Ranty McRant Thread 2

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Stars_InTheirEyes
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Post by Stars_InTheirEyes » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 00:49

Only thing I have to rant about is the NHS, kind of.
Went for an appointment, told to see them again in a month, but they couldn't make the appointment as they were changing systems. Went in to speak to receptionist a couple weeks later and the Dr. I was told to come back to see only works 2 days there and was full for the next month. Still haven't got an appt 2 months later. Given up at this point.

If it's something to die from, I'll be sending a letter of complaint from the grave for sure.
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Post by mrbadger » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 02:44

Stars_InTheirEyes wrote:Only thing I have to rant about is the NHS, kind of.
Went for an appointment, told to see them again in a month, but they couldn't make the appointment as they were changing systems. Went in to speak to receptionist a couple weeks later and the Dr. I was told to come back to see only works 2 days there and was full for the next month. Still haven't got an appt 2 months later. Given up at this point.

If it's something to die from, I'll be sending a letter of complaint from the grave for sure.
They can't schedule you for another doc?
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by Morkonan » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 03:29

Stars_InTheirEyes wrote:Only thing I have to rant about is the NHS, kind of.
Went for an appointment, told to see them again in a month, but they couldn't make the appointment as they were changing systems. Went in to speak to receptionist a couple weeks later and the Dr. I was told to come back to see only works 2 days there and was full for the next month. Still haven't got an appt 2 months later. Given up at this point.

If it's something to die from, I'll be sending a letter of complaint from the grave for sure.
This is the sort of fear that Americans have when anyone talks of "Nationalizing" healthcare... But, it still fookin' happens to us, too.

Went to the emergency room earlier this year. Doc told me to go home, that I was fine. Went back two days later in extreme agony, told them to screw-off that I wanted to be examined properly, ended up in emergency surgery.

Left the next day, didn't feel like staying any longer, 'cause I'm a "man" and that's just how we roll... Was given a followup appointment with a surgeon for 10 days later, just to be sure everything was fine.

He examined me, ripped open the surgical wound, blood everywhere, then told me I needed another surgeon and I was beyond his capabilities.

A MONTH later, I finally saw a specialist. We didn't get along very well... He refused to answer any more of my questions, told me to read a pamphlet and then said he was going to schedule me for an MRI, to follow up on all those things they found out about in the CT scan I had at the Emergency Room...

What "things?" Huh? WHAT THINGS!

Yeah, you see, nobody had ever bothered to tell me about the CT scan I had prior to emergency surgery. Nobody had bothered to tell me that they found a crapload of unusual stuffs all over the place... NOBODY SAID JACK @$$%@$%!

So, that was early this year. Since then, I can't tell you how many doctors I've seen since. It wasn't until one of the last ones, about three weeks ago, that any of them bothered to finally say:

"Look, all this is very unusual, but it doesn't appear to be anything to worry about right now. Just keep getting an MRI once per year to keep an eye on things and go about your life."

I was planning on dying earlier this year. No lie. I was getting my affairs in order, preparing to be deceased. Just in the past few weeks, I find out I am probably not likely to be deceased this year and probably not going to be deceased next year. Further, it's not likely that any of this will cause me any mortal issues. So, instead of being "dead man walking" I am simply "weird man walking."

As if I didn't already know that. :)

But, nobody gave two wet farts if I knew about any of these findings after the CT scan. The head of the radiology department will not return my calls, doctors just shrug and make excuses like... "Well, that's terrible, they should have told you, don't know wtf you expect me to say... let's talk about something else that doesn't entertain a possible lawsuit."

(My rant contribution on healthcare.)

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Post by pjknibbs » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 11:48

mrbadger wrote: Suffice only to say that for some it seems the Linux command line is a thing akin to forbidden knowledge of the ancient masters, forever unknowable to mere mortals.
You mean it's *not*? :wink:

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Post by mrbadger » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 12:14

I once had a student come see me with a question on how to do something using a GUI on Linux, and I had no clue.

I had literally no idea how you might use a mouse on Linux. I just never had. I do now, but it's still a rare thing.


I had to be talked into installing a desktop manager on our teaching Linux Server that I administer. By talked I mean my boss made me do it (but I still refuse to let my students use it).

I was allowed to alias Nano to Vim however, because Nano is proof that the devil is real. Well Nano and Starbucks.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by pjknibbs » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 16:27

I prefer Joe myself (command-line text editor that uses Wordstar editing commands!). If you're using a GUI then you can run multiple command lines each in their own window, so surely even you would find that better?

