est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland – Reminder QEH Means People Care Comes First!

The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do patients no harm.
– By Sharika S Nair
The following message popped up in the Facebook newsfeed of a BU family member. We need to strive for better at our primary care facility.

Jina Scheper

The A&E at QEH is beyond ridiculous and I hope that my words, at the very least, embarrass somebody. I arrived here at 12pm.with my chronically ill mother she was severely dehydrated and crying from pain in her chest. We were ushered straight in and she was placed in a hard chair to wait. After an hour I made a fuss and some nurses saw her. They did the ECG and took some blood work. Later a chest xray was done. They brought her back.and left her to.sit in a chair for 5 hours. The Edema in her legs is so bad now that you cannot tell the difference between her ankles or her calves. She is weeping in pain and her lips are now swollen and cracking due to.her dehydration. I have been begging for help to no avail. And it’s not just me. The guy next to us literally passed out and fell out of his chair and not a single.doctor or nurse assisted….. not one. The doctors have spent more time in their little room joking and laughing then looking at patients. Just had a doctor come over and when I begged her for something she snapped at me and walked on refusing to even look at her.

This is my tax dollar at work. This is my NIS At work. Yes I know money is tight but this is beyond a small budget. This is gross mismanagement. This is corruption, this is lack of regard for human life, this is a violation of basic human needs. This is disgusting.

 

94 responses to “Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland – Reminder QEH Means People Care Comes First!”

  1. GP Avatar
    GP

    THIS ONE SHOULD BE FUN TOMORROW

  2. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    The AnE again…. I thought it was a given that … if you can spend 3 -4 hours at an AnE center then YOU are likely NOT an emergency case.

    I hear the lady’s plea for her mum…good heaveans I myself went through that folly after suffering a supposed broken limb at school eons ago but I realized years later that the AnE was ideally not where I needed to be but back then that was basically where you went…in fact it was a severe and painful sprain or whatever …nothing broken!

    Of course folks have died waiting at AnEs (not Bim specifically) or have been sent on home after gettinv some perfunctionary care and then passed on.

    None of this stuff is every what it may first appear to be!

    Hopefully daughter and mum are able to manage their health care carefully and can avoid these painful trips to the AnE where they are not seen in any emergency fashion.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    From a layman’s perspective there are two issues to take away for unpacking:

    • how does the daughter here determine the case to be eligible for AnE attention?

    • Even if the case is not an AnE case is the bedside manner reported here acceptable?

  4. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    Hi all this is my update. My mom went into QEH suffering from a heart attack…..

  5. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    @Jina “…chronically ill mother she was severely dehydrated…she was placed in a hard chair to wait…This is gross mismanagement. This is corruption, this is lack of regard for human life, this is a violation of basic human needs…”

    I am sorry to hear that your mother is ill, and i wish her a full and speedy recovery, but I do have some questions:

    Why was your mother severely dehydrated?
    What care is she receiving at home or in the community?
    Has she been taking her medicines as directed?
    If she is unable to fully care for herself is there a paid caregiver, or an unpaid family member at home to assist her?
    About the hard chair, emergency rooms see very sick patients, some of whom are bleeding, or unable to hold their urine, stool or vomit. I myself have vomited in the emergency room at the QEH, and in another place at another time all over a very kind nurse who was trying to help me. No, I am not a bad nor a dirty person, just at those two times, a very sick person. Hard chairs are much easier to clean/sanitize than upholstered chairs.
    I know that the QEH like most (like all?) emergency rooms everywhere practice triage, that is the patients with the most life threatening, most serious conditions are seen first. I have been to the QEH’s emergency room with my sick self, and with sick children and sick elders. The staff was always competent and compassionate.
    An emergency room is not like a bread shop where people can be dispatched in minutes.
    What exactly do you see as gross mismanagement?
    Where exactly is the corruption?
    Where and what and how were your mother’s human needs violated?
    I will look for and post wait times at emergency rooms in the big cities where many Bajans live, to show that a one hour wait is not at all unusual.

    I should declare my hand. Even while I am NOT a health professional, many, many of my relatives are, at the QEH, and at hospitals in the United Kingdom, the United States and in Canada. So I do have a soft spot for health professionals.

