Stop been so cheap!

[Aus_Amy]

I've paid for my scans to the 21st week $180 a scan.. And i had 5, due to complications and not finding the baby, the dr's have just offered me scans - through the hospital, because again complications... But as i told them I don't mind paying for a few.. But I now have to have them every week The only exciting thing i can find out of that is i get to see bubs every week..

 

[Dizzymum]

I've had 4 scans in this pregnancy - 3 of which were paid for by the NHS.

The first two were because of bleeding at 9 and 11 weeks, and I was seen straight away by lovely, helpful people. I for one am very grateful for the NHS, and I think alot of people would get a huge shock if they had to pay for their treatment.

Extra scans are not necessary if the pregnancy is progressing well. Money can be, and should be, better spent elsewhere.

 

[Nessicle]

Its quite upsetting as an NHS worker when someone says the NHS is failing everybody really. Nurses, doctors, admin workers.. everyone works damn hard for not so great money and deal with not so nice situations every single day and to get told that we're failing is a right kick in the teeth. Not good.

I don't know what you do in the NHS but I think the nurses do an amazing job they deserve to be paid so much more for what they do they're the ones holding everything together.

However when you've experienced the NHS like I have where I've been constantly let down it's hard not to feel that way but it's not a personal attack on individuals - just the NHS in general. It's so poorly managed by the big dogs and it's their fault I believe that my care has been compromised (whatever care that may be whether general or pregnancy related)

 

[Haych86]

I dont mind that I pay for 'slackers' precriptions - if someone has ill health then they should be treated for it, regardless of if they can pay or not. Who the fuck am I to bitch at someone if they can pay for their medicines or not?

This will be abit off topic I know but ...

You have made my day by saying that. You are the first person I have met that doesn't class people like myself who are on benefits for genuine reasons as lazy or unwilling to work etc.

As I have a long term illness which prevents me from working slthough I did struggle to work from the moment I left school at 16 until I was 22 when I eventually had to leave due to spending more time calling ambulances from work than actually managing to get any work done.

I now have no job and yes I do claim (minimal) benefits I am not one of these people that claims every benefit thats offered to me. I claim enough to live on (basic living expenses). Yes I am entitled to a few more benefits which would leave me with more than enough to live on and I could afford to buy nice TV's etc and people say Im stupid for not taking it while its avaliable but WHY should I take more than I need to live as I would if I was working? I take what I would have been earning when I was working and not a penny more. Infact I am slightly worse off than when I was working but the way I see it is why take more than I can live on?

Anyway sorry for going off topic but you really have made my day for not judging the people who arnt just taking because they can!

 

[Nessicle]

Haych no one would judge you or call you lazy for being on benefits as you genuinely need them and that's the difference - it's the a-holes who just sit around smoking and drinking special brew and claiming DLA for "bad backs" and then working underneath their cars all day or working in bars and not declaring they're working - that's the sort of people that everyone refers to when they say "slackers" or "benefit snatchers" I don't think anyone on here would "judge" someone for genuinely needing DLA, income support or Job Seekers etc

I think some people get so unnecessarily defensive sometimes when others have an opinion on "benefit snatchers" - just think are we really referring to those who genuinely need it? Of course not x

 

[forgodssake]

Its quite upsetting as an NHS worker when someone says the NHS is failing everybody really. Nurses, doctors, admin workers.. everyone works damn hard for not so great money and deal with not so nice situations every single day and to get told that we're failing is a right kick in the teeth. Not good.

I don't know what you do in the NHS but I think the nurses do an amazing job they deserve to be paid so much more for what they do they're the ones holding everything together.

However when you've experienced the NHS like I have where I've been constantly let down it's hard not to feel that way but it's not a personal attack on individuals - just the NHS in general. It's so poorly managed by the big dogs and it's their fault I believe that my care has been compromised (whatever care that may be whether general or pregnancy related)

The thing is though Vanessa, however rubbish your care has been (and I'm sorry for that), it's still not an indication of the NHS as a whole or even geographically.

I'm from the same area as you and my care has been amazing!

Even though I will be delivering at the "other" hospital I have had many dealings with Jimmy's for other reasons and have no complaints.

I seriously think you should contact the PCT with your concerns.

 

[Nessicle]

I've tried hun, I've written letters and everything you get nowhere.

I mean one surgeon even told me I'd "damaged my fertility" because I had "pelvic inflammatory disease from a sexually transmitted disease I had" - I've never had an STD and it was actually my coeliac disease. I sat there crying just 2 hours after my surgery when she told me this and she just looked at me in disgust and walked out. I was devastated! I wrote a complaint and I got a letter back saying so and so apologises and was shocked I felt the way I did. Big whoop!

All my hospital care was at LGI and all my pregnancy care is at Jimmy's except my midwife who is at my local surgery. The 3 GP surgeries I've been registered at during my life are a nightmare, you can never get an appt except at lunchtimes (err I work 37 hours a week in the city centre and you close at 5.30pm what good is that to me?!) and they fob you off so you have to go back two and three times.

Glad your care has been amazing though - mine has been anything but for most of my life whenever I've needed treatment or medical assistance and many people I work and are friends with have the same opinion. I just hope my delivery and postnatal care isn't the huge disappointment that I'm expecting it to be....

