NHS bashing

horacegoesskiing · **Posted:** Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:59 pm

Young mother given just months to live after blundering medics failed to spot her mole was skin cancer

Okay then journalists. If you think the health service is so bad why don't you get jobs in it to improve it? Hmm?

I am sorry to hear about this young lady's cancer but why run to the Mail with the story?

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'It's one thing knowing you are dying of cancer - but it is hard not to be bitter when it could so easily have been stopped from spreading if the test on the mole had been done properly.

"I am dying because someone made a terrible mistake.'

Sometimes it can be incredibly difficult working in the health service. It can be easy to miss that slightest finest detail which turns out later on to have serious consequences. Working in x-ray I'm aware of this every day. There could be many ways of interpreting things. The last thing we want is uneducated yet judgmental people leaving comments about it like

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Why do people still have confidence in the medical profession? They are extremely fond of telling people they're depressed or stressed or suffering from PMT. Isn't that what they told Jade Goody when she was taken to hospital several times with symptoms which required investigation?

Mis-diagnosis and inappriopriate medication affect many thousands of people every year in Britain. It should be treated as a scandal instead of being shrugged off.

- Diana, Geneva, 15/9/2008 12:24

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This is not an isolated case, the same thing happened to my mother at the RUH, Bath. She was also misdiagnosed and died 18 months later. However, she was 75 years old whilst poor Tara is only 26 years with young children. It does bear thinking about. I don't understand why pathologists can look at specimens and not diagnose properly, why is there not a system where a specimen is examined by say two or three different experts so it is more fool-proof. I think the medical profession has a lot to answer for.

- Anon, Bath, UK, 15/9/2008 12:38

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tragc, why do we have such poor standards of care in britain? scrap the nhs and lets not have doctors or nurses working.

- t.h., essex, 15/9/2008 13:39

Yes that's right. Maybe we can sack all the doctors and replace them with the people who used to work for Lehman Brothers.

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What a horrible story. I feel terrible for her and her family.

Once again another tragic symptom of socialised health care. This is what will happen in America if Obama is elected.

- Mike N., Washington DC, USA, 15/9/2008 15:10

Wow. So if the doctors' wages were paid by private companies rather than a public service, they would no longer make mistakes?

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They didn't say sorry in the letter, as it was not from the Doctor who misdiagnosed her.
It was from the Pallative care team.
Who hopefully will be the Family's rock now, including the wonderful McMillan Nurses.

Yes, she must have money to help her partner bring up those poor Children. I so hope she relishes everyday she has left, and that her pain is controlled.

But, this is still quite an isolated case. People do slip through the net, tests are done by humans, thus the mistakes are human.
The NHS is still the best in the world, offering healthcare, free at the point of need.

I hope the family prove the Doctors wrong. It can happen, and god willing, it will!!!!

- Carrie, London, 15/9/2008 17:14

Thank you Carrie. There's one or two posts like this, most of them are tripe though.

Captain Klutz · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:23 pm

It's staggering isn't it? But then the US has a health system that the Mail would approve of - if you're a rough, chavvy type and fall ill, you never see a doctor, and you die. Medical resources are focused on wealthier people, which is surely the ideal.

The comments about how wonderful the US system is amaze me. I have American friends - who are insured - who won't see a doctor unless it's absolutely necessary because the insurers don't want to pay for it. While this cuts down on unnecessary doctors appointments, it also makes it much less likely that a serious problem will be picked up early.

Fflaps · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:17 pm

Yep, here's some evidence of that, meet Dr Prem Reddy:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/ ... p?id=10041

(Not always a fan of Moore but this is right on the money as far as I can tell, have read about this guy in Barbara Ehrenreich and heard of him through US friends - he is pretty notorious for being in it for profit)

Quote from the article that really sums up the attitude of too many in the US (and its govt):

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Reddy said his company's approach allowed it to be more efficient than its rivals, and he remained unapologetic to those who said the company was too focused on the bottom line. Patients, he said, may simply deserve only the amount of care they can afford.

