The Brilliant Welsh NHS 18:28 - Jan 6 with 7750 views | johnlangy | There's a perfectly good reason for the title. I know there are plenty of problems with the NHS in Wales. BUT. All I see are criticisms. So i'll give my opinion. We have a brilliant GP practice. The 8 o'clock race for an appointment is a pain but when we get through we always get an appointment whether over the phone or in person. We have a brilliant NHS dentist. If it's not an urgent problem then we have to wait. But if it's urgent we get an apptointment very quickly. I've had a foot problem for a few years now so around November 22 I put in for treatment. Since then i've had two appointments in Central clinic with a podiatrist and then a few weeks ago an appointment in PT/Baglan hospital with a consultant who was brilliant. I'm now on the waiting list for a minor op. She told me I will get the op within the next 12 months. No problem as it's not exactly life or death. She said i'd get it done within 12 months because i'd already been on the waiting list for 12 months. So being on the waiting list doesn't mean that you're not getting treated, it means the treatment isn't completed. I hadn't realised that. My wife had a problem recently when we had to go to A&E at Morriston. It was busy but she was seen within about 40 minutes, had an ECG, back out, waited for another ten minutes or so at which point the doctor came out into A and E and spent five minutes or so speaking to her before saying she could go. Brilliant service. I could give other examples. But my main point is that we are quick to criticise when things go wrong but don't give praise when things go right. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 18:57 - Jan 6 with 3381 views | Wingstandwood | So to sum up your wife went into Morrison A+E and went through stereotypical Morriston A+E three stage process for someone requiring examination. Stage 1 triage…..Stage 2 ECG done by a nurse…..Stage 3: Sees doctor. Can you tell me what symptoms she presented for this? | ![](/images/avatars/10633.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 18:59 - Jan 6 with 3381 views | Wingstandwood | So to sum up your wife went into Morrison A+E and went through stereotypical Morriston A+E three stage process for someone requiring examination. Stage 1 triage…..Stage 2 ECG done by a nurse…..Stage 3: Sees doctor. All done and dusted after only FIFTY MINUTES? Can you tell me what symptoms she presented upon arrival? | ![](/images/avatars/10633.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 19:30 - Jan 6 with 3353 views | Dr_Winston | There are bits of the NHS that work very well, as I've experienced in the last year or so. There are quite a lot of bits that don't. As a society we cannot continue to pour countless billions into an entirely government funded and run health service and expect things to improve. It's not just a choice between the NHS and the US system. There are other options, and we, as a society, need to take a serious look at them. The problem is the NHS has overtaken the Protestant Faith as the State Religion with a degree of fervour that even the Spanish Inquisition would admire. Even the remotest suggestion of making changes results in cries of Heresy and accusations of wanting to privatise the whole thing. As long as all treatment remains free at the point of need, nothing should be off the table. | ![](/images/avatars/8802.gif) |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:36 - Jan 6 with 3280 views | max936 | Well my lad had has been in there since the 29th and its been far from brilliant in fact its been nowhere near. | ![](/images/avatars/9760.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:05 - Jan 6 with 3255 views | Boundy |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:36 - Jan 6 by max936 | Well my lad had has been in there since the 29th and its been far from brilliant in fact its been nowhere near. |
I can only speak as I find last year my wife had to call for an ambulance for me unrelated to my current condition but fair play because of my condition it arrived within the hour morphine injection and straight to Morriston. MRI scan etc but then a wait of 18 hours in total for them to decide what to do with me, the care they provided me then and ongoing cannot be faulted but I have seen the dark side with my son who had to have eye drops applied ever hour otherwise there was a high risk of him losing the sight on one eye due to an infection,initially the drops were applied as prescribed but as the days went on they missed quite a few during the night shift and at one point told my son he'd have to apply them himself. The outcome was I was able to take him to the Moorfield Hospital in London where his treatment there was first class and he made a full recovery . | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:46 - Jan 6 with 3229 views | max936 |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:05 - Jan 6 by Boundy | I can only speak as I find last year my wife had to call for an ambulance for me unrelated to my current condition but fair play because of my condition it arrived within the hour morphine injection and straight to Morriston. MRI scan etc but then a wait of 18 hours in total for them to decide what to do with me, the care they provided me then and ongoing cannot be faulted but I have seen the dark side with my son who had to have eye drops applied ever hour otherwise there was a high risk of him losing the sight on one eye due to an infection,initially the drops were applied as prescribed but as the days went on they missed quite a few during the night shift and at one point told my son he'd have to apply them himself. The outcome was I was able to take him to the Moorfield Hospital in London where his treatment there was first class and he made a full recovery . |
