Nothing as far as I can tell. Our family has had to call on it a lot over the past 7 years and it's been superb. I've had my own little health scare the past couple of weeks and once again I can't fault it.

I think the main problem is that it hasn't kept pace with the ever rising population.

In the early days you went into hospital, you had a proper matron in charge and you were given a proper period of convalescence.

My Mrs has been in hospital a lot in the last few years and Kennedy ward in Hill Hosp has been the pits. Filthy dirty, nurses who can't understand English, don't particular care, etc.
It took 3 complaints, the final one including PALS to get her bed changed as it was broken (electrics) and wouldn't adjust. It also had a broken frame so they had put 2 mattresses on it to compensate. Problem was that after major spinal surgery she couldn't climb onto the bed as it was now too high. Plus not adjusting made it very uncomfortable with half her spine locked out with rods. The nurses couldn't have cared less and she was close to tears on many occasions.

She wet the bed 3 times in 5 days as even though she pressed the buzzer almost continually at times and a nurse eventually came they disappeared and never came back with a bedpan.

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That's really bad Kremmen.
I've been a patient in Hillingdon quite a few times over the years, and couldn't fault it, but I have heard that it's not the best anymore. Since moving here I've had major surgery in Frimley, and it was excellent.
I do hope your wife is up and about now.

Nope, not really.

She's had 3 lots of spinal surgery @ 6 hours a pop since 2009 and now has severe sciatica in both legs and the back is a killer as well. The spinal ops have hopefully now finished as it's now fused (with the help of the rods) and the next stage is the pain relief.

Currently on 16 high power pain killers a day. 8 Tramadol and 8 Co-dydramol, or however it's spelt.

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Your poor wife. Must be so depressing for you both. x

What is the most depressing is the gaps between consultant appointments. Usually circa 3 months but the current wait is 4 months. All that's happened in the meantime is an in-depth super scan at a specialist centre at the Royal Free in Hampstead.

One good thing though is that she qualified for a Freedom pass so she can get around for free

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People I know that have been in Hillingdon recently call it "Killingdon"

That's dreadful Kremmen.

Our experiences have been with GPs and hospital in Norfolk; GPs and hospital in Frimely near Farnborough; and GP in Hayes. All been superb. Actually, St George's Tooting has also come into the picture... they seem to have a bit of problem with communicating with each other there, and with us since my dad had a major op there.

I've had more dealings with the NHS ( both personally, and with immediate family ) than I can remember over the last 5-6 years, and the experiences have veered between excellent, through average, to downright negligent.

First of all Kremmen my best wishes to your wife and yourself. I have so far only had one major spinal operation, and vowed no matter what I would not go through that again. She is one brave person to go through 3 of them. Has she ever been prescribed Diclofenac as a painkiller ? I have been on those for about 4 years now and have always found them more of a relief than multiple paracetomols etc. I also wear a patch 24/7 which releases painkilling substances into the bloodstream, but cannot mention them here because although they are a legally prescribed ( by my consultant and GP ) and legitimate product, they are classified as a controlled drug.

I may tell you about the bad experiences I have had with the NHS at a later time, but for now I thinks its fair I relay the positive side.

About 5 years ago my perfectly healthy youngest Son ( he was 26 at the time ) got out of bed one morning, and with no warning at all collapsed to the floor, screaming with pain and blacked out. Thankfully his partner and their child were there at the time and dialled 999 as soon as the realised how serious this might be.

They live in Fulham, just off the Fulham Palace Road, and within minutes an ambulance arrived and took him straight to the nearest hospital, which happens to be Charring Cross Hospital not 10 minutes away.

The first call I got was to tell me he was in intensive care, and I might want to get there as soon as possible. I was still recovering from my back operation, went up on the tube and was shaking like a leaf when I got there.

I wont bore you with too many details but basically my Son had suffered a massive brain heamorage due to an anuerism ( I cant spell the words ), and was in intensive care for almost 3 weeks.

Thanks to the skill and dedication of the NHS staff at Charring Cross he not only pulled through, he's gone on return to his job as a scaffolder, working 6 days a week, plays football again, and has given me another beautiful Grandaughter.

I very much doubt any of that would be possible without the NHS, and I am forever grateful to them.

Moley

Superb story Moley. It just shows it can be done with a caring team.

She can't have Diclofenac because that is an anti-inflamatory and that interferes with the fusion process apparently. She was accidentally given it once or twice soon after the op in hospital and it did help somewhat. She reckoned that that gave her the best relief of all of them. The next time the nurse came round she was told that it was now off the menu on the consultants orders due to the above.

Now that she's just over a year since the last op I've told her to ask the GP about going back onto it as the fusion process must now surely be complete ? It's falling on deaf ears though as she keeps forgetting. I even suggested some Nurofen as a test to see if the anti-inflamatory process might help as that is what we reckon is now the problem along with the scar tissue.

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