Health Service in the Far North

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Hello Everyone,

Am soon to start writing up a feature article on the state of the health service in the Far North (focusing mainly on Caithness), therefore I am appealing to anyone whose own health (or whose friends and family) has suffered due to what they believe to be inadequate medical service in the area to get in touch with me (via PM), please. Thanks.

[changilass]

I am very please with the health service I get in the area, in fact I would go as far as to say it is much better than anything I got when living in the north of England and also the south of Scotland.

Castletown has one of the best medical practices I have been too, they actually listen to what you say and are more than willing to refer you for services that they do not provide.

With regards to hospital services, then specialists do visit the area and there is always the option to travel further afield if required.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

You sure you're not a NHS spokesperson, changilass? Thanks for the reply by the way, appreciated.

[changilass]

Never worked for the health service, sis is going to be starting with them in Englandshire in the new year but dont think that counts lol.

I just get very defensive when folks outwith the area write stories focusing on what they see as the negatives in the area.

Whilst I agree it would be nice to have a beeg fancy hospital that specialises in everything and maybe a dental school or two, I am realistic enough to realise its never gonna happen.

There are lots of positives to living up here, being out of the rat race just being the first that springs to mind.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

You're right, you are on the defensive.

Nationally, the health system could always be better, I think we all know that. However, in Caithness - and this is based on my own experience (am from the area), my family and friends in the area - it could be a lot, lot better. But it isn't. All I'm proposing to do is help those who have experienced serious inefficiencies with the standard of care in the Far North have their voices heard, and, hopefully, in some way (big or small), improve the quality of care for those living in the area.

Incidentally, I am not very sure what your last sentence regards the "rat race" has to do with it, but I imagine very little.

[Bad Manners]

Have to agree with Changilass the Health service up here is far better than what we were used to both in England and when I lived in edinburgh
They take the time to listen and are always very polite. Getting a doctors appointment is easy and when refered to a specialist it is carried out in atimely manner.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

If you want to start a NHS-appreciation thread, please do so. I'm appealing to those who want to speak out about the way they feel they have been mistreated, and how the lack of certain services has affected their health. Thanks.

[gleeber]

Hi Pepsi. Another unbalanced article on an important feature of caithness life?
Why Caithness? You spend a night or two here a couple of times a year. Why dont you tackle something closer to where you live. Somewhere where your personal prejudices wont pack so much power.

[cuthill]

I Agree with Changilass the Health service in Caithness is Great.My daughter in law who lives down south had her first baby at 3 o clock in the morning and was sent home at 10 o clock just 7 hours later,she had never bathed a baby before.Iknow Girls up here that have had there 3rd and 4th babies and they get to stay in for at least 4 days to give them a rest.If you go to A&E down our way you have at least a 5 hour wait but up here you get taken within 10 minutes.And a final praise must go to my local health centre ITS BRILL

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Hi Pepsi. Another unbalanced article on an important feature of caithness life?
Why Caithness? You spend a night or two here a couple of times a year. Why dont you tackle something closer to where you live. Somewhere where your personal prejudices wont pack so much power.

Hi gleeber,

Why Caithness? Why not? I've seen first-hand the state it's in; my family and my friends live there. I have lived there. It's bad, real bad. If, however, you think it's a rose garden, where no-one is in any pain, and where everyone lives forever, that's fine with me: I've already stated who am appealing to (thanks to those who have already got in touch). Any questions, please drop me a PM, otherwise, I'll let those who think the NHS in Caithness is a beacon of sun-shiny goodness to continue leaving their rose-tinted remarks. It's their experience, and that's fine. No problem.

Incidentally, gleeber, I don't (usually) sit on the fence: I call it as I see it.