"Why is it in healthcare we expect to have the same?" he asked. "It's an entitlement mentality. Why aren't the same people asking why everybody shouldn't be eating the same foods, or have the same clothes or same homes? Those are as essential services as healthcare."

Yes but you won't die if you eat beans on toast, live in a one-bed flat or wear Primark will you?!

That is what a lot of (better off, anyway) people in the US seem to feel, that wanting something like universal healthcare is an example of welfare dependent/entitlement thinking. It's like the Protestant work ethic gone mad!

Paul · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:21 am

Unhealthy people to be offered £20 'bribes' to force them to see a doctor

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... Birth.html

Not all disadvantaged are there by choice. Nowhere in the article does it say people will be paid £20 to visit the doctor, but some small incentives may be given. If this radical approach helps identify health risks at an early stage then intervention may be possible that will reduce costs at a later stage. What is the problem with that.

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Always look after the ones that cant be bothered to look after themselves.. never mind who foots the bill.. Its about time people looked after themselves without money bribes.
- Jacqui Weems, Southampton, 1/10/2008 23:22

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Its their human right to eat as much pizza as they can and its my human right not to have my/our NHS overloaded with ignorant feckless couch potatoes.
- merc, Shrewsbury, 2/10/2008 0:14

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Typical! This liberal, nanny state now is going to pay adults to see a doctor.
As if we don't pay enough and the doctors are not overworked.
These people have brains, I assume, let them use them. Basic science:
If it doesn't go in it WON"T GO ON.
If they don't care why should the government with our money or why should
we?
- FreeUK, UK, 2/10/2008 0:41

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Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: 'This is an idea that is totally alien to what taxpayers think their money will be spent on.
'The idea of bribing people to go to their doctors is ludicrous. It is surely their responsibility to go to the doctor if they want to.
'They'd best not hand out too many bribes or they might find that like in other parts of the country it's impossible to get a GP appointment.'

What do the Tax Payers Alliance know about health matters?

Killer Whale · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:33 am

Couple of quid up front or £100,000 for intensive care when their heart gives out. Your choice So-Called Taxpayers' So-Called Alliance. Idiot.

Disgusting Liberal · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:17 am

Killer Whale wrote:

Couple of quid up front or £100,000 for intensive care when their heart gives out. Your choice So-Called Taxpayers' So-Called Alliance. Idiot.

wrong comparison ...

Couple of quid up front and £500,000 caring for you when you are senile or £100,000 for intensive care.

All preventive health care does in ensure more poor sods spend ten years drooling in nursing homes.

Mr Mordon · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:19 am

What the hell is 'FreeUK' talking about

Half that comment doesn't even make sense

Killer Whale · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:41 am

Disgusting Liberal wrote:

All preventive health care does in ensure more poor sods spend ten years drooling in nursing homes.

After twenty extra years of productive life.

Disgusting Liberal · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:21 pm

Killer Whale wrote:

Disgusting Liberal wrote:

All preventive health care does in ensure more poor sods spend ten years drooling in nursing homes.

After twenty extra years of productive life.

personally I'll take 60 years of doing what I enjoy over 80 of watching everything I eat and drink.

ManicMiner · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:56 am

'Hospital deceived me on the death of my beauty queen wife'

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husband has spoken out angrily over the hospital failures which left his wife to die in agony.
Andrew Benson said he had been 'deceived' by health trust chiefs who assured him no errors were made in 29-year-old former beauty queen Madalina's care.

Comments:

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Nu Labour and their National Filth Service.
- rick, newcastle UK, 15/10/2008 09:30

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well the Goverment can find billions to bail out banks and yet the NHS gets nothing, Doctors and nurses are worked like dogs, tired, overworked people make mistakes, dont blame the doctors, blame this goverment
- David, Portsmouth, 15/10/2008 7:34

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So this is what 10+ years of NuLabour management and billions of pounds produce.

