Who's finding the NHS very hard work??????

Jerry

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
Only just noticed this thread but thought I would add my two penneth worth.


As some here know my father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour a number of weeks back. First signs were dementia like, and given his age not out of the norm.


The local team kicked in and started various therapies including a variety of home visits. One of which as an occupational therapist and physio.


Dad was not in any obvious pain but at one visit by the physio was not happy and called into the hospital to discuss, resulting in an ambulance to take him in.


3 hours later I received a call to say they had found a brain tumour and the prognosis was poor. That floored me somewhat, sat in a tractor as I was tedding out grass. Made a quick exit of the field and back to see Mum hoping to get there before they called her which I managed thankfully.


He stayed in the RD&E in Exeter until a week ago Friday just gone. During that time they have manged to reverse his dementia like symptoms. We as a family have had a number of meetings with both the cancer care team and the palliative care team and taken the decision as a family to not try and attack the tumor, rather to keep dad as comfortable and happy as possible until the time comes. Thank fully he is still in no pain at this time but his mobility and normal functions are severely compromised.


The NHS have been amazing, simply amazing!


Mum is in her 80’s and extremely worried. They have bent over backwards to look after him and her. Whilst in hospital his care was wonderful, the nurses simply cared…..cared a lot! The doctors were hugely sympathetic and very open with us as a family about what to expect.


They took a week to put in a care package to make sure he could come home, that has meant mum gets 4 visits a day from a nurse to make sure both she and Dad are OK. They have supplied various items of hardware, a full hospital electric bed, walking frames, commode’s, wheel chair, ramps, over bed frames and tables etc etc.


For at least 4 nights a week Mum also get an overnight nurse or carer from Marie Curie.


The community pharmacist has visited to ensure meds are correct and blister packs supplied to avoid any incorrect dosing.


The community physio continues to visit to try and keep dad a little mobile.


District nurse pops in ontop of other planned visits.


Dad’s GP comes by when he can to check on him.


All this without asking….without making a fuse, its just happens. The NHS machine has kicked in…….they want to see him and Mum cared for……yes its end of life care….buts its care!


Is not perfect but it is bloody good from where I am sitting at the moment!


This morning I managed to get Dad out around the farm in the pickup. It took me nearly 30 mins to get from his wheel chair into the passenger seat. We then spent about an hour or so driving around the crops and stock. I may have made a bit of a mess of some crops as I drove him out into some of the fields so he could still give his view on how they looked and how far they were from harvest. Could not care less about knocking a bit of wheat down. He berated me a few times for not doing this and that and said there were too many wild oats/thistles/ragwort the yard not being tidy enough, the road hedges needed trimming on the bends, grass needing topping etc etc.


But, hell Im glad he can still tell me off!


And a lot of that is down to the NHS, free, unasked for but there when you need it. god bless them!


I hope to get him into Exeter Market this Friday, he always loved to visit and have a bite to eat there Fridays, will be good to let him catch up with his old mates there.
 
Location
East Mids
Princess,
absolutely right that as heart attacks and strokes don't get us in our sixties cancer and dementia get us in our eighties. Good in a way but they last a few years and are expensive to fund. What is the alternative?
Sadly I have no answers as to an 'alternative'. Some of the care offered to dementia sufferers in homes is appalling. I think as it becoming such a big issue funding and research will eventually help to prevent (partly through some lifestyle adjustments) and also, combined with better diagnosis, at least reduce the impact although we may never find a 'cure'.
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
Only just noticed this thread but thought I would add my two penneth worth.


As some here know my father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour a number of weeks back. First signs were dementia like, and given his age not out of the norm.


The local team kicked in and started various therapies including a variety of home visits. One of which as an occupational therapist and physio.


Dad was not in any obvious pain but at one visit by the physio was not happy and called into the hospital to discuss, resulting in an ambulance to take him in.


3 hours later I received a call to say they had found a brain tumour and the prognosis was poor. That floored me somewhat, sat in a tractor as I was tedding out grass. Made a quick exit of the field and back to see Mum hoping to get there before they called her which I managed thankfully.


He stayed in the RD&E in Exeter until a week ago Friday just gone. During that time they have manged to reverse his dementia like symptoms. We as a family have had a number of meetings with both the cancer care team and the palliative care team and taken the decision as a family to not try and attack the tumor, rather to keep dad as comfortable and happy as possible until the time comes. Thank fully he is still in no pain at this time but his mobility and normal functions are severely compromised.