Best,

TPC

[Metalattakk]

Pepsi, I do hope you're keeping an eye on the traffic behind you while you're chasing those ambulances. Would hate to see you get the bum's rush... [lol]

[changilass]

he he he at least I admit to being on the defensive :lol:


Why not do a bit about health service in Edi, whilst they looked after hubby really well when he was down there, it is also not perfect, unless of course you have your own rose tinted glasses.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I may well do a piece on the health service in Edinburgh, but not just now. Thanks for the tip, though.

[Boss]

Hello Everyone,

Am soon to start writing up a feature article on the state of the health service in the Far North (focusing mainly on Caithness), therefore I am appealing to anyone whose own health (or whose friends and family) has suffered due to what they believe to be inadequate medical service in the area to get in touch with me (via PM), please. Thanks.

I am also very pleased with our health service, it is by far, superior to anything I personally have experienced before.
As I understand, our local clinic has a total of three doctors, all of whom specialize in a variety of different professions and all of them are available 24/7,
(albeit not all at the same time).
My files are still enroute somewhere, lost in a sea of cyberspace and under a mountain of paper, this however, has not prevented a nice, civil, personal service from those doctors here.
I do believe, the people of the North, have a truly remarkably devoted health service, already in place.

[Boss]

Hi gleeber,

Why Caithness? Why not? I've seen first-hand the state it's in; my family and my friends live there. I have lived there. It's bad, real bad. If, however, you think it's a rose garden, where no-one is in any pain, and where everyone lives forever, that's fine with me: I've already stated who am appealing to (thanks to those who have already got in touch). Any questions, please drop me a PM, otherwise, I'll let those who think the NHS in Caithness is a beacon of sun-shiny to continue leaving their rose-tinted remarks. It's their experience, and that's fine. No problem.

Incidentally, gleeber, I don't (usually) sit on the fence: I call it as I see it.

Best,

TPC

Whoah? strong words and of course you are correct in what you write, that you are concerned only from content, from those who may be disgruntled among us.
In saying that, surely, you can appreciate, that there are those among us, who have lived in other areas of the uk and who although they know what content you are asking for, feel bound to defend the service/s they receive here in the North?
I am new to the area and I've only just joined this forum, but I do believe, that you have been rather harsh in your reply / post to gleeber.
Perhaps, your post would be better suited on a forum which is not open to the general public and therefore, would not suffer such aggressive comments from an open audience as it were.
To find a "target audience", an "open forum" is not a very good area to look,
People, regardless of where they live are entitled to express their views in public, regardless of subject.
I mean no disrespect, just stating my opinion.

[gleeber]

Why not Caithness indeed. Its not exempt from the meat on the bone journalism you represent.
I'll be interested to read your article.

[Raonaid]

I found the maternity ward to be wonderful compared to my friends experiences in Fife and Glasgow, also the antenatal classes I went to were very informative. The aquanatal class run at Thurso pool was great fun and a lovely way to meet other future mums. The other thing I think is positive is how quickly you can get a doctors appointment. I do wish there was a childrens ward in Caithness, but thats how it is.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Whoah? strong words and of course you are correct in what you write, that you are concerned only from content, from those who may be disgruntled among us.
In saying that, surely, you can appreciate, that there are those among us, who have lived in other areas of the uk and who although they know what content you are asking for, feel bound to defend the service/s they receive here in the North?
I am new to the area and I've only just joined this forum, but I do believe, that you have been rather harsh in your reply / post to gleeber.
Perhaps, your post would be better suited on a forum which is not open to the general public and therefore, would not suffer such aggressive comments from an open audience as it were.
To find a "target audience", an "open forum" is not a very good area to look,
People, regardless of where they live are entitled to express their views in public, regardless of subject.
I mean no disrespect, just stating my opinion.

None taken, and thanks for writing back. Granted, the rest of the UK is, perhaps, no better or worse than Caithness, but it's Caithness I have chosen to write about. I may well write about the situation in Inverness, Edinburgh or London at a later point, but not just now.

So far I've had half a dozen people send me a PM with their own take on it.

