Keep away from 'Third World' A & E.

[Anna B]

The vast majority of the bed loss was due to the closure of large long stay mental handicap / learning difficulty units (eg Middlewood) and long term provision for the elderly on hospital wards - "care in the community".

 

The responsibility (but nothing like the full funding) was passed to local authorities - the main reason for the decline in volume and standard of local authority services over the last 30 years.

 

The most worrying thing from that report is;

 

"Most other advanced health care systems have also reduced bed numbers in recent years. However, the UK currently has fewer acute beds relative to its population than almost any other comparable health system"

 

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/nhs-hospital-bed-numbers

 

The closure of long stay hospitals, while arguably well intentioned, (or simply a cost cutting exercise,) has been an unmitigated disaster. 'Care in the community' which was meant to replace it simply hasn't happened, which is why we now have so many problems with homelessness etc. These people have been all but abandoned.

 

Dementia is for some reason not considered an illness, so long term care of the elderly has passed to the private sector, with the result that they are now expected to pay upwards of £3,000 a month (more than they have probably ever earned in their lives,) for what is not necessarily satisfactory care.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Anna B

[tinfoilhat]

The closure of long stay hospitals, while arguably well intentioned, (or simply a cost cutting exercise,) has been an unmitigated disaster. 'Care in the community' which was meant to replace it simply hasn't happened, which is why we now have so many problems with homelessness etc. These people have been all but abandoned.

 

Dementia is for some reason not considered an illness, so long term care of the elderly has passed to the private sector, with the result that they are now expected to pay upwards of £3,000 a month (more than they have probably ever earned in their lives,) for what is not necessarily satisfactory care.

 

Dementia is a huge reason for bed blocking. Its not the patients fault, its not the hospitals fault its the care systems fault. Is there somewhere available for them? Is it suitable? Does the family like it? Stuff like this can take days and days (and more) to sort out. meanwhile somebody is rotting away in a bed with minimal nursing care and holding up the bed for someone else. It does nobody any good.

[Anna B]

Dementia is a huge reason for bed blocking. Its not the patients fault, its not the hospitals fault its the care systems fault. Is there somewhere available for them? Is it suitable? Does the family like it? Stuff like this can take days and days (and more) to sort out. meanwhile somebody is rotting away in a bed with minimal nursing care and holding up the bed for someone else. It does nobody any good.

 

Cost is also a huge consideration. To see somewhere that seems perfect but unaffordable, then something that is affordable but unsatisfactory is heartbreaking. Who wants to put a loved relative in something substandard?

[tinfoilhat]

Cost is also a huge consideration. To see somewhere that seems perfect but unaffordable, then something that is affordable but unsatisfactory is heartbreaking. Who wants to put a loved relative in something substandard?

 

Sometimes it just boils down to availability, but I take your point.

[ukdobby]

A nhs tourist has walked away leaving a 530k unpaid bill,nhs refuse to say what treatment it was.

[Anna B]

A nhs tourist has walked away leaving a 530k unpaid bill,nhs refuse to say what treatment it was.

 

Isn't that tantamount to theft? Shouldn't they be pursued for it? In cases like this tourists should be obliged to hand over their passport until arrangements for payment have been made. The NHS need to get a grip.

[Harrystottle]

The vast majority of the bed loss was due to the closure of large long stay mental handicap / learning difficulty units (eg Middlewood) and long term provision for the elderly on hospital wards - "care in the community".

 

The responsibility (but nothing like the full funding) was passed to local authorities - the main reason for the decline in volume and standard of local authority services over the last 30 years.

 

The most worrying thing from that report is;

 

"Most other advanced health care systems have also reduced bed numbers in recent years. However, the UK currently has fewer acute beds relative to its population than almost any other comparable health system"

 

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/nhs-hospital-bed-numbers

 

Most yes, but not all. In my own city of Wakefield Stanley Royd (the mental hospital) was sold off and is now flats. Then the old Pinderfields hospital was demolished and the new one built which has fewer beds than the old one.

To top it off the new Pinders is a PFI hospital which is bleeding the Mid Yorkshire Health trust dry with it's extortionate repayments. The new hospital at Ponte is also a PFI build / rip off.

 

The problem of care for old people being re-designated as "social care"; the welfare state was sold as "cradle to grave care" and |I can think we can all see now that it isn't any more.

[Anna B]

Most yes, but not all. In my own city of Wakefield Stanley Royd (the mental hospital) was sold off and is now flats. Then the old Pinderfields hospital was demolished and the new one built which has fewer beds than the old one.

To top it off the new Pinders is a PFI hospital which is bleeding the Mid Yorkshire Health trust dry with it's extortionate repayments. The new hospital at Ponte is also a PFI build / rip off.

 

The problem of care for old people being re-designated as "social care"; the welfare state was sold as "cradle to grave care" and |I can think we can all see now that it isn't any more.

 

Not only is it no longer 'cradle to the grave,' but the cost when it's needed most towards the end, is now a complete rip off.