The NHS have been amazing, simply amazing!


Mum is in her 80’s and extremely worried. They have bent over backwards to look after him and her. Whilst in hospital his care was wonderful, the nurses simply cared…..cared a lot! The doctors were hugely sympathetic and very open with us as a family about what to expect.


They took a week to put in a care package to make sure he could come home, that has meant mum gets 4 visits a day from a nurse to make sure both she and Dad are OK. They have supplied various items of hardware, a full hospital electric bed, walking frames, commode’s, wheel chair, ramps, over bed frames and tables etc etc.


For at least 4 nights a week Mum also get an overnight nurse or carer from Marie Curie.


The community pharmacist has visited to ensure meds are correct and blister packs supplied to avoid any incorrect dosing.


The community physio continues to visit to try and keep dad a little mobile.


District nurse pops in ontop of other planned visits.


Dad’s GP comes by when he can to check on him.


All this without asking….without making a fuse, its just happens. The NHS machine has kicked in…….they want to see him and Mum cared for……yes its end of life care….buts its care!


Is not perfect but it is bloody good from where I am sitting at the moment!


This morning I managed to get Dad out around the farm in the pickup. It took me nearly 30 mins to get from his wheel chair into the passenger seat. We then spent about an hour or so driving around the crops and stock. I may have made a bit of a mess of some crops as I drove him out into some of the fields so he could still give his view on how they looked and how far they were from harvest. Could not care less about knocking a bit of wheat down. He berated me a few times for not doing this and that and said there were too many wild oats/thistles/ragwort the yard not being tidy enough, the road hedges needed trimming on the bends, grass needing topping etc etc.


But, hell Im glad he can still tell me off!


And a lot of that is down to the NHS, free, unasked for but there when you need it. god bless them!


I hope to get him into Exeter Market this Friday, he always loved to visit and have a bite to eat there Fridays, will be good to let him catch up with his old mates there.
Really feel for you at this time and for what you are about to go through over the next week's and month's.
I lost my dad with stomach cancer on the 23/7/14 after a 6 week fight from being reasonable fit after "ALMOST " losing him 12 months before with stomach cancer and the cancer departments at The RD&E& ELF were superb and Marie Curie nurses but The Devon doctor's were a let down on several occasions as he was in screaming agony on several occasions for well over half a day each time before Knock out drug's where brought and administrated and the final time thankfully he never woke up from but maybe he didn't help himself by being hell bent on wanting to die in a house he so loved with family around and only approximately 150 metres from the house he was born in just over 76 years before instead of a hospice 30 miles away
 
Last edited:

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
How are you feeling @kill
Really good thank you(y). My wound is tender and I have alot of numbness which I hope will all/ mostly go away with time and to have the inflammation in my hips and tremendous pain gone is just so amazing and I am now home and everyone's telling me how chirppy I am sounding and in so little time and thankfully all my work is getting done by the great guys that I am luckily enough to work with(y)
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Only just noticed this thread but thought I would add my two penneth worth.


As some here know my father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour a number of weeks back. First signs were dementia like, and given his age not out of the norm.


The local team kicked in and started various therapies including a variety of home visits. One of which as an occupational therapist and physio.


Dad was not in any obvious pain but at one visit by the physio was not happy and called into the hospital to discuss, resulting in an ambulance to take him in.


3 hours later I received a call to say they had found a brain tumour and the prognosis was poor. That floored me somewhat, sat in a tractor as I was tedding out grass. Made a quick exit of the field and back to see Mum hoping to get there before they called her which I managed thankfully.


He stayed in the RD&E in Exeter until a week ago Friday just gone. During that time they have manged to reverse his dementia like symptoms. We as a family have had a number of meetings with both the cancer care team and the palliative care team and taken the decision as a family to not try and attack the tumor, rather to keep dad as comfortable and happy as possible until the time comes. Thank fully he is still in no pain at this time but his mobility and normal functions are severely compromised.


The NHS have been amazing, simply amazing!


Mum is in her 80’s and extremely worried. They have bent over backwards to look after him and her. Whilst in hospital his care was wonderful, the nurses simply cared…..cared a lot! The doctors were hugely sympathetic and very open with us as a family about what to expect.