  6. poorpeacefulandpolite Avatar
    poorpeacefulandpolite

    IM-PATIENT care is what some of those primadonna nurses at the QEH have come to offer. Let the Ghanaian and Cuban nurses set an example and ship them off to work at Dodds as guards !!

  7. poorpeacefulandpolite Avatar
    poorpeacefulandpolite

    Layman’s perspective? . . . . Your turn will come someday . . . Every “layman” AND their kin will feel the hammer of despair at QEH someday unless some common “hospitalities” are restored.

  8. beautifulbarbadosblog Avatar
    beautifulbarbadosblog

    Regardless service should be better. Are we some backward regime which doesn’t care? Ok, so drugs etc are dependent on funds, but NOT care, especially by those working in the hospital. All staff should be caring . We are not an impoverished people. Barbadians get back to who you are, and don’t let anyone or anything waterdown our identity as a decent people.
    We never lacked decency and basic humaneness before.

    And it is high time we improve on what was a fairly good service despite the occasional mishaps or blunders.
    Move upward.

  9. GP Avatar
    GP

    I TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE FUN AS THE MEDICAL ILLITERATES PONTIFICATE

    ONLY SIMPLE HAS MADE ANY SENSE SO FAR

    HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INITIAL POST

    S. crying from pain in her chest………….weeping in pain

    O chronically ill mother
    severely dehydrated
    Edema in her legs is so bad now that you cannot tell the difference between her ankles or her calves.

    A????? APPARENTLY CHEST PAIN ???????CAUSE

    P ECG CXR BLOOD TESTS

    SEEMS TO ME THE CXR AND ECG REVEALED NORMAL FINDINGS

    SEEMS TO ME MANY QUESTIONS COULD BE ASKED OF THIS WOMAN BESIDES THOSE ASKED BY SIMPLE SIMON

    BY THE WAY WHY DID WE ALLOW THE ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL TO CLOSE——-THEY USED TO DO A WONDERFUL JOB LOOKING AFTER THE ELDERLY

    WHY DID WE CLOSE THE DISTRICT HOSPITAL IN OISTINS EXCEPT THE CORAL STONES THAT CAME OUT OF THAT BEAUTIFUL EDIFICE WOULD BUILD A MANSION FOR SOME ONE

    OK CARRY ON THE PONTIFACATION

  10. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Even at their best, socialist health care systems for the masses are mediocre, underperforming systems. Both the British and Canadian systems are plagued with long waiting times for specialist care and an alarming rate of medical errors.

    In the management of any large organization (or constellation of large organizations), many mistakes are going to happen every day, and in public sector health care organizations, which can use the power and authority of the government to hide those mistakes, the result is unnecessary injury and death.

    That is why so many Americans fear Medicare for All, and that is why a mix of private and public health care organizations is the best solution. In medicine, I do not expect good care from any doctors not subject to the full discipline of the profit motive. Of course, personal greed can cause its own set of problems in medicine, but there are steps that can be taken to mitigate those.

  11. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE Both the British and Canadian systems are plagued with long waiting times for specialist care and an alarming rate of medical errors.

    CLEARLY long waiting times for specialist care WILL ALWAYS OCCUR AS LONG AS THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF SPECIALIST CARERS.
    IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT IT TAKES YEARS TO PRODUCE SUCH CARERS.

    RE I do not expect good care from any doctors not subject to the full discipline of the profit motive
    RUBBISH! GOOD TYPICAL BU RUBBISH!

    IT IS UNTRUE AND ASSININE AND BETZPAENIC TO SAY OR THINK THAT DOCTORS WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE ARE MOTIVATED BY PROFIT

    RE Of course, personal greed can cause its own set of problems in medicine, but there are steps that can be taken to mitigate those.
    PLEASE TELL US HOW THIS IS DONE AND IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE IN OTHER PROFESSIONS

    RE “an alarming rate of medical errors” CAN NOT BE DETERMINED BY A MEDICAL ILLITERATE. EVEN SOMETIMES WHEN INVOLVED IN A CASE DEATH OCCURS DESPITE “WITH OUT ERROR”——I.E EVEN WHEN THE DR HAS DONE ALL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ACCORDING TO CURRENT THERAPY

