tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post1615567610075718394..comments2023-11-25T01:12:34.326+00:00Comments on Benefit Scrounging Scum: Can we fix it?BenefitScroungingScumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08939136229593231935noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-21873427847234147852009-03-31T21:57:00.000+01:002009-03-31T21:57:00.000+01:00I'm no expert on hospital car parks - my disabilit...I'm no expert on hospital car parks - my disability means I'm no longer allowed to drive. Getting to a hospital can be difficult in other ways. Before I moved cities, I had a fantastic GP who was interested in epilepsy - rather than refer me to the city hospital's general neurology department, he sent me to see a consultant in the next town, where the the hospital there ran a specialist epilepsy clinic. The consultant I saw was fantastic but after 2 years I had to give him up. The town was only 16 miles away, but of course I couldn't drive there. The bus took 50 minutes and then I had to get a second bus from the town centre to the hospital. Or I could get the train, but there was mostly only one per hour (one every two hours mid-afternoon), plus a 15-minute walk from the station. All this meant that it would usually take me 3, sometimes 4 hours to do the round trip - just to see the consultant for 10 minutes. I'm self-employed, so it was massively disruptive for my working day and I was effectively losing half a day's pay too. Fortunately, my epilepsy is reasonably well-controlled and stable so it was easy to "drop off the list", with the understanding I'd get seen very quickly should my situation change and I needed him again. I'm now waiting to get on a local consultant's list in my new city - at least here, public transport is fairly good so I hope the travel will be less hassle in future. PS: I've experienced the Dutch polyclinic system - it's not too bad there as you mostly get continuity of care. But to my eye, it looks as though the government here is taking the worst aspects of such a system. It will be a disaster. I for one do not want to have to waste precious minutes of each visit explaining yet again, to yet another doctor, the exact ins and outs of my daily state.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09575696613288942467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-57712297331740090142009-03-31T14:24:00.000+01:002009-03-31T14:24:00.000+01:00Some bus-stop style perching seats would presumabl...Some bus-stop style perching seats would presumably be better than nothing. And an old/not very mobile person sitting on a seat at the side of the corridor would be no more of a fire hazard than an old/not very mobile person staggering along in the middle of the corridor.. Might not be ideal, but a sight better than nothing and wouldn't prevent trolleys passing.<BR/>(Same anon as earlier)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-65541892306398097892009-03-31T12:25:00.000+01:002009-03-31T12:25:00.000+01:00@GoldfishI think I can offer an explanation as to ...@Goldfish<BR/>I think I can offer an explanation as to why there aren't seats in the corridors.<BR/>I once worked on a nursing home where the home manager was desperate for just that. The home was designed with a corridor round a courtyard garden that the residents would walk around. Some seats would have been great.<BR/>It was the fire brigade who said no. She had to invest significant time and effort in sourcing non flammable furnishings and proving that it would not cause an obstruction in the escape routes.<BR/>In the end we redesigned the corridors to give spaces that the seats could go in - an increase in construction cost and technicality for a basic comfort.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06148992289166413933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-18391545572925972362009-03-30T20:33:00.000+01:002009-03-30T20:33:00.000+01:00I think Anonymous is spot-on. I think the trouble ...I think Anonymous is spot-on. I think the trouble is that most of the "development" of the NHS is aimed people who are in reasonable health, who use these things occasionally and briefly. So they don't mind traveling for it and they don't mind seeing a different face. We are all being treated a little like consumers, with shiney new gimmicks and "choice", but well, you really don't have much choice if you need this level of service.<BR/><BR/>As for hospitals and their car parks, I could write a three-volume treatise... And why the flip don't those corridors have more places to sit down? It would be good for outpatients and for inpatients who are trying to build themselves up.<BR/><BR/>Hope this doesn't take too much of a toll on you.The Goldfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15213378454070776331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-22872775477047958662009-03-30T20:19:00.000+01:002009-03-30T20:19:00.000+01:00The polyclinics thing is like the Park-n-Ride at t...The polyclinics thing is like the Park-n-Ride at the hospital... I'd get exactly the service I'd like from a polyclinic, I'm 26, fit, and have only been to see my GP in the last 5 years about contraception, the extra clinics at more work-friendly times would suit me fine.<BR/>Unfortunately it's those with more complicated needs who require continuity of care, people like BG and also of course old people who have some string of interacting conditions (and drugs). Sadly, most of the people who actually need the continuity of a GP haven't the spare energy to fight for it. So that's up to the rest of us. <BR/>My gran died earlier this year, mainly of being extremely old. She'd have died a good deal sooner (of being quite old and completely bloody-minded) but for the intervention of her excellent GP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-64612685415465619722009-03-30T18:41:00.000+01:002009-03-30T18:41:00.000+01:00So true. Hope you're doing OK now.So true. Hope you're doing OK now.alhihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17874650104335249662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-86937238469455915372009-03-30T18:12:00.000+01:002009-03-30T18:12:00.000+01:00It makes me want to find hospital staff you behave...It makes me want to find hospital staff you behave in a thoughtless and callous way and punch them bloody hard in the face.<BR/>I can't understand why anyone works in the NHS unless they care, and that nurse prationer is a joke.<BR/>As you can tell I'm outraged by it. But I haven't lost track of the bigger point about polyclinics, I agree with you wholehearedly.<BR/>Still want to thunmp her though!<BR/>xxFire Byrdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477692359400671374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-31783491124590409602009-03-30T17:41:00.000+01:002009-03-30T17:41:00.000+01:00BendyMy EDS problems, as you know, are very mild w...Bendy<BR/><BR/>My EDS problems, as you know, are very mild when compared to yours but I still see huge similarities in our abnormalities with mine being on a much lesser scale. <BR/><BR/>I too get huge swings in blood pressure and pulse and also in temperature control which has some medics confounded. I suspect that EDS'rs have to employ mind over matter so regularly that the abnormal physical consequences become the norm. I often find myself thinking that my pain is normal and am always amazed when I discover that this is not the case. Do we ever learn?<BR/><BR/>Dr FC sounds like a nice doc. The last time I visited my guy, he started eating After Eights during the consultation and wanted me to join him LOLstephhttp://biopsy.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34940564.post-72131755465028407212009-03-30T16:24:00.000+01:002009-03-30T16:24:00.000+01:00Another wonderful, wonderful post... thank you! Th...Another wonderful, wonderful post... thank you! That you go through what you have to go through and still retain a sense of humour shames those of us who get angry at little things. XXXAlan Joseph Slaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13912737246279283524noreply@blogger.com