They took a week to put in a care package to make sure he could come home, that has meant mum gets 4 visits a day from a nurse to make sure both she and Dad are OK. They have supplied various items of hardware, a full hospital electric bed, walking frames, commode’s, wheel chair, ramps, over bed frames and tables etc etc.


For at least 4 nights a week Mum also get an overnight nurse or carer from Marie Curie.


The community pharmacist has visited to ensure meds are correct and blister packs supplied to avoid any incorrect dosing.


The community physio continues to visit to try and keep dad a little mobile.


District nurse pops in ontop of other planned visits.


Dad’s GP comes by when he can to check on him.


All this without asking….without making a fuse, its just happens. The NHS machine has kicked in…….they want to see him and Mum cared for……yes its end of life care….buts its care!


Is not perfect but it is bloody good from where I am sitting at the moment!


This morning I managed to get Dad out around the farm in the pickup. It took me nearly 30 mins to get from his wheel chair into the passenger seat. We then spent about an hour or so driving around the crops and stock. I may have made a bit of a mess of some crops as I drove him out into some of the fields so he could still give his view on how they looked and how far they were from harvest. Could not care less about knocking a bit of wheat down. He berated me a few times for not doing this and that and said there were too many wild oats/thistles/ragwort the yard not being tidy enough, the road hedges needed trimming on the bends, grass needing topping etc etc.


But, hell Im glad he can still tell me off!


And a lot of that is down to the NHS, free, unasked for but there when you need it. god bless them!


I hope to get him into Exeter Market this Friday, he always loved to visit and have a bite to eat there Fridays, will be good to let him catch up with his old mates there.

Sorry to hear about your Dad. You're a good man, not many about like you. Stay strong.
 

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
Mum is in hospital at the moment, she has a form of dementia but is bedridden at the moment, but there is another lady on the ward who appears fit and active but has dementia, it is virtually a full time job for one of the nurses (nurse assistant) to keep taking her back to her bed, moving her away from other patients etc, the ward door has to be closed at all times to stop her from wandering off.
Dementia care must be costing the country a fortune, why do we seem to be seeing so much more of it these days. It's very sad and distressing to watch someone deteriorate with dementia, hopefully one day they might find some cure
The like is for the hope of finding a cure. Hope your Mum has more good days than had ones.
 

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
Only just noticed this thread but thought I would add my two penneth worth.


As some here know my father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour a number of weeks back. First signs were dementia like, and given his age not out of the norm.


The local team kicked in and started various therapies including a variety of home visits. One of which as an occupational therapist and physio.


Dad was not in any obvious pain but at one visit by the physio was not happy and called into the hospital to discuss, resulting in an ambulance to take him in.


3 hours later I received a call to say they had found a brain tumour and the prognosis was poor. That floored me somewhat, sat in a tractor as I was tedding out grass. Made a quick exit of the field and back to see Mum hoping to get there before they called her which I managed thankfully.


He stayed in the RD&E in Exeter until a week ago Friday just gone. During that time they have manged to reverse his dementia like symptoms. We as a family have had a number of meetings with both the cancer care team and the palliative care team and taken the decision as a family to not try and attack the tumor, rather to keep dad as comfortable and happy as possible until the time comes. Thank fully he is still in no pain at this time but his mobility and normal functions are severely compromised.


The NHS have been amazing, simply amazing!


Mum is in her 80’s and extremely worried. They have bent over backwards to look after him and her. Whilst in hospital his care was wonderful, the nurses simply cared…..cared a lot! The doctors were hugely sympathetic and very open with us as a family about what to expect.


They took a week to put in a care package to make sure he could come home, that has meant mum gets 4 visits a day from a nurse to make sure both she and Dad are OK. They have supplied various items of hardware, a full hospital electric bed, walking frames, commode’s, wheel chair, ramps, over bed frames and tables etc etc.


For at least 4 nights a week Mum also get an overnight nurse or carer from Marie Curie.


The community pharmacist has visited to ensure meds are correct and blister packs supplied to avoid any incorrect dosing.


The community physio continues to visit to try and keep dad a little mobile.


District nurse pops in ontop of other planned visits.


