horse.

There are many problems with the healthcare here and I am not suggesting that the model would work in the UK but I really think that the way the NHS is funded and the expectation that people have has to change. How, would take a better man than I to figure out.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Phil » 17 Feb 2017, 10:30

Rod wrote:Hi Bob hope your wife is feeling better?
I've been In UHS since the 5th - 23hr operation carried over 2 days but under anaesthesia for all the 2days.
"LSD" tripping for over a week !!
Have to lay on sides ( no sitting) so makes life pretty boring. NBM so dreaming of ice cold G&T's

Rod


Wow Rod!
Hope it was successful and you can live a fairly normal life again.
(we will have the G&T's for you, would not want the Gin to go off!)
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Andyp » 17 Feb 2017, 11:25

Hope you are feeling better by now Rod. Can't really imagine what you are going through.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby RogerS » 17 Feb 2017, 18:49

Jeepers, Rod and also Mrs 9fingers....makes our paltry house traumas pale into insignificance. Hope all make a speedy recovery.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 07 Dec 2018, 10:52

I'm coming late to this thread, but may I just say this:

The speed and care with which the N.H.S. here on the mainland has handled my Missus's Stage Four Big C is phenomenal compared to back home in Belfast. There, we were within a short bus ride of three excellent hospitals. Here, in rural Northumbria, we are 45 dense traffic minutes (at 70mph) away from an equally excellent hospital. Yet, the G.P. and local support services here have been STREETS better that our previous experiences. Why? Because the tribal posturing and record non-sitting 'parliament' at Stormont "has failed to ratify and process necessary budget funding". Not my words, but that of a former pupil, now an outstanding internationally recognised, ortho surgeon. His deep and sustained frustration were all too evident on TV recently. Sometimes Folks, the reasons for problems are far beyond the care givers.

Shame, shame, and more shame on the bullying, self-centred ideologues holding 1.5 million peoples' care as secondary to their percieved need for dominance over 'the other side'.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby RogerS » 07 Dec 2018, 12:01

I don't think that it is down to NI politicos and budgets exclusively as there are many surgeries over here that have really dire waiting times to see a GP...if you can get one at all. You've struck gold with Northumberland TBH.
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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby 9fingers » 07 Dec 2018, 12:18

We are lucky with SWMBO's surgery. Given her dodgy health, we have a direct number to call her GPs secretary and we can get either a telephone consultation in his next inter appointment gap or an appointment the same day. They know us well and know that if we call them it is important and don't abuse the privilege.
I also have a severely disabled friend with depression issues from time to time and he has a similar arrangement.

I thankfully have good health or at least straightforward stable things wrong and use a different surgery to SWMBO and I can get an appointment in 2-3days. My diabetic nurse always says that if certain things happen to me to phone in and she will see me the same day but I've never had to test that.

It seem the GP problem is a shortage of medical student who want to go into general practice preferring instead to specialise - which I expect is possibly a relatively easier, more interesting option than being a GP?

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby Rod » 07 Dec 2018, 14:03

With two doctors in the family, it’s the interesting work that leads them towards a hospital career. They both work extremely long hours, together with on-calls which the GPs today certainly don’t do.

I have a similar arrangement with my GP but that’s probably because he feels slightly guilty have failed to diagnose my rectal cancer. He should have sent me for tests instead of assuming it was piles.
My hospital Consultant is fantastic and I am under strict instructions to phone his mobile if anything goes wrong. I’ve had to do it a couple of times and am taken direct to the Acute Surgical Assessment Ward with no hanging around. It probably helps that he’s the head man there and the Professor of Surgical Oncology.

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Re: NHS Bed Management madness

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 08 Dec 2018, 21:30

I guess, in the light of these last comments, medical provision and speed of same is as varaiable here (mainland) as it is in my former, fractured homeland...?

Especially as my G.P. there diagnosed a 10cm x 12 cm tumour as a hernia (!)...but the speed and prowess of a second former pupil, that I paid to consult privately, could be compared to 186000 miles per second!

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