I cannot thank Sunderland NHS enough for looking after my son for his first week of life in their High Dependency Unit in January 2009. God bless every one of them.
Sorry mate I’ll re phrase that, my fault, I mean should there be some things that shouldn’t be dealt with on the NHS. Like my mate getting his ears pinned back or your nose straightened just because you don’t like the look of it?
Ah! Big ethical question. I think you have to have priorities but you have to look at knock on impacts. My mate who works in health reckons we should fix those who are missing work because when they start working again it frees up the economy to fix more. I had my nose straightened cos it affected br breathing and gave me headaches. I’m still **** ugly but have less headaches. If someone is throughly miserable and you can fix their head by removing a disfigurement then it’s probably swings and roundabouts I guess.
Having lived abroad I’d agree that we are lucky to have the NHS but the insurance based system provides a better service in terms of getting an appointment and being sorted out. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve only needed surgery twice, both for minor operations. But I was given tetracycline as a kid via the NHS and have had to live with the consequences. I have an NHS dentist who is more concerned about offering cosmetic treatments than doing proper dentistry such as filling teeth. Then they charge £75 for a clean and polish. It’s not exactly free for anyone with sight issues either, my last pair of specs cost over £300.
Aye, but your problem needed fixing, I believe there is things like sticky out ears that you should be told, they are your ears live with it.
I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (IGA) in 2012 and have been under review at Sunderland Royal since. I'm seen like clockwork every three months, and my medication adjusted as and when necessary. Without their intervention I would have gone into kidney failure years ago. As it is I'm able to lead a relatively normal life. I dread to think where I would be without the NHS, no insurer would touch me and the cost of treatment is way above anything I could afford. It's an interesting question about what treatment the NHS should provide. I was put on a 10 month trial of a new medication last year which cost £10k a month. It didn't work for me, I had to exit the trial early due to nasty side effects and my nephrologist has since told me it didn't get to market, but at that price I'm amazed it was even considered.
Cosmetic treatments have to be justified. I had a skin tag on my lower eyelid that was causing eye irritation. Initially the GP told me it was a cosmetic procedure that I needed to sort myself. I visited three different cosmetic surgery places but nobody would touch it due to it being on my eyelid and the risk of eye damage when cutting it off. I went back to the GP and he had to take photos and write a case study that was presented to an external panel who then gave me permission to have it removed on the NHS.
Do they work? I spent 3 months waiting for a referral then 6 months to get an appointment for an NHS hearing aid and it hasn’t really made any improvement. I’ll still wear it to let people know to shout louder
I’m fortunate to have subsidised private healthcare through work but it only does the easy routine stuff. When chips are down and you really need it the NHS is absolutely essential. Saved my wife’s life on more than one occasion. In more recent episode she needed knee replacements but due as it meant coming off her meds it meant both needed doing at same time. BUPA wouldn’t go near it as their facilities can’t cope, once more the NHS came good. Oh, and it’s the same surgeons. Be very, very careful what you wish for when saying you’d be happy with private healthcare. Very careful.
Same here my son spent his first 3 months premature in the RVI special care baby unit, I'll never be able to pay enough stamp to pay for that they were amazing, but in his lifetime (28yrs) it's went from the envy of the world to not fit for purpose in most areas which is a sad state of affairs for us that can remember how outstanding it was.
They are already doing this mate. Things like getting your tonsils out are being done less. Other less serious things not being done too, like knee arthroscopy re osteo. Then there are things being pushed toward private providers. You can get your ears syringed at Specsavers for £60! Not sure you can still get it on NHS. My dentist has now gone private from NHS. Costs a bloody fortune, but there are no alternatives.
