Surgeons raise alarm over waiting

[OceanAnnie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12964360

Interesting article.

 

[Mermaid02]

As someone who had a hip replacement 16 months ago, I can't imagine having to wait- I was in INCREDIBLE pain. When we decided it was time- I had surgery scheduled for 6 weeks from then- and it only took that long because I had to have a torn meniscus repaired first.

 

[OceanAnnie]

As someone who had a hip replacement 16 months ago, I can't imagine having to wait- I was in INCREDIBLE pain. When we decided it was time- I had surgery scheduled for 6 weeks from then- and it only took that long because I had to have a torn meniscus repaired first.

I can't imagine it either.

-------------------
From the article:

"...The moves are part of the NHS drive to find £20bn efficiency savings by 2015.

The government said performance should be measured by outcomes not numbers.

...The double jeopardy is that patients wait longer in pain, and when they have the operation, the result might not have been as good as it otherwise would have been had they had it early. "

--------------------

Doesn't look good.

 

[JessicaR]

Thats terrible to keep them suffering because of $. The surgeons description that it is "cruel and devastating", is rather sad.

 

[LuvOrlando]

This made me wonder if Europe had the same baby boom as the US? These joint issues grow to be bigger issues with people as they age and a huge volume of older people would cause a similar swell anywhere baby boomers are found and the older they get the greater the demand will become. Something to think about/worry about.

A colleague of my DH's flew her Mom into the US because she was wait listed in Russia for heart surgery. It was that or death because there is no way to move yourself up on "THE LIST"... I can't imagine being in that position

 

[PaulaSB12]

Three years ago when my mother was 71 she needed a hysterectomy. She saw her specialist at Northampton hospital on monday, she was admitted on tuesday and had the operation on the wednesday. There is a lot of good in the nhs. Mind you they freaked me out because they insisted on doing a pregnany test on her first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[OceanAnnie]

This made me wonder if Europe had the same baby boom as the US? These joint issues grow to be bigger issues with people as they age and a huge volume of older people would cause a similar swell anywhere baby boomers are found and the older they get the greater the demand will become. Something to think about/worry about.

A colleague of my DH's flew her Mom into the US because she was wait listed in Russia for heart surgery. It was that or death because there is no way to move yourself up on "THE LIST"... I can't imagine being in that position

A whole lot of people from other countries come here for medical care, for now.

Who knows what the future holds for us?

 

[sjaakie]

This made me wonder if Europe had the same baby boom as the US? These joint issues grow to be bigger issues with people as they age and a huge volume of older people would cause a similar swell anywhere baby boomers are found and the older they get the greater the demand will become. Something to think about/worry about.

This has nothing to do with baby boomers. "Baby boomers" in my country are people that paid there whole life into health insurance. ( We payes almost a millon euro's into the system in our life) so we have EVERY right to get EVERY possible treadment. Baby boomers in my country had no choice. We were forded to pay for more than fifty years so there is no swell.

The most money goes to people that never paid one Euro into the system.
Our health insurances just discovered a scam for women the wear special clothes to go to there original home countries. Than they lie about an "accident" and get a nose job done because there nose is to big. This is costing us millions.
Also in Europe is is a well know fact that if you live in a country were sex change is forbidden you can go to Europe ask asylum and get an operation for free.

Also persons from outer states get every treatment for free. So a cancer treatment that we paid for our whole life and is costing an half or whole million is free for those that did pay nothing.

So people that paid nothing,costing billions are clogging up the system and eat up the budget for those that worked there whole life and paid not one dime into the system.

 

[sjaakie]

A whole lot of people from other countries come here for medical care, for now.

I'm sorry but you cant just fly into the US and get a treadment for free.


Look at this child. http://www.help-jelte.nl/stichting.html

He was almost beaten to death by children from ten and fourteen years old on a play ground. He got into a coma and was living like a plant for almost two years. Than the parers discovered a treatment in Fort Lauderdale.

The parents did not get a visum for this treatment before they could proof they they had enough money to pay for it.

Our whole country gave money and this child is now eating on his own and can talk a little bit.

O and the offenders did get NO punishment because the parents were living on public money and had no money for the treatment of the victim.

 

[Pigeon]

. Mind you they freaked me out because they insisted on doing a pregnany test on her first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was getting some screening tests done in conjunction with a breast cancer diagnosis. I had one test in the basement of the hospital, then went immediately to the 7th floor for the second test.

They did a pregnancy test on me before both tests. The elevator was just not that romantic a location for that to be necessary.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm sorry but you cant just fly into the US and get a treadment for free.