    I TOLD YOU THAT TODAY WOULD BE A GOOD ONE FOR BS BY MEDICAL ILLITERATES

    TELL ME DID THE LADY WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS BLOG RECEIVE THE CORRECT CONTEMPORARY ACCEPTED MEDICAL TREATMENT? HOW WOULD YOU HAVE IMPROVED THE MEDICAL CARE

    CARRY ON THE PONTIFACATION

  12. SimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    Americans fear Medicare for all because they do not know any better. I had an American woman, a well educated daughter of a university profesdor she claimed, regale me from Miami to Toronto with horror stories of how bad the Canadian system is…so bad she told me that her daughter had to fly the grands from Toronto to Miami to have their immunizations done. Untrue of course. Can anybody explain to me why if the Canadian system is so bad why is Canada’s infant mortality better than America’s, and does Canada have a higher life expectancy in spite of spending much, much less that the Americans on health care.

  13. SimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    @Ewart “full discipline of the profit motive.”

    Ya killin’me den

  14. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    Pretty well describes Wily’s last experience at QEH A&E four years ago, same old same old. Wily partially solved the issue when he got his wallet out and called on some friends in the private medical community. Wily was amazed that his receipt when leaving the hospital was available about 10 days after patient discharge, hand written in pencil. Local medical insurance did not even blink when Wily presented them with the hand written pencil reciept and promply paid. Wily queried this, insurance says this is SOP for QEH.

  15. Tony Trotman Avatar
    Tony Trotman

    The NHS in England is not perfect. But it has “SMART” performance targets. For example, all patients attending an A&E department should spend no more than 4 hours before being admitted to hospital, discharged or transferred. And NHS managers are held accountable for achieving those targets.

    Any “SMART” performance targets for the QEH? I guess it doesn’t matter – if you have access to local or overseas private health care.

  16. GP Avatar
    GP

    SIMPLE SIMON

    YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE AMERICANS THINK——-NOTICE I SAY THINK- THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE WORLD.

    THIS IS A FARCE.

    YOU CAN GET GOOD CARE IF YOU LIVE IN BIG CITIES AND IF YOU HAVE GOOD INSURANCE

    THEIR AVAILABITY OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CARE IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE BRITS OR THE CANADIANS OR OURS

    NOTICE I SAID AVAILABILITY. AVAILABILITY IS VERY IMPORTANT AND GOOD PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CARE GOES A VERY LONG WAY IN PREVENTING THE NEED FOR TERTIARY CARE

  17. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    RE The NHS in England is not perfect. But it has “SMART” performance targets. For example, all patients attending an A&E department should spend no more than 4 hours before being admitted to hospital, discharged or transferred. And NHS managers are held accountable for achieving those targets.

    IN MY VIEW THE ABOVE IS REASONABLE AND LAUDABLE

    THE USA HAS NO NHS AT ALL BUT THIS DOES NOT STOPTHEM FROM EFFLUXING BOVINE EXCREMENT ABOUT THE BRITISH NHS

  18. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    The level of intellectual discussion taking place surrounding this situation is truly amazing. Here, a concerned citizen expresses her abhorrence about the level of (in)attention her mother received at the A&E and what do the philosophers on BU do today? Post condemnation for the sake of hearing themselves talk.

    Anyone, ANYONE who has ever gone to A&E as a patient seeking help or accompanying a patient, will know and experienced what is being reported. I have had cause to rush my wife there at 2:00 AM in severe pain to be finally seen at 9:45 AM after repeated appeals for attention. That attention came after the interns started doing their rounds and the senior doctor recognized me. We immediately had two doctors attend to her, had her processed and in a private room (which was unavailable up to that point) by 1:40 PM. No one seems to be in charge to whom you can go for information. The doctors at that time of day appear to be all just out of school and were more interested in their cell phones than providing assistance. Making fun, chatting and skylarking appeared to be the order of the day.

    So, if you are only here for the thrill of seeing yourself in print, go find something more worthy of your esteemed time.

    Without a doubt, this department needs a major overhaul and yesterday would not be soon enough.

