It's a knee...

....but not as we know it.

2 off 2x1 cm bits of excess cartilage growth removed from knee. As well as
numerous small shards. Apparently it can start spawning excess in response
to damage. The Consultant commented he found less of a spare ball bearing
(as I had complained of) and more of a large Flange. Back on crutches for a
while though <sigh>. So that will be why I've been like a Haggis running
around the mountain the wrong way.

The bits removed and the photos taken inside the knee (I shall try and copy
them for gory interest) didn't look anything like the representation
generated by an MR scan. I'm a convert to merged MR/CT imaging now ok.

Message to Simes: BUPA provided care rocked. Pre and post op care was spot
on. The overnight room was much like a Travel Inn. Everything was spotless
(and labelled as sanitised). The three nurses in attendance were competent,
pleasant and cute. Food and drinks were provided as if by Room Service.
They swabbed ME to make sure I would keeping up the 100% infection free
status of their unit.

That is the best £80/month I ever spent.

 

A large flange, eh? Is this one of those I'm changing my name posts?

 

I've stopped defending the NHS at the moment. They've fucked us over too
many times in the last few weeks for me to think of any of them as any
more than hopeless bodging fools.

I don't like BUPA much (despite the good value and tip top care) as they
removed my father from their books when he had cancer and would not
assist him in anyway - despite him paying in for donkeys years and never
even seeing a doctor.

 

BUPA as with others are now nothing but an Insurance Company. Cunts in other
words and to be treated with caution.

 

The concept is right enough. But the Govmint needs to be a universal insurer
rather than a healthcare providor. The NHS is a great idea, unfortunately in
theory and not as per human nature.

 

<Gowers at Prawn>

 

Heh.

 

As you say Bupa are just an insurer , they sold their Hospitals some
time ago.
Which Hospital were you at - Nuffield?

Steve

 

Yes, in York

They didn't sell all the hospitals I believe, but most

 

It was all of them , it all seems to be a bit of a merry go round in
private healthcare lately:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/health/article2441744.ece
Good to hear that Nuffield are meeting expectations though.

Steve

 

But... www.cromwellhospital.com/home.aspx

The private hospitals have suffered from reduced NHS waiting lists. People
don't realise that the waiting time isn't the half of it.

 

Odd - they sell them all in 2007 and buy that one in 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7300673.stm
£90 million seems a lot seeing as Nuffield sold 11 hospitals to GHG
for £140 million 6 months earlier.
I'm guessing the Kensington location is large part of its value...

Steve

 

Again, worryingly (for us both) I agree. National Insurance should be
just that.

 

Though privately provided healthcare would (does) need a fearsome regulator
and police force to set and ensure standards. And rates.

And contrary to what a lot of public and political opinion says, Consultants
are the LAST group you want running the show.

 

Indeed. It still makes me laugh that the govt (bless their clueless
little socks) asked that idiot Dharzi to look into improving GP
services. He's never been a GP ever - he's a surgeon at a large acute.

TBH they'd have got some better ideas by asking a milkman to do the
report. Shame that isn't what they wanted, but rather a patsy to write a
report to justify the partial privatisation of GP services to make money
for the companies that they have interests in.

In English this means it costs a million quid a year for an 8 doctor GP
practice, which includes the doctors pay, versus 2 million quid for a 3
doctor practice at a Dharzi centre, where the profit is the same as total
cost of the 8 doctor practice. Private is clearly best, comrades, it
costs so much less than Publicly funded general practice.

 

Agreed. The Swiss seem (from my position as taxpayer, insurance payer
and patient) to have got it about right. Last time I did the sums the
cost per population was in the same ballpark as that of the NHS.

Christ yes. Bunch of lazy, wine-swilling, golf-playing layabouts.

 

Well no, but they are human and utterly (financially) self serving. Their
decisions are crucial in evolving the Clinical Pathways (obviously) but
decisions about how many hours they work and their patient volumes by time
need to be imposed. As do their fee structures and a UK structure on how
much NHS time they should do to be granted a licence to practice Privately.

 

The funny thing is how all the trusts bow and scrape to the consultants
and let them do things their own way - regardless of whether it's in the
interests of the patients or the tax payers.

I keep saying that we should stand up to them and tell *them* what to
do. It's not as if they can get jobs anywhere else. The NHS is pretty
much the only show in town if you're a doctor.

 

If you are a specialist Consultant with a reputation you can just have a
private practice.

The best of them bring in a lot of patients for a Trust, so of course
they have power. It needs a national contract where to be in private
practice you need to give (say) 2/3 of your time to the National
service. At an agreed rate and at the same level of productivity as the
private sector.

I know here Consultants who accept (say) 2 patients in a half day. In
their private clinic they will see up to 6. It is plain wrong.

Of some will threaten to FRO abroad. So try not to slam the door on the
way out folks.

This applies the same to Dentists BTW.

It is all complicated by levels of competency naturally. If I have a
broken arm, or a particular Cancer, there will be someone in particular,
after research, that I will want to see.

 

Although - there is not enough work in the private sector for them all
full time.

i.e. they should do as they are told - they are skilled employees - just
like the rest of us.

Of course it is - and a lot of them will treat NHS patients like scum,
then spend the afternoon sucking the knobs of the same patients who can
pay privately.

If I have a broken arm I hope it will heal with just a cast. I don't
want to end up like you lot.