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I had 1 ultrasound scan, 2 MRI scans, 2 consultants and a whole load of other staff, private room, a whole bunch of awesome drugs and I can't remember what else.
I wonder how much it would have been in the UK?
Not sure I agree on the £100k to treat a drunk. I'm not medical but know many who are, and I thought they used skill and knowledge to realise that kid found in street smelling of alcohol = drunk therefore no reason to go to extremes of medical intervention. ie no external injuries, all stats fine, why would they do more investigation? Generally scans etc are only done if there is some indication that some thing isnt right, other than being drunk!
I think doctors that the NHS has trained at a huge cost should be required to give a percentage of any money they earn using these skills in private practise back to the NHS
Since I have the HEFA report sitting on my desk. 40.6% of IVF cycles were funded by NHS in 2010.
Overall numbers of cycles are increasing 7% pa and numbers funded by NHS decreasing. It will probably be a largely private service in the medium future.
Kid found unconscious drunk
need to check if fallen is there brain swelling, so need a brain scan, any injuries, has he been knocked down, etc etc because he's unconscious they have to expend a huge amount of time and effort and practically everyone has to get involved.
"I think doctors that the NHS has trained at a huge cost should be required to give a percentage of any money they earn using these skills in private practise back to the NHS"
Scottidog - What utter rubbish. Are you telling me that no other people use skills aquired in their job to earn additional income outside of the main job, or move from one company to another after having received training or gained experience?
Also does sound plausable, but perhaps the government should first pay docs a deecent wage for what they do, pay them for the countless hours of overtime that they currently have to do for free, pay for the countless courses that docs have to self fund each year.
If a doc choose to do private practice and it prevents them doing their main job properly then yes it should be stopped.
Wasn't there a piece on the news the other day about all couples having the right to have cesarean section if they want it.
Seems a bit excessive - they should just give the C-section to the pregnant woman only.
S'cuse me for sounding thick but why are so many women opting for Caesareans? Are they too posh to push or something?
On the subject of prescriptions, I'm on medication for life unfortunately and I get [b]all[/b] my prescriptions free, not just the one pertaining to my condition. Seems such a waste.
DocRobster is right on the home births and the figure of £100 000 for a drunk teenager is laughable. Home births are cheaper if the service is set up for it. Medicalisation of childbirth in hospitals has cost huge sums
If you are going to debate this stuff at least get the basics right.
Drunks in A&E are a money wasting nuisance yes - but its nothing like that scale - thats the cost of 3 heart transplants for example or 30 hip replacements
"Home births are cheaper if the service is set up for it."
I dont know any Trust that is set up for home births. I'm not saying none are, but the majority are not, and I know the Trusts around where I work use the same staff who would work in the hospital, as do the staff who work in the hospital where Mrs FD gave birth.
"S'cuse me for sounding thick but why are so many women opting for Caesareans? Are they too posh to push or something?"
Mrs FD wanted to go for Caesareans because her Mother had complications giving birth to her Sister, and nearly died giving birth to her. After speaking to 2 consultants they persuaded her to go the natural route. 37 hours of labour later, guess what, she ended up having to have an emergency section.
Some of the symptoms of an undiagnosed head injury - confusion, lack of coordination, lowered consciousness, can appear very similar to the symptoms of being off your box on alcohol. So if I pop out for a pint, then trip over and smack my head on the kerb, I want the doctor to not necessarily just say 'drunk...ignore'.
Sadly, this means lots of investigation for drunks who have had a very minor head knock.
"Sadly, this means lots of investigation for drunks who have had a very minor head knock."
Ok that qualifies doing lots of test on a drunk. Thats very different to a kid just getting drunk and falling asleep in the street! Surely a bump on the head makes it a medical issue regardless of cause? Or are we saying that cyclist (even wearing helmets) should not be treated if they go to A&E, was just as much their choice as the person who goes out and gets drunk...
A kid who falls asleep drunk in the street unfortunately doesn end up in hospital but they dont get £100k spent on them!
I think the point was, if an unconscious drunk comes in, they need to be treated with the assumption that they have sustained a bump on the head.
prezet - indeed they do. The will go on regular neuro obs,they will have a blood alcohol checked I would think, they will have a blood sugar reading taken ( to eliminate diabetic coma / hypoglycemia) as well. There will be a protocol in place for dealing with them. Its a routine thing in A&E unfortunataly
tehy will not have loads of expensive and time consuming treatment unless there are other indications.
TandemJeremy - Member
DocRobster is right
Can I have that on my tombstone please? 😉
[url= http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/July07/Pages/hospital-births-home-births-compared.aspx ]home births attended by midwives no less safe than hospital births according to this large study[/url]