We had paramedic and Ambulance here for probably two hours or more, before taking him in, problem we've had is doctors/consultants contradicting each other by changing things, lad has very complex needs, so he's nowhere near a "normal" type of patient, so I appreciate that he's complicated case, but nobody knows him better than us particularly the Mrs, but its hard work on times getting them to take on board what they are being told. | ![](/images/avatars/9760.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:56 - Jan 6 with 3222 views | Dr_Winston | Mrs. Winston's mother went through hell on the NHS last year before she eventually died. From a 13hr wait with a broken leg for an ambulance to a five day wait on A&E, some days with a 12/13 hour gap between toilet trips before being moved to a ward. | ![](/images/avatars/8802.gif) |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:57 - Jan 6 with 3221 views | Boundy |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:46 - Jan 6 by max936 | We had paramedic and Ambulance here for probably two hours or more, before taking him in, problem we've had is doctors/consultants contradicting each other by changing things, lad has very complex needs, so he's nowhere near a "normal" type of patient, so I appreciate that he's complicated case, but nobody knows him better than us particularly the Mrs, but its hard work on times getting them to take on board what they are being told. |
As I posted on another thread ,wishing you and your son all the best also I find a level of assertiveness sometimes helps ,the trouble is we sometimes put medical staff on a pedestal and really forgetting they can make mistakes to .Good luck | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 07:31 - Jan 7 with 3175 views | JACKMANANDBOY |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:57 - Jan 6 by Boundy | As I posted on another thread ,wishing you and your son all the best also I find a level of assertiveness sometimes helps ,the trouble is we sometimes put medical staff on a pedestal and really forgetting they can make mistakes to .Good luck |
For too long the NHS has been considered untouchable against a background of increased demand. The narrative should have been that the NHS has good people but as an organisation needs to adapt and evolve quickly to meet future needs The result of not changing is waiting lists that continue to grow. | ![](/images/avatars/9036.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 09:08 - Jan 7 with 3143 views | Dr_Winston |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 07:31 - Jan 7 by JACKMANANDBOY | For too long the NHS has been considered untouchable against a background of increased demand. The narrative should have been that the NHS has good people but as an organisation needs to adapt and evolve quickly to meet future needs The result of not changing is waiting lists that continue to grow. |
I suspect that Covid is largely responsible for the increase in waiting lists due to the decisions to basically close the NHS for any other reason during the period where everyone lost their minds. Now they seem to be stuck in a never ending backlog whilst people suffer and die. | ![](/images/avatars/8802.gif) |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 09:22 - Jan 7 with 3135 views | felixstowe_jack | It is still badly run and managed and money poured down the drain. There are 72 million patients registered at GPS yet the UK only has a population of 67 million. The doctors are paid £142 for each of these 5 million ghost patients. Another £710 million wasted. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 14:10 - Jan 7 with 3079 views | Gwyn737 |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 09:22 - Jan 7 by felixstowe_jack | It is still badly run and managed and money poured down the drain. There are 72 million patients registered at GPS yet the UK only has a population of 67 million. The doctors are paid £142 for each of these 5 million ghost patients. Another £710 million wasted. |
Unfortunately in the current climate I’m not sure it’s wasted. If the GP registers were tight, that would just be £710 million taken out of the NHS. Sad state of affairs whichever way you look at it. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 16:14 - Jan 7 with 3045 views | SullutaCreturned | Given the lack of resources, the poor management and th constant cuts t has endured the NHS performs miracles all across the UK. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 16:28 - Jan 7 with 3032 views | controversial_jack |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 19:30 - Jan 6 by Dr_Winston | There are bits of the NHS that work very well, as I've experienced in the last year or so. There are quite a lot of bits that don't. As a society we cannot continue to pour countless billions into an entirely government funded and run health service and expect things to improve. It's not just a choice between the NHS and the US system. There are other options, and we, as a society, need to take a serious look at them. The problem is the NHS has overtaken the Protestant Faith as the State Religion with a degree of fervour that even the Spanish Inquisition would admire. Even the remotest suggestion of making changes results in cries of Heresy and accusations of wanting to privatise the whole thing. As long as all treatment remains free at the point of need, nothing should be off the table. |
I don't see many countries rushing to copy the US system, but they all seem to manage well enough with similar to ours | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 17:51 - Jan 7 with 3018 views | Togg |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 16:28 - Jan 7 by controversial_jack | I don't see many countries rushing to copy the US system, but they all seem to manage well enough with similar to ours |