 

[Angela49uk]

I think we should be grateful for what we do have! Some countries only have 1 scans and some poor countries are not fortunate enough to have any antenatal care!! Also you have to remember our NHS service is a FREE service, where as many countries have to pay privately or have insurance for all medical care. At the end of the day, if you want more scans you can go and pay for them privately!!

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more scans, but really think you should be grateful for what you get x

 

[dani_tinks]

Wow, I can't believe how many people complain about the NHS. Your lucky we have it at all.

 

[Nessicle]

I think we should be grateful for what we do have! Some countries only have 1 scans and some poor countries are not fortunate enough to have any antenatal care!! Also you have to remember our NHS service is a FREE service, where as many countries have to pay privately or have insurance for all medical care. At the end of the day, if you want more scans you can go and pay for them privately!!

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more scans, but really think you should be grateful for what you get x

It's not a free service unless you don't and have never paid taxes. Regardless of how much of our tax goes towards the NHS it is not free for those who pay taxes.

Neither are prescriptions which we have to pay £7.20 to subsidise Scotland and Wales (Scotland get free prescriptions and Wales only pay a small fee from what I understand). Of course they are free when we are pregnant which is very good.

 

[Nessicle]

Wow, I can't believe how many people complain about the NHS. Your lucky we have it at all.

I think if you look back, you'll see that those of us who complain about it are the ones who've usually received such shoddy, crappy care for every type of care they've ever needed i.e. people like me lol

I don't think I should be forced to feel grateful when I've been through what I have in the past with my Primary Care Trust. I'm not saying it's the same everywhere or the same for everyone but I've found my PCT is crap.

I don't believe for one second that if anyone on here had received shocking care through their pregnancy or related to illnesses that you'd all be grateful and happy with that. It's purely my opinion of course and I don't mean to upset or offend anyone but until you've been let down consistently by the NHS then of course you're going to disagree with what people like me say.

 

[forgodssake]

Ness, that's really crap - have you tried any further up?

 

[buttonnose82]

I think we should be grateful for what we do have! Some countries only have 1 scans and some poor countries are not fortunate enough to have any antenatal care!! Also you have to remember our NHS service is a FREE service, where as many countries have to pay privately or have insurance for all medical care. At the end of the day, if you want more scans you can go and pay for them privately!!

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more scans, but really think you should be grateful for what you get x

It's not a free service unless you don't and have never paid taxes. Regardless of how much of our tax goes towards the NHS it is not free for those who pay taxes.

Neither are prescriptions which we have to pay £7.20 to subsidise Scotland and Wales (Scotland get free prescriptions and Wales only pay a small fee from what I understand). Of course they are free when we are pregnant which is very good.

Dunno about Wales but we don't subsidise Scotland's prescriptions, they have their own system in place to cover their prescription costs

 

[Nessicle]

my mistake buttonnose thank you - just what various other people have told me, I wasnt sure it was true

 

[NG09]

The NHS should get their hand out their pockets ...

My point?

well in some countrys you get a scan every 4 weeks... here you get 2 or 3 max and thats your lot (unless they have concerns) instead what do they do here...use such a stupid inacurate device of measuring your fundal height and relying on that for babys growth... well im sorry but half the midwifes ive come across either measure diff/wrong to one another... or just did it briefly and ended up with a meh itl be reet attitude then the others turn around and go "ooooh we will keep an eye on that" majority of the time there is nothing wrong with babys size!!! how can they possibly rely on this!?!?!? if baby has his bum stuck up then obvs the fundal height is going to be higher!!! it just seems to me instead of been so cheap they should be offering a scan to check growth etc every 4 weeks!!! not just that but to make sure there is no further problems with placenta/cord or baby! and to check fluid!...

anyone else agree?

No, I don't agree at all. I think like others have said we are lucky to have a free national health service. You can have as many scans as you want to throughout your pregnancy if you feel 2 isn't enough, you just have to put your hand in your own pocket and pay for it yourself!!!!!

 

[Nessicle]

Ness, that's really crap - have you tried any further up?

To be honest chick I spent 3.5 years in and out of hospital and fighting tooth and nail with the NHS to get them to listen to me. I got exhausted in the end and I just want to forget about it and get on with my life.

All I can say is thank goodness for my old GP who was one of the rare amazing and patient, understanding doctors I've come across out of all the ones I've seen, I'm very grateful to him for pushing the coeliac tests for me to the specialists

 

[Nessicle]

Wish people would stop saying the NHS is free lol....

I just wish my midwife was better only seen her 3 times in 26 weeks and she's crap. Can't change either she's the only one in the area I live in boo!!

 

[happigail]

It must suck so bad to have had so many problems I wonder tho if this might have happened if we lived in a medical insurance country?? Possible I guess and probably crippling financially.

 

[NG09]

I wish people would stop moaning about it........ the option to go private is always there if NHS i so bad.

 

[buttonnose82]

For the amount of our taxes that do actually go into the NHS system I would say we get a very very good deal, from what I have read the average cost of a vaginal delivery in the US is about $7000, so thats about £4500, how many of us could afford to pay that every time we have a baby, and it's going to cost more if there are complications, how many years of tax is that for the average person? (remembering that what you pay in tax each month, only a small part of that goes into the NHS) It could take YEARS to pay enough tax to cover that and thats just having a baby, what about each time you go to the DR's, have a accident and need to go to A & E, need to call an ambulance, need a hospital bed for a night for another reason, need a xray, the list goes on