[Kodiak]

Hello Everyone,

Am soon to start writing up a feature article on the state of the health service in the Far North (focusing mainly on Caithness), therefore I am appealing to anyone whose own health (or whose friends and family) has suffered due to what they believe to be inadequate medical service in the area to get in touch with me (via PM), please. Thanks.


OK so you are going to write an article about the Health Service in the Far North and you ONLY want to hear from People who have had a Negative Encounter or not been Satisfied with the treatment that they have received.

I do believe that is what you are requesting.

MMMM For any Article to have any credence it must be balanced. To have nothing but Negative Comments will Only show a Negative Result. What you really need to do is to get Comments from a broader spectrum of patients within Caithness, the Good as well as the Bad. Then you will be able to say whether what you claim is true or not. To go in with the Attitude that you Only want Bad or Negative Comments will only get you a False Result. To me this seems a Completely Pointless Exercise.

[rockchick]

It seems to me, P.C., that if you received, lets say, five replies from people who have had negative experiences with the medical services in Caithness after responding to your (blatantly) biased request for feedback, and you then chose to ignore the multitude of positive comments from people who have used the same services, but not had negative experiences, your article (or whatever you are writing) would do not only discredit yourself for hopelessly unbalanced writing, but would do a disservice to those who are providing quite a good service to the folk up north.

Any service providers are going to fall short of the mark some of the time, but the (albeit few) encounters I've had with the medical services of Caithness, both Thurso side and Wick, have been outstanding, and I would quite happily take up their defence against someone who wishes to discredit them as happily as you seem to want to. My oldest son would not be alive if it wasn't for the nurses at the Thurso A&E, I've had surgery at Wick hospital that went a treat, and have always had great service from my GP and even the local dentist. Service such as this (and I can't be the only one) instills a sense of loyalty to those who receive it, and you may not find a welcome reception amongst those who feel the same way.

If you wish to write a balanced article, I would be happy to provide details of the services I've received, by PM.

[Bad Manners]

If you are only looking for negative experiences and ignore all other any article or report is tainted and IMO not worth doing on the other hand if you just want to attack the health service Why? they are doing the best they can everything can be better but that applies to everything including articles.
As others have stated why not go and chase a few ambulances and as their opinion.

[silverfox57]

NHS are are doing there own survey on Scottish patient access survey, in caithness as have just finished the survey,it is confidential,but gave them very good response.
think NHS SCOTLAND do there best,and if a patient is unhappy with service they have the right to report to head of primary care division scottish govermment,
and was just grateful patient.who does not work for NHS.

[Tilter]

Pepsi,
You might do better to write an article on the NHS dental service here - we'd all moan from here till kingdom come for you, though I think even that may have improved lately.

(Sorry - I'm another you don't want to hear from.)

[Moira]

Hello Everyone,

Am soon to start writing up a feature article on the state of the health service in the Far North (focusing mainly on Caithness), therefore I am appealing to anyone whose own health (or whose friends and family) has suffered due to what they believe to be inadequate medical service in the area to get in touch with me (via PM), please. Thanks.

I remember your published Dounreay story, which is why I wouldn't share any of my NHS stories with you until you've been surgically removed from the Chip on your Shoulder. The waiting list in Highland is not huge as I believe. Good luck.

[Kevin Milkins]

I have also found the service here in the far North much better in every aspect than Wales or England.

I agree with Titler on the dentist front though, I have been trying to get on the list for over 2 years.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

For the record, I've not been commissioned by any publication - newspaper, magazine or otherwise - to write a feature on the frailties and lack of health services in the Far North. What I am proposing to do is write up a piece focusing on people who have suffered badly (or worse) due to the negligence and inadequacy (and the subsequent problems geography provides in their case), they believe, is due to the state of health in *Caithness. In other words, the story is not about me, but the people who come forward with a story to tell. So far, fifteen people have written to me with their stories. Please keep them coming.


*I include the dental service in this.