Doesn't the German system work with a small amount of paid insurance but with a fair system on payment. I spoke to a German NHS nurse , who I know . when I asked how we fix the problem in the health system. Now I haven't researched this . Only repeating what was said to me. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:07 - Jan 7 with 2982 views | controversial_jack |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 17:51 - Jan 7 by Togg | Doesn't the German system work with a small amount of paid insurance but with a fair system on payment. I spoke to a German NHS nurse , who I know . when I asked how we fix the problem in the health system. Now I haven't researched this . Only repeating what was said to me. |
The Netherlands has an insurance based system, but it’s not a profit system like the US has. Everyone is covered, nobody is refused treatment and no co pays either. Maybe we should look at that, but with our ruling politicians, it would be exploited and end up like the US system | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:43 - Jan 7 with 2971 views | Flashberryjack |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 17:51 - Jan 7 by Togg | Doesn't the German system work with a small amount of paid insurance but with a fair system on payment. I spoke to a German NHS nurse , who I know . when I asked how we fix the problem in the health system. Now I haven't researched this . Only repeating what was said to me. |
No system works when there are more taking out than are putting in. | ![](/images/avatars/8685.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:46 - Jan 7 with 2968 views | AnotherJohn |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 16:28 - Jan 7 by controversial_jack | I don't see many countries rushing to copy the US system, but they all seem to manage well enough with similar to ours |
Actually only a minority of European healthcare systems resemble the NHS model - arguably just some of the Nordic and Mediterranean countries. The others are mainly social health insurance systems, in which not-for-profit insurance funds typically contract with a mix of public and private hospitals and other facilities. So countries like Germany, Belgium and France do not have an NHS as such. The Netherlands is a bit of an outlier because its insurance system is more market oriented. Originally the key difference was that NHS systems were tax funded, while SHI systems were funded by contributions from employers and employees. However, the difference is becoming blurred as many SHI systems now need a subsidy from governments (which comes from tax revenues). NICs in the UK are considered to be a form of taxation and not employment-based contributions, because they feed into general tax revenues and there is no separate insurance fund to support the NHS. This is an excellent website if you want to know more: https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/ (There are free profile reports for most European countries) If you just want to know about the NHS-type systems this is a good recent book: https://www.routledge.com/National-Health-Services-of-Western-Europe-Challenges- [Post edited 8 Jan 7:54]
| ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:49 - Jan 7 with 2942 views | majorraglan |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 09:22 - Jan 7 by felixstowe_jack | It is still badly run and managed and money poured down the drain. There are 72 million patients registered at GPS yet the UK only has a population of 67 million. The doctors are paid £142 for each of these 5 million ghost patients. Another £710 million wasted. |
I dare say there are some ghost patients in the system, but it’s a very broad brush statement to say there are 5 million ghost patients. Anybody residing away from home on a temporary basis can register with another GP, we’ve got lots of students from abroad can register with GP’s, migrant workers coming in on short term and long term employer supported employment contracts can also register with GP’s and we’ve also got large numbers of expats living in places like Spain, France etc who still registered with U.K. GP’s. There will always be scope to improve efficiency. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:56 - Jan 7 with 2934 views | majorraglan |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 21:46 - Jan 6 by max936 | We had paramedic and Ambulance here for probably two hours or more, before taking him in, problem we've had is doctors/consultants contradicting each other by changing things, lad has very complex needs, so he's nowhere near a "normal" type of patient, so I appreciate that he's complicated case, but nobody knows him better than us particularly the Mrs, but its hard work on times getting them to take on board what they are being told. |
I’ll send you a pm. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 22:19 - Jan 7 with 2913 views | controversial_jack |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:46 - Jan 7 by AnotherJohn | Actually only a minority of European healthcare systems resemble the NHS model - arguably just some of the Nordic and Mediterranean countries. The others are mainly social health insurance systems, in which not-for-profit insurance funds typically contract with a mix of public and private hospitals and other facilities. So countries like Germany, Belgium and France do not have an NHS as such. The Netherlands is a bit of an outlier because its insurance system is more market oriented. Originally the key difference was that NHS systems were tax funded, while SHI systems were funded by contributions from employers and employees. However, the difference is becoming blurred as many SHI systems now need a subsidy from governments (which comes from tax revenues). NICs in the UK are considered to be a form of taxation and not employment-based contributions, because they feed into general tax revenues and there is no separate insurance fund to support the NHS. This is an excellent website if you want to know more: https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/ (There are free profile reports for most European countries) If you just want to know about the NHS-type systems this is a good recent book: https://www.routledge.com/National-Health-Services-of-Western-Europe-Challenges- [Post edited 8 Jan 7:54]
