Good old NHS - friend had a fall and....

No a shattered shoulder isn't an emergency that requires a 999 ambulance, if she could get up and walk then she could have got in any other vehicle to be taken to hospital. But due to the NHS she got a ambulance to take her with no questions asked.

As for horse riders being judged and treated unfairly, I have to disagree. We are there to do our jobs to the best of our abilities, we are there to treat and care for patients of all different backgrounds with a huge variety of different problems. I can assure you that the drunken abusive little treasures we get Do not get treated with more respect!
 
The worst treatment of a sport-doer I've seen was a nurse to my boyfriend when he badly broke his wrist. He is always careful not to hurt himself and never wants to waste hospital time. He also skates to a high level and is nothing like the 'skateboarder' stereotype. When he told the nurse how he did it she rolled her eyes then had a massive go. But she was clearly a d**k - she tried to eject me from the room when I gasped in shock upon seeing his x-ray and told us we were disgusting when I gave him a hug!

Otherwise amazing experiences - two pushbike accidents in two weeks. In the first, the ambulance came within seconds, spent ten minutes checking I was fine, then went. In the second (smashed my face up and impaled myself on my handlebar), I went to A+E the next day and they were wonderful. Did an ultrasound to check for internal damage and spent the whole day cleaning me up and being sympathetic. My single gripe was that they made me walk across a whole ward holding a bowl of my own urine sample!!

You're going to get these mistakes from people under immense strain and feeling disenchanted with the institution they work for. Maybe I would feel bitter if I'd had a bad experience, but I'd like to think I wouldn't be - people under pressure make mistakes. The NHS has its problems, but when it's life threatening they are absolutely there.

On that note, so much for not cutting frontline services?? Or am I opening up a can of worms?
 
Perissa,

After reading through all the replies - it dawned on me that the lady who owned/was responsible for the dogs - seemed completely oblivious to what had happened! You say another gentleman caught the horse and you were summoned to help.

Are you saying she simply walked off and didnt look back....? Didn't go to your friend and show some concern? Regardless of the pros and cons of treatment received by the NHS - as people seem to be discussing - how bizarre/disgusting that a human could be so callous! After witnessing a fall! Beggars belief. I hope your friend gets back in the saddle as soon as she can. Good Luck !
 
OK - firstly the NHS is not free - it may appear 'free' at the point of service but those of us who pay tax do actually PAY for our healthcare!

Why should we be told if you want a better service you should pay for private healthcare?? I pay for the education system via the tax system AND THEN pay school fees for my kids because I don't want to compromise their education - am I expected to pay twice for healthcare AS WELL??

Secondly, I'm sorry, but where in the private sector would shoddy service be acceptable?? In my job if I cock up I pay for it - "oh I was really busy and you weren't a high priority case" would not be an acceptable excuse for poor performance.

Yes, I think we all appreciate that some in the NHS do a sterling job under what are undoubtably difficult circumstances, however, as in all professions, some are people just substandard in the role they perform.

And no I couldn't do the job, I wouldn't have any wish to either, that is why I would never choose to enter into it.
 
CelticGal said:
Perissa,

After reading through all the replies - it dawned on me that the lady who owned/was responsible for the dogs - seemed completely oblivious to what had happened! You say another gentleman caught the horse and you were summoned to help.

Are you saying she simply walked off and didnt look back....? Didn't go to your friend and show some concern? Regardless of the pros and cons of treatment received by the NHS - as people seem to be discussing - how bizarre/disgusting that a human could be so callous! After witnessing a fall! Beggars belief. I hope your friend gets back in the saddle as soon as she can. Good Luck !
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Sadly many dog owners take this view, as their precious dogs could be seen to be out of control in a public place. Thus they make themselves scare before their identity can be discovered/police can arrive.
 
What many people fail to grasp about the nhs is that it is virtually a free service !!! what you pay in contributions really goes no where near covering the cost of your treatment. Where else in the world do you get this service !?!?!? nowhere which is why our nhs is admired world over.

Yes there are times when service can be slow, or due to staff shortage things can get overlooked, but that happens in any industry. The nhs doesnt just provide a&e care, how about your doctors surgery, mental health care units, care homes etc etc etc.

If you are really unhappy with the "free" service that the nhs provides then private health cover is the way forward . Can you imagine the uproar if it was made law in this country that everyone had to pay for their healthcare.
 
sussexbythesea said:
She is just the type of person who should get the sack if that is her attitude. What does she do it for? Sounds like she is one of those nasty people with low self-esteem that likes to use what little power they have to wield it over those who are in a vulnerable state.

Unfortunately the caring professions attract this type of person as much as it attracts those that truely do care.
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You know what when its 4am and I've been at work since 5pm the day before and I've still got another 4 hours to go and *another* drunk person comes in f-ing and blinding at me because I'm 'f-ing hurting him, you f-ing b*tch' then yes, I do lack a little bit of sympathy.....nothing wrong with my self esteem thank you very much.

As for those of you that had injuries that weren't x-rayed it often has nothing to do with money etc. Doctors have to follow strict protocols and abide by regulations (which are put in place to protect patients!). The main one being IRMER. X-rays have a radiation dose and they have to ensure that you aren't receiving unneccesary radiation. So if your injury presents in a untypical manner then it could be that you don't get an x-ray.
You might think that saying 'oh but I told them my shoulder hurt' means they should have xrayed you but when they have examined you and 'clinically' there seems no suggestion of a fracture then they will protect you from a radiation dose and not send you for an xray.

As for those of you that think the NHS is such a terrible, crappy thing how about from now on you NEVER use it again? None of it. I mean its so crap why would you want to? ;)
 
This happened to me.

A horse knocked me to the ground and shod on my knee.

