National Health Service

[Bellringer]

Probably because all those available were queuing outside A & E Departments. How can they possibly meet targets when they are 'stuck' outside these departments?

[Ian]

They need to change the 'handover' procedures and at the very least double the size of the triage bays. The ambulances' role is on the road ferrying the seriously ill, not lined up acting as portable A & E beds.

[Fester]

I have had some very good dentists over the years, and some dodgy ones..... some I have stayed with for many years.
But today, I must have broken some kind of record because I signed on with a new one, and then had myself hastily transferred away from them within 5 minutes.

I waited about 4 months for my first appointment, and turned up to fill my forms in today, promptly.

I was left waiting for about 45 mins for what was a 20 minute appointment. Not the end of the world.
Eventually I was told to get into the chair, as the dentist probed around and called out the codes to her assistant to map my teeth on the chart.   Words such as 'number 8, missing... 7, amalgam, 6 present, 5 present, 4 missing.... '   and on it went.
When I was able to speak,  I enquired whether missing meant that I had lost those teeth?   She said 'yes, you have lost 4'

I assured her that I had never lost any teeth,  I have no gaps.   The dental assistant looked quite red-faced when the dentists snapped back at me. 'Yes, you have'

She continued, 'You can have crowns for £195 or fillings for £45 your choice'   
For what? I asked.... but I received no reply.

I replied, 'I would welcome your opinion, your recommendation as to the best course'   I'm not accustomed to having to choose my own course of treatment, certainly not without some information.
The dentist then ushered me brusquely out, and told me to make another appointment to come back for xrays.
I thought she meant today, in another room maybe?

When I related all this to the receptionists (both were qualified dental nurses), they looked embarrassed and hastily switched me to another dentist for next week.  They said that this 'new' dentist had only been here a couple of days and they were experiencing problems.  They apologised profusely.  They summarised it as follows.

I was only in the surgery for 5 minutes out of the 20 mins allotted, so there was no way that the Xrays could not be done.
There was no way the chart she had just created was correct, as I had no missing teeth, ever!
There were other errors too, in terms of the charge and other treatment questions.
I am no genius, but I knew that what I was being told was entirely incorrect, and totally unprofessional.   Luckily the staff on hand were quick to agree, and remedy the situation for next week.

All in all a very unsatisfactory situation, this was not a new 'wet behind the ears' trainee, this lady was well into her 50's.
The quality of care I have experienced from the NHS, (even when I'm paying) has been very poor in recent years, and it seems to be getting worse!

It makes one wonder what kind of service is received by someone who doesn't feel able to challenge the situation?

[Ian]

Interesting.  I thought this sort of behaviour was eradicated years ago, but it seems not. She sounds to be from the Australian Trench school of dentistry, which originated in Liverpool, apparently, and through multiple unnecessary treatments made millionaires of its practitioners.

Many were struck off and some imprisoned when the truth came out;  other fled to rural locations (!). Whatever, in this situation it sounds as though you're well off without her. 

[DaveR]

This seems a good point to recommend my Dentist, Llandudno Smiles (opposite the railway station). It's only recently opened but the 2 dentists (Ken & Alison Foxall)  have worked for many years at Rhos Road Dental Practice and are very experienced. It's private treatment only, I'm afraid, but they do have a monthly scheme. I highly recommend them.

http://www.llandudnosmiles.co.uk/

[SteveH]

Overseas nurse recruitment plans for north Wales
Health chiefs say they are considering hiring nurses from the Philippines to plug staffing gaps in north Wales.
A report to the region's health board on Thursday says the move is being explored as part of an all-Wales overseas recruitment plan.
The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) said despite job fairs in Ireland, Scotland and England there was still a shortfall in filled posts.
It comes as new laws on safe nursing levels in Wales come into force.
The report to the joint meeting of the health board and the North Wales Community Health Council, which acts as a patients' watchdog, states that not all hospital acute wards are "fully compliant" with the number of nurses and ward managers required.
"Recruitment to registered nurses' posts remains a challenge with a resulting increase in the usage of bank and agency staff to address gaps," said assistant director of nursing Anne-Marie Rowlands.
"A variety of strategies to address this continues, including attendance at job fairs, with BCUHB attending Ireland in April 2016 and Glasgow and Manchester in June 2016."
The nursing official said graduate recruitment and bringing new staff from Europe "continues with much success".
But Mrs Rowlands added: "Further overseas recruitment is planned and BCUHB are exploring recruitment in the Philippines as part of the all-Wales overseas recruitment plan."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-36026704

NHS pay scales.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/employment-and-pay/nhs-pay-scales-2015-16

[Bosun]

Unfortunately, and very sadly, due mainly to a combination of very poor management and (national) political interference, BCUHB have a major problem with staff moral and retention.

There are a myriad of other mainly national issues, but certainly some local, that together are creating a NHS 'perfect storm', not helped by an idiotic Health Minister. We do have the dedicated staff and a foundation for a wonderful NHS, but three things have to change. Firstly, peoples expectations (which is the most difficult) secondly, government spending on the NHS as a percentage of GDP has to rise (the UK spending is currently 13th out of 15 EU original countries) and thirdly, the NHS should stop being used as a political football and NHS policy should be left to health care professionals, not politicians. 

The underfunding is well documented,    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/20/nhs-funding-falling-behind-european-neighbours-kings-fund-research for example, but why the evidence is ignored, I've no idea.

