Tuesday 11 February 2014

Progress? (A bit of a moan!!)

I am having problems at work, down to total mismanagement and incompetency by the MoD.  I don't know if I have my job still or not, if not they want to post me elsewhere in the UK and obviously I do not want to leave home at my stage in life and settle in digs during the week.  But the most unsettling thing is the not knowing and the total lack of communication or support by the chain of command.

To that end I am feeling any type of incompetency fairly acutely.  Take today, I went to collect a prescription from the chemist that I ordered from the doctors on Tuesday.  I was told that it is not ready until later today as apparently it takes 48 hours for the doctors to put it on the computer and print it out and then 48 hours for the chemist to dispense it, four days to get a prescription!  A few years ago we had two lovely doctors.  You could drop a prescription off in the morning and pick up your medication in the afternoon.  They had morning surgery from 0900 to 1030, no appointment needed just go along and wait, you always got seen and surgery was usually over on time or by 1100.  There was evening surgeries every night by appointment, but they could usually fit you in if necessary.  There was a Saturday morning surgery for emergencies.  Unfortunately the doctors retired and sold the practice.  

Well I won't be defamatory about the new doctors but let me say, we are now in a situation where there is no Saturday morning surgery or Monday evening surgery.  It now takes two weeks to get an evening appointment.  You can still go up in the mornings.  You turn up at 0800, surgery starts at 0900 and people are quite often there until 1300 or 1400 hrs.  We now have a practice manager who sorts this out (!) Oh and whatever I go for, whether it's a pain in my foot or whatever, apparently it's down to the menopause and they want to give me anti-depressents!!!

Tollesbury has not grown significantly in size so there really is no need for the wait to see a doctor, they blame the government, I blame the surgery procedures and the government.  I now use the drop-in centre at the local hospital and if I felt something was serious I would go to A & E.  I have even resorted to a private doctor.  The powers that be wonder why people are using A & E more, well if the rest of the country's services are as bad as our doctors I could tell them why.  I would hate to go to a totally private health service like the US, but how can they possibly call this progress in the NHS.  Give me the old days anytime, when a doctor even came out to visit, rather than this diabolical situation.  Nobody should be allowed to be a Health Minister or NHS manager unless they actually have medical experience and know what they are talking about (that also applies to Education, Defence, Treasury and all other ministerial jobs).  Giving the jobs to those with experience and knowledge might actually sort out the mess that our public services are in, rather than leave it to those with fanciful ideological ideas rather than practical knowledge.  In fact let's go one further and say that no one should be allowed to stand for parliament unless they have had a least 15 years experience in the real world.  That would get rid of the career politicians who really have no notion about the everyday problems and lives of normal people.

And now breathe....I feel better having got that out!

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like your surgery is absolute rubbish - can you not change to a practice somewhere else close by? My DS and FDiL don't like their practice either. They moved and wanted to stay with them but were declined as they were out the area. However, the house they moved to, used the same surgery so they couldn't understand it at all!

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  2. Fran I totally agree with you. Its getting ridiculous! Our surgery offers an online ordering system for repeat prescriptions it tells you the time it will be ready for collection and you get what you ordered, no Chemist here. So far so good, the receptionist told my hubby he was the only one using it! Perhaps thats because the majority of their patients are elderly!! They don't stand a chance.

    I hope you job situation is quickly sorted its so unsettling when you are in limbo. Xx

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  3. Goodness me, that makes us feel very lucky here. Our surgery has about 8 doctors( some are part time) and 3 nurses plus various others who just do taking blood etc.
    We can get an appointment same day if urgent by going in and waiting at the end of a session. If we want to see a popular doctor then there might be a long wait of several days but if we don't mind who we see we can usually get in next day.
    Because we are over 2 miles we get our prescriptions from doctors pharmacy and we can do it on line or by taking in script. 2 days for repeat prescription to be ready. So all in all pretty good.

    It must be horrible not knowing about your job, hope it is sorted soon.

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  4. Fran I am very sorry to read of your troubles.
    All of which can be soundly blamed on the mindless and faceless machinations of the bureaucrats who now rule our lives, regardless of which country you live in.

    Please do not be under the illusion that a person with a medical degree, such as a Doctor would make a good health minister. For we have one over here........ !!!
    I personally use either herbalists or homeopaths to protect my health, that is except for opticians or dentists.

    I concur in general with what you have said about politicians. There are though some slackers amongst those who have come in off the streets as it were - in for a easy ride and a fat handout when they don't get elected next time around.

    Role on the revolution eh ?

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  5. I can appreciate your frustration we often experience issues at work which have ill thought about by others! I'm sorry to hear about the uncertainty at work. Sarah x

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  6. Wait times here in Canada can be quite long for even routine surgeries. I am fortunate to have a doctor. Many in our town have to go to emergency because we have a shortage this far from the big city. My doctor is in a fairly large group that has drop-in hours each morning. But the wait can be a bit long. - Margy

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  7. I hope your problems at work get sorted soon and as you want them to be sorted! It is a horrible situation to be in. I think I'm fortunate in that I'm generally happy with my GP surgery, except the out of hours situation. I think that there definitely needs to be changes to that across the country.

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  8. I'm sorry to hear about your work situation, I hope it gets sorted out soon and that they're not posting you elsewhere. As for doctor's surgeries, don't get me started. I agree totally what you say about managers having no experience or practical knowledge of the areas they're responsible for, I think it happens in the workplace all the time, that's why the country is up the spout.

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  9. Dear Sweet Fran, I wish that I could take your troubles all away . . .it's like the old saying, "when it rains it pours".
    I'm putting you in my prayers . . . God Bless.
    Your blogging sister, Connie :)

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  10. DC - I would love to move but every doctors say that we are outside their catchment area, trouble with living in a village miles from anywhere! xxx

    Karen - I would like to order online, at least I could do that from work or home, save some time at least xxx

    Simplesuffolksmallholder - make sure you hang on to your doctors they sound great or could you send them a bit south please! xxx

    Mel - definitely roll on the revolution, I will be up the front with my banner!!! xxx

    Sarah - thank you for your empathy, perhaps you could join me on the march to revolution! xxx

    Margy - sometimes it is okay to wait, but when you feel absolutely awful the last thing you want is several hours in a waiting room full of sick people xxx

    Wendy - thank you, still no news on the job front yet. I am so fed up that if I got redundancy I would be happy, but no chance of that unfortunatelyxxx

    Jo - it really does seem that I am not the only one that moans about these things, nice to know I am not alone but that doesn't help sort it all out xxx

    Connie - oh you are always so lovely. I am still cheerful just kicking the wall at times. It will all come good but it is the waiting that is frustrating xxx

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  11. Ugh work and doctors surgeries my two soap box subjects! Sorry to hear of your annoyances and hope they resolve soon. Thanks for your visit to my blog x

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  12. So sorry Fran. I missed this. I agree with Mel. It's more to do with ever increasing bureaucracy probably required by the EU! Dreadful bureaucratic monster! I hope things get sorted out for you soon!

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