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Post by mrbadger » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 17:54

I use emacs, where I can have multiple buffers and run ansi-term in as many of those buffers as I want, which basically gives me the same thing.

Only it's in emacs, which is just plain better than anything else.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by Morkonan » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 20:16

Years ago, I was handed a computer to "fix", probably because I "knew computer" and they thought that was enough. It was running Unix. I derped haaard... I don't think I had access to an O'Reilly book on that. (Popular programming-for-dummies reference book series) I don't remember if I achieved much other than "it's running, I think." :)

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Post by Chips » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 20:17

RE: Doctors appointments, register for a different doctor? Depends where you live of course, but...

Our's has a guaranteed morning drop in clinic every single work day of the week. Arrive before 10am you will get seen. It is supposed to be for "emergencies" - and those do include "feel terrible" type of can't wait - so if you call they will ask what is wrong and you may get a 5 min telephone consult before they ask you to come in; i just turn up as I work 100 miles away. I should change doctor, but...

If you phone for normal appointment, up to 2 days. Phone for appointment with your own named doctor - can be 2 weeks. So the delay's they're making sound farcical.

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Post by mrbadger » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 20:53

My GP surgery had a breif period of time when they were short of GPs due to a change of ownership, which caused lots of old hands to quit. I neither know nor care much about the exact detail on this.

But as a consequence they implemented a GP callback thing as a temporary measure, where you could call and request a doctor to call you back that day, or the next day.

I absolutely love that, and even though they are back to full staff I still use it as my primary consult method for matters involving my pre-existing conditions.

They don't advertise it any more, but they haven't told me I can't do it, so I keep on using it.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by Morkonan » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 21:00

"Clinics" are becoming more common the US, these days. Though, due to vast differences in population concentration, some areas have few to none. Clinics are there to provide non-emergency "emergency" services... So, for instance, let's say you have a really bad flu. You could try to get an appointment with your normal physician, but that could take several days. If that wasn't suitable, you could also go to a hospital "Emergency Room." But, of course, you're probably not in a life-or-death situation and going to such a place only serves to put unnecessary strain on a system that's not really for that sort of thing.

So... Clinics. You can walk in and get seen by someone, at least, within a fairly short period of time. And, if it's serious enough, they will get you transported to an Emergency Room/Hospital in short order.

So, in the US, that's a pretty good thing. It takes the strain off of facilities designed for critical care. But, still, it doesn't solve all the problems. Clinics are not designed to monitor patient care, aren't part of anyone's "primary care" sort of arrangements (ie: Family doctor) and don't always have the diagnostic tools they may need. (Though, that is changing. I almost went to clinic instead of an Emergency Room, but the clinic told me going to the hospital would probably be the better decision, even though that particular clinic did have some advanced diagnostic tools. (CT Scan and the like, which was surprising.)

Question: Does a UK "analogue" of a US "Clinic", a place that's not quite what we'd call an "Emergency Room" at a hospital where one can go for quick care for acute illness, normally have advanced diagnostic tools like a CT Scanner?

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Post by Chips » Tue, 12. Dec 17, 21:02

mrbadger wrote: I absolutely love that, and even though they are back to full staff I still use it as my primary consult method for matters involving my pre-existing conditions.
Ours, if you ask for an appointment, you will get a phone consult first (unless it's bloody obvious you need an appointment - i.e. blood test, finger in the butt, knacker caressing, or other such necessary face to face things) - usually within 20 minutes. They're really good :D

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Post by mrbadger » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 09:12

Morkonan wrote: Question: Does a UK "analogue" of a US "Clinic", a place that's not quite what we'd call an "Emergency Room" at a hospital where one can go for quick care for acute illness, normally have advanced diagnostic tools like a CT Scanner?
We do have them, but unfortunately too many people view them as a sign of the dismantling of the NHS, so fight the replacement of outdated inappropriate services with more efficient clinics.

I used to be a nurse, I understand perfectly how much better a local clinic system would be, but the uninformed seem to want a fully equipped hospital in every town.

That just can't happen. Especially since for most of them the primary justification is that they have to travel a long way to visit someone being treated as an inpatient.

You can get NHS transportation for appointments if you're unable to travel, or you just get on a train.

