I have cut and pasted this from DC's site thinking it applies here as well.
amenity.
John
PostPosted: Sat Dec 30,:57 am
Post subject: Re: NHS for better or worse?
Reply with quote Amenity wrote:
"Apparantly the life expectancy in the USA is lower than in Europe, the reason? It seems we live longer because of our greater investment in health.
The suggestion is not as you might expect to help the americans live longer, rather it is that we take up a similar healthcare scheme to their's."
Yesterday, I read a speech by the famous defence barrister Clive Stafford Smith (who has dual US & UK nationality) who was suggesting that we adopt in UK some of the political conventions of US government (such as having expert and non-political cabinet members who are not allowed to make the law, i.e a separation of executive and legislative branches of government).
What was interesting was that he specifically said that we should not adopt the US system of health care (which he said was more interested in raising money for the medical professionals than providing appropriate services to patients) and that we should do everything to protect the NHS which provided the most comprehensive patient service in the world.
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John
ivan burit
post subject: Re: NHS for better or worse? Reply with quote
John wrote:
"What was interesting was that he specifically said that we should not adopt the US system of health care (which he said was more interested in raising money for the medical professionals than providing appropriate services to patients) and that we should do everything to protect the NHS which provided the most comprehensive patient service in the world."
...as i`m an "in" and "out" patient at that wonderfull institution in london called St.Bartholomues Hospital (barts) have a look at the complete fiasco at the early part of 2006.. a private finance initiative was due to start work on rebuilding part of barts...it was / is to become the MAJOR truama center for the olympic games, as well as a medical center of excelance for london.. its reputation is world wide in its medical care..at the end of 2005, top GOV. depts wanted to pull the plug on its future, and abandon its proposed rebuilding.. theP F I based CO. had already put years of planning into this major project, and for every month that it was held back by dilly and dallying, it was charging N H S £100,000 (think i`m right)PER MONTH ON HOLD UP FEE`S... my stay in barts in january, left the patients and staff (it was their jobs worry ! ) us patients worry for the future of our treatment... it was resolved, but on a slimmed down building programme..so what you say, i know get postponed backwards by 6 months a time for the least excuse, so instead of having my tumors removed, i still get put back and back and back...my imediate health is not threatend by this BUT its not doing me much good is it ! ! ! any thoughts i had about going back to work before i reached full retirement age are now long gone, and as such, i cannot put anymore back into the coffers of G B LTD. but only take out of the "sick club".....how many more projects like the above one at BARTS has actually cost a lot more than its worth with fees and charges for failed completion of contracts...........
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BROOKLANDS...THE FUTURE IS OURS...
Amenity
PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:58 am
Why oh why did they not PFI the war and let the taxpayer fund the NHS?
How many people that take prescriptions on a regular basis know how to cut their expenses.
Ask your doctor to prescribe a quarters medication at once the price should be the same as one months supply.
Or so I have been told. Good luck.
I am on regular medication for cancer and gall bladder, my GP will only prescribe 1 month at a time.
Was advised that the government will not allow them to prescribe more frequently than this except in exceptional circumstances - I wonder why, especially as prescriptions have just gone up.
Luckily I can afford a yearly prescrip card but everyone can do this.
I will research this a bit more but did get the info from reliable source. Some listed drugs are not doled out quarterly as they are perceived as dangerous.
With the rest it may be a judgment of the individual GP.
A pal of mine has had a nasty experience, trotting down the stairs at home he (whilst wearing bi focals) stepped out early and came a right cropper.
Whilst at the very good treatment hospital at Colchester General three members of staff admitted they to had suffered from wearing spectacles like these.
Four hours of NHS time wasted to date with more appointments booked because of these bi-focals, they should carry a health warning.
I agree Amenity ,whilst negotiating the rather steep steps at Tintagel ,we came across a very nice elderly American lady .She seemed to be having trouble getting down so we offered her some asistance,it transpired that she was physically very able but what was holding her up were her Tri Focals and she could not ascertain depth ect so had difficulty seeing where to place her feet .Damning her choice of glasses all the way down.
She beat me going up though as she could feel her way up ok. shamefaced at being outpaced by a lady twice my size and at least 20 years older than me.
In the not quite the same, but, theme of glasses, my prescription calls for near and distance lenses............
Money calls the tune in my house..(or lack of it.) and so i rely on just distance lenses..great for driving with, but not good for looking at my feet.....lol....
my latest prescribed pair have power to see far and wide, but to look at lower levels, i then have the feeling of being drunk...i kid you not..ha..ha..ha....
i do in fact have an earlier pair of bi-focals that are kept in the car for just in case, but only on the "odd" occasion wear them because of the fluctuation of my vision..
So, is it just an age related problem, or was it that i never ate my greens up like my mum told me to do so.....(i thought carrots were just the job for that - but.)
So, is it just an age related problem, or was it that i never ate my greens up like my mum told me to do so.....(i thought carrots were just the job for that - but.)
