Heart Attack !

Drew_TNBD

Emp_Fab said:

My sympathies mate.  I try not to think about my mum's final moments but it wouldn't have been gentle or peaceful.  People bang on about how fantastic the NHS is, and for a "Free" system it is.  However, it's not free, and I imagine the level of care you would get in a private hospital (in the States for example) would make the average NHS ward look like it was still in the era of "Carry On Matron."

People's opinions of the NHS are usually formed by whatever limited personal experience they have of it, and just because they happened to 'save them' or the staff were lovely or some other largely irrelevant aspect, it does not follow that the NHS as a wonderful institution, the "envy of the world" or is the "pride of Britain".  As someone who is connected with the IT side of it, it is a basket-case of incompetence, mismanagement, complacency and financial profligacy.  Waving a Union Jack and blindly singing the praises of the NHS is very nice from a patriotic point of view, but allows successive governments off the hook when it comes to making the improvements it so desperately needs.

*slow clap*

Emp_Fab

Here... We're getting on a bit too well lately.  Can't you call me a c*nt or something?  

Drew_TNBD

Emp_Fab said:

Here... We're getting on a bit too well lately.  Can't you call me a c*nt or something?  

*slow clap ya cunt*

Emp_Fab

That's better.  I feel all fuzzy inside now. 

boogieman

Emp_Fab said:

My sympathies mate.  I try not to think about my mum's final moments but it wouldn't have been gentle or peaceful.  People bang on about how fantastic the NHS is, and for a "Free" system it is.  However, it's not free, and I imagine the level of care you would get in a private hospital (in the States for example) would make the average NHS ward look like it was still in the era of "Carry On Matron."

People's opinions of the NHS are usually formed by whatever limited personal experience they have of it, and just because they happened to 'save them' or the staff were lovely or some other largely irrelevant aspect, it does not follow that the NHS as a wonderful institution, the "envy of the world" or is the "pride of Britain".  As someone who is connected with the IT side of it, it is a basket-case of incompetence, mismanagement, complacency and financial profligacy.  Waving a Union Jack and blindly singing the praises of the NHS is very nice from a patriotic point of view, but allows successive governments off the hook when it comes to making the improvements it so desperately needs.

Both my brother in law and sister in law work in the US health system: from what they tell me it's not as great as you think. Yes you do get a high level of personal care (which you pay through the nose for, via exorbitant health insurance fees. And god help you if you can't afford them.) but the actual medical procedures aren't that much better than here. Two members of my sis in law's family have been misdiagnosed in the last five years. Her mother had a needless and botched operation on her back which almost resulted in her being crippled for life. She had to have two more major operations to repair the damage. Her sister had oesophageal cancer missed in a routine scan: she's lucky she didn't die.

Sure the NHS is bloated and mismanaged and it's needed a major overhaul and cash injections for a long time, but on the whole it still does a bloody brilliant job. I understand your anger about your mum, I'm sure I'd feel the same in your position. No system is perfect though.

@ChrisMusic. Glad you're ok, must have been a terrifying experience. At least you got a feee helicopter trip 

EricTheWeary

MrsTheWeary used to work in a private hospital in the States and the facilities ( although this is going back a bit) were better than anything she'd seen in the UK. However, there are private hospitals here if you want to be called sir and have omlettes made to order. You also have a lot of people in the USA without decent medical insurance who recieve a much lower standard of care and many medical decisions will be driven by insurance costs. For example we have people on here with health problems like Crohns who will have regular medication and treatment for much of their life. In the USA the treatment will tend to be invasive surgery at a much earlier stage because it's a cheaper option yet far worse in terms of chances of recovery and quality of life.

MrsTheWeary currently works at the Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham, apparently they were given the go ahead to develop their own IT systems which seem to be first rate.

Almost universally the experience of the NHS is that their emergency systems (ambulances, casualty) are amazing but longer term and community care is patchy. It is, however, a bloody huge organisation covering a huge range of need so I don't think expecting 100% consistency is realistic. Anyway, we digress. 

frank1985

Sorry to hear about your pubic hair, that must have been deeply traumatic for you. 

Take care of yourself. 

57Deluxe

was it Sheer though?

ChrisMusic

Thanks for all the kind remarks folks, they are very much appreciated, as is the support.

I am touched that my story resonated with some of you, and was taken in the spirit I intended.  It is not something that gets talked about often outside of family confines, so I am pleased if has been vaguely insightful for some of you.  I may add a little more detail a bit further down the line, if anyone wants.

