Einstein : Not everything that can be counted counts. And not everything that counts can be counted.

Monday 8 October 2007

Two patients.

Two patients limp into two different medical surgeries with the similar complaints.

Both have a great deal of trouble walking, both are in considerable pain and appear to need a hip replacement. This is later confirmed following all of the relevant examination processes.

Patient 'A' is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the very next week.

Patient 'B' sees his family doctor after waiting over a week for an appointment after a telephone consultation. Then waits four months to see a specialist, then after another 3 months gets x-rays completed. These aren't reviewed for another 6 weeks and finally surgery is scheduled for 9 months from that time.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Patient A is an MP; patient B isn't!
(Cynical, am I not?)

I hope you don't mind if I say that it's good to see you posting again. I've missed you.

Anonymous said...

Well I'd guess that patient B lives somewhere near me. It took ruddy months to get my shoulder scanned. Scan was 11 months ago, still waiting for anyone to contact me and tell me whether my arm is going to fall off.

Stan Still said...

Was patient A a dog and patient B a taxpayer?

Metcountymounty said...

Patient A pays for private medical care on top of his national insurance so he can bypass the NHS, whereas patient B has to rely purely on the governments initiatives and cost cutting to slipstream his way to better healthcare??

Anonymous said...

One had already given up on the NHS the other one will do so shortly?

Anonymous said...

patient A's name starts with Rover

Anonymous said...

Patient A is in Scotland.

Patient B is in Wales or England.

Postcode lottery health service ?