[Metalattakk]

Ah, so you have no intention whatsoever of presenting an unbiased viewpoint?

All the positive comments, viewpoints and stories will be swept under your rug of blatant self-serving sensationalism.

No wonder no one has commissioned you to write this piece. Any respectful publisher wouldn't touch the idea with a barge-pole, but then, I guess you're not going to be aiming for the respected journals, eh?

Moira has hit the nail on the head. At least grow a chip on your other shoulder so you can be somewhat balanced out.

[sandyr]

Firstly I am not a resident of Caithness, but was born and brought up there, and in recent years have traveled to and from that windy rainy place, on many occasions. Last count 36 take offs and landings in 4 years! I am a wee bitty surprised by this request to bad mouth the Health System in Caithness.
I suppose I should pose a question...Are you a reporter Mr Pepsi? I see someone has mentioned that you wrote an article on Dounreay.
I can understand perhaps why you want to do something about a system that is not all it is made out to be, but to start and ask for complaints is really not objective. And what about the protection and privacy of the people involved. OK they should (pm) you, but what assurances do they have that you will keep such information sacred? By the way Rockchick I agree with you,
Now to my personal experience with the Health System in Thurso and Lybster, they could not have been better. Both times I required minor treatment I didn't have to wait for an appointment. I made a phone call and was seen both times within an hour. And yes I have heard some complaints about the NHS, records getting lost, etc., etc but that can occur anywhere. I have heard that one of the problems in recent years is that older Dr's and staff who are not as computer literate as the younger ones, sometimes make a mistake.. Have you ever made one Mr. Pepsi? Yes in the Health System it can be accute but that is life! Oh the only disagreement and difference of opinion was.....I had a rather bad cold and a wheeze in my chest, and the Dr. in Thurso told me to 'Steam Ma Heed', whereas the Asian Canadian Dr. stated that he practiced 'Modern Medicine'/ but I had the same result with both of them. Time heals and don't fly so much! Another point you should think about..In large Cities..... Glasgow; London, England; Toronto; etc., one can wait hours if not days for an appointment....and in Caithness people complain if they have to wait half a day..... Where I live we are now supposed to have the best Health Care System in the World....but trust me it is not perfect.
By the way, I have dealt with the Media for many years and I always understood that their 'creed' was to be objective. Your request to the masses leaves a big void there!

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Ah, so you have no intention whatsoever of presenting an unbiased viewpoint?

All the positive comments, viewpoints and stories will be swept under your rug of blatant self-serving sensationalism.

No wonder no one has commissioned you to write this piece. Any respectful publisher wouldn't touch the idea with a barge-pole, but then, I guess you're not going to be aiming for the respected journals, eh?

Moira has hit the nail on the head. At least grow a chip on your other shoulder so you can be somewhat balanced out.


Firstly, there is no such thing as non-bias: everyone has a particular viewpoint.

The health system, in Caithness, as well as the rest of the UK, is not exactly sweetness and light. As I've already said, the piece is about those who have suffered, and watched others suffer, due to poor service(s) and negligence. (Sandy: the piece is not about petty subjects such as older doctors and staff struggling with computer literacy, or waiting times for appointments.)

No-one has commissioned the piece, because I haven't pitched it to anyone yet. Any commissioning editor, who believes it to be a good, human interest piece highlighting services that need better attention, will. If not, so be it.

As for chips: if I were you, I'd worry more about how many of them I was eating than on my shoulder.

And Sandy - yes, I wrote a piece about Dounreay, as seen through the eyes of my much younger self. In fact, I've written several pieces about people, surfers, musicians and authors in Caithness, all of them positive. Though funnily enough, no-one seems to focus on that part of my output. Funny that. Still...

[binbob]

Pepsi,
You might do better to write an article on the NHS dental service here - we'd all moan from here till kingdom come for you, though I think even that may have improved lately.

