NHS £750 Million for Research

Thanks for that piece of advice! which just like the NHS treating tinnitus patients was useless.

 

Chamferman, why moan and complain when you have received free hearing aids? Be grateful. If you’re not happy then use your own money (like I and others do) and buy what you want. People like you are never happy unless you’re whinging and moaning about something. Some people get nothing and have to get by. It’s pathetic. The NHS is not an endless pot of money!

 

Those hearing aids were not free they were paid for by me out of my wages and all the other tax payers who paid into the system over their working lives. I am sure like me other taxpayers would probably not be happy to hear their money had been wasted.

Just because something is free doesn't mean I have to be automatically grateful. From the first point of contact with my NHS Doctor to seeing a NHS ENT consultant it has been a big waste of time and money.

My NHS doctor who I managed to get an appointment with after being caller 87 in the queue at the time told me that there was nothing he could do and I would just have to get used to it, no sign posting to any form of support at all even though I was feeling suicidal at the time.

It was only when I done some googling and found the BTA website that I managed to get some support. The BTA told me of a sound machine that would help which it did and it literately saved my life as it matched my tinnitus.
I also receive some telephone support from Michael Leigh which I am immensely great full for

Nine months later finally managed to get to see a NHS consultant. Who tells me i have partial hearing loss so i get given a separate hearing aid and separate masking device.

I soon realise after a few months having the two separate devices was not practical, And the masking devices did not match my Tinnitus anyway.

Back to see a different consultant who agrees with me and cannot understand why i have been issued separate devices. I am then issued with a hearing aid with an inbuilt masking device and like i have already said this isn’t fit for purpose either as it no way matches my tinnitus.

So that two devices that I have been issued with that are not fit for purpose, a complete waste of money. Who does the NHS consult when they buy these things, maybe they should consult Tinnitus Talk as they don’t seem to have a clue.

As a user and a tax payer I am entitled to an opinion on the service I receive.
Sorry that my opinion doesn’t agree with you but I say as I find.
Just to be clear the opinion I am expressing here is my dissatisfaction with the way the NHS treats people with tinnitus and not of the NHS as a whole.

The NHS have not help me at all with my Tinnitus. The help I have received has been from the BTA, Michael Leigh, this website and my Oasis sound machine.

 

You’re a glass half empty kind of person who doesn’t realise how fortunate we are. We are blessed in this country and most don’t even know it. Your NI covers your right to be treated and to be seen by a Dr. We get to see a GP (free of charge), who in turn will refer you to see a consultant (free of charge) to be assessed and treated for various illnesses and diseases. We also have access to free AnE services and urgent care units 24/7. Yet, on top of all this you complain because you’re not happy with your free hearing aids. At no point are you just entitled to medical devices; this is at the discretion of the NHS who are already on a shoestring budget. So, just buy the hearing aids that you desire and stop being so tight! We pay a pittance in the grand scheme of things, and don’t forget this covers healthcare, police, fire brigade etc etc

It almost comes across like scrounging and I can’t stand scroungers. Just be grateful because you could be living in a third world hole with access to nothing.

 

The NHS are doing something as it happens.

NICE have begun a consultation, the first meeting was around a week ago. I wanted to take part but you had to commit to quite a lot of days and a lot of homework to be considered, so unfortunately time was an issue.

Fortunately though David Stockdale of BTA is part of the consultation, so I am happy that there is good representation for people with tinnitus.

It isn't a quick process but at the end there will be clinical guidelines for the assessment and management of tinnitus. This is not a small thing.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10077

 

As it happens that's great to hear.

 

How can it be free if I am paying for it out of my wages monthly?https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/how-nhs-funded

The police, fire brigade comes out of council tax which I also pay monthly for. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11402884
Are you sure your a Uk citzen as you dont seem to understand the system!

Is a person who complains about their disabilty aid a scrounger if their given it on the NHS?

I suggest you check out the links and educate yourself. Free what planet you on nothing is free

 

It’s free at the point of use and the amount we pay for what we get needs more appreciation. Only yesterday I saw a load of people moaning about the NHS all of whom get it completely free as none of them work. I saw everything from moaning about the £8.70 prescription charge to moaning about paying £50 for a tooth extraction. £50!!