[SteveH]

"Health chiefs say they are considering hiring nurses from the Philippines to plug staffing gaps in north Wales."

After reading this article I wondered why, considering the unemployment rate, you would think they would be queuing up, during the search I found the report below very interesting.

SCHOOL LEAVERS INTO NURSING
Nursing has been a predominantly female
occupation, with women having little career choice in the past, so it has not been
difficult to recruit student nurses. Naish (1996), for example stated that female school
leavers in the past had provided the largest recruitment pool for student nurse education
programmes.

Up until the late 1980s the nursing workforce had been characterised by a pattern of
high wastage, in which those who left and did not return were replaced by a regular
supply of new entrants to training, primarily school leavers (Houltram 1996). Hanson
and Patchett (1986) examined the breakdown of entrants to nursing in the United
Kingdom each year. They found that the highest number of entrants into nursing were
female school leavers accounting for 70%. Current data relating to the breakdown of
successful applicants to student nurse education programmes shows that school leavers
account for merely 36% in 2004/2005 (CATCH 2005) and only 37.5% in 2005/2006
(CATCH 2006). The RCN (2006) states the average age of a nursing student in 2006 is
29 years compared with 18 years in 1986.  This is supported by Mulholland (2005) who
states that the age profile of student nurses is changing with just 20% coming straight
from school also indicating an apparent decline in school leavers pursuing nursing as a
career.
Schools of nursing are currently perplexed as to how they can meet the challenge of
increasing school pupils’ interest in nursing as a career. It would appear to be worth
investigating, therefore, school pupils’ perceptions of nursing as a career and to thereby
try to determine why they do or why they do not choose nursing as an occupation,
especially given recent efforts by the nursing profession to attract high academic
achieving school pupils (Sadler 2003). Many believe that recruitment initiatives need to
focus predominantly on attracting more young people particularly school leavers into
the nursing profession (Jackson and Daly 2004, Jones 2005, Brostoff et al 2005). It is
argued that there is a need for more school leavers to choose nursing as a career option
because they are the future of nursing (Snow 2005, Watson et al 2005, Simko and
Simmer 2005, Thacker 2005). This is seen as extremely important in view of the ageing
nursing workforce and the impact that this, their retrial, could have on the increased
health care delivery demands within the United Kingdom.

The full report, if you have time to spare.............
https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/1755/1/FINAL%20-%20SCHOOL%20LEAVERS%20INTO%20NURSING%20A%20STUDY%20OF%20HIGH%20ACA

[white rabbit]

Fester - it sounds as if you have the same dentists as I do 😖

[Fester]

Fester - it sounds as if you have the same dentists as I do 😖

I was swapped to 'Marian', the Polish dentist on Deganwy Ave,  first appointment today, he seems excellent.

[Ian]

Bosun makes a number of excellent points about BCUHB. Expenditure certainly has to rise but more especially the critical aspect appears to be the Welsh Ambulance Service. We seem to hear all the time about lines of ambulances waiting outside A and E, and that's simply an absurd state of affairs.

[DVT]

Fester - it sounds as if you have the same dentists as I do 😖

I was swapped to 'Marian', the Polish dentist on Deganwy Ave,  first appointment today, he seems excellent.

My wife and I have been with "Mario" since Shepherd in West Shore retired.  Have found the work done by Mario to be really good, and almost painless!

[Bosun]

One of the reasons that ambulances are stacked outside A & E departments is that besides the lack of resources in A & E (shortage of beds, staff etc) to treat the patient, when the patient enters A & E, the clock is ticking for the hospital's waiting time statistics, so it's in the hospital's interests to keep the patient in the ambulance until they can be quickly seen and dealt with.

[Fester]

Fester - it sounds as if you have the same dentists as I do 😖

I was swapped to 'Marian', the Polish dentist on Deganwy Ave,  first appointment today, he seems excellent.

My wife and I have been with "Mario" since Shepherd in West Shore retired.  Have found the work done by Mario to be really good, and almost painless!

Not sure if you are referring to someone else DVT?  I checked his name badge and my appointment slip, he is most definitely 'Marian',  it is a relatively common male name in Poland.

[Michael]

   Just got into the dentist thread. I'm an NHS patient. About six years ago the only dentist I could get was in Prestatyn. Went there, a polish lady, told her trouble i.e. toothache with one of my teeth. O.K. gone to far for fillings. Have to extract.
   Seemed to be taking a long time. Eventually she said thats finished. There you are, all bad. There alongside my head were 3 teeth. Oh. Not a lot I can do now, like cutting down a tree without planning consent. All in a row.
  Went back 12 months later for a routine inspection with the same lady. She looked briefly, and then said "they are all very old and very bad. They all need to come out." Me "ALL OF THEM?"   
   Yes. Make an appointment when you feel ready.
   Well I still had a reasonable mouthful of teeth, probably about 8 gone over the years. So I wasn't very happy,. By chance I managed to get into another dentists in Rhyl. So I transferred. Initial inspection and chat. Told him I had had a bit of general toothache.
   His advice. I will give you a prescription for a mouthwash. Use this for 4 weeks and come back to me. I went back, toothache gone. O.K. he said, see you in 6 months.
   I couldn't help myself. I told him a qualified dentist just up the road had said all out. He didn't really comment, just said there are different methods of treatment.
   I'm still going to Rhyl every year or so. Thats about five years. The same number of teeth and touch wood no toothache.
    How can two qualified dentists come up with such different treatments?