NHS outpatients

andrewb · 24-01-2007, 19:09

Have you read about it in the telegraph? They're trying to outsource patients to a private South African firm. This could risk many jobs in Royal Blackburn Hospital and potentially effect nearly every department there.

I think they're doing it for the completely wrong reasons. There should not be targets that need to be met, to get people treated within 18weeks. The targets should be about people getting better, period. No timescales, how does this achieve anything other than getting people rushed through and hence giving worse care because you're having to rush people through to meet deadlines?

What are your views? There was a campaign at RBH today by Unison which I was there for, and the real strong message I got was that nearly all the staff are deeply against it. I really think the staff have no faith in management or government over the NHS.

Original article: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/ne...tions_plan.php

accymel · 24-01-2007, 19:17

Well i can see the problems lets say experienced it certainly recently!! My lil ones appointment has been cancelled 3 times despite seriously needing the appointment as they are well aware, rang up to say the last appointment wasnt good enough & managed to backtrack it a month apparently its the specialist annual leave & he's the only one that can do this op.

accymel · 24-01-2007, 19:19

The problems of RBH is thats its now a combined hosptial, whereas it was used to 2 seperate hospitals in that area & now discoveering theres maybe not enough staff & consultants that can fit in it now

grego · 24-01-2007, 20:08

Although BRI AND QPH were 2 seperate hospitals the staff have always been the same and often work between sites so there should be no difference there, we have however merged with Burnley so that may affect it slightly though different specialities at different hospitals apply. I hadn't heard about the outpatient appointments but I've been on mat leave for 4 months, though I will do some digging now. Unfortunately the NHS is all about meeting targets, they have to be met in order to get funding, the staff however are just put under even more pressure and I can understand why so many of them will be unhappy about it.

Neil · 24-01-2007, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by grego

Unfortunately the NHS is all about meeting targets, they have to be met in order to get funding, the staff however are just put under even more pressure and I can understand why so many of them will be unhappy about it.

Sorry but that is life.

My company (as most do) has deadlines to meet every day. You get an order and a delivery date. If you don't make the product and get it to the customer on time you loose the order.

The problem with the NHS is that we have been throwing money at it and not been getting value for money. It may well be the best health service in the world but it is poorly run. I don't just blame the management either.

Every time I visit a hospital I see Doctors and nurses breaking simple hygiene rules. Its no wonder there is such a problem with hospital acquired infections.

My son had his tonsils out the day after boxing day last year. He was in the nice new children's day surgical ward. There was not one bottle of alcohol had rub anywhere. Every bed area had a holder for it but they were all empty. As you enter the hospital it reminds to clean your hands. Have none of the nursing staff not noticed they are missing? Do they not use the stuff?

When the nurse took the venflon out from the back of her hand she did not wear gloves. She but the dressing covered in dried blood on top of the TV stand where he was watching TV. I wonder if that is standard practice.

I could go on about the midwife who wrote the wrong medication on my wifes notes when our first was born or how I overheard some nurses at Accy Vic saying they should not wear wrist watches and cardigans as they prevent you from washing your hands properly but they both were doing and many other incidents I have seen.

I know many nurses/doctors do a good job but I believe there are more who flaunt the rules through either ignorance or just laziness.

I have had my appointments with my consultant cancelled a couple of times because he was on holiday. I can't just take holidays at work at short notice so why should he?

Ok rant over, sorry folks but I am just telling it as I see it.

Ianto.W. · 24-01-2007, 23:08

Quote:

Cyfr, I think they're doing it for the completely wrong reasons. There should not be targets that need to be met, to get people treated within 18weeks. The targets should be about people getting better, period. No timescales, how does this achieve anything other than getting people rushed through and hence giving worse care because you're having to rush people through to meet deadlines?

Codswallop! Anything that will speed waiting times up no matter who is drafted in to do it will save LIVES, if you contract for instance any sort of cancer,wait 18 weeks for a diagnosis then god knows how long for a scan etc, then to see a specialist who deals with your complaint, it will be to late to treat it. The speed that some of these diseases is phenomenal, the jobs at Blackburn Royal are bound to be safe as they cannot cope with the volume of patients now, so who cares who sees you as long as it is done early enough!

WillowTheWhisp · 24-01-2007, 23:28

That's one view of it Ianto but sometimes the definition of 'seeing' a patient doesn't actually cover doing anything positive to treat them. I was discharged and re-admitted because that made me look like two patients, one cured and one newly diagnosed, as far as the statistics were concerned. It didn't actually improve my health. I'm still waiting for a follow up appointment with the doc but every time I try to make one they haven't got the diary sorted yet.