    This is not an attack on the QEH and its critical care staff, the last Government or the current Administration so if you are only able to see through political spectacles, buzz off. What we want are solutions, not excuses, criticism for criticism sake, or intellectual discourse just to massage personal egos. Should you feel the need to comment on any and everything (like some regulars on the call-in shows), show some restraint and leave this one alone unless your purpose is to help correct the problem.

  19. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Georgie Porgie

    In North America, the federal governments of both the United States and Canada have sponsored organizations of medical experts (e.g., the Canadian Patient Safety Institute) that publish regular reports on the prevalence of medical errors.

    Read their reports before spouting off.

  20. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Fear Play

    You seem to be unable to grasp the points being made.

    All socialist health care systems report the problems being described. All of them, without exception. The problem is SYSTEMIC. GET IT? You cannot fix the problem without fixing the system.

    In medicine, HUMAN NATURE + SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION = INEFFICIENT SUBSTANDARD CARE.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    @FearPlay

    Wondered the same. We seem to be devoid of empathy.

    There should be a process at the AnE where a basic triaging is conducted to determine critical and the patient advised to set expectations.

  22. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE In North America, the federal governments of both the United States and Canada have sponsored organizations of medical experts (e.g., the Canadian Patient Safety Institute) that publish regular reports on the prevalence of medical errors.

    I DONT GIVE TWO HOOTS ABOUT WHAT MEDICAL EXPERTS IN THE USA SAY OR THINK

    THE MEDICAL SITUATION IN THE USA IS EXTREMELY POOR ESPECIALLY IN FLY OVER LAND
    ALSO HUNDREDS OF HOSPITALS HAVE RECENTLY CLOSED AND ARE CLOSING IN THESE AREAS

    I DONT MAKE MY MEDICAL OPINIONS ON DEAD REPORTS FROM THE USA

    I HAVE RAN AND LED AN EMERGENCY ROOM AND SEVERAL HEALTH CLINICS

    I ONCE READ A PAPER IN WHICH THE FOLK IN VA SEEMED TO BE BOASTING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF UNDERSERVED

    FOLK THEY HAVE

    THE USA NOW HARPING ABOUT COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. LENNOX PRESCOD ADDRESSED THAT SINCE 1980
    AND WE HAVE OUR DRUG FORMULARY

    WE INTRODUCED “MEDICARE FOR ALL” SINCE 1985 SECONDARY TO PROPOSALS I MADE THEN

    FEARPLAY

    HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE CARE GIVEN TO THE WOMAN ABOUT WHICH THIS POST REVOLVES

    I LOVE TO HEAR YOU GUYS GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST ABOUT YOUR EMOTIONS WHEN YOU HAVE A RELATIVE WITH A PROBLEM
    IN SUCH CASES YOU KNOW ALL.

    KEEP UP THE PONTIFICATION

    I AM HAVING A BALL

  23. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE There should be a process at the AnE where a basic triaging is conducted to determine critical and the patient advised to set expectations.

    SOMEBODY HERE WANTS TO REINVENT THE WHEEL

    HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INITIAL POST OF A WOMAN PRESENTING WITH CHEST PAIN

    S. crying from pain in her chest………….weeping in pain

    O chronically ill mother
    severely dehydrated
    Edema in her legs is so bad now that you cannot tell the difference between her ankles or her calves.

    A????? APPARENTLY CHEST PAIN ???????CAUSE

    P ECG CXR BLOOD TESTS

    SEEMS TO ME THE CXR AND ECG AND CARDIAC ENZYMES REVEALED NORMAL FINDINGS

    WILL SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE ABOVE

    CAN SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT MORE THE DOCTORS IN A & E COULD HAVE DONE

    WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR ADMISSION?

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Have a read of the submission:

    • attention was only given after one hour, this came after the daughter had to raise her voice
    • the mother was examined and left for four hours to wonder what next in her discomfort
    • the issue raised her is the patient delivery in the context of customer service. ALL patients should be made to feel comfortable during the process, this is not to query the competence of the medical people. Patients deserve a Florence Nightingale approach every time.
  25. SimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    But David. There IS triage at the QEH. Triage nurses interview EVERY patient soon after arrival, and routes them appropriately. This patient wanted her mother seen and treated immediately, fair enough. We understand that she loves her mother. But what about “other people’s mothers” who were sicker? And who were attended to during the period that her mother waited? Aren’t other people’s very sick mothers important too? I am not at all unsympathetic. If I was a hard hearted person would I have gone to the same QEH many dozens of times over decades to donate blood to complete strangers?

