Hospitals and supporting functions? Fine. I have no issues there, waiting times excepted.
But if I want an appointment with my doctor (i.e. GP) it means taking a full day* off work for about ten minutes worth of attention. That's assuming I can get an appointment within the next fortnight, otherwise it's a case of ringing up every morning in the hope that I can both get a cancellation there and short-notice leave from work.
To be honest I've all but given up and just go to the walk-in centre with anything I can't get over myself; at least they're open on Saturdays. I've got a lot of respect for doctors having seen what my cousin has had to do to get into general practice, but the fact of the matter is that the day when it's easiest for most people to visit the doctor is the same day that they're closed. If I could find a practice that was open even just one or two Saturdays in a month I'd switch before you can say repeat prescription.
Gove is still a clueless tory, but even raving lunatics will occasionally say something that makes sense.
*I could manage just a half day but my journey to work is 90 minutes each way and doctors tend not to want patients on their books who don't live locally.
(
jonbob loves you, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 23:14,
Reply)
90 mins journey to work?! you poor bastard.
I'm lucky, my GP is open Saturdays and has early and late appts for people who work. The receptionists still conform to the miserable, dried up, husk-bitch industry standard tho.
(, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 7:24, Reply)
Same as me, 90 minute journey to work.
I have to phone up at 8:30 when I should already be at work to find out if I can be seen that day otherwise it's at least a 2 week wait.
(
Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 8:59,
Reply)
So basically you want the doctor to work Saturdays so you can have a nice 9 to 5 weekday job?
And your solution is to clog up the walk in centre on a Saturday and wonder why the healthcare budget keeps spiralling?
(
da5id <YOUR SIG HERE>, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 9:17,
Reply)
The bastard probably expects the Fire Brigade and Police workers to work shifts at weekends as well so he can enjoy those public services.
What an ungrateful cunt he is.
(
Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 9:23,
Reply)
Well...
Don't forget that most paediatric fractures also happen at weekends (kids playing out), most drunken injuries happen at weekends (friday and Saturday night out because no work the next day), most granny dumping happens at weekends and most sporting injuries happen at weekends.
Perhaps if everybody worked 7 days full shift there'd be no excess mortality at weekends...
(
da5id <YOUR SIG HERE>, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 10:08,
Reply)
"7 day FULL shift" Nice strawman there.
(
Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 10:54,
Reply)
Actually I work 10-6 and alternate Saturdays.
I do that so I can make sure my nan is ok on a morning but still get back in time to make her a hot meal and spend some time before she goes to bed.
Normally you seem quite reasonable da5id but in this case I'm inclined to say get off your fucking high horse.
(
jonbob loves you, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 10:47,
Reply)
You're right. Sorry. It's just every new term of every government the same cycle of events happens:
1. The incoming health secretary realises that healthcare costs have spiralled out of control, mainly because social support backup has died leaving the NHS to provide services well beyond its original remit
2. They impose a cosmetic system change that ends up burning out already stressed out staff of all levels (nurses, doctors both junior and consultant).
3. They can't blame the nurses (the Sun would never stand for that) but because consultants are still seen as they were in 1930s Punch cartoons, they blame them. Said consultants oppose the cosmetic system change, and get accused of being lazy and uncooperative.
TL:DR version: when someone suggests by implication that Michael Gove is right, the red mist descends!
(
da5id <YOUR SIG HERE>, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 11:29,
Reply)
Forgiven, forgotten.
As a public sector worker I'm also acutely aware of what the rhetoric is any time there's a change of government. At the moment I'm looking forward to seeing them try to explain why they don't pay a lot of their civil servants the so-called living wage.
(
jonbob loves you, Thu 23 Jul 2015, 11:55,
Reply)