Look at this child. http://www.help-jelte.nl/stichting.html

He was almost beaten to death by children from ten and fourteen years old on a play ground. He got into a coma and was living like a plant for almost two years. Than the parers discovered a treatment in Fort Lauderdale.

The parents did not get a visum for this treatment before they could proof they they had enough money to pay for it.

Our whole country gave money and this child is now eating on his own and can talk a little bit.

O and the offenders did get NO punishment because the parents were living on public money and had no money for the treatment of the victim.

I didn't say for free.

(Although we do have a similar problem as you describe.)

 

[Bilberry]

I think the UK has a waiting for care problem. Recall last week that a former head of the NHS director essentially passed away while waiting for an operation.

http://dougpowers.com/2011/03/31/government-run-health-care-horror-stories-part-mcvii/

Snippet from the article:

A former NHS director died after waiting for nine months for an operation – at her own hospital.

Margaret Hutchon, a former mayor, had been waiting since last June for a follow-up stomach operation at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex. But her appointments to go under the knife were cancelled four times and she barely regained consciousness after finally having surgery.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

How long do people in the US have to wait for non-emergency surgery if they have no health insurance and can't pay OOP?

Just asking....

 

[OceanAnnie]

I think the UK has a waiting for care problem. Recall last week that a former head of the NHS director essentially passed away while waiting for an operation.

http://dougpowers.com/2011/03/31/government-run-health-care-horror-stories-part-mcvii/

Snippet from the article:

 

[tzolkin]

How long do people in the US have to wait for non-emergency surgery if they have no health insurance and can't pay OOP?

Just asking....

That's what I was thinking. Even regardless of insurance or ability to pay.

DH is an RN in an OR and does mostly orthopedic surgery. The ortho group is the best in the area and many people wait months before seeing the Dr. and then several weeks to schedule the surgery.

I recently had to wait 6mos to get in to see an endocrinologist. I would say a few month wait is the norm to see a specialist.

 

[eliza61]

How long do people in the US have to wait for non-emergency surgery if they have no health insurance and can't pay OOP?

Just asking....

lol forever. If they have no health insurance and can't pay they don't get the treatment. They barely get it if it's an emergency.

I had orthoscopic surgery on my knee in august of 2008. I originally went to the doctor in January for the pain. It took me 4 months of fighting with Aetna to get a referral to a surgeon, they kept making me go back to my primary. first I had to make sure that good ole tylenol wouldn't cure it, then I had to do 6 weeks of occupational therapy even though my doctor wrote letter after letter saying that would not help. then finally after 5 months it took another month because they wanted to know exactly "what" caused the pain. was it an accident, did it happen on the job. I swear they were simply looking for a scapegoat so they wouldn't have to pay.

I wonder how this myth of being able to walk into any doctors office and get top quality care began.

 

[sjaakie]

I didn't say for free.


(Although we do have a similar problem as you describe.)

Just wait and see.We had private insurance and were protected for everything. Now we have insurance covered by the government and illegals get every treatment for free and those that payed more then fifty years are denied life saving operations.
My MIL died because at 70 she was to old and to expensive to get an operation and they just let her die.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Just wait and see.We had private insurance and were protected for everything. Now we have insurance covered by the government and illegals get every treatment for free and those that payed more then fifty years are denied life saving operations.
My MIL died because at 70 she was to old and to expensive to get an operation and they just let her die.

Firstly, I am sorry about your MIL. Shouldn't have happened.

Secondly, I am not one that has to wait and see. I do see the writing on the wall.

ETA- It's a huge, tangled mess. And we are steering our way right into it.

 

[eliza61]

Firstly, I am sorry about your MIL. Shouldn't have happened.

Secondly, I am not one that has to wait and see. I do see the writing on the wall.

ETA- It's a huge, tangled mess. And we are steering our way right into it.

Let's see in my life time:

The country was gonna end because of communism. had me hide under a desk.
The country was gonna end if Negroes were given equal right.
The country is gonna end if Gays got the right to marry or were able to serve in the military and they are definitely the causing the destruction of marriage (even though 45% of heterosexual marriages end up in the toilet all by their lonesome)

If I had a dollar for every doomsday prediction that's has been forcasted, the cost of health care wouldn't be an issue for me.

Lot's of injustices happen now even with people who have supposedly great health care
.

 

[booger73]

Lot's of injustices happen now even with people who have supposedly great health care
.

It's only going to get worse.