Abuse on the NHS

[kristina]

Would it not be a good idea for people who suffer abuse in the NHS to make  their Member of Parliament aware of it, though their MP cannot get directly involved in a case, they may, nevertheless, exert some pressure through Parliament?

And  let their MP  know problems which are going on, but cannot be solved because the NHS-authorities connected with NHS-complaints procedures squash the complaint and nothing is really ever done?

Have you any other ideas how to solve the problem of abuse by NHS-doctors and terrible abuse by NHS-nurses?

In my experience investigations made by the different authorities one could apply to, find that no abuse has taken place, which indicates they are protecting their own kind.

The changes which have taken place in the NHS over the last two decades mean that each NHS-GP, each NHS-Surgery and each NHS-hospital has become totally independent and the NHS has become the regulatory body which merely issues guidelines.

NHS-GP’s, because of their front-line role have become extremely powerful individuals who are answerable only to their own union, the British Medical Association (BMA).

The single complaints procedure of which there are several levels is heavily weighted against the NHS-patient.

My experience has also found that contacting other people or authorities (like Member of Parliament, Prime Minister, Health Secretary etc)  outside this single complaints procedure is absolutely pointless because those individuals and authorities have their own contractual arrangements which forbid them to become involved in an NHS-patient’s complaint.

So, the NHS-complaints procedure is the only route available but it is heavily weighted against the NHS-patient.

The picture I paint does not look good for NHS-patients who have been abused in the NHS-system and I am still trying to find a way to receive justice for the damage that has been caused to me.

In my present position with a kidney function of 10%, I have no NHS-GP to go to and I am in the unenviable position that because of my poor health I need to be under medical supervision by both an NHS-GP and NHS-specialists and have no one to go to whom I would consider to have integrity.

If you have any ideas, I would be glad to hear from you. Thank you.

[KICKSTART]

All i can say is i TOTALLY agree with you !

[billybags]

kristina, Am I right in saying you have no GP, if so why is this?

[Poppylicious]

Hi Kristina,

Do you have no NHS GP through choice?

I'll be honest, we haven't experienced 'abuse' within the NHS ourselves and hopefully never will ... Blokey has the most amazing GP and is under the care of a fabulous team at the hospital, and we have never had to complain about anything which I would consider to be majorly important.   It saddens me that the experiences of others can be so earth-shatteringly negative that it changes their perceptions of the NHS as a whole. 

Of course people should make their MPs aware of things which happen.  I assumed they do already (although I also assumed that MPs could do something about all sorts of things) ... that's what we elect them for after all.  Maybe I'm a tad naive!

[kristina]

kristina, Am I right in saying you have no GP, if so why is this?

I have no NHS-GP to go to because I have complained about abusing NHS-doctors  and have gone through all possible complaints procedures. Nothing was ever sorted out and I have never received any help. No solicitor takes my case.

I have not seen the NHS-GP with whom I am registered with for almost 6 years because I cannot take any more abuse. No other NHS-GP in my district lets me register with them.

Furthermore, I have been informed on Friday, 5th September 2003 by Sara on her last day of work at my Health Authority (PCT), before she returned to Australia, that it was well known at my PCT that I was being discriminated against, the PCT Chief Executive knew about it.
 
Sara told me on the telephone it was well known I was being sent to useless NHS-appointments, so that it looked as if I was receiving NHS-health-care, but it was known at my PCT that all these appointments were of no medical value to me whatsoever. She told me she felt sorry for me.

[MissyKew]

Why in heaven's name would they do that to you?  Do they perceive you as or labled you as a difficult patient?  I know why others won't take you on....they are concerned they would have complaints made against them, which, of course, is uncalled for if they treat you right...  I am so glad this isn't something I have to deal with.  Being sick is hard enough.

[kristina]

The development of the NHS is not personal. There are many NHS-patients like myself. There is generally nothing in place to protect vulnerable NHS-patients from abuse. I was also very unlucky because I was too often in the wrong NHS-Hospital, seeing too often the wrong NHS-doctors at the wrong time. Because I suffer from SLE/MCTD with very rare components, I was very often unwell, had terrible symptoms and because of these symptoms I saw NHS- doctors very often and that unfortunately led to severe abuse on my person.

NHS-GP’s/rheumatologists/specialists did not bother to diagnose my symptoms or help me medically, they did not diagnose my suffering from  Lupus-SLE/MCTD and they did not keep an eye on my blood pressure and that is why I suffered cerebral haemorrhages, a severe stroke and now end-stage-renal-failure.

 I now check my BP myself at home.

The NHS was originally set up (5th July 1948) with Christian/Humanitarian principles in mind, to make health-care accessible, no matter about people’s background,  no matter what they believe in or how much money they have. It also stated originally, that the “medical person, intensely individual, was becoming more and more aware of responsibilities to the community.”

