IOM DHSC & MANX CARE

[Banker]

1 hour ago, CallMeCurious said:

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper said the surgeries were safe for patients, and the problems highlighted were largely "administrative".

Manx Care's director of nursing Paul Moore said the findings showed the risk to patient care was "relatively low".

I call that BS. If you can't get an appointment within a week or are pressured into seeing a nurse or paramedic still a week or two later. Are told paperwork or prescriptions have been sent then never turn up. Crap phone systems that seemed designed to make it as hard as possible to get through.

It all adds to stress and uncertianty, wastes hours on the phone, trying to find missing prescriptions ( Chemists and GPs receptionists playing Chuckle Brothers ... to me to you to me ..) or get test results etc.

How long are they going to keep blaming Covid, staff shortages etc. and admit there is a major problem that is not getting better and deal with it. After all the staff themselves must get totally stressed out with the constant fire fighting and backlogs.

The same with some of the chemists. How can you hire anyone to work in an obviously dysfunctional business unless they are a certified masochist.

Maybe if they got out of their offices and spent a day in any of these surgeries they are responsible for instead of looking at charts and numbers on a page they might see something to fix. 

When one or two people make mistakes it might be incompetence but if it is systemic and frequently the same issues over and over then it goes to the top. Managers are paid big salaries to administer but they seem to be failing and the burden is falling on everyone else.

Manx Care gets a D for disgraceful on this.

 

 

Try the UK & see how you get on!!

Theres a worldwide shortage of GPS etc or have you been living in a cellar!!

[Apple]

3 hours ago, Banker said:

Try the UK & see how you get on!!

No Thanks, no need. I live and vote here.

The report signify and reflect much and many of the concerns expressed in Tynwald last week. I suspect that the "management speak" that the reports are set out in has been used to minimise patients anxiety about how their local practices meet, or do not meet, initial CQC standards e.g. keeping the practices controlled drugs safely and areas being clean and tidy (in regard to infection control) are quite basic requirements but still end up in some of the reports.

In some the vaccinations percentages for children should be a real cause for concern for the Public Health Dept.

Looking further at all the reports does show that despite the nigh on £300 million we spend each year for the Manx Care / DHSC that, as said last week, we have yet to see the much hoped for data to show the improvements we were expecting. 

As someone in Tynwald intimated last week, the Manx Care annual report was sadly lacking in some key data areas and that the DHSC's response was even sadder. (my words). 

[Apple]

The CQC assessments are the right way to go. I would expect now that where needed (all but 1 practice) an Action Improvement Plan has been or  needs to be developed and published so patients and the public are assured that issues such as safeguarding policies are in place and work to meet the needs of vulnerable patients.

As the annual (?) assessments continue it would be expected that higher standards are going to be required in a series of gradual and comprehensive improvements. That is what it is all being done for presumably. Closing the audit loop.

Just been highlighted on BBC North West with Hooper saying the findings are not related to patient care. In my view that is wrong.

I hope the very real concerns that have been highlighted are not overshadowed by everyone now rushing to say everything is safe and well and no concerns here, or the actual benefits that can be achieved by these island wide assessments will all have been a waste of time and money.

Let's not have the usual mantra of "nothing to see here, let's move on". This is a major step for the island's health care systems and their importance needs to be taken seriously, and not treated dismissively. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Apple

[Gladys]

What was of concern is the lack of prescription review, you could be on medication for years with no review just keep in signing the repeats.   Not only could that jeopardise health, it must also be costing a fortune in unnecessary and ineffective medication. 

[hissingsid]

I go to Village Walk surgery and if you want to see a particular GP then you may have to wait over three weeks but if you have an urgent matter such as bad pain, breathing problems etc you can ring up at 8 in the morning for an urgent referral that morning or if the morning appointments are all taken you can ring up at noon and get one for that afternoon.    I think their service is good, they have a health review every 12months when prescriptions are reviewed.   I get very frustrated sitting in the waiting room and seeing the ridiculous amount of missed appointments.   I have never had a problem getting through on the phone when they are busy you are transferred through to Laxey who have the means to book appointments in both surgeries.   Telephone appointments are also available.  

[Banker]

59 minutes ago, Gladys said:

What was of concern is the lack of prescription review, you could be on medication for years with no review just keep in signing the repeats.   Not only could that jeopardise health, it must also be costing a fortune in unnecessary and ineffective medication. 

Problem is most of the oldies including my relatives won’t accept any reduction in the pills they take, it’s like a badge of honor as to who has the most pills!!

[Gladys]

18 minutes ago, Banker said:

Problem is most of the oldies including my relatives won’t accept any reduction in the pills they take, it’s like a badge of honor as to who has the most pills!!

If they are reviewed, and it would seem not.  A review could explain why and, frankly, ignore any badge of honour.  Just have to suck it up. 