I have to go to my nearest city for MRI scans. Well fine, I'll do that, because that's where the scanners are. I don't want them in my town as well, because that would cost too much.

We could have had clinics in my town a decade ago, but this goddam 'action group' keeps fighting them, so we're still stuck with increasingly outdated services that just get worse over time.

Then they complain about the fact that the old services they 'saved' aren't good enough.

Well duh... Of course they're not, that would be why they've been trying to replace them for the last decade you morons :evil:
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by Morkonan » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 15:33

mrbadger wrote:...We could have had clinics in my town a decade ago, but this goddam 'action group' keeps fighting them, so we're still stuck with increasingly outdated services that just get worse over time...
They fight against them? Against clinics? As if the presence of clinic is somehow detrimental to... healthcare?

Are these people right in the head? Playing with full decks? Both oars in the water?
Then they complain about the fact that the old services they 'saved' aren't good enough.
So, they're "saving" facilities with operating theaters, critical care units, neonatal services, emergency facilities that keep people from dying when their legs get cut off by fighting against clinics that serve people with colds, muscle strains and minor infections?

I love democracy and equal rights for all as well as equal representation, but some people just... shouldn't be participating. :)
Well duh... Of course they're not, that would be why they've been trying to replace them for the last decade you morons :evil:
"Modern medicine is bureaucratic and evil! We want more doctors that make house-calls! Housecalls, with MRI machines! DELIBBER MA BABIES AT HOME WHILE I"M INNA TUB! But, make sure they're healthy and I don't die..."

Sometimes, it's tempting to give people what they ask for, just so they'll truly realize why they should stop asking for it.

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Post by Skism » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 15:47

mrbadger wrote:
Morkonan wrote: Question: Does a UK "analogue" of a US "Clinic", a place that's not quite what we'd call an "Emergency Room" at a hospital where one can go for quick care for acute illness, normally have advanced diagnostic tools like a CT Scanner?
We do have them, but unfortunately too many people view them as a sign of the dismantling of the NHS, so fight the replacement of outdated inappropriate services with more efficient clinics.

I used to be a nurse, I understand perfectly how much better a local clinic system would be, but the uninformed seem to want a fully equipped hospital in every town.

That just can't happen. Especially since for most of them the primary justification is that they have to travel a long way to visit someone being treated as an inpatient.

You can get NHS transportation for appointments if you're unable to travel, or you just get on a train.

I have to go to my nearest city for MRI scans. Well fine, I'll do that, because that's where the scanners are. I don't want them in my town as well, because that would cost too much.

We could have had clinics in my town a decade ago, but this goddam 'action group' keeps fighting them, so we're still stuck with increasingly outdated services that just get worse over time.

Then they complain about the fact that the old services they 'saved' aren't good enough.

Well duh... Of course they're not, that would be why they've been trying to replace them for the last decade you morons :evil:

Whilst the destruction of the NHS is a serious issue that is quite something Mr B. :lol:
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest."

-Thomas Paine-

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Post by mrbadger » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 19:55

Morkonan wrote:
So, they're "saving" facilities with operating theaters, critical care units, neonatal services, emergency facilities that keep people from dying when their legs get cut off by fighting against clinics that serve people with colds, muscle strains and minor infections?

I love democracy and equal rights for all as well as equal representation, but some people just... shouldn't be participating. :)
There is a very old hospital in my town. I used to work there. Old, poorly equipped, and it's buildings are falling apart.

But in the city only 25 miles away we have a huge modern hospital with more facilities. So many in fact that all we need is reasonable size clinic with a CT scanner and a decent first response team.

Which is all they've been trying to build.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by Morkonan » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 21:30

mrbadger wrote:
Morkonan wrote:
So, they're "saving" facilities with operating theaters, critical care units, neonatal services, emergency facilities that keep people from dying when their legs get cut off by fighting against clinics that serve people with colds, muscle strains and minor infections?

I love democracy and equal rights for all as well as equal representation, but some people just... shouldn't be participating. :)
There is a very old hospital in my town. I used to work there. Old, poorly equipped, and it's buildings are falling apart.

But in the city only 25 miles away we have a huge modern hospital with more facilities. So many in fact that all we need is reasonable size clinic with a CT scanner and a decent first response team.

Which is all they've been trying to build.
"A decent first-response team... ?"

