Hospitals In Crisis

[Minimo]

I was admitted to hospital Boxing Day, quite poorly with what was diagnosed first as chest infection, then RSV. No treatment for viruses so once my breathing was calmed with some brilliant pills. I had no reason to be there. It took me from Wednesday to Sunday to finally 'escape'. All that time I was occupying a desperately needed bed, but purely because of delays in getting my meds sorted at the pharmacy I was stuck.

I don't know all the ins and outs but perhaps that is something that could bear rethinking as a way of helping the situation.

[L00b]

20 minutes ago, Minimo said:

I was admitted to hospital Boxing Day, quite poorly with what was diagnosed first as chest infection, then RSV. No treatment for viruses so once my breathing was calmed with some brilliant pills. I had no reason to be there. It took me from Wednesday to Sunday to finally 'escape'. All that time I was occupying a desperately needed bed, but purely because of delays in getting my meds sorted at the pharmacy I was stuck.

I don't know all the ins and outs but perhaps that is something that could bear rethinking as a way of helping the situation.

Increasing shortages of meds (and other medical supplies, e.g. oxygen more recently) in the UK are a byproduct of Brexit, unfortunately, and so not easily solvable short-term.

 

I’m unfamiliar with hospital procedures and discharging policies, which could well explain this “bed blocking until meds are sorted” approach, and maybe there is something to be done in that respect. But procedural shortcuts for expediency would likely be at the expense of patient safety, and that would create a professional conflict for healthcare staff obligated under a duty of care. Again, not easily solvable.

 

Am glad for you that you are better 🙂

Edited January 3, 2023 by L00b

[pattricia]

There has always been a hold up of meds at pharmacies in hospitals. I have know patients who have been discharged then have to wait hours for their meds. I’m sure we are not that short of chemists ?

Edited January 3, 2023 by pattricia

[L00b]

24 minutes ago, pattricia said:

There has always been a hold up of meds at pharmacies in hospitals. I have know patients who have been discharged then have to wait hours for their meds. I’m sure we are that short of chemists ?

You’re certainly short of chemicals, that’s also why sewage has been getting dumped more regularly in British rivers and estuaries for the past year.

 

Meds themselves not getting in due to Brexit, is well-known and -documented, ask any chemist, GP, nurse <…> and patient relying on condition-specific meds, especially ADHD/autism and certain cancer types.

 

It’s because meds have long (long-long-long) been manufactured overseas, mostly in India, then brought in by Dutch and Belgian importers-wholesalers, wherein meds distribution networks are well-established and have no need to change on the EU side. The UK was in those networks pre-Brexit of course, and the meds just rolled on in from NL or BE, no differently to anywhere else across the EU.

Post-Brexit (the actual one in 2020), between the devalued Pound pushing UK importers to reduce stockholding, EU HGV firms and drivers increasingly refusing to deliver into the UK because of the M20/border hassle at return (even when offered princely premiums to return empty) and minimal-to-no investment in domestic (British) meds production…there’s your outcome. Less meds coming in, longer lead times, etc. Same story with the chemicals themselves.

 

[note I’m trying to *not* come across all “it’s all Brexit fault” as my usual…but in *this* particular case, it really is that]

Edited January 3, 2023 by L00b

[nikki-red]

37 minutes ago, pattricia said:

There has always been a hold up of meds at pharmacies in hospitals. I have know patients who have been discharged then have to wait hours for their meds. I’m sure we are that short of chemists ?

It’s not always a delay in the pharmacies, more often it’s a delay in the TTOs being written by doctors. 

[pattricia]

1 hour ago, nikki-red said:

It’s not always a delay in the pharmacies, more often it’s a delay in the TTOs being written by doctors. 

Correct !

[Anna B]

These delays have a long history, they're nothing new and not at all uncommon so you'd think they'd have managed to sort something out by now. We keep being told that a night in hospital costs hundreds of pounds, and we all know beds are in short supply, so why is this still happening?

[L00b]

7 minutes ago, Anna B said:

These delays have a long history, they're nothing new and not at all uncommon so you'd think they'd have managed to sort something out by now. We keep being told that a night in hospital costs hundreds of pounds, and we all know beds are in short supply, so why is this still happening?

Because nothing much has been done towards fixing it for well over a decade?

 

All actions have consequences, always.

And to not take any action, is an action in and of itself, always.

 

Pigeons, home, roost, etc.

Edited January 3, 2023 by L00b

[nikki-red]

1 minute ago, Anna B said:

These delays have a long history, they're nothing new and not at all uncommon so you'd think they'd have managed to sort something out by now. We keep being told that a night in hospital costs hundreds of pounds, and we all know beds are in short supply, so why is this still happening?

A lot of the problems are down to massive delays in things like social care etc, that enables patients to go home. We’ve had patients on our ward for weeks while they wait for their homes to be cleaned/adapted/made safe or while they wait for home care visits to be put in place.

This has a knock on affect all down the line, even meaning people are in A&E longer, because there’s no beds in AMU to move them to.

[Tipstaff]

It's simple really.  Get the doctor to make out the prescription at discharge and give it to the patient and their family to sort at their own pharmacy!  I have had relatives waiting more than 5 hours;  and on more than one occasion over-night to get their meds.  This is totally unacceptable.