Ianto.W. · 24-01-2007, 23:46

Quote:

Willow The Whisp, That's one view of it Ianto but sometimes the definition of 'seeing' a patient doesn't actually cover doing anything positive to treat them.

Point taken 'Willow', without wanting to go to deep into this subject (for personal reasons), being seen early has saved my life on three occasions.

garinda · 24-01-2007, 23:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyfr

Have you read about it in the telegraph? They're trying to outsource patients to a private South African firm. This could risk many jobs in Royal Blackburn Hospital and potentially effect nearly every department there.

I think they're doing it for the completely wrong reasons. There should not be targets that need to be met, to get people treated within 18weeks. The targets should be about people getting better, period. No timescales, how does this achieve anything other than getting people rushed through and hence giving worse care because you're having to rush people through to meet deadlines?

What are your views? There was a campaign at RBH today by Unison which I was there for, and the real strong message I got was that nearly all the staff are deeply against it. I really think the staff have no faith in management or government over the NHS.

Original article: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/ne...tions_plan.php

Weren't you the one complaing the other week about how long you were having to wait for a scan?

Scan and a tan.

nikkival · 25-01-2007, 00:46

I was referred recently to a consultant and was only given the option of going to Darwen Health Centre not RBH and was seen within 4 weeks of my GP referring me on. The consultant there has now referred me for an MRI at RBH - I received a letter telling me that the waiting time is 4 weeks, I was surprised - I thought it would be longer, however if I do need surgery for my condition, I've been told it will probably be at Preston. Last year I went for a private consultation at Beardwood (GP advised this would be the fastest option for recovery, NHS would be between 18-26 weeks), and was told by the consultant that there was no need for me to have an MRI scan and that my condition would rectify in time with rest and medication, that was money well spent (not)!

My son has just had an ENT consultation, he was seen within 6 weeks of referral, was treated for his recurring nose-bleeds at Accy Vic on the same day as the consult, he has to go for a follow-up next month and that should be his treatment finished with.

So far I've no complaint with the NHS service I've received, and am hoping this will still be the case when I get my results and they decide on surgery/treatment. However a close family member had been waiting 2 years for a consultation and had a very poor experience at the old BRI following surgery, (especially regarding the hygiene and lax attitudes of some of the staff), and just to cap it off the operation didn't help her condition so she is back on the waiting list for a more complex procedure.

I was under the impression that they were building all these NHS treatment centres (like the one I went to in Darwen) to relieve the strain on the hospital departments, isn't there one being built on Paradise Street in Accy at the moment?

I suppose the NHS, especially the finances & politics will always be controversial and that everyone has had different experiences both positive & negative of the service provided.

cashman · 25-01-2007, 01:06

The problem with the NHS is that we have been throwing money at it and not been getting value for money. It may well be the best health service in the world but it is poorly run. I don't just blame the management either. ---------- i used to think we had the best neil,until i lived abroad and found much differance. but cannot agree with cyfrs post, Reasons for change do not matter all that matters is IMPROVEMENT, SPEED,of treatment and if that can be acheived then its a result.simple as. P.S. whilst the treatment i found when away was far Quicker/superior to the equivalant here the cost was far in excess of our NHS contributions, but worth every penny.

Ianto.W. · 25-01-2007, 01:12

Quote:

nikkival, close family member had been waiting 2 years for a consultation and had a very poor experience at the old BRI following surgery, (especially regarding the hygiene and lax attitudes of some of the staff),

Waiting 2 years for a consultation is your GPs fault for not putting enough pressure on for them, regarding follow up's after sugery I do not understand that bit sorry , but hygene in hospitals went west with privatisation, they should bring it back in house. I can also assure you bad hygene and bad attitudes were not unique to BRI, try a spell in Blackpool Victoria if you want to be nursed by hot dog sellers.

steeljack · 25-01-2007, 01:19

they need to bring real matrons back

Ianto.W. · 25-01-2007, 01:34

Exactly the point I was trying to make in my last post,it is lack of supervision and the 'cheapness' of life attitude some of (not the bog standard nurses but the so called sisters). I have had major surgery in four hospitals, three life threatening, and I have never seen, never mind met, a matron.

Neil · 25-01-2007, 06:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

hygene in hospitals went west with privatisation, they should bring it back in house.

I know someone who works at RBH for the private cleaning firm and I think she is very particular in her work (That should stop me getting a slap this afternoon outside school

). I do believe that many are not so good, there are not enough of them either. You must have heard the old one, pay peanuts get monkeys.