(Sorry - I'm another you don't want to hear from.)


tilter...i joined a dental practice in thurso just before i moved here from moray...no problems at all.yes i am a private patient and have dental ins. as well as being a member of the dental plan at the practice.
i spend my money on this as i would like to keep my teeth as long as possible.

it is sad that private dentists are the ones doing the business .........before i was always a nhs patient.
i think one has to decide where our money goes...............in total i pay £29 per month...but that does include on my private policy,75 per cent money back on chiropody,opticians/glasses etc.
it is with wpa...thaty is £ 14 monthly...dental plan is£15.i personally think it is money well spent.
pepsi..might not be of any use to u..sorry.

[northener]

Now come on folks, if a Journo can't cobble together a 'bad news' piece - they're not gonna get far with the editors.....:Razz

[changilass]

Aye but can he no go 'cobble' elsewhere.

From my frequent visits to Edi, I know they have plenty of amulances there, surely he could go chase some of them. [disgust]

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Changilass, if you don't like what I've requested - and it's clear that you don't - get this... you can always read other threads instead. No-one is forcing you. Caithness is my county, too, incidentally.

Thanks again to all those replied, and who sent PMs.

[changilass]

If you don't like my replies no one is forcing you to read them. If you didn't want any comments you should have posted and closed it so no one could reply except by pm.

If everyone that didn't like something simply ignored it and carried on regardless, then I wouldnt have the right to reply.

[LMS]

Hi gleeber,

Why Caithness? Why not? I've seen first-hand the state it's in; my family and my friends live there. I have lived there. It's bad, real bad. If, however, you think it's a rose garden, where no-one is in any pain, and where everyone lives forever, that's fine with me: I've already stated who am appealing to (thanks to those who have already got in touch). Any questions, please drop me a PM, otherwise, I'll let those who think the NHS in Caithness is a beacon of sun-shiny goodness to continue leaving their rose-tinted remarks. It's their experience, and that's fine. No problem.

Incidentally, gleeber, I don't (usually) sit on the fence: I call it as I see it.

Best,

TPC


Well, if Caithness is as bad as what you make out Pepsi Challenge, God help the rest of the country. The rest of the country must be receiving Third World standards of care.

I can only speak of the treatment that I have received and it has always been excellent.

As mentioned in someone's earlier post, the maternity unit has excellent care and allows you to stay for several nights compared to a few hours in Edinburgh etc.
A relative had a heart attack and received emergency treatment in Wick before being flown to Edinburgh for surgery. The prompt treatment saved his life.
My daughter had croup and had immediate treatment in Wick before being transferred to Inverness for a check-up.
Another relative broke her arm and received immediate treatment in Wick. When she had lived in England, she would probably have had to wait for five hours.
No one lives for ever, and there's always someone in pain, but we have excellent facilities here and bad-mouthing an already precious service (remember the maternity unit threat of closure) isn't going to get anyone anywhere. If people think it is 'bad, real bad', let them go and live somewhere where they have to show insurance documents or show ability to pay before treatment and they might then have something to complain about.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Excellent. I'm glad things are to your satisfaction. Long may it continue where you, and your friends and family, are concerned.

[dakud007]

To my own experience, i would say that the service in general hospital in wick, is great, nurses there can't help more! They are all so helpful and friendly. Even sometime we need to wait 2-3 hours at A&E department,we aren't happy, but that is not their fault,and it happens in all over uk.

[AfternoonDelight]

TPC - I'm not quite sure what you want from people here - you say you are doing a report on the negative side of health services in Caithness - fair enough, but are you trying to highlight bad management, bad staff, cuts in services, waiting lists - what? And more importantly - why?

[The Pepsi Challenge]

TPC - I'm not quite sure what you want from people here - you say you are doing a report on the negative side of health services in Caithness - fair enough, but are you trying to highlight bad management, bad staff, cuts in services, waiting lists - what? And more importantly - why?

