So, should I complain?
Hi Undercovercarrot

I read with interest your comments about Chase, having recently had a Chase experience of my own. I seriously fucking hope, for the future of the NHS, that my experience is not typical of all hospitals in the UK. My wife was taken ill with suspected food poisoning, After three days of being ignored, fobbed off and patronised by NHS direct, i eventually called an ambulance. The ambulance didn't come, but we were eventually visited by an out of hours doctor, who after examining my wife did call an ambulance. I could probably write a book about all of the shit my wife and I went through, over our week long stay at Chase Farm but Here are a few of the low-lights experienced:

1. Not seeing a doctor for a day and a half, despite repeated requests to nursing and admin staff to see one.
2. Most importantly, repeated misdiagnoses of symptoms, so that suspected gastroenteritis eventually turned out to be acute appendicitis
3. Repeated requests for nursing staff to insert drip in arm after it had come loose/give pain medication/empty catheter etc. Typical Response "Oh yes, yes, we'll do it right away", 2 hours later...
4. Generally being made to feel unworthy and undeserving, as if we were just malingering parasites who were taking up a hospital bed for someone who was "really ill".

Which is shame because many of the staff there were great. I didn't like having to hassle staff and I tried my best to be assertive without being rude, but sadly, I was continually forced into a situation of conflict with staff. I would hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been there to hassle staff. I suspect she would have been left in her room to rot.

So what do you think, should I complain? Not really interested in any compensation, and I'm not really convinced that complaining will improve anything if things have got as bad as you say. There's a lot of local opposition to the hospital being closed down but I beginning to think maybe it would actually be for the best if the turned it into a polyclinic and made everyone go to North Mid or Barnet.

Also what are your thoughts on the new Health Bill? Will it improve things or just be another attempt at reinventing the wheel and cause yet more misery?
(Nitrous Nitrous, Sat 3 Mar 2012, 9:13, 2 replies)

Hmm
I shall PM thee re the first bit.

Regarding the second bit, I find it bizarre that the government are trying the whole "oh people don't really understand it, that's why they don't want it." Leaving everything else aside, look at how many professional bodies are opposing the bill: BMA, RCN, RCPCH... if nothing else, these people ARE the NHS clinicians and are many things, but stupid they aint.
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Sat 3 Mar 2012, 11:09, closed)

I'm a GP reg and I support the bill.
As do a couple of the royal colleges you didn't mention.
I can understand the concerns about some of the finer details of the bill will work but the basic principle is sound and has worked before. The reforms were not the government's idea, many GPs have been pushing for this for years. They may have finally been accepted by the government because of the potential to save money but the bill was not created in order to privatise the NHS and there is an awful lot of scare-mongering from the media.
( 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Tue 6 Mar 2012, 1:20, closed)

Erm....
...but the Royal College of General Practitioners do NOT support the bill and believe it should be withdrawn in its entirety.

www.rcgp.org.uk/news/press_releases_and_statements/response_to_lord_crisp.aspx

Anyway, despite what many of them believe, there is more to the NHS than General Practitioners.

The Royal College of Surgeons are holding an EGM as they are unsure whether to continue supporting the bill, as are the Royal College of Physicians, 92.5% of whom reject the bill.

Nobody disagrees that there is a need for reform in the NHS, but a massive restructuring going against many of the guiding principles of the NHS.

I assume when you suggest that "this has worked before" you are talking about GP fundholding which turned out to be a total fiasco.

This is NOT just media scaremongering. Support for this bill from professionals across the board is waning. The government are NOT engaging with the public or the professional bodies.
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Tue 6 Mar 2012, 12:00, closed)

The RCGP does not represent the opionion of all GPs. Throughout my training it has become clear to me that the college only has it's own interests at heart.
And I don't know what you're basing your opinion that fundholding was 'a total fiasco' on unless you are referring to the way that the Labour goverment decided to abolish it without any evidence that it wouldn't work.
( 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Tue 6 Mar 2012, 13:33, closed)

Don't live in ponders end then you fucking pikey

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Sat 3 Mar 2012, 16:30, closed)

Tell you what Rory...
I won't live in Ponders End if you stop being an Ignorant presumptive cunt. Oh. Too Late.
(Nitrous Nitrous, Sat 3 Mar 2012, 23:32, closed)