|
They all have similar aims and principles, just different means of funding | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 06:45 - Jan 8 with 2876 views | Dr_Winston |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 16:14 - Jan 7 by SullutaCreturned | Given the lack of resources, the poor management and th constant cuts t has endured the NHS performs miracles all across the UK. |
The NHS budget is £162.4bn a year, which has never been cut. In England alone it has nearly 1.5m people working for it. One thing it does not lack, and never has lacked, is funding and resources. Poor management however is definitely a factor if other parts of Government are any example. | ![](/images/avatars/8802.gif) |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 07:53 - Jan 8 with 2863 views | AnotherJohn |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 22:19 - Jan 7 by controversial_jack | They all have similar aims and principles, just different means of funding |
And very different mixes of public and private provision, as well as different rules determining access to services, patient entitlements, and required co-payments. Actually Nye Bevan had strong views about the difference between the NHS system he envisaged and existing social health insurance schemes (such as the ones Beveridge had studied and which shaped the Beveridge Report). That is why the UK municipal and voluntary hospitals were nationalised and NICs are not what the term suggests. Ireland is an interesting case of an in-between system, with the highest uptake of private health insurance in Western Europe. Why not just have a read of some of the stuff at the link I suggested? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 08:28 - Jan 8 with 2832 views | SullutaCreturned |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 06:45 - Jan 8 by Dr_Winston | The NHS budget is £162.4bn a year, which has never been cut. In England alone it has nearly 1.5m people working for it. One thing it does not lack, and never has lacked, is funding and resources. Poor management however is definitely a factor if other parts of Government are any example. |
No cuts eh, then how come so many A&E depts in Wales were cut? beaue of inflation, as you well know, there have been real terms cuts because of not increasing the budgets. There are fewer beds, fewer doctors and nurses, there are tens of thousands of vacancies across the UK, Dr Olwen Williams OBE, vice president for Wales, Royal College of Physicians said: We know the NHS workforce is under a great deal of pressure. In our most recent membership survey in December 2022, the Royal College of Physicians found that staff shortages are the biggest challenge facing the NHS, with 64% of respondents in Wales saying they were being asked to fill rota gaps at short notice and 49% saying that reducing staff vacancies in their team would make the biggest difference to their wellbeing. Also, part of the Welsh NHS problems are the lack of resources in social care that means patients fit to be discharged cannot be discharged and end up bed blocking, some patients are in hospital beds for months when they could have been at home, Dr Olwen Williams OBE, vice president for Wales, Royal College of Physicians said: We know the NHS workforce is under a great deal of pressure. In our most recent membership survey in December 2022, the Royal College of Physicians found that staff shortages are the biggest challenge facing the NHS, with 64% of respondents in Wales saying they were being asked to fill rota gaps at short notice and 49% saying that reducing staff vacancies in their team would make the biggest difference to their wellbeing. I’m delighted to see this plan published. We’ve previously joined with other royal colleges and professional bodies to call for action, and this is an important first step in the process. We also welcome recent engagement with the royal colleges over this workforce plan and hope to continue these conversations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poor management definitely which is also why there is a lack of resources in some areas and short staffing. Money gets wasted on things that aren't needed for treatement, like the former CEO of Swansea bay trust who spent thousands on a massive LGBT+ flag to fly on the main entrance to Morriston and later on, a massive glass cube that was meant to be advertising something, I think. I have to add, there are things I know that I shouldn't know and if I posted them, people who told me would get into trouble, I suspect there are plenty like me who know how bad things are in some places. [Post edited 8 Jan 8:34]
| ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 09:41 - Jan 8 with 2810 views | AnotherJohn |
The Brilliant Welsh NHS on 20:07 - Jan 7 by controversial_jack | The Netherlands has an insurance based system, but it’s not a profit system like the US has. Everyone is covered, nobody is refused treatment and no co pays either. Maybe we should look at that, but with our ruling politicians, it would be exploited and end up like the US system |
The irony here is that the Netherlands is often cited as the European system that has taken the biggest turn towards privatisation (of insurance funds) and competition. https://www.cairn.info/revue-francaise-des-affaires-sociales-2006-6-page-207.htm It is the one that right-wing think tanks like the IEA often cite as the best way forward for the UK, and is not the system that most on the Left are enthusiastic about. https://iea.org.uk/publications/universal-healthcare-without-the-nhs/ | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
| |