I want(ed)* to hear from people - as well as their familes and friends - whose health has been put under serious risk due to a lack of services they feel, are seriously lacking within the health system in Caithness. From what I gather the staff are indeed excellent, and it's not them, but the system itself, that I'm interested in: from the technical element down to the doctors, from the management side of things to the political.

*Anyone with a story to share please feel free to continue sending me PMs

[AfternoonDelight]

I see...........

[wndyndy]

:RazzAs far as i know, our families and friends are all quite happy with the health sevice in the Thurso and Wick.:Razz

[The Pepsi Challenge]

:RazzAs far as i know, our families and friends are all quite happy with the health sevice in the Thurso and Wick.:Razz

Great, good for you all, wndyndy. Glad to hear it.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Playing Devils Advocate here :

If the maternity unit and I say if ...had been shut down a few years ago and TPC had decided to ask the same question of the mums and babies who were being hurtled up and down the road asking for thier experiences would he get the same reaction . :D His peice of written work may have helped in a campaign to have it reinstated . This is only if. :) Is this where you are coming from TPC ?

Is your work going to be used to highlight something that may need looking at ?

[LMS]

Playing Devils Advocate here :

If the maternity unit and I say if ...had been shut down a few years ago and TPC had decided to ask the same question of the mums and babies who were being hurtled up and down the road asking for thier experiences would he get the same reaction . :D His peice of written work may have helped in a campaign to have it reinstated . This is only if. :) Is this where you are coming from TPC ?

Is your work going to be used to highlight something that may need looking at ?


Further to the post quoted above, when the maternity unit was temporarily shut in 2004 due to a lack of consultants, I was one of the mothers that had to go to Raigmore to give birth. I stated in my earlier post my thoughts on the excellent services provided by the NHS in Caithness, but would also have to extend this to cover the services provided at Raigmore.

[Alice in Blunderland]

I also had to travel to Raigmore in the back of an ambulance when I went into premature labour and have done on several times now with no complaints. I recieved excellent service as well.:)

I was using the maternity unit as a for instance due to the large campaign to save it which highlighted the fact that lives could have been lost should it have been closed.

It was widely reported in the papers all the negatives as to why to maintain the maternity unit, this in turn helped with the pressure put on the powers that be who then decided to keep it. :) Positive, negative press.

I was wondering if TPC was going to use his negative article for something positive?

[A9RUNNER]

I remember when getting changed to go through to the operating theatre to watch my wife have our wee bairn by C section I was chatting to one of the consultants. For some reason he thought I was a member of the theater staff and talking about how well things worked up here and how other hospitals should take a leaf out of our book. He was most impressed that the consultants were very much hands on and keeping skills up to date compared to south where quite often consultants never do much more than office work and have juniors doing the operations etc who then off to harley street or back abroad to wherever they came from originally once they have finished training on the NHS. Once he realised I was an expectant dad he quickly changed the conversation onto something else..

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I was wondering if TPC was going to use his negative article for something positive?

Indeed, Alice. One hundred percent, yes.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Indeed, Alice. One hundred percent, yes.

Thats where I thought you were coming from. :) Good luck.


Ohh and maybe you should look through the cervical cancer injection thread Im sure I read that someone thought all the girls were being used as guinea pigs in one big experiment . ;)

[brandy]