These are somewhat bleak times, so a 'good news' story hopefully sets the balance back to humanity a bit.  Wasn't it Martin Bell who started the (unfortunately) short lived 'good news' program on BBC.  There are plenty of inspiring stories about, this world is a beautiful and inspirational place, I believe we should value them more...

Emp_Fab

FWIW my epiphany lasted about six months.  It didn't take me long to slip back into "moaning bastard" mode!

boogieman

Emp_Fab said:

FWIW my epiphany lasted about six minutes before I slipped back into "moaning bastard" mode!

FTFY. 

tony99

best wishes man

mattdavis

The NHS could certainly do better - and it's not free - but not having to consider the cost of treatment when you're actually ill is so important. I was listening to a friend discuss the financial implications of different treatment options being recommended for their cat by a vet, and deciding not to go for a surgery due to the cost.
Imagine that was a loved one - I can't begin to contemplate how awful it would be to watch someone not receiving a basic treatment due to its cost. 
The NHS is a massively complex system, and a victim of its own success. To say it is universally mismanaged is just wrong - clearly there will be examples of mismanagement, but there are also many instances of brilliant management and adaptability of a massive organisation to sudden changes (see London on 7/7, Manchester last week)
the NHS was was founded on the premise that making people healthier will lessen their demand on the service. In practice, the opposite has happened. As people live longer demand has increased, more advanced and costly treatments are now expected to be available and social care budgets have not  been increased to allow people to be discharged safely. Politicians have also fostered a consumerist culture of expecting more and more of the service, making it patient demand led rather than patient need led (e.g. why should you be seen in a&e within 4 hours with a non-emergency? All that does is incentivise the prioritisation of quick minor issues to be dealt with first and complex elderly patients being dumped into pseudo observation wards in A&e so that the department can meet its target. Consultants spend so much time playing a strategic game with their waiting screen that could be spent with patients...). With finite resources, this is just unsustainable. 

Its a very emotive subject and it's entirely understandable that people form opinions based on personal experience, and I'm truly sorry to hear when the NHS has come up short, but on balance I'd say it's the single best thing about this country. And as the creeping privatisation continues, we stand on the edge of a precipice, at the bottom of which is a profit led, discriminatory health service. 
Really glad the OP is well. 

IvisonGuitars

Very best wishes for a speedy recovery Chris!

....I told you a 2x12 Bad Cat was trouble..... ;-)

ChrisMusic

Cheers @miserneil  

I thought all cats were good luck, even the Bad Cats !

Oh, hang on, mischievous Siamese there at the start, 95lb Bad Cat 2x12 to move around with a (fixed) dicky ticker, and @Rocker recommends keeping the cats close too (cheers).  I reckon that's good advice, one is great fun, and the other sounds like a choir of the massed angels of heaven, and I so nearly got to check that one out first hand !   So cats, good and bad, for the win IMHO  

I may just need to split the combo into a separate head and cab now though...

ChrisMusic

Thanks for your excellently written post @mattdavis , much to agree with there.

Good perspectives from @boogieman and @EricTheWeary too, cheers chaps...

ChrisMusic

It was almost (!) worth going through this experience just to see @Emp_Fab and @Drew_TNBD kiss and makeup in public.  Maybe the pet names were a bit much though !

On a more series note though...

I am truly sorry to hear of the trauma that both of you, and your families, have been through, and the same with you @rlw , horrendous experiences all round.  You all have my sincerest sympathies.

ChrisMusic

To everyone else who shared stories here, a heart felt 'thank you' to all of you  

mudslide73

I've only just noticed this thread Chris, sorry. I hope you're feeling better - my Dad had exactly the same experience but at the golf course*. He described his helicopter ride as being similar to Charlie Sheen's at the end of "Platoon". The stents seemed to give him a massive boost in energy so I hopefully you'll get this benefit too. *West Mids Air Ambulance and New Cross Hospital Cardiology Unit (which bizarrely has a Gregg's in its concourse!).  

As a long term patient requiring v.expensive treatment and monitoring I can't tell you how much I value the NHS. I'm sure my insurance premiums would have risen by now in a private system. I can't help agreeing with @EricTheWeary and @mattdavis with the "cheaper option" and "profit led, discriminatory health service" stuff. As soon as you start running it as a business they'll start making decisions like they would in business. Hopefully they can make it work without ruining it.

mcsdan

Sorry to hear Chris. Hope you're on the mend now.