  26. SimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    Dear David: Have you considered that by raising her voice this woman intimidated the staff and pushed her mother to the head of the line perhaps ahead of sicker people or people who had been waiting longer???

  27. GP Avatar
    GP

    SIMPLE
    I LOVE IT WHEN MEDICAL ILLITERATES CHALLENGE ME
    READ IT AGAIN

    HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INITIAL POST OF A WOMAN PRESENTING WITH CHEST PAIN

    S. crying from pain in her chest………….weeping in pain

    O chronically ill mother
    severely dehydrated
    Edema in her legs is so bad now that you cannot tell the difference between her ankles or her calves.

    A????? APPARENTLY CHEST PAIN ???????CAUSE

    P ECG CXR BLOOD TESTS

    SEEMS TO ME THE CXR AND ECG AND CARDIAC ENZYMES REVEALED NORMAL FINDINGS

    WILL SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE ABOVE

    CAN SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT MORE THE DOCTORS IN A & E COULD HAVE DONE

    WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR ADMISSION?

    RE the issue raised her is the patient delivery in the context of customer service. ALL patients should be made to feel comfortable during the process, this is not to query the competence of the medical people. Patients deserve a Florence Nightingale approach every time.
    THIS IS THEORY AND THE IDEAL BUT IS IT PRACTICAL?

    HOW CAN THE A& E TEAM AFFECT OR CONTROL; THE NEXT STEP
    ARE THERE DOCTORS AVAILABLE?
    IF AVAILABLE ARE THEY OCCUPIED ELSEWHERE?
    WERE THEY TOLD OF THE RESULTS ABOVE
    OR WERE THEY WRITING EMOTIONAL SHITE ON BU ONLY

  28. GP Avatar
    GP

    There should be a process at the AnE where a basic triaging is conducted to determine critical and the patient advised to set expectations.

    SO IF THIS DID NOT EXIST HOW THEN WAS THIS WOMAN ACCESSED SO THAT SHE GOT A CXR AN ECG AND MOST LIKELY CARDIAC ENZYMES DONE?

    i THOUGHT THAT Florence Nightingale WAS A NURSE
    THE RUM SHOP TOO SWEET THOUGH

  29. Bajan in NY Avatar
    Bajan in NY

    @Tony TrotmanDecember 11, 2019 12:51 PM

    The NHS in England is not perfect. But it has “SMART” performance targets. For example, all patients attending an A&E department should spend no more than 4 hours before being admitted to hospital, discharged or transferred. And NHS managers are held accountable for achieving those targets.

    Are you talking about the same NHS all the opposition parties are talking about in lead up to tomorrow’s election?

  30. Bajan in NY Avatar
    Bajan in NY

    @Ewart ArcherDecember 11, 2019 11:39 AM
    That is why so many Americans fear Medicare for All, and that is why a mix of private and public health care organizations is the best solution.

    Why are you trying to give the impression the majority of the people in the USA are opposed to Medicare for All?

  31. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE Are you talking about the same NHS all the opposition parties are talking about in lead up to tomorrow’s election?

    THE BRITISH NHS AT ITS VERY WORSE IS BETTER THAN THE NONE EXISTENT SYSTEM IN THE USA

    Medicare for All IS BOVINE EXCREMENT TOO ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY HOSPITALS IN FLY OVER COUNTRY CLOSING DOWN

  32. David Avatar
    David

    @Simple Simon

    Should it matter in a professional outfit?

  33. GP Avatar
    GP

    WHEN I SERVED, I USUALLY WORKED THROUGH LUNCH AND CONTINUED UNTIL THE CLINIC WAS CLEARED

    IF ANY ONE RAISED THEIR VOICE AT ME I WOULD SIMPLY SMILE PROFESSIONALLY AND GO TO LUNCH

    NO PATIENT OR RELATIVE SHOULD BE SHOUTING AT MEDICAL OR NURSING STAFF

    TOO MUCH EMOTION AND IGNORANCE HERE

    ALL THIS COULD BE ELIMINATED IF PEOPLE WOULD ADAPT PROPER POLICY ALREADY GIVEN BY A YOUNG DR MANY YEARS AGO–ONE WHO WAS USED ABUSED AND DUMPED

  34. Tony Trotman Avatar
    Tony Trotman

    @Bajan in NY

    Please note that I said “The NHS in England is not perfect.”

