Telford & Wrekin Council Watch

Please don't hesitate to be honest!

About once a year I have a stupid little problem - I need my ears syringed or I go progressively deaf as a post. It's a damn nuisance but I'm not ill as such, I'm not in pain, it's far from life-threatening. But it is a real pain in the (r)ear.

Usually I ring Wellington medical practice, ask to see the nurse, and get in within a day or so. 5 minute visit, costs nothing but time, fixed.

I rang today and was told I'd have to be put on a list. Then someone would ring me back. They did - and told me Thursday of next week (it's Monday when I'm writing this).

So I'll go from 50% to about 80% deaf over 10 days, and then get sorted.

Now, I'm not in favour, in principle, of walk-in clinics, doctors in Tescos, polyclinics etc because I think they will drain resources from the standard NHS service.

But if GPs can't do the simple, cheap, easy stuff quickly, and even preferably evening or weekend - don't they lay themselves open to being cherry-picked?

Or should I shut up and let them get on with prioritising people who are actually ill? I'm really not sure.

I am just speechless.

Something like that should not take that long to sort.

A well known nurse has recently been bragging about the extra services Wellington provides.

Flippin eck, It is really a very poor show.

Kath, sorry you made the classic mistake, didn't you know you had to book your illness two weeks in advance, of course the other way to look at it is if they put you off long enough most of us will have got better by then, but the other poor sods will have got worse.

I think I said this before I have been in pain for two years with lower back pain.
I went for a MRI scan on Friday and have a follow up apointment in 4 week's time.
My husband pays £300.00 per month NI and we can not get an appointment to see our GP.
I think you are right Kath but the problem is we have a great deal of foreigners coming to the UK but the NHS do no employ more Doctor's or extend the hospitals.
In the mean time people like you and I are left to deal with pain the best way we know how, for me it's sevral pain killers and a very larg glass of wine.

I'm sorry you're in pain Carol - I'm lucky I'm not, just increasingly deaf, but at least it's not permanent. I'm just irritated that a two minute procedure that costs nothing can't be slotted in in a lot less than 10 days.

That gives me an idea for a poll ...

Is it anything to do with foreigners coming in? Well, perhaps in part.

But in my experience the real problem is managers.

There are now too many managers at health practices.

They decide that they need procedures. Which MUST be followed!

Now, they do not care if the nurse or the doctor sees less patients. Just so long as the procedure is followed to the letter!

Kath I understand how you feel losing your hearing but is this not a bonus when working with Hoop

Too right - she can't hear us when we're talking about her, and it drives her round the bend when I just move my lips without making a sound!

An unexpected bonus has been the substantial deposits of earwax we're scraping off the floors - no shop-bought candles at Hoop Hall this Christmas!

Trust me to upset Lord Hoop on the eve of the TCW meeting, talk about big mouth and jumping in with both feet I shoud join the Labour party.
I think it's time to give up while i'm ahead.

I made an appointment for an ear examination at Wellington Health Centre on 30th June 2010 and had it on the same day. I was told to make an appointment to have my ears syringed one week later, only to be told that there wasn't a nurse on site trained to carry out the task. I was told to call the health centre the following week to see if there would be a nurse available. What a ridiculous state of affairs. This gives the public sector a bad name. As I was to be going away to another part of the country for a week, I knew that I wouldn't be able to have my ears syringed whilst on holiday. Heck, it's bad enough trying to get treatment outside of your own health centre in your local PCT. There are 2 "walk-in" health centres in Telford. They won't syringe my ears because I'm not registered with either of them. This is just petty officialdom gone mad. In the 21st century where we have the Internet and improved communications, this should NOT be happening. ANY health centre in Telford PCT should be able to access the information and find that I've had an ear examination and on what date I had it. Then they can carry out the treatment. It only takes 5-10 minutes to carry out the treatment, for goodness sake. There are absolutely NO valid excuses for this ridiculous procedure that Telford PCT has in place.