Medical people/doctors working now for the NHS, can decide, who is selected to receive NHS-medical care and who is not selected to receive NHS-medical care. My bad luck is that I fall into the latter category and that is why I was left for over 13 months without any NHS-GP to go to & without any NHS-medical care after I suffered a stroke, because I was half-sided paralyzed, unable to speak, unable to feed myself or look after myself. I was considered not  to be worth it and the NHS-system threw me out.. After 13 month, when it became clear that I might survive, I was installed back into the NHS. This dehumanized development of the NHS is very scary.
 
I have no idea where to go now with my kidney function of only 10% and I am in the unenviable position of being without any NHS-GP/specialist to go to & I cannot afford private health care & because of my terrible health history no private Health Insurance would take me on either. All I can do is to pay privately for a monthly blood-test on my Creatinine, Potassium, Sodium and Urea and hope for the best.

My hope is to find a way and join the many thousands of UK-citizens who find health care abroad, or the  new development in the UK called: “Keep our NHS public for the people”. This new organization claims that:

 ”Corporation of healthcare is dehumanizing. The real, whole, living people with their hopes, ideas and expectations are broken down by the process of corporatisation into biological parts not for diagnosis and treatment but so that they can be measured and converted into profit....” (Keep our NHS public for our people).

 “Keep our NHS public for our people” has organized a strike for today (5th November 2009).

Hopefully something comes up either way and for the time being I try very hard to keep my kidneys functioning for as long as possible and hope for the best.

[KICKSTART]

Something somewhere doesnt ring true about this. Yes you can get bad treatment , but not to the extreme that you dont get any treatment at all. If you walked into A&E today and said you had been diagnosed with kidney failure , they wouldnt send you away , they have a duty to treat you and get a doctor to see you . I dont think you are telling us the whole story here are you ? and believe me im no fan of the NHS but one way or another ive found channels to go down to sort matters out . What abuse exactly have you suffered ? Maybe if you told us more we could help?

[MissyKew]

I, too, am interested to know exactly how they abused you....

[jennyc]

What about the ombudsman? I know UK law isn't too disimilar to australian law, considering we still fell under UK jurisdiction until 1986 (HOUSE OF LORDS only - on appeal from our courts). Our legal/political system is based on UK so your best bet would be either a medical neglicence solicitor who can appoint a good barrister or the ombudsman for health. Also you need to cut the DR's some slack, they aren't all tarred with the same brush. I have fantastic Dr's and nurses (my neph, don't need a gp with him) and they are all from the public/medicare sector. Also my best friend had both of her kids in the UK, and fell under NHS becuase she was married to a Brit.

I'm not having a go at you, i do understand that some Dr's are just jackasses. I mean come on i wouldn't even have renal failure if a certain OBGYN was more interested in why an 8 month pregnant woman was bleeding then getting to his golf game and also if that same OBGYN had bothered to inform my obgyn when he came on duty that i was there and what was going on. Had that happened i wouldn't have needed a last minute c-section that was so last minute i died.

And G.P's are human. I have one good one who is 40kms away, i choose not to go to another other becuase being G.P's they have no idea about renal failure. Are they not taking you on because they see you as trouble or becuase they are too full to accept new patients?

[kristina]

I am aware that I could go to an NHS-Accident & Emergency Hospital. But why should I take the risk? I have no symptoms of kidney failure yet and I hope to have enough time to research in order to receive proper professional medical care.

The NHS-medical document of 11th April 2005 states conclusively there is no NHS-specialist in Lupus/SLE/MCTD in the UK to treat me.
NHS-specialists/authorities I have asked for help, have turned me down. They know my kidneys only function 10%.

I have mentioned that I was abused by NHS-GP’s/doctors/specialists in the past & my complaints (with evidence) have been dismissed by all NHS-authorities in the UK, including the NHS-Ombuds”man” Ms. Abraham. What am I supposed to make of this?

My NHS-file (can be looked into by any NHS-doctor in A&E, who wishes to do so) includes my complaint & the fact that I have not seen a NHS-GP for almost 6 years & have been without NHS-specialist. The fact that there is no authority to help/protect me, gives every abusing NHS-GP/doctor/specialist a “free ticket” to do as they like and continue the abuse, if they wish to do so. Why should I take such a risk in my vulnerable situation?

Furthermore, I have mentioned in one of my very first IHD-posts, that UV-lighting in NHS-Hospitals causes me Lupus-flare-ups. My kidneys only work ~10% ,  due to an  untreated Lupus-SLE/MCTD-flare-up. I feel, I am still in with a chance if the flare-up stops to aggravate my kidneys further.
My hope  is, to find a way and  join the many thousands of dismissed NHS-UK-citizens who find health care abroad (I wish someone could inform me, how to go about this)...

