Waiting Patients are now waiting beside Patients Beds in NHS Hospitals

@Nitedoc It took me five years to get to the Hospital and have an operation, I will never forget that experience.

@JoyfulSilence Commandeer a hotel it's a thought, it's better than dying in a waiting room, I'm afraid our NHS is just a laughing stock to the rest of the world, it's about time the members of SW around the world were informed of the fact if they already weren't aware of it.

@Nitedoc @senghenydd

Sorry for your troubles.

I have pretty good care in the States. With my private (yet employer subsidized) insurance, it all starts with my primary care physician. She can handle general stuff. I pay her $25 per visit, and she bills my insurance company about $400.

If I need a specialist, she has to refer me to one. They charge $40. Some procedures and tests cost me even more. So far, I have seen three (yet one then referred me to another guy, but my primary still needed to approve it).

Two years ago I delayed treatment for an infection, until it got bad. I had trouble walking and thought it would pass, but it got worse. I started collapsing. I was homebound. So I called them and they said call an ambulance and they came and took me to a hospital as an emergency patient. It does not require a referral.

By the time I left my bill was $175,000! But the maximum my insurance could charge me was $1000. At the time I did not know these details. Yet I almost died, and had several surgeries to clean out infected tissue that had spread to my spine (which is why I was falling down!). I had to have a large skin graft on my neck, using leg skin. My neck is still stiff and disfigured two years later.

So I did not care about the expense!

I needed rehab, but coverage was denied. My insurance company wanted to send me home, yet I could not climb stairs and lived in the second floor with no elevator. I lived alone, too. So, I languished in the hospital two more weeks, until it was finally approved.

I went to rehab, and started physical therapy. After two weeks, I could get around with a walker, but stairs were hard. My insurance felt I was ready, but I did not. Further coverage was denied. So I had to pay $900 before I could schedule my departure two days later. My parents came from 500 miles away to help. Otherwise I would have had to hire nurses (not sure the coverage) who would come every few days. In between, I would be homebound and feeble, with healing wounds whose bandages I could not change myself. My mom had to learn how.

So after my emergency, the health care system failed me. Yet they did assign me a nurse to come once a week to checkup. But once a week is not enough care. I was limited in movement and strength.

But once I started seeing my primary care physician things got better, more normal, more routine. My parents went home, I ditched the walker, could navigate stairs, and drive. Now, two years later, I can walk about two miles!

@JoyfulSilence I'm with the NHS (National Health Service) I was suffering with adnominal pains I visited my local Medical Centre met with a Doctor who palmed me off with an appointment in a out-patients Clinic in the near-by Hospital it was pointless, after suffering for another year I returned to the same Medical Centre saw the same Doctor who referred me to a different out-patients Clinic again pointless, another year passed I returned to see the Doctor who suggested I have my Bowel removed and would have a Storma bag, my face dropped I was staring at the floor I raised my head up looked the Doctor straight in the face and asked to see a Specialist he agreed, months passed I met with the Specialist who arranged for my blood be tested then he arranged for me to have a Bowel X-ray.

All in all it was five years of suffering until I had an operation on my Bowel it was a success twenty five years later I still have my Bowel no thanks to my then local Medical Centre but to my persistence, that local Medical Centre/Surgery were useless I have changed Medical Centres the new Medical Centre I attend is far better it was a long journey it cost me nothing all I can say is there's good Doctors working in the NHS and there's some pretty bad ones as well who simply get patients to have their Bowels removed without proper examinations or tests carried out.

The NHS is free but if you live in Great Britain be careful what Doctor you go and see.

@senghenydd Scary.

My doctor said at my age I should start getting tested for colon cancer. So they send me a box with a test kit via UPS (private courier). I shipped back my sample, and failed the test.

I was scared, but I researched it and there was only a 4% chance of cancer, but, if I recall, about a 40% chance of pre-cancerous polyps. They recommended a colonoscopy.

I was referred to a gastroenterologist. A month later I had my colonoscopy. There were no polyps, but inflammation. So I've been on drugs. Six months later I had blood tests which showed a weak indication of maybe Crohn's disease. Or maybe just inflammatory bowel disease. It was so confusing. I then had a sigmoidoscopy, which uses a shorter probe. The inflammation was gone!

It is 6 months later, and I just met with him again. He stopped the drug. But wanted a new sample. I provided one yesterday. My it was fragrant! 🤢

So we shall see. He plans to wait 6 months, take another sample, and then decide if I am OK, and if I need another anal probe.

Gosh, how do these doctors handle the smell? Do they wear respirators? I was out during both procedures so do not know.

@JoyfulSilence I find your story very interesting because I've had Bowel problems myself like yourself, nowadays I receive a bowel testing kit and send off a sample to be tested my last test only a few months ago was ok what a relief.

That Doctor I was complaining about never tested my blood he let three years past by, if I had Cancer I wouldn't be here today, he told me I was a nuisance this was the third time I'd visited the surgery in three years I suppose I took a gamble by not going ahead and having my bowel removed it paid off in my case.

I had eleven Polyps which surgery .sorted I've never forgot that Hospital which fixed my problem they took that pain and discomfort away.

I hope in your case you'll be as successful as I have been.

@senghenydd

So sorry for your suffering, and I'm glad it got better with treatment.

In my case I felt OK, just constipated.

During my colonoscopy the doctor lasered abnormal blood vessels, or something. I saw a before and after photo. He suggested that is why I had failed the colon cancer test. It detects blood and abnormal DNA. All I had was the blood. But I never noticed it in my stool. So it was slight.

@JoyfulSilence All I can say with my experience is if there is any doubt obtain a second opinion, I left it three years if I had Cancer it would of been too late, next time I run into problems I'll deal with it quicker. (I do have private health checks nowadays I've learned to not take life for granted).