  35. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Bajan in NY

    I did not say the majority of Americans were opposed to Medicare for All (MfA)

    However, despite the fact that MfA promises lower health care costs for individuals, it is OPPOSED by about three-quarters of Republicans and approximately half of Independents, according to national tracking polls published every month. Only among Democrats is there a solid majority in favour of MfA.

    You are black and a Democrat, no?

  36. GP Avatar
    GP

    TONY TROTMAN
    RE “The NHS in England is not perfect.”

    BUT IT IS DAMN GOOD! I SAW IT AT WORK!
    AND THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE IN THE USA

    BUT YOU SHOULD HERE THE AMERICAN MORONS IN THE BIG CITIES WITH GOOD INSURANCE KNOCK IT
    I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED SOME BAD MEDICINE IN NY

  37. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Last year a UK study estimated that there are about 237 million medication errors in the National Health Service EACH AND EVERY YEAR that contribute to the deaths of about 22,300 patients.

  38. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    In Canada, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute says that about 28,000 Canadians are killed each year because of medical errors.

  39. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE Last year a UK study estimated that there are about 237 million medication errors in the National Health Service EACH AND EVERY YEAR that contribute to the deaths of about 22,300 patients.

    DEFINE medication errors
    DID THIS INVOLVE PHARMACODYNAMICS OR PHARMACOKINETICS OR POOR PRESCRIPTION WRITING

    WHY IS THIS?
    IS THIS WORSE THAN ALL THOSE PARTS OF THE USA WHERE FOLK DONT EVEN HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET A PRESCRIPTION AT ALL

  40. Tee White Avatar
    Tee White

    It seems to me that we are having two separate discussions here. One is about the incident at QEH and the other is an ideological debate about how health care can best be provided to citizens in the 21st century.

    With regard to the QEH, a number of valid points and questions have been raised, especialy by those with experience in providing health care. But I can say that from my experiences at QEH, I quite understand the frustration and anger of the writer. If the staff on duty that night were doing all they could for her mother and as quickly as they could, maybe explaining the situation to her would have helped to put her at ease. Communication and reassurance is an important part of medical care in these situations as people are worried and anxious about the well being of their loved ones. Just explaining what is going on and why things seem to be taking so long can be a great help. This shouldn’t be beyond us. I speak from personal experience, having spent, on one occasion from 7am to 9pm at QEH with my 99 year old aunt.

    With regard to the ideological discussion and as someone who has extensive experience of Britain’s NHS, I can say with all its imperfections it’s a million miles better than any ‘profit driven’ health care that I’ve experienced. For a start, in the latter, you can never trust the doctor’s decisions because you don’t know if these are aimed at maximising their income or based on clinical need. I’ve had plenty of experiences like this. Secondly, citing errors in the NHS which led to deaths doesn’t tell us anything. Does anyone really believe that the same errors don’t take place in ‘for profit’ medical care? And what about the people who die in the latter system because they can’t afford treatment or the health insurance. Again I’ve seen plenty of that too.

    Finally, whatever people who have no experience of the NHS might say, people in Britain value it dearly because they know what health care in that country was like before the NHS was created. That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a hot topic in the current election and no political party in Britain dare openly declare that it wants to scrap it.

  41. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    We are not having two separate discussions about health care.

    We are saying that the distress experienced by this woman who brought her mother to the QEH emergency room, and felt ignored, is the TYPICAL experience reported by many ordinary people (defined as people who are not socialists — like Tee White and the blogmaster) when they seek medical treatment in clinics and hospitals.

    The carelessness, callousness, recklessness, and laziness of medical staff in the socialized European and Canadian health care systems (and in US public medicine) have been documented in a vast academic and professional literature, and in thousands of newspaper and magazine articles. Private health care has its problems, but it is preferred by nearly everyone who can afford it.