At what point should a patient be allowed to effectively self-prescribe? 

[Roger Mexico]

41 minutes ago, Gladys said:

1 hour ago, Banker said:

Problem is most of the oldies including my relatives won’t accept any reduction in the pills they take, it’s like a badge of honor as to who has the most pills!!

If they are reviewed, and it would seem not.  A review could explain why and, frankly, ignore any badge of honour.  Just have to suck it up. 

Let's face it.  If you were related to Banker, you'd be necking as many pills as you could get hold of.

[2112]

Thie CQC inspection of Surgeries is absolute manna for the NPM, today the mention some of the surgeries with poor hygiene conditions, and mention the poor state of repair at Village Walk Surgery Onchan (a taxpayer owned run by DOI). This speaks volumes considering that the 2 constituency MHKs, one is a serving Minister and the other an ex Minister, who likes to think he is the King of his Constituency. It’s obvious that money isn’t being spent on infrastructure, deep cleaning, cleanliness, hygiene etc, so it is being wasted generally. 

[asitis]

2 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Thie CQC inspection of Surgeries is absolute manna for the NPM, today the mention some of the surgeries with poor hygiene conditions, and mention the poor state of repair at Village Walk Surgery Onchan (a taxpayer owned run by DOI). This speaks volumes considering that the 2 constituency MHKs, one is a serving Minister and the other an ex Minister, who likes to think he is the King of his Constituency. It’s obvious that money isn’t being spent on infrastructure, deep cleaning, cleanliness, hygiene etc, so it is being wasted generally. 

The CS bloat has to be paid for !

[2112]

9 hours ago, hissingsid said:

I go to Village Walk surgery and if you want to see a particular GP then you may have to wait over three weeks but if you have an urgent matter such as bad pain, breathing problems etc you can ring up at 8 in the morning for an urgent referral that morning or if the morning appointments are all taken you can ring up at noon and get one for that afternoon.    I think their service is good, they have a health review every 12months when prescriptions are reviewed.   I get very frustrated sitting in the waiting room and seeing the ridiculous amount of missed appointments.   I have never had a problem getting through on the phone when they are busy you are transferred through to Laxey who have the means to book appointments in both surgeries.   Telephone appointments are also available.  

Same as at Palatine, if you go in person at 8 in the morning when they open then you can get an appointment, but it’s pot luck as to who you see. Better than nothing so not complaining. 

[2112]

I wonder if these inspections by CQC are highlighting existing problems, or new problems deriving from COVID? Or are they a throwback pre Manx Care but gets swept under the carpet? No doubt pre COVID everyone heard Health horror stories. I doubt our politicos wish these embarrassing issues were in their constituency, having their constituents whinging and whining. I’m sure there will be some within DHSC moaning at these inspections. 

[SuffolkNGoode]

12 hours ago, hissingsid said:

I go to Village Walk surgery and if you want to see a particular GP then you may have to wait over three weeks but if you have an urgent matter such as bad pain, breathing problems etc you can ring up at 8 in the morning for an urgent referral that morning or if the morning appointments are all taken you can ring up at noon and get one for that afternoon.    I think their service is good, they have a health review every 12months when prescriptions are reviewed.   I get very frustrated sitting in the waiting room and seeing the ridiculous amount of missed appointments.   I have never had a problem getting through on the phone when they are busy you are transferred through to Laxey who have the means to book appointments in both surgeries.   Telephone appointments are also available.  

Thanks hissingsid 🙂 - extremely fair comments and points made on here regarding missed appointments and prescription review

Seems to me we are becoming accepting of much lower standards than we should.

[Apple]

I would have thought that the safeguarding issues, controlled drugs and prescription pad issues would be death with as priorities, if they have not already been actioned. 

Carpet cleaning as mentioned by the Nursing Director on the radio this morning is low hanging fruit. 

The CQC inspections though have made a start and now there are some consistent baseline standards to start the process of consistent and continual improvements. 

The CQC reports have been published which is to be welcomed. The individual practice action plans to address the more serious problems, where there are any, should also be published, and soon. The speed at which that can be done would be a great boost to the Manx public and practice patients  and that Manx Care means business now and things are beginning to be changed for the better  and not left to fester.

That may also send a signal to some of those MHKs who expressed any concerns about the Manx Care Annual report. Let's get on with it.

[cissolt]

1 hour ago, SuffolkNGoode said:

Thanks hissingsid 🙂 - extremely fair comments and points made on here regarding missed appointments and prescription review

Seems to me we are becoming accepting of much lower standards than we should.

The comments seem to be in the minority though.  I have sat in onchan surgery whilst the phone rang constantly and nobody picked up.

A better booking and scheduling service is required for all GPs.

Dhss need to make a concerted effort to find out why appointments are missed.  Calling or texting the patients and logging the results to improve the service.  Crying to the press has made no difference.