Well ivan, age is the main factor, as we all know that have passed their SBD, but driving cars or trucks being at sea etc a lot take your eyes to distant focus as my sister pointed out there are exersizes for the eyes.
I do not need glasses ....it's just that my arms have shrunk and the writing is too close to read...anyone know where to get arm extentions from???? Luckily I have a very good neighbour who holds the paper up from across the road so no problem..
Another funny about glasses...i use this old qwerty a lot, and as i sit in front of it for hours, it starts to get a bit blurred..when i eventually give it a rest, even with my glasses on when driving, its still a bit "fuzzy" round the edges.........
So, if i`m out and dont return your friendly wave, its not that grumpy old man that drove past, but ivan`s blurry lifestyle.........(was always good at getting out of tight spots.).........ha..ha.....s`funny, but just thought if it happens while out on my scoot...probably going so fast life is a blur anyway.....mental note---must try to look where i`m going.......ha..ha......(my wife say`s she worries about me..?..)..
dont know what she means though.........
Overheard the other day,
The NHS is to comply with an EC ruling that non European staff will not in future be employed.
Existing foriegn (non European) staff (nurses and doctors for example) cannot take promotion.
Yes, there was a topic on the television a few weeks ago about all the Phillipino nurses who were having to leave. These nurses have a very good reputation, too.
Let's face it, the NHS will fall apart when there are no non-European nurses and doctors to help hold it together.
OK, there are some bad as well as good but you can safely say that about British trained nurses and doctors.
Yes, there was a topic on the television a few weeks ago about all the Phillipino nurses who were having to leave. These nurses have a very good reputation, too.
Let's face it, the NHS will fall apart when there are no non-European nurses and doctors to help hold it together.
OK, there are some bad as well as good but you can safely say that about British trained nurses and doctors.
Couldn't agree more mojo, I have been treated by nationals from all over the world. We have a lot to lose, if it was being done to maintain levels of health in third world countries by keeping trained staff there I could support it but its motives might have other origins.
I don't particularly mind what ethnic origin the nurse/doctor is that is treating me as long as they are competent and polite ,a trait sadly lacking in a few of our 'home grown' nurses.
I have lost count of the times I have visited someone or been in hospital and seen gum chewing nurses all around the central staion chatting loudly about their previous night out ect.
Now don't get me wrong ,I admire anyone who trains for years and is dedicated to their job (I worked in the NHS for years myself).Unfortunately there is a minority that need a course in how to behave appropriately at work.Fortunately ,these are greatly outnumbered by the well trained and dedicated nurses.
I have found that the majority of foriegn nurses and Doctors are polite and helpful.If sadly lacking in communication skills.
As for DVT ,could our increasingly sedentary lifestyle be the root of the problem ??.
Change of tack here but heard that Sir John Bourne of the National Audit Office is being investigated for practices and expenditure anomolies. This gent was responsible for exposing the nightmare in Kent where 90 people died from CD.
That is by way of an introduction, more importantly on the Week in Westminster today (Sat) it came up that whilst he had done a good job as noted above he had signally been going out to lunch with the PFI people and had not advised government fairly of the implications of PFI.
It was also stated that an army of PFI lawyers had sprung up and consultants supportive of PFI.
No wonder Harwich lost a hospital it used to own outright and now pays over £1 million per year for the priviledge.
We are full of praise for the Phlebotomist, at the Harwich clinic, that took my wifes blood sample, this charming helpful lady organises her work load for maximum efficiency by starting her shift early, she deserves a medal.
How lovely to report something positive about this new hospital.
We also use this clinic for our diabetes based yearly eye check ups.
Last year the nice lady even mended my wifes glasses for her.
It was in a choice of locations given to us as to where we wanted to go for these eye check ups, but other places had long waiting lists, so we went to Harwich almost the next day after telephone booking.
Februaury`s headlines said its years behing schedule and already costing an extra £10 million
"The software was taking staff four times as long to book appointments for patients and soaking up money the trust would have otherwise invested in new X-ray machines."
My own hospital in London has been using this new IT system for a year or so, and i can vouch for its alarmingly bad system to use.
At one point, the recieption desk had tables of patients notes piled up on them, to enable the Doctors to be able to read a persons medical history on the day!
The last time i was there, to book my next outpatients apointment, it took 3 people 10 minuets to try to achieve this simple function, and failed.
Some weeks later i recieved by "slow mail" a letter informing me of the date and time of my next much needed outpatients visit.
..................it`s at 6-30pm, yes, at night, in london................
"progress is a word used as to explain the way forwards in a situation"
unfortunatly, its not a word used by our apointed leaders when tasked with purchasing new IT equipment for one of the best free to residents hospital services.
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....it's just that my arms have shrunk 
and the writing is too close to read...anyone know where to get arm extentions from???? Luckily I have a very good neighbour who holds the paper up from across the road so no problem.. 
