Is the NHS** really that bad ?

[Ace_777]

I recently saw this advert for a Panorama* program in which they expose the growing maternity ward crisis, in which quality of care, number of beds, hygiene and a variety of other factors are going into decline.

I also saw the news reports of how the U.K health care system is facing deficits financially....

HOWEVER, take this for example, one day I wake up and I can't breathe as well as I normally do (I suffer from asthma) so I tell my dad and off we go to the hospital.

I wait a while (probably one or 1 and a half hours) and then I'm seen too.

The then take down all my symptoms and take me to a ward where I am then administered something called nebuliser. Then I'm discharged.

O.K the whole point of this thread was too show you that whenever I'm at a hospital I never see the stuff they show on programs like people waiting in corridors or overcrowded waiting rooms or filth and litter strewn across the floor.

What is the true state of the NHS** today? Is it really going down hill ? do we just need time to start seeing  this for ourselves ? Or is the NHS fine and this little media furore will die down? will the NHS ever be better again ?

ACE

P.S if you live outside the U.K and don't know what the NHS or Panorama is then please look below. Hope this helps!

*Panorama is a program in which undercover reporters go undercover (thank you, captain obvious) to uncover the truth behind specific companies or services (in this particular case the NHS and its maternity wings)

**The NHS (National Health Service) is a medical service provided by the U.K Government (funded through taxes). The NHS provides the majority of healthcare here in the United Kingdom such as, but not limited to, general practitioners to hospitals, long-term healthcare.

[C]

We all know how "National" the NHS is. Generally best if one lives in Wales (free prescriptions - what makes the Welsh so special that they get free medication? - other than the way they traditionally vote perhaps), or Scotland, where there seems to be a pattern of more specialist medication being available free of charge. Not surprising considering half the government's Scottish...

Considering the amount of tax that disappears monthly on my payslip, the NHS ought to be good.

[Craig.]

Depends really. I cant complain when I had my knee surgery. I was given a short dated appointment and in and out pretty much in 6 hours. However to be fair I did need that surgery for some 5 years prior and it was that long before anyone would take me seriously and treat it properly.

[ozzy72]

My mum was a nurse for 43 years. You should here her go on about the state of things these days! The poor training and the management stupidity.
Mind you Hungarian hospitals are 1000 times worse and I won't even go into the whole story of Romanian hospitals. Just be glad you were born in Britain and the hospitals are pretty good compared to a lot of places

[Mictheslik]

We all know how "National" the NHS is. Generally best if one lives in Wales (free prescriptions - what makes the Welsh so special that they get free medication? - other than the way they traditionally vote perhaps), or Scotland, where there seems to be a pattern of more specialist medication being available free of charge. Not surprising considering half the government's Scottish...

Precisely why next time I need to pay for medication I'm going to Wales to get it

.mic

[Cobra]

My mum was a nurse for 43 years. You should here her go on about the state of things these days! The poor training and the management stupidity.
Mind you Hungarian hospitals are 1000 times worse and I won't even go into the whole story of Romanian hospitals. Just be glad you were born in Britain and the hospitals are pretty good compared to a lot of places

My mum is a doctor, and thinks the complete opposite to most of you guys. She just went private for an operation (as my father gets free private health insurence with his job) thinking that it would be easier, and she gave up with them eventually and went through the NHS. Its not brilliant, but its not THAT bad.

But she would definatley agree with out Ozzy, the standard of nurses is far below what one would naturally expect.

[beaky]

So the NHS as depicted on The Benny Hill Show is not entirely accurate?  :D

All I can say about medicine in the US is: if you haven't got insurance, you can't even afford to die.

[MWISimmer]

When my Charlotte was born (Dec. 05) in our local hospital (Epsom & St. Helier NHS Trust) everything was superb, the nurses and facilities were top notch.
Whatever Panorama says, from personal experience, I can't knock the NHS, and we look forward to having our next child there.

[TSC.]

I can't knock the NHS, and we look forward to having our next child there.

Likewise Rob, when Jr TSC was born in an NHS hospital, I felt no pain whatsoever & would happily go with the NHS again.



TSC.

[Saitek]

They must vary from place to place. I was easily prioritised during the time I went to A&E and they saw me quickly. I do remember one lady complaining to the doctor about having to wait. He replied I had just come in and I was priority. So she came over to my bed to check up on me and to see if I really was that bad! lol :-/

I have found whenever any of us have needed to go for minor things we have been seen and come out within 3 hours for whatever we need. I think a wait is good in some respects in that it stops people coming unecessarily or wasting the doctors time.

[john_uk]

it depends where you are as to "how bad the NHS is" the thing is, most of the complainers are life time smokers waiting for a new lung or something stupid... they can wait

panorama are experts at finding the worst possible place and then saying its the standard conditions. my local hospital is as clean as a whistle, my sister is a physio their and she has never complained about the conditions, just the lack of nurses.

in short, the NHS is a great service which no one can realy nock but they do as its the government. panorama are nothing but britains greatest shit stirrers after channel 4 (as a whole).