It just annoys me seeing everyone moan all the time. The NHS saved my life last year, and it saved my mother’s life five years ago. I don’t need the full break down about where our tax goes; we have it good. I’ve easily spent over £8,000 in private medical fees for things the NHS doesn’t cover, and I don’t begrudge it one bit. The extra it would cost to roll out top of the range hearing aids across the country would have to come out of the current NHS budget which is already too small to cover its requirements. There are people with cancer and other serious conditions having their operations cancelled - in the hundreds - all across the country. I’d personally pay more of my wages to make the service better.

Put it this way, if we didn’t have the NHS we’d be paying a hell of a lot more to cover the cost of our healthcare.

 

I like watching other countries complain about their healthcare systems. brb paying $546 for an IV.

 

Exactly threefirefour. If I was a US citizen my medical costs would be unthinkable. Put it this way, I know just the surgeries I had alone would have cost me $66000 and that’s going back 17 years, so you’ve got to add inflation to that. Imagine adding all my AnE bills to that as well over a lifetime. My Sepsis incident would have cost me a fortune last year.

I know we have it good. Moaning about a hearing aid not having an MP3 feature is priceless to me. I’d be thankful that I got any hearing aid and then I’d buy an upgrade if I wanted a better one.

 

Thank you for your kind comments @chamferman The NHS in my opinion is very good. It does have its problems but the press and media rarely mention the good that it does. Thousands of people are successfully treated daily at GP surgeries, outpatient clinics and hospitals. Treatment is given free to all in the UK at point of delivery. I have been under the NHS for 22 years with my tinnitus and had very good treatment. I have an appointment soon to renew my digital white noise generators, that cost over £2k which will be free of cost along with consultation with my Audiologist. I fully agree with @Ed209 comments on the NHS. I believe it is a wonderful healthcare system for us and long may it continue.

Michael

 

How can the NHS justify paying 2k when it costs 5$ to make in china

 

The NHS has never let me down and in the last two weeks alone my doctor sent me straight to the Surgical assessment unit at 6pm and had tests that night and the following day and results straight away.
Was seen in AnE with in a hour and head stitched.
Seen by Audiology for a hearing check up.
Seen by ENT for a sinus problem.

I am under the care of the hospital sever asthma unit and seen every 12 weeks and have a great asthma team.
I am on so much medication and only costs 10-12 pound a year for a pre payment card or would be well over 90 pound a month.
Love glynis

 

I totally agree and also realise it’s far from perfect, but this comes down to how much the government allocates the NHS in it’s budget.

 

With respect, I have found you to be confrontational and rude and rather not answer your question.
I wish you well.

Michael

 

Some people never satisfy @Ed209 and don't know how fortunate they are to have healthcare under the NHS. People contact me from overseas for counselling. Some of the stories that I'm told for the cost of tinnitus treatment, white noise generators, hearing aids is frightening and many can't afford it. We get all this free at point of delivery in the UK . Enough said.

Michael

 

GROW UP

 

The pre-paid cards are an absolute bargain in my opinion. Our daughter is only 6 months old and she’s already had her hips fixed with a brace (she had hip dysplasia at birth due to being breech) and has had access to two dietitians and two consultants and that doesn’t include the one we have to see on Monday. My daughter obviously doesn’t work so in her case it really is totally free. The NHS has saved us hundreds already (could end up being thousands) in treatment costs for our daughter and that’s besides the money we‘ve spent on a private consultant (to speed the process up).

 

The NHS has it's faults and not everyone is happy with there treatment but I think most people with long term problems or needing investigated procedures or operations are looked after.
A few years a go In hospital a few days and every test and scan done.
last year my Gallbladder out..phew
I would like though to think everyone world wide got the help they needed as all countries have there on health system and im sure works well.
Love glynis

 

There are faults Glynis, and quite big ones, but that’s not directly down to the Drs and nursing staff. It’s mainly a budgeting issue from the top down.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4377250/How-NHS-wastes-7-6bn-year.html
IT COULD BE BETTER

 

Firstly, there’s no knowing what the true facts are based on a newspaper article, and secondly, we all know it’s far from perfect. But, it’s still a million times better than being landed with a crippling debt to get treated, or if you need to have life-changing surgery.