  42. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    public hospitals and clinics

  43. Tee White Avatar
    Tee White

    @Ewart Archer
    Having strong opinions is one thing. Facts are quite another.

    Public attitude surveys to Britain’s NHS find that a majority of those polled are satisfied with it. In fact a recent survey found that Conservative party supporters were more satisfied with it than Labour party supporters but both groups were over 50%. That would suggest to me that their typical experience is not similar to the one at QEH.

    “We are saying that the distress experienced by this woman who brought her mother to the QEH emergency room, and felt ignored, is the TYPICAL experience reported by many ordinary people”
    ###################################################################################################################################################################

    Do you have any evidence to support that statement or is that just your personal belief?

    “Private health care has its problems, but it is preferred by nearly everyone who can afford it”.
    ######################################################################################################
    Here’s the rub. The vast majority of people in the world can’t afford it and that’s not going to change anytime soon. It’s like saying travelling in your own personal jet is the most comfortable way to get around but that is a privilege for the rich. Private health care works for the rich, just like private education, gated communities and all the rest of the paraphanelia of being rich, but most ordinary people (defined as those on an average income) can’t afford these things regardless of whether they like socialism or capitalism.

  44. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    @ David December 11, 2019 3:07 PM “@Simple Simon. Should it matter in a professional outfit?”

    Raising your voice at the staff?

    Not good.

    But was the woman or her mother punished because the daughter raised her voice?

    It seems not.

    And “no” they should NOT be punished.

    But there should not have been any raising of the voice either.

  45. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    The blasted QEH is a gallows bait
    Wuh Sutherland muh backside she cant. turn that outdated horspital into nothing genuine
    All Mia has done is taken taxpayers money and hand it over a a big loser
    Between she and her husband them two are costing the taxpayers plenty and neither one of them can or will deliver nothing
    Sutherland better go to school somewhere in Africa and learn these people language and get an understanding how to communicate with them
    I know some who cant differentiate between feeling and filling to them both words mean the same
    Interesting times ahead at the QEH

  46. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    @Ewart Archer December 11, 2019 1:16 PM “In medicine, HUMAN NATURE + SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION = INEFFICIENT SUBSTANDARD CARE.”

    Can you explain to me then, why Canada has a higher life expectancy, why a canadian infant is more likely to survive, live longer healthier lives since by your reckoning Canadians are exposed to inefficient, substandard care?

  47. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    @Ewart Archer at 4:13 p.m. “Last year a UK study estimated that there are about 237 million medication errors in the National Health Service EACH AND EVERY YEAR that contribute to the deaths of about 22,300 patients.”

    A recent Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors. Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000.”

  48. Ewart Archer Avatar
    Ewart Archer

    Sir Simple Simon

    Blacks and other minorities in the US live relatively short lives, depressing the American average life expectancy. The reasons for this are complex, but include dreadful eating habits and reckless lifestyles.

    Tee White

    We can all agree that medical care has to be rationed in poor Third World countries. But public systems do not merely ration care. They lead to the creation of large health care monopolies that are exceptionally difficult to manage. These socialist organizations are not disciplined by competitive forces, are always burdened by political factors, and seldom have the tight performance controls that are commonplace in the private sector.

  49. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    According the the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the top 20 countries in the world for long life expectancy does NOT include the United States. Maybe the CIA is socialist anti-American organization?

    Noway, canada, France, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Italy, Australia, Luxemborg, South Korea, israel, Switzerland, Guernsey, Andorra, Hong Kong, Iceland, San Marino, Macau, Singapore, Japan, Monaco.

  50. SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimple SimonPresidentForLife

    @Ewart Archer December 11, 2019 6:47 PM “These socialist organizations are not disciplined by competitive forces, are always burdened by political factors, and seldom have the tight performance controls that are commonplace in the private sector.”

    By political factors do you mea that these systems are answerable to the people and their elected representatives?

    Since such ” tight performance controls” are in place can you explain why these “tight performance controls” still lead to such poor patient outcomes and such runaway costs?

    Even Cuba, a country where 37% of the people are black or of mixed race has better infant survival rates than the United States. Why is this?

1 2
Newer Comments

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading