Stigma in the NHS & Beyond

[Martybones]

Was looking for a place to write this, wasn't to sure where but can repost if required.

When we talk about Stigma, more often enough patients have experienced this in the NHS. I've had one GP who tried everything to blame my symptoms on possible cannabis use. She didn't say that but rather than look into my issue decided to scrutinise my claim that I'm legal medicinal patient. She was soon told and with a few stern fuck you very muchlys, she was educated and I declined to proceed with her care. Nothing came from a complaint. Not even an apology. Suppose it's more believable that Martin was having a bad Borderline Personality Disorder day...

Whilst I'm over that ordeal, it still bugs me to see that whilst waiting 30 mins for a blood test deep inside a hospitals walk in clinic (because the GP surgery was a 6 week wait for routine bloods) their NHS wifi restricts MedBud. I was planning on using this time to look at my next script, do bit of research on Specials Pharma as my script is going there rather than IPS this month. I couldn't do this. Apparently the NHS wifi blocks MedBud for security reasons and also because it contains Illegal drugs/Pharmacy content.

I dont know who needs to near this but get with the times NHS. We all know medicinal Cannabis can save a shed loads of money and stop prescription opioids being shoved down peoples throats and hooked on them (I was one of those) and yet you won't even let people who have no other choice but use your facility even look at alternative options for pain relief or any other condition it treats.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk Rant.

 

[GrownHealth]

Stigma ,I always attend appointments with my wife's specialist/ advanced practitioner and the stigma was unreal ,
From early into diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis the specialist advanced practitioner made us feel as though I/we were the problem and their meds are the way ,anyway 14 years later having been through a hell of a lot of medications its now accepted ,and a few years ago the rhetoric changed to well there's no clinic's to refer you to ?
Progress I suppose .
Thing that doesn't sit easy with me is we 'sourced' some High CBD nordle flower over 10 years ago and my wife tried it for a couple of months ,Her disease activity dropped into remission and the practioner even said whatever your doing carry on. Next appointment I'm a witch doctor ,watch what he's giving you when we mentioned it.
Then gave her Methotrexate to inject into her stomach every week for a year or so resulting in basically being bed ridden by the effects of this .
Maybe it did/didn't slow down disease progression ? But the effects were the worst feeling she has ever had and mentally it destroyed her as she was about 33 at the time .
Can't help but think if the stigma wasn't there that her treatments over the last years would of been a hell of a lot different and more tailored to her disease as research would be miles further down the line .
P.S. Her specialist who we very rarely saw was fully on board with the idea of cbpm's

 

[Martybones]

The funny part of this rant is that it was my wife's Pain Consultant who said there was nothing else he can give her at the time and he wishes he could have prescribed CBMP but he'd be arrested. This must have been easily 6-7 years ago and was probably true at the time but even he knew then it was a better option. Yet here we are years later with same issues.

 

[Rimmerworld]

I cant say anything good about them to be honest although they havent bothered me about my cannabis use or ever mentioned it.

 

[GrownHealth]

Even my Dad who became a RMN from his forties onwards had the same stigma to his dying day after being trained its bad . Being critical of my brother when visiting .
Whatever happened to trust but verify ,does my head in when people learn from books then apply that to real life as if it's gospel, it's like some haven't got a sceptical bone in their body.

 

[tedinho]

Was looking for a place to write this, wasn't to sure where but can repost if required.

When we talk about Stigma, more often enough patients have experienced this in the NHS. I've had one GP who tried everything to blame my symptoms on possible cannabis use. She didn't say that but rather than look into my issue decided to scrutinise my claim that I'm legal medicinal patient. She was soon told and with a few stern fuck you very muchlys, she was educated and I declined to proceed with her care. Nothing came from a complaint. Not even an apology. Suppose it's more believable that Martin was having a bad Borderline Personality Disorder day...

Whilst I'm over that ordeal, it still bugs me to see that whilst waiting 30 mins for a blood test deep inside a hospitals walk in clinic (because the GP surgery was a 6 week wait for routine bloods) their NHS wifi restricts MedBud. I was planning on using this time to look at my next script, do bit of research on Specials Pharma as my script is going there rather than IPS this month. I couldn't do this. Apparently the NHS wifi blocks MedBud for security reasons and also because it contains Illegal drugs/Pharmacy content.

I dont know who needs to near this but get with the times NHS. We all know medicinal Cannabis can save a shed loads of money and stop prescription opioids being shoved down peoples throats and hooked on them (I was one of those) and yet you won't even let people who have no other choice but use your facility even look at alternative options for pain relief or any other condition it treats.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk Rant.

The wifi thing really isn't much of a thing. You think the NHS, and how behind its running is putting its wifi block list top of the list?

