[andy]

andy

January 12, 2018 at 3:25 pm #423

Its a simple equation, nothing to do with politics. There are more people, living with conditions that would have died 40 years ago and less people to look after them.
In 1979 I was a student nurse, my dad was 55 and died from heart disease, he had two heart attacks and basic treatment. Now he would have been treated with sophisticated drugs, have heart surgery. There are 90 year olds having major heart surgery today.
The drugs budget is huge, and people expect the NHS to solve everything. There are still people going to the GP to get a prescription for paracetamol, and if they do not get it they will probably rock up at A/E. I have seen the mum get out of an ambulance with a child with a small cut on its finger.
Then there are all the normally fit and healthy people who get drunk and either make themselves so ill or injure themselves and end up in A/E. In 1979 the A&E had a room with a drain in the floor and a mat to put the drunks, I never saw it used in the six weeks I worked there including night shifts.
Who ever was running the NHS would be stuffed. There are more jobs than people wanting them.
No one wants to confront the fact we can not afford to treat everything, at any cost. Basic economics.

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 2:17 pm #251

Offer to stay with her instead, taking your two dogs and maybe your horse, plus a good dose of messy real life. I think she’ll soon get the idea that a short visit is more appropriate!

You sound lovely, too kind to tell her what she needs to hear

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 2:10 pm #239

My god daughter recently had vertigo (same aymptoms as you describe) and she saw OOH doc as she is a child and he said it was due to an infection, but it an ear infection, a urine infection. She was given some ABs and told to see GP if no improvement but thankfully hers cleared up. I would question the nurse practitioners ability to diagnose, I thought that nurses couldn’t diagnose, but certainly see or request a call from the GP as it obviously hasn’t cleared up from your last appointment. Also, the receptionist, while she has a tough job, shouldn’t be telling you who you can and can’t see.

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 2:03 pm #228

My friend learned in her early 60s after her husband’s eyesight deteriorated so that he could no longer drive. It didn’t take her any longer than most learners to pass her test. She didn’t enjoy driving on long journeys but got them both around locally for many years.

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 1:49 pm #207

I have very odd vivid dreams and dream (though when I say dream, they’re usually nightmares) most nights!

I had a reoccurring one for a while where I was in an orchard hiding from someone with a shotgun who was trying to kill me. I very frequently dream that I’m either breastfeeding a baby or have had a baby girl. And I’ve had more than one nightmare where I’ve been stuck in a swimming pool with a Great White/alligator.

I also dream a lot that I’m back in the country where I grew up, driving my dad’s car but the brakes have failed or the steering isn’t working!

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 1:34 pm #182

I believe the recruitment website of choice nowadays is Indeed, certainly we got lots of responses through it when we advertised. Don’t get too hung up on finding someone with the right experience, sometimes someone with no experience but the right aptitude and attitude can pick it up quickly. It’s so hard to find the right person, is it something that could be done remotely, have you considered outsourcing? What’s the software package, is it a standard one?

[andy]

andy

October 6, 2017 at 1:23 pm #161

I know people on both sides of the coin.

My brother will ALWAYS leave his car the morning after the night before regardless of how inconvenient it is (and me and my family have made it clear that we will always pick each other up whatever the time, I have said this to friends, I would rather be woken up at 3am to pick you up than you drink and drive)
I have a decidedly ex friend who thinks it acceptable to drive back to her house from the pub because it is only 10 minutes away.
I used to work at the local rugby club and the sheer amount of people who think it is OK to drink 10 pints in a day and drive home used to make my blood boil, though I wasn’t confident enough to report them as a teenager I wouldn’t hesitate now.

I no longer drink but when I did I NEVER drove on the night or the morning after.