I had it x rayed, they said it was fine.
Just put a tubey grip bandage on it and said rest it.

A week later i got a call to say can you come to hospital the next day, but didnt say why.
Next day it was plastered and i was on crutches, for 6 weeks!

The problem it the on shift doctor has a look, thinks its fine and treats.
The radiographer is so busy and there is a massive back log that it takes a week for the expert to see it and do a proper diagnosis.

Thats how things get missed.

NHS over stretched again.

another accident i had, (horse related!)
resulted in surgery to my shoulder, i have a titanium plate and 4 screws in it.


Its "almost" perfect now, cant complain as they did as best they could for me.

So its not the end of the world for your friend, after a recovery period, (i could ride for 3 months!) she will be fine.
 
I am paid to treat people and not judge them.
Am i paid to be caring or to care for? There is a world of difference.

To the junior A/E doctor who, on being told by a large lady that she ate like a bird, asked if it were a pterydactyl - you get my vote every time!
 
This experience doesn't sound a million miles away from mine. I had a bad fall and couldn't even walk properly. The paramedics took over an hour (they got lost), wouldn't help me onto the ambulance stretcher and carted me off to Bournemouth. Once there, I was allowed to rot for 5 hours. In my lying down position, I saw some horrible sights, including a desperate mother of a young child. When I was finally 'seen', it was simply to give me gas and air (without instructions, so I got VERY drunk on it, not realising you have to move as you breathe it). Half an hour of that (and entertaining the ward, I really was p****d), they handed me some crutches and said I would have to leave as they needed the bed. No X-ray, examination, nothing. They gave me a tramadol and diazepam prescription, without telling me the side effects.

I was soooo mentally unstable after coming of diazepam I can't tell you. I had to go on holiday a couple of weeks later and sobbed all the way to the ferryport, as I just wanted to rot in my bed. My poor mum still hasn't been away with me, since and it was 2007. I was snappy, psychotic and cut short the holiday by 3 days. NEVER done that before! Turned out the pain I was now suffering was sciatica. It was so bad I drove to work, took tramadol and that got me through the day. I finally got an X-ray nearly 4 months later. My posture was all out and I was THEN referred for physio.

On the upside, though, another riding accident saw me break 9 teeth and was sent off to Epsom (few years before the last, early 2000). I didn't even have time to sit down in A & E before I was seen and stitched up (hole in my chin!) by a lovely nurse. I couldn't tell you what Epsom A and E is like - I didn't spend long enough in it!!

My private heathcare rocks. I was seen in 24hrs for a podiatry issue and it's all been very hassle free. Hope I can still afford it if I do take redundancy in July!
 
I've had good and bad experiences.

If it wasn't for the excellent team of midwives, drs, aneasthetist etc whilst I was giving birth to my eldest, we would have both died. Daughters heart stopped and there was no time for a c-sec. The poor sod was dragged out and it took them 6 mins to get her breathing. In the meantime I was haemhorraging (sp) badly and rushed to theatre, 3hrs and several litres of blood later, I was fine.

My eldest has been a regular visitor at the Manchester Childrens hospital since she was a tiny baby (she's 5 now). They are fantastic with her. She hates going and is petrified of drs. My GP together with the team of specialists who look after her have worked together to solve it over the last few months. She had her first surgery at 2yrs old and the care was second to none. She's due the first of her major surgery in 4 years and I have every confidence in the care she'll receive.

But, there have been bad experiences. My youngest cut her chin open a couple of months ago. We took her to A&E and they left us for 3.5 hrs with half of her chin hanging off. Initially blood was pouring from the wound, I had to ask for something to put on it to stop spreading blood everywhere and also a cloth so that I could clean up the blood from the chair and floor where we were sat. She's 2 years old and the dr who stitched her up couldn't understand why she wasn't more co-operative after 3.5hrs :rolleyes:

My Dad also received appalling care when he was in hospital dying from cancer. He was shoved into a side room. They kept forgetting to give him is food at meal times, forgot to go to him when he needed assistance to go to the loo, forgot his meds leaving him in horrendous pain. I will never forgive those responsible for his treatment, he was dying, he deserved to eat, have his pain under control. Then the most fabulous people who exist in our caring health system took my Dad into a hospice. Now those people are angels, they care, their work is a vocation not just a job. They made my Dads last days as comfortable as possible and guess what, they're funded by charitable donations!

There is good and bad in the NHS, but quite alot of the bad is unacceptable and unforgiveable.

I DO pay for any treatment I have had/ will have on the NHS. I rarely need any hospital treatment/GP visits etc, I've been paying into the system for 23 years. I pay over 10k per year in NI contributions alone, never mind the tax that I pay. I also pay for private healthcare.

I do expect a high level of service, I pay for it and would not accept anything less from any other service I pay for.

Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has their off days, but if you work in an arena such as the NHS which by it's very nature involves caring, being thorough and having other peoples lives in your hands, off days are not acceptable where the consequences are felt by patients and mistakes can quite often involve peoples lives, at the very least the quality of life.

There are alot of good people in the NHS, worth their weight in gold and I applaud and admire them. If you work in the NHS reading this post and are one of them, no offence will be taken ;)
 
Syrah said:
There is good and bad in the NHS, but quite alot of the bad is unacceptable and unforgiveable.

I DO pay for any treatment I have had/ will have on the NHS. I rarely need any hospital treatment/GP visits etc, I've been
There are alot of good people in the NHS, worth their weight in gold and I applaud and admire them. If you work in the NHS reading this post and are one of them, no offence will be taken ;)
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Absolutely...I work in the NHS ( obviously I am one of the good ones;)) but I'm certainly not blind to some of the shoddy practices that occur. Yes, its free at the point of need. Yes...resources are stretched....but thats no excuse for poor care, crap communication and bad management.
 
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