# All praise to the NHS



## Mikemoss (Sep 5, 2005)

After five months of increasing terror at the very thought of having a total hip replacement, the dreaded event took place over Christmas - and I'm feeling great.

From start to finish, and including every single member of staff at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, I was made to feel comfortable and confident that all would be well. And it is.

I've had no pain to speak of, have lost what pain I had before the operation, and am looking forward to being able to walk properly and for long distances once again.

So, for anyone who may be dreading joining the Hip Op generation, my experience is that you have nothing to fear and everything to gain. I am in awe of the skills and knowledge of the surgeons, anaethetists, sisters, nurses, physiotherapists - in fact every single one of the very many people involved in giving me the best Christmas present I could ever wish for.


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

Hip hip hooray!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Good to hear Mike, especially since I am probably not too far behind you.

I'm OK(ish) at the moment, but if I walk more than a couple of miles or dawdle round town for too long I lose a night's sleep with the "toothache" in the hip.

Your post will reassure many of us geriatric teenagers I'm sure!! 8O :lol: :lol: 

Dave


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm behind you as well, had septic hip last year and now have the toothache every day, I was told to hang onto your own hip as long as poss !!

Loddy


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Hi Mike, glad the op went well. 
Thanks too for the positive feedback for the NHS, has cheered me up no end.
Sue


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Glad to hear that your experience was good and that the recovery is going well.

That operation has been done for many years according to a friend who is also a consultant orthopod in Exeter - apparently the "Exeter" hip - developed in Exeter by Professor Ling many years ago (first used in 1970) is still one of the most commonly used replacements - when you see the metalwork it is beautiful (OK I have a warped sense of beauty you may say! :lol: ) but it certainly seems to work!

This is where you come back and say "I didn't have n Exeter Hip!  

After the background information lecture (typical teacher some will say! :lol: ), I hope that you have MANY years of active life on it - I am sure you will be encouraged to do your utmost....  

Good luck, 

Dave


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

So good to hear praise of the NHS here rather than yet another brick bat!! 

Very pleased to hear all went so well and hoping you will have many more years of active, pain-free fun in the future. Just be sure to keep going with the physio as long as you should be; it does really make a difference to the total recovery.


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## passionwagon (Nov 13, 2005)

8O In 2008 I required three hospital procedures. Each was done as promised, all appointments were within 10 minutes of specific time and the aftercare by the local district nurses first class. In December 2009 my dentist referred me to the hospital dental consultant for a complicated extraction. My appointment last Thursday was at 1110-arrived at 1040 and asked to go straight in and off home at 1120!!!!!!.
Fantastic service and above all we should all remember* no bill to worry about * :wink:


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

*More praise for the NHS*

I'm happy to jump on the 'praise for the NHS' bandwagon... 

Only yesterday, AuntieSandra dropped me off at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, for a colonoscopy. We arrived at 1.30pm for a 1.45pm appointment.

Having seen me booked in correctly, Sandra cleared off home, for a nice cup of tea! Within twenty minutes, I'd had the paperwork done, signed my life away, and I was in the theatre. Within another 30 minutes, I was in the recovery room. A phone call to Sandra was well-timed as it interrupted her 'nice cup of tea' and she had to do the 25 minute journey to pick me up. She was there by 3.30pm.

In previous years, the same procedure has taken 3 to 4 hours. So to be on the way home in just a couple of hours was rather pleasing. 

The Staff knew what they were doing, although they found it difficult extracting blood from me! :roll: I felt confident in their hands and was delighted to see, on the monitor, that my bowel was clear of polyps. :wink: 

If everyone experienced the same levels of proficiency and service that I 'enjoyed' yesterday, the NHS would receive nothing but praise. Yesterday, the praise was well merited. 

Oh, yeh... and no bill to worry about! 8)


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Well done Mike such a positive attitude will see your through.
When you really need the NHS they are always there doing a grand job it's just the getting there --the waiting list's-- as you suffer the pain before hand.
Hope your good recovery continues and you are up and walking soon.

Good news Uncle Norm so pleased for you as well :wink:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Very pleased to hear that good news UncleNorm - I have always had excellent service from every aspect of the NHS.  

I am sure that our experience of good service is very common.  

Dave


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Glad the op went well.

Mind we're still waiting for our GP's notes to arrive at our new doctor's surgery and that's 16 weeks since we registered with them.

I could've walked them here in a week.

It would be funny but Mrs SDA has suffered in the past from compromised lungs and the new practice won't make a decision as to whether she should have a swine flu jab until they see her notes. By then she may have caught it and it might have disastrous consequences. Bureaucratic nonsense getting in the way of patient care.

SDA


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Steamdrivenandy said:


> Glad the op went well.
> 
> Mind we're still waiting for our GP's notes to arrive at our new doctor's surgery and that's 16 weeks since we registered with them.
> 
> ...


You could try going back to the old surgery and asking them to securely email them to the new surgery now that most notes are computerised. It may be they only send a summary, but that might do the job. Otherwise get her to go back to the old surgery and register as a temporary resident there and then ask them to do the jab!


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## Mikemoss (Sep 5, 2005)

locovan said:


> Hope your good recovery continues and you are up and walking soon.
> 
> Good news Uncle Norm so pleased for you as well :wink:


They got me up and walking the morning after the op, and if a doctor had been around they would have let me go home the next day. As it was I had two nights in hospital, have experienced more pain at the dentists and worse accommodation and grub in some hotels.

The NHS also came good for Mrs M on the Monday bank holiday after Christmas when a chest infection left her really short of breath. A visit to the pharmacy at Sainsbury's ended up with the pharmacist arranging a visit to a doctor at Chippenham hospital and a course of antibiotics. Again, great care and professionalism from start to finish.

And yes, no cost either (except for all those years of NI payments and taxes of course.....)


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## blondy (Aug 23, 2007)

I am having terrific service from the health service.
11 Dec, my doc says will make app at hos for bowel investigation.
18 Dec first investigation, found I had cancer.
24 Dec second more thorough internal inspection, no more probs.
Jan 4 had body scan to see if any more probs, O/K. 
Jan 13, app to out patients.
Jan 22, app to have opp to remove cancer.
I had a triple bypass 7 years ago and this was also dealt with nearly as much urgency.
I cannot fault my treatment,
Cheers to the NHS workers.


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## daddysgirl (May 31, 2008)

Mike great to hear your fabulous news, and lovely to hear everyone's praise for NHS.

My auntie joan had her hip done in Oswestry 2 years ago at christmas, she was home 2 days later, walking upstair to bed from day one, out walking the next day, and dancing a month later....

Her pain stopped overnight, she's never had a moment's trouble, and - oh yes, she's 90 this year!!!!!


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