Conversation with the Ortho Surgeon

cherrybim

Yesterday, after 6 weeks post op for my foot surgery I saw my Surgeon to be signed off and then booked for the next op

He is most miffed about the Government's new edict that GPs' should be responsible for the health budget.

"Good grief, GPs aren't accountants and number crunchers. They are for the people, they look after the people and they care for the people. How can the Government expect them to balance a budget of 10 million quid a throw?

I could spend that on equipment for the Orthopaedic dept but the valued GP wouldn't have a clue as to what was needed would they? It's a totally unwarranted burden put on them in every direction.

Although I wasn't totally enamoured of the Labour government at least they set targets and now that's all gone by the board. The NHS had to meet the 18 week target and now that's abolished. My NHS waiting list used to be 3 months, overnight it's grown to 8 plus, possibily as much as 2 years. The knock on effect for my private patients has meant that they too have to wait "

So his wise words were that if anyone needs replacement joints..get 'em booked in now" 'cos it's going to be a bloody long wait" (his words)

Cherry x

dreamdaisy

I agree with him, GPS are supposed to be looking after their patients, not juggling income and expenditure. If they wanted to do that they would have gone to accountancy college.

I wonder if his waiting lists are rising simply because we have an aging population? OK, we are all living longer (oh, that fills my heart with glee) but bodies will wear out, they always do. Mother Nature used to dispense with us anywhere between the ages of 0 and, well, let's say 75 as a rough average. Now man, in his hubris, has extended and extended and extended that, but at what real gain? And to whom? DD

cherrybim

Morning DD,

Ipso facto the ageing population must contribute to the length of waiting lists. I think his salient point though was that now the 18 week target has been abolished the system is going into freefall.

He said he (and others) actually enjoyed meeting those targets for was it not better to give 10 patients a replacement joint that was 99.9 per cent perfect rather than one patient whose replacement was 100%? He also said that he and his colleagues don't mind operating during evenings and weekends in order to serve the patients as best they can. Ooops, that sounds as though he's a crash bang wallop merchant which he certainly is not! In fact he's revered as a god by staff and patients alike. He's got the most wonderful bedside manner. The fact that he's also very handsome has nothing to do with it of course :roll:

speedalong

Hi Cherry, I think your orthos words

So his wise words were that if anyone needs replacement joints..get 'em booked in now" 'cos it's going to be a bloody long wait" (his words)

are wise ones to be heeded, especially by anyone currently putting off an op.

I know myself that you put up with the increasing pain and lack of mobility for so long and then you realise enough is enough and decide to have the op. Previously you had 3 or so month wait (which felt like hell,) but if you then had to wait a further 6 to 24 months ... unbearable!!

How are you doing after your recent op?

Speedy

chris7

So his wise words were that if anyone needs replacement joints..get 'em booked in now" 'cos it's going to be a bloody long wait" (his words)

Cherry x


EEK!! :shock:

And I thought that my latest so called appointment at the hossy when I was prepared to go on a list and was told to go away until I couldn't walk at all, was because the Primary Care Trust has been told to save money. Seems I might be falling between a rock and hard place here. :roll:

Double EEK!
a now very worried Chris.