Dad’s GP comes by when he can to check on him.


All this without asking….without making a fuse, its just happens. The NHS machine has kicked in…….they want to see him and Mum cared for……yes its end of life care….buts its care!


Is not perfect but it is bloody good from where I am sitting at the moment!


This morning I managed to get Dad out around the farm in the pickup. It took me nearly 30 mins to get from his wheel chair into the passenger seat. We then spent about an hour or so driving around the crops and stock. I may have made a bit of a mess of some crops as I drove him out into some of the fields so he could still give his view on how they looked and how far they were from harvest. Could not care less about knocking a bit of wheat down. He berated me a few times for not doing this and that and said there were too many wild oats/thistles/ragwort the yard not being tidy enough, the road hedges needed trimming on the bends, grass needing topping etc etc.


But, hell Im glad he can still tell me off!


And a lot of that is down to the NHS, free, unasked for but there when you need it. god bless them!


I hope to get him into Exeter Market this Friday, he always loved to visit and have a bite to eat there Fridays, will be good to let him catch up with his old mates there.

:cry:(y)

Good lad.
 
Location
East Mids
Really good thank you(y). My wound is tender and I have alot of numbness which I hope will all/ mostly go away with time and to have the inflammation in my hips and tremendous pain gone is just so amazing and I am now home and everyone's telling me how chirppy I am sounding and in so little time and thankfully all my work is getting done by the great guys that I am luckily enough to work with(y)
How are you now @kill ? Has everything settled down for you? So glad they got you sorted in the end, just a pity it took so long to get to the bottom of it and you had so much pain in the meanwhile.

I was relieved to be told I did not have significant pulmonary hypertension so no right heart catheter needed, but the consultant cardiologist confirmed that I have enlarged atria in my heart and (somewhat worryingly) he doesn't know why. So now waiting for an appointment for another straightforward procedure which involves injecting iodine into my veins and then using radiography to see where they go as he wonders if my heart is not plumbed up correctly. Might tie in with a few blips on my ECG :unsure: which I am going to see my GP about on Thurs so he can explain to me. So the attention I am getting continues to amaze me and I am eternally grateful.

Somewhat annoyingly though the fax from my optometrist in mid-May to the cataract waiting list office got lost in the system and as it had been over 2 months with me hearing nothing I asked to check the waiting list to find I was not on it. Belatedly that has been rectified, but my eye examination will not be to end Oct before being referred for surgery. :( Prince Pooper will probably have to take over night driving before then as methinks my night vision will be a bit dodgy by then (as is my typing due to increasing double vision in the bad eye!)
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
I am doing really well thank you PP :). Actually feel better in my back than I have for years and still being very cautious with lifting anything as surgeon told me to be for 3 months and as of last Wednesday I can drive again(y).
Hoping all go's well for you to and no more lost letters and time delays(y)
 
http://www.pontefractandcastleforde...ssed-medical-appointments-last-year-1-8696859

"Patients failing to turn up to hospital appointments are wasting resources and stopping others from accessing medical support. The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust says nearly 50,000 people missed outpatient appointments at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury and District hospitals last year."

And that is only one area.

There really does need to be some sort of charging regime introduced to make folk value what we have got in the NHS.
 
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Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
Too many abuse the system .
Charging would reduce this a lot as you get F all abroad unless you have insurance, credit or debit card or cash .
As mentioned long term taxes contributors and no nhs usage persons are treated the same a "health tourists" and non taxes paying population .
On visit recently it is a "method of madness " to it all as it's procedures and protocols churn away .
We need it all when we need it but like all good thing's let hope it don't come to an end !
 

itsalwaysme

Member
Location
Cheshire
How are you now @kill ? Has everything settled down for you? So glad they got you sorted in the end, just a pity it took so long to get to the bottom of it and you had so much pain in the meanwhile.

I was relieved to be told I did not have significant pulmonary hypertension so no right heart catheter needed, but the consultant cardiologist confirmed that I have enlarged atria in my heart and (somewhat worryingly) he doesn't know why. So now waiting for an appointment for another straightforward procedure which involves injecting iodine into my veins and then using radiography to see where they go as he wonders if my heart is not plumbed up correctly. Might tie in with a few blips on my ECG :unsure: which I am going to see my GP about on Thurs so he can explain to me. So the attention I am getting continues to amaze me and I am eternally grateful.

