NHS incompetency ?

[silverclaws]

The NHS what are people's opinions of them based on their experience ?

I ask, as I think I am experiencing some incompetence, but am not sure if this is normal or not so I wonder.

You see, I have to be tested for a genetic disorder and in order to do that one needs to provide a blood sample which is fine, so I wait three weeks for my appointment then trundle off to the nurse to do the test. Now one would think it should be straight forward, but it was not, the phlebotomist was not experienced in taking blood for the purposes of genetic testing, so instead of just guessing they ring the hospital who were also not sure, so ring another hospital and they came up with a different answer to the first hospital, so sod it, take two samples and send them off, job done. But not so a call from my GP to tell me the samples were wrong so to avoid any further mistakes and inconvenience to myself could I go up to the hospital and provide the correct sample. At the hospital again the phlebotomists hadn't a clue so they contact the testing department for advice, they didn't know for sure, so again two samples were taken at last it's over. But again a call from my GP to say they had stuffed it up again and I would have to provide yet more samples in two weeks time when I can get another appointment.

Is this normal ?

 

[suburbanreuben]

Yes. Cock ups are pretty standard fare in the NHS.
You have human error to contend with, stifling bureaucracy, and a shortage of resources. Mistakes are inevitable.

 

[Alison]

I'm sorry you are having problems and I have had a terrible experience in hospital but on the whole I think the NHS is brilliant. I have had a lot of care through the NHS having children, operations and mental health treatment and my GP is amazing and I get it all without paying loads in medical insurance.

Alison

 

[Jamiedyer]

No problem

I have not personally had any real problems with the NHS and think as a whole they do an absolutely brilliant job. This is after several years with my wife being on dialysis and then eventually after several years of false starts, a kidney transplant four years ago. It was thanks to the care she recieved that she is still here as things got pretty critical.
While she is still having to go for regular checks and things will not last forever this well, they did give us a chance at a regular life and now we have our son, 20 months. For that I will always be grateful to the dedicated staff of the NHS
This sounds quite down but my wifes a strong lady and while she couldnt ride for a long time it never stopped us going to races, even the worlds track champs for 5 days, with thanks to the St Johns ambulance guys who gave her a secure room to dialys every four hours.

As for your bloods, that is a bit of craziness there. They should work out exactly what you need done before you come in. I do blood work for animals and depending what its for, it needs to be in the right fluid, spun, not spun, temp controlled etc, so if they dont know then its a pretty crazy stab in the dark.
Hopefully you will get the right person next time.
Best of luck and hope everything turns out fine.
All the best
Jamie

 

[daj]

Have had good and bad experiences with NHS

Dad - good and bad experiences all the way to his death some pretty horrendous balls up highlights including putting double dosing into his chemo treatment which didnt do him great. Exploding his hip apart with radio, telling us he still had 6-8 months left and he died 5 days later? :?

Mum - her treatment has been pretty good (heart stent and chemo) fingers crossed mum is now in remission

Nan- (recent and very raw) she spent a week in intensive care which was brilliant both the standards and care then she was shipped out to ward (even to the concern of the critical care nurses). The complete incompetence of the so trained staff in these wards caused and led to her death of which there is still a ongoing inquest into.

I am guessing everyone has good and back experiences

 

[suburbanreuben]

I'm sorry you are having problems and I have had a terrible experience in hospital but on the whole I think the NHS is brilliant. I have had a lot of care through the NHS having children, operations and mental health treatment and my GP is amazing and I get it all without paying loads in medical insurance.

Alison

At it's best the NHS is superb; it all depends on the hospital/ GP. It's pot luck.
I've had overnight stays in three hospitals in the last few years:
Frimley Park, a semi military hospital, run like a Swiss clock,
Royal Surrey County, Was going to be closed down a couple of years ago and frankly, should have been. I spent a week there waiting for a scan, clogging up a bed, until it transpired no-one had actually booked it...
St Georges, Tooting. On the cardiac ward, four bathrooms out of six were out of order, but they still managed to get me in for a heart bypass, and out within 3 days.
They had sticky toffee pudding, or something equally lardy, on the menu too!
It probably helped that they ran a "Ward Sister" system...

 

[Jamiedyer]

WOW

wow, thats pretty bad Daj
Sorry to hear those stories, but I can only speak from my experience and yeah not everything was great but on the whole they were great for us.

Jamie

 

[cyfa2809]

As above i think it is luck of the draw. Not that some are incompetent but often overloaded?

 

[silverclaws]

'Kin Mac

 

[silverclaws]

I have used the NHS before for something hefty and I don't remember this kind of service or lack thereof, so I am wondering, but for sure the next episode I will be getting the person's name who keeps rejecting what others provide and I will be asking wtf is going on, is it a training issue or is it a communicational issue, because these errors are costing money, NHS money, tax payers money and I for one as a supporter of the NHS, supporter as in I do not want them privatised, want them to be the best they can be, so I believe they do need to just smarten up their act and address what I suspect is a few very basic concerns.

As it is the problems I have been having, what the I assume specialist person up in the labs seems to want goes against the reference material the phlebotomists refer to as their operational bible, they showed me even and I agree with them, leaving the specialist in the lab as the one to question, but I assume due to hierarchy issues, none will question, but I will.

Tsk, I have made a lot of enemies throughout my life, but where I perceive something wrong, I just have to question and I don't give up until have an answer, but no doubt in going up against the gods in the NHS, my med notes will inform them what they need to know, but if they try to condescend I will expose them for what they are for all I wish to see is people doing their job not lording it and assuming everyone is telepathic and automatically knows what is being asked of them contrary to the NHS guidance literature.