Make it like working in the real world and sack all the clinical staff for incompetence and sack the admin staff and managers who tried to cover it up. In a real job outside of government and the NHS (with the exception of banking) if you're that rubbish at your job you’re sacked...
- JP, UK, 15/10/2008 7:35

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Hardly a beauty queen was she.
Still, this is a tragedy and should have been avoided
- graeme carter, London, UK, 15/10/2008 8:26

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It is important to avoid doctors and hospitals as much as possible. There are so many mistakes and thousands upon thousands of people are misdiagnosed or wrongly treated every year, leading to death or a worsening of their condition.
- Diana, Geneva, 15/10/2008 9:06

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The NHS is not the envy of the world. It is out-dated political dogma and increasingly divorced from actually providing effect health care.

Personally, I would rather see my Vet.
- James, Windsor, 15/10/2008 9:19

Yes James, of course you would. Maybe you should go private?

Bernadette · **Joined:** Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:36 pm **Posts:** 1089

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Hardly a beauty queen was she.
Still, this is a tragedy and should have been avoided
- graeme carter, London, UK, 15/10/2008 8:26

Despite finding the woman to be a munter, he still has the good grace to call it a tragedy. He's a charmer isn't he?

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perhaps the Daily Mail could have a Petition to bring back MATRONS ?
- Trish Niblock, Edinburgh UK, 15/10/2008 7:55

Hospitals are full of Matrons you daft Niblock. If I had a pound for everytime a Mail reader said that...

horacegoesskiing · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:34 pm

Grandfather dies after SIX doctors fail to spot he had a broken back

The armchair experts weigh in with their usual comments:

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"A grandad died after SIX doctors at two hospitals failed to spot he had broken his spine. Four consultants and two radiologists at Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital missed his injury until three weeks after the accident, but it proved too late as he died days later."

Now, will someone please tell me, after the numerous reports of professional incompetence, failure to diagnose injuries and other medical problems and cancelling ambulances in the last few weeks and months leading to the deaths of patients, that the UK NHS is an efficient and effective medical system.

- Kenneth, Suffolk, England, 6/11/2008 11:53

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Safe in their hands? No..
Gormless and co's nu labour national filth service..
Where our pensioners are a burden...
Expendable....
Disgusting!!

- rick, newcastle UK, 6/11/2008 12:10

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Mr Caplan must have suffered terribly in those few weeks, and his poor wife and family must have been traumatised to.

Total and utter NEGLECT by the NHS has resulted in another needless death.

This gentleman was 70yrs old, and in my experience people of his age are routinely neglected by the health service.

It is also disgraceful that the family have had to wait 4 YEARS for this case to be heard! The stress of going through the NHS complaints procedure will have added to their trauma!

They need to sue the NHS for massive compensation. Money can never make up for the loss of their fathers life..but I now believe that EVERYONE who is neglected by medical staff should sue for compensation....it is the only language that the NHS understand. We can all just 'complain' forever and they will ignore us. They will take notice if they have to pay out hundreds of thousands pounds every time it happens.

My sincere sympathies to the Mr Caplans family.

- Linda, Birmingham, 6/11/2008 12:19

But what's this? The Mail has actually allowed a comment through that was written by someone who knows what they're talking about!

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Nobody's perfect.Everyone makes mistakes. I don't condone this but people are failing to appreciate that taking and interpreting x-rays is an art. Broken spines don't look like boken arms, where the bones can be at right angles. The features can be extremely subtle.The types of x-ray and scans undertaken also relate directly to the patient's condition, description of accident, pain etc. You cannot do entire body scans of everyone in casualty and even if you did you would STILL miss things-as I said, scans and views are tailored to the individual patient. Even the size & mibility of the patient will affect the quality of the imaging that is possible to achieve. So, without knowing the full facts, it is impossible to blame any one person or persons. Clearly the fact that so many missed this injury reflects the subtlty of imaging findings. It seems to me that the public fail to recognise that doctors/nurses/radiographers enter the profession to HELP PEOPLE because they CARE.

- Radiographer, st Albans, 6/11/2008 13:19

I was going to add a comment but after that one from my colleague in St Albans I have nothing further to add. Good work sir.

