IOM DHSC & MANX CARE

[Banker]

Just now, The Voice of Reason said:

How has it gone so horribly wrong? 

At one time you could almost be guaranteed a same day appointment with a GP when you rang up. I know that sounds unbelievable now.

At least that was the case for me when I was registered with Hailwood, and now Ramsey practices.

Is it merely a case of fewer doctors? Or a larger more ailing population ?

 

Combination of fewer doctors & older more ailing population who are also very demanding eg wanting to see favourite doctor, won’t see the nurse or advanced medical practitioner even though in many case the ailment maybe minor. Also lack of new GPS across whole of UK , retirements etc

[wrighty]

47 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

 

Is it merely a case of fewer doctors? Or a larger more ailing population ?

 

Both, plus a more demanding, entitled population.

Doctors are leaving due to the pressure of it, feeling undervalued by patients and masters alike, stalling tactics with sub-inflationary pay rises, increasing regulation and the likelihood of regulatory action (at least that's how it's perceived)

Most junior doctors do not go straight into a lifetime of employment in the NHS like they used to - many, if not most, go to Australia for a bit. Some never come back. They're also leaving over pay - their pay is not much different, in real terms, to what I earned as a 1st year doctor, but the stress of the job with shift working and cross cover is far more than it was.

Since the 1990s (I blame John Major's patient's charter) patients have become more demanding and entitled.  This was not a bad thing, but it's gone too far in my view - there's also the fear and paranoia instilled in the population by health campaigns such that every twitchy eye could be a stroke, every cough could be lung cancer, every fever could be sepsis... The pandemic response didn't help, frightening loads of people, probably permanently.

And yes, the population is ageing, with more pills for an increasing number of chronic conditions that need regular reviews, that were in the past ignored or not known about.

NHS provided health care is a mess.  When you can access it, I think it's pretty good, but demand is certainly outstripping a diminishing supply.  I don't think it's going to end well.  I can't work out how it's going to end in fact.

[Barlow]

1 hour ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Is it merely a case of fewer doctors? Or a larger more ailing population ?

 

I've had cause to visit the doctor's surgery a number of times over the past few years. The waiting room seemed to be mainly young mothers fretting (needlessly IMO) about their children and middle aged people whose first language was not English.

 

Edited to add:
That was just a simple fact. Point being, it wasn't 'old people'.
Oh, and for the bleeding heart liberals, could I just say that the doctors I saw (it was never the same one twice) mainly didn't have English as their first language, oh, and they were absolutely brilliant.
 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Barlow

[The Voice of Reason]

As Banker says there may be a reluctance to see a GP that is not their own, a nurse or other medical practitioner.

However I have never been offered any of the last two options when trying to get an appointment. I would have no problems revealing my symptoms to any member of the surgery to ascertain if I could be dealt with by a non GP.

Perhaps this option should be promoted more heavily.I appreciate not everyone would take it up and it may not be suitable in all cases. But it may alleviate some of the pressure.

[The Voice of Reason]

2 minutes ago, Barlow said:

I've had cause to visit the doctor's surgery a number of times over the past few years. The waiting room seemed to be mainly young mothers fretting (needlessly IMO) about their children and people whose first language was not English.
 

 

I’m afraid there has always been over anxious mothers with sharp elbows, who will demand to see a doctor as soon as their child sneezes

Not sure what your point is about people whose first language is not English. They get ill too.

[GD4ELI]

10 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

As Banker says there may be a reluctance to see a GP that is not their own, a nurse or other medical practitioner.

However I have never been offered any of the last two options when trying to get an appointment. I would have no problems revealing my symptoms to any member of the surgery to ascertain if I could be dealt with by a non GP.

Perhaps this option should be promoted more heavily.I appreciate not everyone would take it up and it may not be suitable in all cases. But it may alleviate some of the pressure.

At my local surgery (Penryn) we're asked whether we want a particular doctor / nurse. I am registered for anyone available.

Only been there twice in 9 years, both times for gout.

If your leg is falling off you can always see someone in an emergency.

[Barlow]

33 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

I’m afraid there has always been over anxious mothers with sharp elbows, who will demand to see a doctor as soon as their child sneezes

Not sure what your point is about people whose first language is not English. They get ill too.

It was my observation, that's all.