There are countless examples of Americans who end up homeless because they can’t afford their medical bills. A friend of Scott Sorry (a famous rock star) had to set up a go fund me page when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour because the medical bills were going to run into stupid figures. The same is true for the legendary guitarist Jason Becker, whose career was cut short at the age of 19 because of ALS. He also has astronical medical bills that have to be paid for through donations, yearly benefit gigs, and his album and merchandise sales. His care cost must be in the millions by now.

I’ll take the NHS any day.

 

This is directly copied from Scott Sorry’s go fund me page to give you an idea of the difference:

**EDIT** I was just informed that the CT scan to diagnose him cost $5000 on it's own. So I've increased the target - apparently I have a lot to learn about how expensive hospital visits can be in the US. Thank you to everyone who has donated already. x

 

I had a CT scan last year, with contrast, and it cost me nothing.

 

The usa and uk have different models on healthcare, how can we compare, should we not look at Luxembourg we used to be number 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34326934

 

I have lost count of xrays and full body xrays,CT scans ,MRI scans,Angiograms,lumbar puncture,blood tests,breathing tests,chest physio,stitches and operations over the years and consultations and doctor visits,AnE trips ,hospital stays.
Im sure other countries have a good but different health service but I know some are not so lucky but hope that improves.

 

I’ve not had to use the NHS too much but I can honestly say that when I have they haven’t let me down (tinnitus being the only exception, which they are now planning to address).

Yes it could be better and we can all unearth stories that are not good, especially around tinnitus treatment (or the lack of). But on the whole I feel privileged to have the system. Yes we all pay for it but frankly the alternative is not a pretty picture to me.

 

I think when it comes to people having to pay NHS bills best not to judge as you probably do not know the full facts about their financial situation. Their are a lot of working poor in this country struggling to get by who cannot afford £50!!

@Ed209 the problem with wearing rose tinted glasses when looking at the NHS tinnitus services is nothing will change.
All services need constructive feedback whether its good or bad.

I also would pay more out of my wages for a service that worked as it should do.

Ambulances shouldn't be queued up https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/ambulances-forced-to-queue-in-wait-for-beds-1-1269361

Patients shouldn't be waiting in corridors on trolleys
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...wait-corridor-trolley-stretcher-a8245091.html

Vital operation should not be cancelled
https://www.theguardian.com/society...-bosses-orders-england-cancer-heart-operation

Patients shouldn't have to wait 4 weeks to see a Doctor
https://news.sky.com/story/extended-gp-waiting-times-pose-serious-risk-to-patients-10710722

The NHS shouldn't be wasting tax payer money
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/877150/NHS-spending-crisis-services-spending-too-much-league-table

All of these links could be papers generating sensationalism to sell papers who knows.

But another recent example I had with the NHS is I had to wait seven hours in a room in my dressing gown waiting for an operation. I had no updates to why I was having to wait so long until I saw the surgeon. I didn't kick up a fuss while waiting as thought that they were probably busy. Once I met the surgeon he apologised and said no one should have to wait that long in a waiting room. He confirmed what was already thinking.

Yes I was great-full to the surgeon and his team for their skill and professionalism in carrying out the surgery and I a made sure they were all aware of that. But I also agreed with the surgeon their was know way I should have been waiting seven hours in a waiting room. The surgeon wasn't being unprofessional and I wasn't being ungrateful we were both seeing the reality of the situation.

@Ed209 do you work for the NHS?

 

Using the USA really is not a good comparison as they are not state funded. I agree with jay777 try using Luxembourg as it is a state funded system

 

I disagree. I know these people and they all have iPhone X’s and other luxuries. They generally only moan when they have to pay out - a very small amount in this case (in my opinion) - to have any kind of medical treatment. They think everything should be free and that they should be catered to without subsidising their own bills. I’d say sell your phones and look after your health if you don’t like paying £50. The world owes us nothing.

I have said numerous times that the NHS needs to be run better. It’s far from perfect and I could complain about many things, but we are still lucky to have it. The crux of my argument was your entitled attitude that you should get the best hearing aids without wanting to put your hand in your pocket to cater to your wants. Not the NHS as a whole. A lot of people are ungrateful when receiving treatments which are worth far in excess of what they put into the system.

We all know that the NHS needs more funding, and that’s up to the government.

In my opinion, any person living in a country with state funded healthcare, generally has it good.