Kickstart, you disappoint me! A few months ago you made fun about my traumatizing situation, then you suddenly chose to agree with me and now you have changed all over again and question me! What will it be next?  What do you actually wish to achieve? You have informed us about traumatic experiences in a NHS-Hospital and I asked about the Hospital, but you did not answer. Your behaviour seems very odd to me. You have achieved to make me very upset on occasion. What is your objective? As you know, I have given you the benefit of a doubt, but now I am not sure anymore.

[KICKSTART]

Right Kristina , firstly i NEVER make fun of anybody . I have been answering your posts in an attempt to TRY and help you. But i am sure other people will agree with me , you posts are very strange. You NEVER tell us what abuse it is that has happened, you say doctors/gp's have a free ticket to do as they like and continue the abuse .. come on please ..you dont make any sense. I live here , i was born here , doctors and GP's just DO NOT turn people away like that !!!!
Anyway i wont continue to upset you anymore its not my intention , i will not post replies so i dont upset you.

[jennyc]

Honestly, are you looking for one specialist for everything? that may be impossible. Also there are no outward signs of CRF and at 10% you may not realise it but you will have a lot of symptoms. Dr's start to push you toward dialysis at 13% for that reason, 8% and your starting to get dangerous. Every piece of vegetable and fruit that you eat is a ticking timebomb of potassium just waiting to stuff your muscles not to mention everything else that goes with it. At 10% you don't have ages to do research, in order to save your life you may have to put your tail between your legs and head back to nhs.

Problem with crf is that you get used to feeling like shit and can fool yourself into thinking you have no symptomsl Look I can't and wont comment further as you really don't explain the abuse. Searching for one specialist for a range of diseases isn't really going to work. And without opening up no-one here can really help you so you may as well rant and get it off your chest.

Also the only way i know to seek medical treatment o/s when your from a medicare/nhs type country is to goto one with recipricol medical coverage (eg NZ/AUS/Canada) no idea for britian , but i doubt their govt's would approve it. The only other way would be to pay, I know that's what families out here do if there is no specialist to treat their rare conditions. Most head to the USA, but they do have to pay through their teeth for it so they normally do a fundraiser.

Sorry that's all I've got

[Poppylicious]

Kristina,

Perhaps it's time to swallow your pride/anger and attempt some form of reconciliation with the NHS.  I'm aware that the NHS isn't perfect (what is?) but you need the support that a compassionate and caring (yes, they do exist) GP can offer you.  Blokey is under the care of different consultants for different things, including at different hospitals, and it is difficult and it is frustrating when they don't always take the time to inform each other of certain aspects, but we don't have a magic wand to create one person who knows all there is to know about everything miraculously working at our local hospital. 

I am aware that I could go to an NHS-Accident & Emergency Hospital. But why should I take the risk? I have no symptoms of kidney failure yet and I hope to have enough time to research in order to receive proper professional medical care.

Because one day you won't have a choice; the decision will be taken out of your hands ... you don't know that you have enough time.

Why should I take such a risk in my vulnerable situation?

Perhaps because you're making yourself more vulnerable by not taking a 'risk'.

It is difficult to comment without knowing what 'abuse' you suffered, or without knowing how that 'abuse' was dealt with and what was said about it when you complained. 

Wishing you well ...

[kristina]

Dear Jenny,
Thanks you for understanding.
I am very sorry for what you went through. I appreciate your thoughts very much because they are very sensitive and  make me feel you understand my dilemma. Thanks again.

I do not understand what you are trying to say, Poppy. How could my dilemma have anything to do with pride or anger?
Why do you mention “Blokey’s” treatment? What you say sounds like “gobbledegoog” to me.
It almost sounds as if you try to say unemployment does not exist because you happen to have a job?

The last time I saw a NHS-GP, was in a medical emergency & he told me in front of my husband that “with a rare disease like yours you are anyone’s game”. This NHS-GP did not take my blood pressure, did not examine me and he did not try to find out what made me come for medical help.

His behaviour made me realize, that the NHS does not cater for rare diseases like mine and that's why I do not receive NHS-medical care.

[Poppylicious]

I apologise for coming across as insensitive Kristina. 

You sound angry to me, hence the mention of anger.  'Blokey' is my husband; you can read my introduction on the Introduction forum and perhaps then what I say won't come across as gobbledygook.  I have not mentioned unemployment at all so I'm unsure as to where you get the impression I have. 

Again, I apologise for coming across as insensitive.  It was not my intention; I was merely trying to address some of the points which you raised.

As before, I wish you well and hope that you find the medical care that you're looking for.