Somewhat annoyingly though the fax from my optometrist in mid-May to the cataract waiting list office got lost in the system and as it had been over 2 months with me hearing nothing I asked to check the waiting list to find I was not on it. Belatedly that has been rectified, but my eye examination will not be to end Oct before being referred for surgery. :( Prince Pooper will probably have to take over night driving before then as methinks my night vision will be a bit dodgy by then (as is my typing due to increasing double vision in the bad eye!)
Hope all goes well
But ......... could we finally have proof that women are wired (plumbed) up wrong :censored::LOL:
 

Osca

Member
Location
Tayside
http://www.pontefractandcastleforde...ssed-medical-appointments-last-year-1-8696859

"Patients failing to turn up to hospital appointments are wasting resources and stopping others from accessing medical support. The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust says nearly 50,000 people missed outpatient appointments at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury and District hospitals last year."

And that is only one area.

There really does need to be some sort of charging regime introduced to make folk value what we have got in the NHS.

I'm receiving a course of treatment at present, and grateful for it. But when I look at time wasted - I have wasted 10 minutes of a doctor's time by being late for an appointment. Against this, just totting it up roughly, I calculate that I have had some 50 HOURS of my own time wasted, with a further 6 or 7 hours to come - plus 7 hours of my daughter's time and 5 hours of a friend's time in running errands which should have been unnecessary; this through GP errors, hospital errors, lack of communication, administration balls-ups; this does not include the waste of NHS resources occasioned by unnecessary nights in hospital, appointments, travel costs, staff costs, or the cost to my firm of my lost labour.

When I see doctors blaming patients for wasting THEIR time it makes me furious.

Amazingly their sterling work has probably saved my life; but it could easily have undone it's own good work on at least three occasions to date by administrative incompetence. How such a broken machine can work at all I don't know. Its own admin system drags it down like a cancer.
 

Happy

Member
Location
Scotland
I'm receiving a course of treatment at present, and grateful for it. But when I look at time wasted - I have wasted 10 minutes of a doctor's time by being late for an appointment. Against this, just totting it up roughly, I calculate that I have had some 50 HOURS of my own time wasted, with a further 6 or 7 hours to come - plus 7 hours of my daughter's time and 5 hours of a friend's time in running errands which should have been unnecessary; this through GP errors, hospital errors, lack of communication, administration balls-ups; this does not include the waste of NHS resources occasioned by unnecessary nights in hospital, appointments, travel costs, staff costs, or the cost to my firm of my lost labour.

When I see doctors blaming patients for wasting THEIR time it makes me furious.

Amazingly their sterling work has probably saved my life; but it could easily have undone it's own good work on at least three occasions to date by administrative incompetence. How such a broken machine can work at all I don't know. Its own admin system drags it down like a cancer.

Ah, the ultimate model of incompetence that is NHS Tayside with their £36m annual deficit.

Good to hear you treatment is working out well. One of the many short sighted changes the former nurses that fill all the senior management roles in NHS tayside decided to do in their wisdom was that doctors should no longer have individual secretaries to carry out administrative work such as arranging appointments, typing out dictation letters to patients and GP's and generally helping ensure the day of that team is arranged in the most time efficient manner.
Result is a far less efficient system with less continuity of care and a negative cost benefit in the big scheme of things.
 

RushesToo

Member
Location
Fingringhoe
Ah, the ultimate model of incompetence that is NHS Tayside with their £36m annual deficit.

Good to hear you treatment is working out well. One of the many short sighted changes the former nurses that fill all the senior management roles in NHS tayside decided to do in their wisdom was that doctors should no longer have individual secretaries to carry out administrative work such as arranging appointments, typing out dictation letters to patients and GP's and generally helping ensure the day of that team is arranged in the most time efficient manner.
Result is a far less efficient system with less continuity of care and a negative cost benefit in the big scheme of things.
What is the governance of this? Can you help in how to complain about systematic failure in management?
 

Happy

Member
Location
Scotland
What is the governance of this? Can you help in how to complain about systematic failure in management?

NHS Tayside is a particular mess.
Their situation has been the subject of debate in the Scottish Parliament in recent years where it was described as a back of a fag packet and hope for the best policy.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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