You don't have one of those already? I admit, I'm ignorant in all the "Ways of UK" stuff, for the most part, but what happens if someone gets in a car accident or has a heart-attack? They have to go 25 miles to a hospital? That's like... almost all the way across the whole island, right? :)

Where I used to live, we had 12 hospitals... Twelve. Admittedly, it had a decent military presence with VA hospitals and such and it did have a decent catchment area, but even other regions it drew from had their own smaller hospitals. The medical community was larger than most, as well. But... we had twelve.

Where I am now, we have two within a few miles of each other and this isn't exactly a large town. That doesn't count the other hospitals nearby as well as those attached to universities.

The US is pretty big and there are surely many regions where there aren't hospitals close by. But, that's 'cause there ain't crap else "close by" either. :) In the UK... Well, it'd be nothing to just drive across the whole country in a couple of hours or so.

Even so, there should at least be a clinic or competent ER facility within a few minutes of just about anywhere.

There's a new "Emergency Room" stand-alone facility opening up down the street from me. It can handle any emergency situation up to and including emergency surgery. That is all it does, though. It can stabilize patient for transport, elsewhere, of course.

Why?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

They're opening it up so they can get more business for patients that require "immediate transport" to the nearest emergency facility. They're doing it to undercut the competition by having an Emergency Room closer to where the accidents occur than the competition... It's all about money.

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Post by mrbadger » Wed, 13. Dec 17, 22:13

Morkonan wrote:
"A decent first-response team... ?"

You don't have one of those already? I admit, I'm ignorant in all the "Ways of UK" stuff, for the most part, but what happens if someone gets in a car accident or has a heart-attack? They have to go 25 miles to a hospital? That's like... almost all the way across the whole island, right? :)
Not in all areas of specialty, but the idea is supposed to be that the central hospital rotates teams around the county, so we would have decent teams. As it is though we have people who've been doing the same job for 20-30 years, and weren't very good to start with.

I know, some of them used to work for me. It was a real shock for me when I started working there, I had no idea that nurses could be so bad at their jobs and still be on a trauma ward. I didn't stay long.

They already rotate certain teams, but not the ones that would operate the walk in clinics that would act as triage centres.

And when people have heart attacks they do take them straight to the main city hospital, because frankly they have a better chance of survival if they stay in the ambulance then get treated by decent medical teams.

That's what they did to me when I had my brain injury.

The worst period of care I got was when I was transferred back to the hospital in my home town for a few weeks before I went back to the city hospital and it's excellent rehab centre.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli

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Post by pjknibbs » Thu, 14. Dec 17, 09:41

mrbadger wrote: And when people have heart attacks they do take them straight to the main city hospital, because frankly they have a better chance of survival if they stay in the ambulance then get treated by decent medical teams.
Case in point: my mother had a mild heart attack this year. She lives in a small village miles from the nearest hospital, so the ambulance guys had her flown via air ambulance 40-odd miles to St. James' hospital in Sunderland. Darlington would have been closer, but they couldn't offer the same range of services, so they decided that the extra few minutes was the better option.

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Post by Morkonan » Thu, 14. Dec 17, 16:33

mrbadger wrote:...They already rotate certain teams, but not the ones that would operate the walk in clinics that would act as triage centres.

And when people have heart attacks they do take them straight to the main city hospital, because frankly they have a better chance of survival if they stay in the ambulance then get treated by decent medical teams.

That's what they did to me when I had my brain injury.

The worst period of care I got was when I was transferred back to the hospital in my home town for a few weeks before I went back to the city hospital and it's excellent rehab centre.
Ya know...

Maybe the NHS should hire a group of rabid X3 players to help them work out their logistical problems with services and quality issues? :)

XPLayer1: "OK, I think we set up a central station hospital complex, here, and cover several regions fairly adequately."

XPlayer2: "That's a good idea. We're also going to have to set up a CLS training flight, though, to increase our local presence across all these towns and, perhaps, promote some T3s to UT to run mobile services to handle region further than three zones. That'd be pretty efficient and we could expect fairly rapid response."

XPlayer3: "We could also use the trade-station dockspace plan to set up depots for emergency services and to reduce response time in remote areas by having supplies and equipment readily available with minimum overhead."

NHS: "Wat?"

It's not unusual for patients to get transported to "better facilities", or at least specialized ones, after they've been stabilized. But, to get transported twice, back and forth, is... kinda inefficient and, IMO, not good for the patient. I can understand, however, that unique cases certainly exist and no diagnosis or treatment is ever perfect.

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