the only thing i can think of personally is the lack of child services.
i dont think they can even give a child an iv here. i know when sam was a baby and he had the rota virus, that if i hadnt got x amount of fluids in him by 4 pm that he was going to be sent off to raigmore as they do not have whats needed here to Iv a child to rehydrate them. im also one of the mums that have to go to raigmore to have my babies. and have to admit its not nice traveling down once a month and then twice a monh for antinatal app.
but on the flip side of that, when i was preg and im diabetic.. i was given the best care in the world!
and just to remind people how caring the nhs staff are.. when i had tom.. ( and lost him)
in raigmore i had all my drs. in talking to me, helping to council me. i had MW's that were on holiday come in to see me, and just to visit and see if they could help. every one was so wonderful! when i came home, The Mw's, Gps, HV's everyone was so wonderful. they came to the house, we laughed we cried, we talked about everything under the sun. there were even Mws and HVs that took the time to come to the funeral.
my Gp took the time to come and visit me at home, to let me know that if there was anything that i needed that the clinic was there, and they would make time for me. that if i was having any problems to contact them and not to leave it and let it fester. (oh how wise they were!)
but at the end of the day, even though we dont have a lot of fancy services, and yes we could do with more, as far as the care goes, and the staff listening and going out of their way to help.. the NHS in caithness in my book is 200% !!!
negligence in my eyes is the hospital in my home town, where i could give you two cases in my imediate family.
christmas eve 2004 my 93 year old grandmother fell and split her face open, she had a known heart condition, and a pace maker. when taken to the emergency room, after waiting several hours to be seen. she was sutured and sent home. when she went to bed that night she never regained conciousness. the next morning when she was rushed back to hospital she slowly passed away in the A&E. when she died it took my aunt telling the DR. that she was dead, as he had not even realised. and then he tried to argue she wasnt, and it wasnt until one of the nurses confirmed it that he even realised she was.
over a year ago, my two year old cousinm who had been repeatedly to the dr. for being sick all the time and vomiting from the time he was a baby, but the doctor brushed aside.
suddenly became very ill. running a high fever, vomiting and becoming very limp.
same hospital, they took him in for observation, gave him calpol and couldnt figure anything out. did not even do bloods on the child.
they did however call child services in as he was in such a poorly state when he was brought in.. the next morning he died in his mothers arms as she was holding him to give him breakfast.
she said that he started convulsing and that it looked like black lines running under his skin all up his legs and body. they buzzed the emergency button, but it took her husband running into the hall screaming for help before a nurse came.
it was later found that he had a sisk on his intestines and it ruptured and he was poisioned from the inside.
sadly a simple ultrasound would have found it and it could have been eaisly removed, but they never thought about doing it.
that in my book is negligence. and fortunatly i have never heard of cases like that up here.
and honestly i hope i never do.

[tootler]

the only thing i can think of personally is the lack of child services.
i dont think they can even give a child an iv here.

Yes, Brandy, you're right - I've been told in writing that my daughter would have to go to Inverness to get the "emergency" IV treatment for her heart episodes that my OH can get at A&E in Wick. It doesn't seem quite right that an adult gets better access to treatment in Caithness than children do. In fact it seems quite wrong.:roll:

But, Pepsi, please word your article with great care. I agree with the many others in this thread who have voiced the opinion that the Health Service staff here in Caithness often provide a BETTER service than those in cities of the central belt. It doesn't mean we don't appreciate that there are undoubtedly gaps in our local service, and there's always room for improvement, but we do appreciate the quality of provision of the services we do have. We choose to live here. We could choose to live there instead, if we wanted their "central belt" comprehensive services - but that comes along with their "central belt" drug addicts and alcoholics jamming up their "central belt" A&E departments and so much more besides...

I love living in Caithness & the NHS staff I've seen here are great. It would be lovely if you could acknowledge that in your article while you're getting us even better services! :D

[Fran]

I have been a patient many times in caithness general hospital, and over the years I have seen great improvement, especially lately. We have a better, cleaner hospital than most hospitals I have been in. Our medical teams now are very caring and excellent at their work. I feel very safe
when i am an inpatient in wick.
We now have a ct scanner which has saved many patients having to travel to Inverness. Same with the excellent renal unit, which saves people having to travel and enables people from other parts of Briatain, or abroad, to holiday in caithness, as they can get their dialysis here.
We have a very good patients council here if anyone wants to complain about the hospital.The council consists of ex patients who keep an eye on things and will report anything they are not happy with on the wards, whether it be bad nursing etc or a missing tile or leaking tap.
We have new adjustable beds which are very comfortable and new curtains which are very bright.
As for cleanliness, i dont think another hospital could beat our hospital. today I noticed every single room on the Rosebank had been emptied and throughly cleaned. not many hospitals do that.
Sorry to go on, but i feel we are very lucky here, and i am very grateful for care i have received here, and i dont like people running our hospital down!!

