NHS Service in Caithness

[cptdodger]

Is there a recruitment and retention issue with Orkney or Shetland NHS service provision ?

I do'nt know about that, but I do know the Consultants (if they are still there) only deal with general medicine, and do'nt specialise, as in there are certainly no gastroenterologists and so on.

[Alice in Blunderland]

I do'nt know about that, but I do know the Consultants (if they are still there) only deal with general medicine, and do'nt specialise, as in there are certainly no gastroenterologists and so on.

A bit like it was general internal medicine consultants with an interest in certain fields however its been a long time since we have had a gastroenterologist. In general there is a recruitment crisis nationwide.

[cptdodger]

The only reason I know that about the Shetland's and the Orkney's is because my Gastroenterologist was off sick and I needed to find out about medication I had been put on, and ended up phoning half of Britain (that's what it felt like anyway) just to try and get some advice. I'm not blaming the Consultant for being off sick, but I was left high and dry due to an awful lack of Gastroenterologists in our region. If it had carried on I was going to ask if I could get transferred back to Ninewells in Dundee, but that's a different NHS region, so I doubt they would have allowed it.

[Alice in Blunderland]

I see the adverts are out for Rural GPs based in Caithness General and a Consultant with a special interest in Geriatrics. I take it that the redesign of services has concluded and a pathway forward for Caithness General has been discussed and agreed and everyone knows whats going to happen now with our hospital
?

[neilsermk1]

I see the adverts are out for Rural GPs based in Caithness General and a Consultant with a special interest in Geriatrics. I take it that the redesign of services has concluded and a pathway forward for Caithness General has been discussed and agreed and everyone knows whats going to happen now with our hospital
?

Why would anyone in the NHS let the paying customers know what they have decided on our behalf. The service we get isnt even 3rd rate. Keep taking the tablets Alice.

[poppett]

There was a separate thread about NHS travel costs, but I can`t find it, so will throw my hat in the ring here.

Seems as a result of two staff who used to do the outreach cataract surgeries in Wick both being on maternity leave the list gets longer, but Golden Jubilee hospital at Clydebank are trying to take up some of the slack seeing ten Highland patients a week. If anybody is lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to have their surgery at Clydebank do not be daunted by the distance. The hospital put you up in the adjacent Beardmore Hotel for two nights and pick up the tab for the room so no outlay. NHS highland only pay 15pence per mile travel by car, but if you go to the cash office behind the main reception the cashier there can refund 16 pence a mile, and his google map says the journey is longer than the inverness calculation is.

[tonkatojo]

Why would anyone in the NHS let the paying customers know what they have decided on our behalf. The service we get isnt even 3rd rate. Keep taking the tablets Alice.

I saw this 4-5 year ago and had to leave Caithness for access to a hospital close at hand that could give me more than just the "pills" Alice. On reflection the hospitals down in Newcastle area have all the facilities staff on hand but the wait to see them is terrible, even appointments waited for 6 months get cancelled at the last minute for staff reasons, it is country wide the problems, at least living in Caithness I could see my GP Dr Brown in Canisbay the same day if not the next whilst down here your lucky if an appointment is within 2 weeks, seeing the practice nurse is just as bad if not worse. Times I wish I was back North.

[neilsermk1]

I saw this 4-5 year ago and had to leave Caithness for access to a hospital close at hand that could give me more than just the "pills" Alice. On reflection the hospitals down in Newcastle area have all the facilities staff on hand but the wait to see them is terrible, even appointments waited for 6 months get cancelled at the last minute for staff reasons, it is country wide the problems, at least living in Caithness I could see my GP Dr Brown in Canisbay the same day if not the next whilst down here your lucky if an appointment is within 2 weeks, seeing the practice nurse is just as bad if not worse. Times I wish I was back North.

Tonka, the GP appointments in Thurso are not much better, If you can get an appointment its probably with a locum you have never met before.