Another NHS-Based Rant

In theory and on paper, the idea of free healthcare for all is great.

In reality, I don't think it works.

Since I reached adulthood, I've had an astonishingly hard time getting any doctors to take any problems seriously (and I don't have many!).

About 4 months ago, I noticed a mole I've got was being itchy.  Like really itchy.  So as we're all instructed, I go to my GP and tell him.  He tells me that this happens sometimes, not to worry, come back if anything changes.

That brings us forward to about 2 weeks ago.  Its gotten bigger.  Not massively bigger, my torso hasn't been engulfed by a state of mole-yness or anything, but its definitely bigger.

I go back to the GP and see someone different who looks, says he doesn't think there's a problem but to be on the safe side he'll refer me to "plastics" to have it removed and that I'll have an appointment within 3 weeks.  I finally felt as if I'd seen a doctor who took something seriously and I was actually quite pleased.

I guess I was filling in a gap, because I get a call on Friday afternoon telling me the appointment will be today at 4pm.  Thanks for the notice there, plenty of time to arrange things.

Fortunately my company is good about this sort of stuff so no one minded when I left at 3:30pm today to go to the hospital.  I did end up playing the voicemail they left me to a colleague though, I worried it looked a bit suspicious that I'm asking to leave early 2 days before christmas.

I arrived at the hospital at 3:50pm.  Then I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

At about 4:10pm (my appointment was at 4pm, remember) I get called in by the nurse and told to wait in another room.

This room is what can only be described as neapolitan-ice-cream-hell.  The floor is that patterned lino that was very chic in 1973, in a fetching shade of sage green.  The walls were cheap ice-cream pink.  It was awful.

Here, I wait some more.

And more.

And a little more until at 4:20pm the doctor calls me in.  I go into another room where he looks at the mole, asks if I've got any others, measures it and then says this:

"If it gets any wider, call my secretary.  Not if you THINK it gets wider, if it actually does.  And if it gets black spots.  Not dark chocolate brown, but black, coal dust black, then thats a concern and you should call.  Other than that, we'll refer you for a routine removal and that should happen sometime in the winter or the spring, depending how busy we are."

That was it.  I wait half an hour (which I know isn't long, but when you're just sat there with other shit to do its ages) for no more than 2 minutes with the doctor who didn't really do anything anyway.

So now I wait and see when they can fit me in.  Some time in the winter or spring, so any time between now and about May I suppose. 

If I was a grown up that didn't have quite so much debt, I'd go private.  I'm sure there's some sort of system in place where if they decide you're rich enough they keep you alive.  Anyone not paying for their healthcare can just wait and if you take a turn for the worse between the assessment and your appointment its a bonus...potentially you'll die and it'll be one less drain on the resource.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm going to die, I don't think its that serious but they really don't do much to put your mind at ease if you are worried.

So, how did everyone elses Christmas week start?  Well, I hope!

Comments

[Mia]

Merry Christmas Lovely! Hope you have a good one and the mole doesn't morph into anything scary.
xxx

[Deb]

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a Great 2009!

[Clariss]

Oh! Have you got me started? We'll see ....

My Mista and I are on the cusp of 40 so we decided to splash out on a private head to toe exam. I'm too embarrassed to say exactly how much it cost us, but suffice it to say, a whole, whole lot.

They found a couple of little things that need further investigation ... and even with insurance the process is daunting. I'll have to get a form and a letter telling me to go to the GP and then a referral and more forms. By the end of the process I'll probably be dead from the whatever it is that might kill me anyway! ARGGGG. Healthcare no matter where you are sucks.

[Su]

Go back and see a nurse. Yes, a nurse, not a stupid doctor who thinks you're wasting his time. I was referred immediately (got an appointment within 2 weeks, and this was last December) and a practise nurse at the doctor's surgery removed my mole. None of that hospital rubbish - in and out within 40 minutes!!!

[KennethSF]

I'm in the U.S. Many of us look to the UK health care system as the model we ought to aspire to. I just realize perhaps the UK model can use some improvement of its own. Good luck!