At the risk of sounding 'when I were a lad', as young children we would get the occasional cough and splutter, headache and rash. Other than being taken to eat a sugarlump with a pink mark on it (polio vaccine) we never went to the doctor. Ever.

You may have awareness that there are people complaining about an increase in population without a corresponding increase in infrastructure, dentistry, health services etc. 

[Banker]

57 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

As Banker says there may be a reluctance to see a GP that is not their own, a nurse or other medical practitioner.

However I have never been offered any of the last two options when trying to get an appointment. I would have no problems revealing my symptoms to any member of the surgery to ascertain if I could be dealt with by a non GP.

Perhaps this option should be promoted more heavily.I appreciate not everyone would take it up and it may not be suitable in all cases. But it may alleviate some of the pressure.

At hailwood you can book online through patient access , the general medical practitioner is always easy to book an appointment much quicker than waiting to see doctor, she’s very good but only in 20s so I’ve seen a number of elderly people decline appointments with her when they walk in asking for appointments with dr Garvey & then moaning they’ve got to wait 3 weeks!

IVE also seen nurse for minor injury requiring dressing & antibiotic 

[The Voice of Reason]

21 minutes ago, Banker said:

At hailwood you can book online through patient access , the general medical practitioner is always easy to book an appointment much quicker than waiting to see doctor, she’s very good but only in 20s so I’ve seen a number of elderly people decline appointments with her when they walk in asking for appointments with dr Garvey & then moaning they’ve got to wait 3 weeks!

IVE also seen nurse for minor injury requiring dressing & antibiotic 

That’s good. You can’t use patient access for appointments at Ramsey GP unfortunately 

[The Phantom]

34 minutes ago, Barlow said:

Other than being taken to eat a sugarlump with a pink mark on it (polio vaccine) .

Are you sure that wasn't the vet? 

[Andy Onchan]

14 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

That’s good. You can’t use patient access for appointments at Ramsey GP unfortunately 

Nor Onchan & Laxey surgeries, which is a damned nuisance.

[Roxanne]

13 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said:

Nor Onchan & Laxey surgeries, which is a damned nuisance.

You can Andy. You can make a booking online using patient access. 

[code99]

I heard of someone who recently fractured her arm and A&E attempted to put it back together (now her arm looks ‘mangled’). Whoever did this ‘treatment’ should have their professional medical qualifications examined. The procedure was performed so poorly that it does warrant raising a complaint through MCALS, before they deform somebody else.

With 20% staff vacancies, unsurprisingly, the problems in the Island’s healthcare are wide-ranging. I realise that things are not a whole lot better in the UK, but ultimately it all boils down to inadequate funding for the front-line staff. Unless the Island introduces mandatory euthanasia for anyone who is old/ seriously ill (just kidding), I cannot see how these ongoing issues can be resolved without significant additional funding. Comparing our situation to the UK and/ or blaming ‘whinging’ public is not going to solve those problems either. The government needs to prioritise its decreasing financial resources, so the health and social care get the money they need. E.g., as we have smaller population than Preston, do we really need to fill in positions of Chief Executive IOMG, Chief Secretary, Director of Communication, Home Office, etc, etc ? Could some of these roles be combined or even abolished?

Owing to the profligate mindset that pervaded successive Manx governments, the financial cupboards are nowhere near as full as they were say ten years ago. We are still waiting for the IOMG to produce a substantial plan showing how they are going to bridge the current £150m/pa structural deficit. In the meantime, if the state of the IOM healthcare continues to deteriorate then only those who are wealthy will in the future be able to receive quality healthcare here i.e., ‘go private’. Then we will find out how many more young families/working-age people in sectors like hospitality, construction, etc., will declare ‘not good enough for my family’ and leave. Undoubtedly this would create a very grim outlook for the remaining Island’s population.

[finlo]

2 minutes ago, code99 said:

Then we will find out how many more young families/working-age people in sectors like hospitality, construction, etc., will declare ‘not good enough for my family’ and leave. Undoubtedly this would create a very grim outlook for the remaining Island’s population.

This has already been happening for quite some time and the numptys answer is to squeeze the remaining ones more and more!

[Albert Tatlock]

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/ranson-tribunal-hears-from-second-psychiatrist/

That's how you take the piss people...sue your boss and workmates.

...and no war zone involved!