Anyway, my thanks for all those continuing messages of support. This really is turning out to be something of an education in how much punishment one body can take and home many litres of anaesthetic, antibiotic and opiates one human can digest. It tells me that the human body is a brilliant and durable machine that simply couldn't have been invented by a human being... unless they were Japanese or worked for Apple.
I'm feeling slightly more cheerful today following my perusal of the newspapers this morning. It seems that our new coalition government has decided to make hospitals responsible for their patients' care for up to 30 days after a person is discharged. This is music to my unscathed ears. I have suffered far more than I should by being sent home too early from hospital so that the Health Trust can meet statistics on waiting times demanded by our old government. From now on, if a hospital discharges a patient too soon or botches an operation, it will have to bear the cost of putting things right if the patient needs to be readmitted as a result. That should sharpen the minds of a few of our overpaid pen-pushers. At this rate the government may even do something about hospital food!
It's not even a Full Moon! With Apologies to Flanders and Swann
ReplyDelete•Twas on the Monday morning that the service came to call
They said “Oh look, it’s just us today. The forms have caused it all:
I think with Elfin Safety, the form shows that we’ve been.
But you didn’t say you had a cat; we’ll have to call the team.
[Chorus: it all makes tax for the working man to pay]
‘Twas on the Tuesday morning that I heard from Elfin team:
The chap said he would come round and see what could be seen.
They’d put bum information in their pc that he found,
So he stormed off in a filthy rage, saying ‘team’ would come around.
[Chorus: it all makes tax for the working man to pay]
‘Twas on the Wednesday morning that I first met Home care team
They took one long look at cat, me and leg and followed with a ‘scream’.
Eeee! You look like Cyborg and that wasn’t in our brief.
If you’ve got cell phone coverage here we need to call the chief.
[Chorus: it all makes tax for the working man to pay]
‘Twas on the Thursday morning that the PM he dropped by:
I’ve come to see how this new scheme will help you by and by.
You can call me Dave. Off to pick up Nick, ttfn, I’m going.
Nick and I, being old school tie are going to the rowing.
[Chorus: it all makes tax for the working man to pay]
‘Twas on the Friday morning I encountered Gordon Brown:
“I broke your country, spent your dough and now I’m in your town!
I can think of a zillion ways to do this volunteering, And with deft flick of forked tongue he left the household reeling.”
[Chorus: it all makes tax for the working man to pay]
On Saturdays and Sundays, The Jobsworths do the crossword in a scrawl;
So ’twas on the Monday morning that the care team came to call.
Actually, a similar scheme runs in Victoria at least, which is quite useful. Re admissions are a drama here also-the hospitals have a penchant for chucking patients out of a bed ASAP.
I'm just waiting for the portable machine that intones 'breathe in-breathe out' instructions.
Good Health!
Chris in Melbourne.
My heart leapt for joy when I read about their proposed new policy - too often I have seen cardiac patients in particular being discharged from hospital after major + surgery FAR too early and being readmitted very soon after getting home, causing distress for them and their families. So pleased to hear you are now back on the path of recovery, you are an inspiration mr XTM!!!
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ReplyDeleteAh 2cm! Think thats about the difference between my legs. Promise you that you will be walking just fine. Cant remember what it feels like now to have equal legs.
ReplyDeleteIn my day (God, how old do I sound?) new Mums stayed in hospital for up to 10 days to establish breastfeeding and learn to care for and love their babies - now they dont even get to the post-natal ward. I am sure this is a step back in health care, not forward. And if this is how we START our healthcare, then it can only get worse. Good on the new policy makers, more powers to their elbows!
Oh - and, glad you are starting to mend XTM.
PS: sorry for deleting above comment, it was this comment but with a spelling error - couldnt bear it!
Have been wondering how you are doing - very glad you're starting to feel a little better.
ReplyDeleteTam Tat
2 cm isn't that bad,
ReplyDeletemy father was born with that leg difference,
a good way of handling is to bring your favorite shoes to a shoe-maker (I'm sorry I'm not a native speaker.. :P ) and let him add 1,5 to 2 cm of extra sole to it. Relatively easy procedure but makes a ton of difference!
*:P just make sure you give him the right shoe*
The problem is they won't give the hospitals any funding to do it and there are not enough stepdown/rehab beds and the trusts will not be getting funding for any of that either. Second problem is that most elderly patietns are chronic and will have repeated admissions to the hospital. You can't keep them in hospital nor can the hospital cure old age. The whole thing is a mess.
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