I'd bet my next prescription that wifi services are outsourced to a 3rd party who is operating to a KPI'd safelist that predates legal cannabis.

Classic case of "they ain't thinking about you as much as you might think".

 

[GrownHealth]

The wifi thing really isn't much of a thing. You think the NHS, and how behind its running is putting its wifi block list top of the list?

I'd bet my next prescription that wifi services are outsourced to a 3rd party who is operating to a KPI'd safelist that predates legal cannabis.

Classic case of "they ain't thinking about you as much as you might think".

welcome to the forum @tedinho
Looking at this somebody must have put the block in I'd Imagine at some point or it wouldn't exist so whilst I'd hope it wasn't on a list at all as they have real priorities to sort the fact remained it is and stopped a patient doing what he needed to do ,needlessly and I suppose they were just reporting an observation of their experience

 

[utopiate]

I work in the NHS and I'm so tired of all the bashing. We have one the best healthcare systems in the world which has been methodically and deliberately undermined by the previous government for ideological reasons. I have colleagues that have suffered mental and emotional exhaustion and subsequent knock on effects like divorce. All because they deem their work as a vocation and actually give a fuck about their fellow human.

I had a friend who was complaining about a nurse being a little 'short' with them. Unbeknownst to them I knew the nurse. She had already done a full shift when asked to continue. During that shift they lost a toddler. On a personal level she was newly caring for her elderly father who had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

I'm not trying to excuse the poor service as its inexcusable, however, we can explain the causes and guess what, its not the people on the front line.

Sorry for the rant but over the last few years we've been told we are wonderful and clapped though the pandemic whilst at the same time told we are awful and overpaid lol. Sick of it now.

 

[GrownHealth]

That's a passionate plea from someone who takes his vocation in life seriously about the pressure's NHS staff are under and I totally believe the same employee's that are being mis-served by this system will be the same employee's that run a highly successful NHS in the future if the right systems are put in place and I can Imagine NHS staff being some of the most frustrated with the service as they are living it .

P.S. My Dad was a nurse and took his job very seriously.

 

[BlackSheepVegan]

I work in the NHS and I'm so tired of all the bashing. We have one the best healthcare systems in the world which has been methodically and deliberately undermined by the previous government for ideological reasons. I have colleagues that have suffered mental and emotional exhaustion and subsequent knock on effects like divorce. All because they deem their work as a vocation and actually give a fuck about their fellow human.

I had a friend who was complaining about a nurse being a little 'short' with them. Unbeknownst to them I knew the nurse. She had already done a full shift when asked to continue. During that shift they lost a toddler. On a personal level she was newly caring for her elderly father who had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

I'm not trying to excuse the poor service as its inexcusable, however, we can explain the causes and guess what, its not the people on the front line.

Sorry for the rant but over the last few years we've been told we are wonderful and clapped though the pandemic whilst at the same time told we are awful and overpaid lol. Sick of it now.

I really empathise with your friends. But the NHS is failing them to.

At one stage yes. It was world leading, but it hasn’t been now for a very long time.

I’m deeply sad about it, heartbroken, it has the potential to be incredible, but it’s been destroyed slowly and strategically by the tories for the last decade plus.
The damage has the knock on effect to mean those who TRULY love to help and heal people, end up so brow beaten, with horrendous PTSD, absolutely no mental health support or proper home life, while the ones who’ve either sold their soul or it’s been crushed to within an inch of its life, are slacking so badly that the patients suffer horrendously, with those who care having to try and clear up the shit.

They then end up so burnt out they are off sick, leave medicine/go private or literally emigrate.

All of these people have been failed by their government. Who failed their NHS. Our NHS.

It’s with huge sadness I do think we are past the point of saving it, it’s just beyond repair. People are so so damaged and traumatised by horrendous treatment, loved ones dying due to negligence, medical gaslighting and just complete loss of faith that I don’t think it can be come back from.

I have been hugely failed in the last fifteen years on multiple occasions, in multiple NHS trust areas, in completely different ways, one of which has categorically shortened my life span, and leaves me in huge pain every day with no real fix as yet. I have genuine fear of NHS Drs at this stage. I don’t trust a single thing they say; and I don’t believe a single one of them. They are rarely up to date, usually carry egos that would shame the devil, and have an incredible ability to make patients feel like the biggest burden in their day.

I truly believe nurses are the most caring valuable people we have, they do their job because they care about people. Drs care about medicine. NHS management care about nobody.

No one is bad mouthing the NHS or bashing them, it’s not a person, nor an entity, and no, I didn’t stand clapping on my doorstep because you people deserved more pay not a bloody encore.