NHS at Night: Too risky for your health?
Loading ...A few months back, Reader’s Digest published a study of the British National Health Service and though the results weren’t shocking, it still sent a jolt to see in black and white what you have suspected all along: if you think the day-time service is pants, then the nighttime is nothing but diabolical. The long waits, lack of facilities and other niggles aside, the fact that one can never get a decent health service, because, ironically, it itself is ailing, is almost laughable. ‘Almost’ because it sure isn’t laughing matter to be told that unless you are bleeding from four places, you are not classified as an emergency is not what you want to hear when you are ill and in desperate need of medical help.
The one time I was in hospital in Britain (touchwood!) was when I had my son six years back. The night nurse was surly, grumpy and wasn’t much of a reassuring sight to a scared first time mum-to-be. Extremely matter-of-fact and brusque, she was the nursing equivalent of “wham! bam! out you get!”. To say I was pleased when the shift changed at 7 AM and with it, brought a smiling, Scottish midwife was an understatement. The following night when I was left with a newborn, I wasn’t the picture of confidence. When I buzzed a midwife to ask if she could hand me my son from his cradle as my bottom was sore with the episiotomy stiches and wasn’t feeling too sure about my ability to transfer him safely to cradle to lap, I got a stinging rebuke for disturbing the other patients and herself, for such a trivial task! If I wanted my baby, well then I better help myself as there were far more important jobs she had to do, like feeding the infant she had in her arms, for a start.
I did after sweating bullets, shocked by the sharp words.
Another time, my husband was ill and on the advice of the emergency nurse on the NHS Direct helpline, he went to the local hospital at 9 PM or thereabouts. He should have taken the nurse’s suggestion of an ambulance but not wanting to create a mega scene, he went with a mate. Had he done that, he would probably seen a doctor that night. Instead, he sat in the waiting room with drunks, assorted moaning and bleeding people for more than four hours by which time, after being coughed on by most of the ill people in the South East of England, he stated he felt much better and came back home.
A former acquaintance had some horror stories to narrate after her delivery. Deciding to stay overnight in the hospital in the hope of some pain relief proved to be a serious error of judgement. When her husband and mother visited her the following morning, they were shocked to find her bed empty and no one having a clue where she had got to. They finally tracked her down in one of the bathrooms – sitting in a rapidly cooling tub of water, where she had been for the past hour or so, following the directions of a harried midwife when she complained of unbearable pain. It took the mother and husband all their energy to get her out – she was big and was a snug fit – and not too early too, as the baby crowned within seconds!
In the past seven years of living here, I have heard many more tales of NHS ineptitude and am in complete agreement with the survey. I know the overworked staff are not to blame – well, not completely anyway. Much help is needed, fast.
Question is, will anything ever be done enough to alter the current state of affairs?
phew! scary! but….isn’t the UK a “developed” country? Sometimes I wonder if development just means everyone has two cars….
LOL, DG, If those are your idea of horror stories, you shouldn’t ever jump the pond.
This reminds me of the docu-drama “the barbarian invasions” about the state of health care in Canada. It is quite horrifying (although it is shown in a lighter mood). BUt seriously I have had equally horrifying experiences in the ERs in US. What is worse is when you call 911 and are told to hold!
Me: Seriously? Emergency hold eh? Wow! My first 999 experience was when I rang about my neighbour who looked at death’s door and was asked if I was White, Black or Asian. How the hell does that help?
apu,
2 cars, 3 kids and a mortgage – oh and trips to europe. that’s what it means!
ams,
come on! what is more horrific than being hugely preggers and getting stuck in the tub – with the baby coming?!
And here I thought Indian Medical system needs to be changed….Your tale sends me shivers…Thank God, I am going to deliver in India.
LOL, Lavs – how’s the pregnancy coming along? puked your stomach lining yet?
bah. come here first and see.
Me: No you come first and see! :p
Seriously though, I know it is pants back home but you don’t pay 40% taxes and are promised heaven and earth and are delivered crap, are you? Oh no, shoot, I am talking about India, right. Ok, point taken. But just cos it is crappy back home, it isn’t reason enough for the Brits to have a crappy health service too, right?
Nah…I have puked only four times(touchwood)….Am I blessed or what???
I had gone twice to ER; I waited 9 and 7 hours. I swear. It is real bad in Canada.
It is still the Commonwealth, isn’t it?
Hi, desigirl. I see your name often at Mad Momma’s blog. Hopped over to check out what you had written about the ‘information pack’ for new immigrants.
Last year I came across a list of the EU nations with regard to health-care. The UK was somewhere in the middle, nearer the bottom of 25 nations, I think.
Ireland was 24th. 2nd last from the bottom. I’m glad I’ve never had to go into A & E, but I know how awful it can be.
The maternity hospital where I had my second baby had no elevator. 30 hours after my Caesarean, after getting powerful painkillers into me through every possible route, I climbed the stairs to the post-natal ward on the first floor. My parents and in-laws nearly fainted when they heard.
India is far far better if you can afford to get yourself to a good hospital.
True enough! India is good, as long as you can afford it. What strikes me as so unfunny about these places is their status as so-called First World / Developed countries. What the hell does that mean when you get damning stats about the state of health care, education and economy every other minute?
I’m a born-and-bred Brit who has luckily never been admitted overnight and has only visited A&E a few times in her life (and one of the 2 concussion incidents meant she slept through the 5-6 hour wait).
However, part of my job is working on campaigning to improve hospitals in the UK. We’ve been asking people to send us there stories, and, as the person who has to check them and publish them on the website, there have been times when I’ve almost been reduced to tears, or experienced huge waves of nausea, from reading some of the stories. And we’re supposed to be a civilised country who (referring to another of your posts) thinks we have the right to tell others how to behave. I don’t know where those who think this are living, but certainly not on my planet!
[I found you through a comment on the mad momma's site.]
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