[theone]

Reading this post I see a number of points of view.

There's a lot of people who have posted who seem to have gone on the defensive. I sympathise with the in many ways but I think they might be missing the point. I don't think anyone is questioning the dedication, hard work or ability of local hospital staff. They should be commended.

I think there is a real issue, in terms of healthcare, in suffering an injury in the far north that might not be the case else where.

A compound fracture of the leg would mean a 20 minute journey in the central belt. Here it would be 2 and half hours in an ambulance or maybe even a helicopter trip. I know a friend who spent 6 months in Inverness after a motorbike crash in Scrabster. Of course, in an ideal world he could be treated closer to home, where his friends and family could visit more regularly.

As for long term conditions, cancers, undiagnosed problems there is obviously a detriment, purely in terms of services available locally, that may involve the added problems of distant travel.

Living in the far north, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

You have to accept your petrol will be dearer, you'll have less choice of shops and if you fall ill requiring specialist attention you might have to travel. You just have to weigh things up. If you value your closeness to unspoilt beauty, your low crime rate, the community spirit of small towns and a hundred other benefits, you have to accept the bad things too.

I think local healthcare is reasonable, taking account of where we are.

Good luck with the article Pepsi, just please make sure any "attack" on local healthcare in the name of sensationalism isn't based on the healthcare professionals of Caithness.

[Fran]

[quote=theone;467218]Reading this post I see a number of points of view.
.




As for long term conditions, cancers, undiagnosed problems there is obviously a detriment, purely in terms of services available locally, that may involve the added problems of distant travel.

Living in the far north, you have to take the rough with the smooth.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...................

I would like to say that "himself" got excellent cancer care in wick for the 9 months after he was diagnosed.Ther is an excellent cancer care for patients with macmillan cancer care based in wick and marie curie nurses, which we did not use. Town and /county hospital and theDunbar hOSPITAL have excellent cancer care beds. Chemo is carried out in Caithness General Hospital.
"Himself" was extremely happy with his care, daily visits from district nurses, macmillan carer, AND LATER ON HIS GP EACH DAY AND THE MACMILLAN NURSE,, WHO ALL BECAME OUR FRIENDS. THEY EVEN VISITED ME AFTER HE HAD DIED. I dont think we would have got such care in a bigger town.
Sorry, my caPS KEY KEEPS sticking.

[Kevin Milkins]

[quote=theone;467218]Reading this post I see a number of points of view.
.




As for long term conditions, cancers, undiagnosed problems there is obviously a detriment, purely in terms of services available locally, that may involve the added problems of distant travel.

Living in the far north, you have to take the rough with the smooth.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...................

I would like to say that "himself" got excellent cancer care in wick for the 9 months after he was diagnosed.Ther is an excellent cancer care for patients with macmillan cancer care based in wick and marie curie nurses, which we did not use. Town and /county hospital and theDunbar hOSPITAL have excellent cancer care beds. Chemo is carried out in Caithness General Hospital.
"Himself" was extremely happy with his care, daily visits from district nurses, macmillan carer, AND LATER ON HIS GP EACH DAY AND THE MACMILLAN NURSE,, WHO ALL BECAME OUR FRIENDS. THEY EVEN VISITED ME AFTER HE HAD DIED. I dont think we would have got such care in a bigger town.
Sorry, my caPS KEY KEEPS sticking..

Hi Fran.
Have you noticed that every time your "cAPS KEY KEEP STICKING" which letter you have just typed.;)
RegARDS KEV. :lol:

[The Pepsi Challenge]

.........Bu'p