Bernadette · **Joined:** Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:36 pm **Posts:** 1089

Quote:

Now, will someone please tell me, after the numerous reports of professional incompetence, failure to diagnose injuries and other medical problems and cancelling ambulances in the last few weeks and months leading to the deaths of patients, that the UK NHS is an efficient and effective medical system.

- Kenneth, Suffolk, England, 6/11/2008 11:53

Maybe Kenneth if you read a different newspaper or this favourite rag of yours published different stories, you would see what great work the NHS does. But then why would the Mail want to print stories of when things go right, when people are treated and cured, as happens every day? It aint perfect but bloody hell, it does a good job.

Paul · **Posted:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:11 am

In the U.S., medical errors are estimated to result in 44,000 to 98,000 unnecessary deaths and 1,000,000 excess injuries each year.

http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9728

jonnyhead · **Posted:** Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:01 am

Girl, 13, wins right to die after doctors tried to take her to court to force a heart transplant

This story is framed in a really astonishing way, it basically sets out to make the hospital and social services look like the bad guys and does so in really emotive terms.

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At 13 and with a terminal heart condition, Hannah Jones has had enough of hospitals.

So when doctors suggested she might need a heart transplant, she took a deep breath and just said No.

Hannah explained that she would rather spend any time she had left at home with her family.

Her local hospital, however, decided she was wrong, and took the first steps to High Court proceedings to force her to have the operation.

It took a determined plea from Hannah at home in her bed to persuade the hospital to back down.

Yesterday, her parents Andrew and Kirsty, an intensive care nurse, said they were disgusted by the initial decision to pursue the case.

Now, this has elicited 58 comments so far, of which all but 2 or 3 are absolutely outraged at the authorities for daring to question whether a 13-year-old girl is capable of making an informed decision about whether she wants to die. Her age is pretty crucial, as far as I'm concerned I think it's fine for adults, but it's a bit of a grey area when we're talking about kids.

True to form, the story later reveals that this went absolutely nowhere fucking near going to court.

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But the family then received a telephone call from Hereford Hospital, where Hannah had regular check-ups, warning it could apply for a High Court order to admit her to hospital.

The next day a female child protection officer interviewed Hannah at home. The hospital then decided not to go ahead with any case.

So, they sent an expert to talk to her, and then decided not to take it further. To me that seems fine, surely a hospital has a duty of care to 13-year-old kids and ought to make damn sure this is the right decision? Apparently not, according to the rabid comments:

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I think whomever made this decision should be strung, it is disgraceful. Im pretty sure she and her parents knew what was best for her and not some docotr willing to play around with someones life who has nothing to do with him and of course he wouldn't have to live with the consequences.
- Scotch Eggs Rule, London, 10/11/2008 17:01

Yeah, now they just have to live with the consequences of letting a child die, instead of trying to save their life. Have I gone mental here? When did Mail readers unanimously start supporting the euthanasia of children? What surprises me is the really black-and-white view of this. For me, I don't know what the right thing to do is, but I think the authorities should do something like what they did and make sure such a momentous decision isn't taken lightly, not just go 'oh, you want to die? No problem!'. Surely this is just a really sad case and one in which we should all maybe try and understand everyone's point of view, rather than starting with the finger-pointing?

A Tory councillor is also disgusted:

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What disgusts me is the high-handed attitude of the hospital who as usual always know what's best., the petty egos who cannot bear to admit that they just may be wrong.

I don't know what Hannah said, but ultimately it seems that we have at least one child protection officer in the UK who really does listen and hasn't fallen into the usual trap of thinking that she knows better than the child what is going on in that child's head..

Common sense at last, unfortunately not from the Big-State Hospital.

Enjoy your time Hannah and family with some privacy and away from the needles, tubes and fussing experts....
- Cllr Jeremy Zeid (Conservative), Harrow, England, 11/11/2008 0:30

Ah well, at least some much-needed perspective arrives from Serbia:

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It is high time that Social Services were disbanded.
- Peter, Pirot, Serbia, 11/11/2008 6:54

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