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Your comments...

I do not live in North Yorkshire and for that I am grateful from a medical point of view.听 I live in North Derbyshire, but, because I have Multiple Myeloma (bone marrow cancer), I attend a hospital in Sheffield where I am fortunate enough to receive excellent treatment from the Oncology staff.听I have been fighting the perverse decision of NICE to refuse the treatment of Velcade to those Myeloma patients in dire need.听I am appalled to hear that the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust have gone even one step further in refusing to treat the evident needs of all people within the districts under their care.听

If previous trusts have contributed to the unbelievable shortfall within their areas, why has the central government not stepped in before this to bring the managers to account before a committee?听I thought the government was appointed to serve the country and watch over their needs; but it seems that we are all governed by individuals whose remit is to look after their own needs, either financial or political (or both).

I hope I can help to fight the case that has now been brought to light, of John McNamara, who has been refused Velcade by this Trust.听If he cannot get this proven drug he will die within four to six weeks.

The Person Specification requirement on the remit of the panel who control the Trust, needs one more requirement adding to it - and that is, 'able to be void of conscience and compassion'.
Marge Nicholson

I have been waiting for an 'urgent' physio referral to Harrogate Hospital since January for neck pain.听
Anon

My Mam is currently a patient of the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton, North Yorkshire. She has been moved to the Rutson unit nearby where she is receiving treatment after a brain tumour was removed. Whilst in the Friarage itself she fell and broke a section of her back, she requires a specialist bed due to this. The Friarage originally couldn't provide this so she slept on a mattress on the floor (to stop her falling from the bed if she tried to get out). A local charity has paid for a specialist bed for the last few weeks but now cannot help further. The Friarage's response is that she will have to go back to sleeping on a mattress on the floor again as there's no money available to pay for the bed.

Even small things like the buzzer on the main door (to allow visitors entry) has been broken for months but again they can't afford to repair it, so you have to bang the door untill someone hears you.

I find it shocking and totally unacceptable. It sounds like something you would find in a Victorian hospital!

Money is no excuse,听 people's health is at stake and saying there's no money available for basic patient needs, let alone treatment, is disgraceful.

"Primary Care Trust"? They should be prosecuted under the trade descriptions act.
Simon

No bad experiences so far, but I'm not looking forward to giving birth later in the year...
Sarah

Still waiting for my wisdom tooth out!!! Muchos painful. It has been suggested that I write an 'exceptional circumstances' letter to the PCT- surely it makes more sense to save them money on time and admin by just whipping the tooth out!听
Ren

I work as a GP for the NHS in York.听 We staff and our patients are victims of a Government that is more interested in appearances than reality. I regret daily that I am unable to offer the sort of service that we should provide, but regrettably our hands are tied, and ever more we cannot refer patients for appointments we deem necessary at the hospital; instead our letters are vetted by non medical staff working from protocols and redirect our patients to other, less qualified (and cheaper) alternatives - ones we have already discounted through our experience and training.听The solution is not just to ask patients and staff what they want, but to actually implement these requests, not spout figures which have been manipulated.听
Anon GP York

My son needs an operation on his ears and nose but can not have this until the PCT sort their money problems out, he is in quite a lot of pain, I have spoke to the complaints manager of the PCT but it is getting me know where. Why are people having to suffer for the PCT's mistakes and why should a two and half year old boy have to suffer or any other child waiting for operations. All I get told is that I need to speak to my local MP I have done this he has spoke to the PCT and we just seem to be going round and round in circles. what more can I do?听
Emma Rees

I was rejected by the panel in march for an arthroscopy on my right knee.my surgeon and GP both wanted me to have this operation so my surgeon could decide whether to give me a knee replacement earlier than his start age of 45. I was medically retired from Royal Mail in April 2006 because of the arthritis making it impossible to carry out my duty at work. According to the pct panel I am of low priority so they will not allow funding but my GP has told me that without this operation the worse case scenario is that I could lose my leg because the longer I wait the worse the bones in my leg will become arthritic. As I'm on benefits taking tax payers money all I want is this operation so I can get back to work and with at least 20 yrs work left in me the pct would recoup their money back many times over
David Armitage

I and my partner and three children have been waiting on the NHS list for a dentist in our area of North Yorkshire since last April because our dentist went private. We just don't have the funds for all five of us to go private. I need several bits of work doing on my teeth but trying to get an emergency appointment unless you can drive for an hour at the drop of a hat (which is not an option for me) is the only way. Even if I do get to see the emergency dentist they will only sort out one tooth, so what's the point? They all seem to think because we live in Harrogate that we must be rich enough to pay but sadly, that's not the reality!
Georgina Lister

I was very ill in January and got nowhere seeing my GP's five times. They only gave me sick notes and told me to rest. Eventually I phoned my boss (I work on A&E in Harrogate). I went in and had an emergency MRI scan and was admitted for 2 days. On leaving an urgent referral was made for neurology. I was told it would be within two weeks. Even with working there and occupational health trying to hurry it up, it took almost nine weeks. I was then sent for urgent angiograms and have been diagnosed with an acute arterial artery dissection. It has taken three months to diagnose and I am only now starting treatment to try to get the artery working again. It has kept me off my job which I love and was a serious risk to my health. I am not bitter, just disappointed in my hospital which I think is a good one.
Ruth Whitehead

General medical wards are not equipped nor have the knowledge to cope/handle neurological patients.

I recently spent 8 months in hospital with neurological and cancer related problems. When on general wards I was left to cope with day to day things that a neurological person cannot deal with. In addition when mentioned to the staff when they are around they think it is a normal state of complaint when in fact it is neurologically linked.

Neuro patients need to be fed and looked after nearly 24 hours a day and when you have a ward full of paralysed patients this needs specialist one to one care where time needs to be spent washing, cleaning, feeding etc which is not provided with general wards

I was on a general ward before my 8 month incarceration for 6 weeks before my neurological diagnosis where I was being sick every few minutes. Not once was I offered to be washed or assisted in showering. On one occasion I tried to go for a shower, whereby I was sick several times in the shower and I had to clean this myself and find my own way back to the ward.

You cannot close the neurological ward. These patients are not your general type of illness it takes specialist understanding and care and cannot be dissolved into general practice.
Karen Appleyard

I haven't yet been a victim, but as E.N.T. is affected and I have problems it is a concern.
K Harvey

"The government said the PCT's had money ring fenced for dentistry. So what has the local PCT in Harrogate done with the money? There are now no NHS dentists in North Yorkshire. My children have had to join a practice plan, one of which is disabled and in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. More NI, more stealth tax and less NHS provision. Disgraceful and immoral. Even worse this week the Department of Health said access to NHS dentistry has greatly improved. Which planet is that on?"
Russ Piper

"I was told on fri 2nd of march by the consultant surgeon that i need arthroscopic surgery on damaged cartilage in my knee caused by an accident on the 20th oct.2006 I have been off work 4 months my knee locks and swells, is painful and i've been told that there is no money to repair my knee.听 I've been referred back to my gp who is now going to have to appeal this decision.听 I am absolutely appalled at the way i am being treated and effectively dismissed by the management structure.听 I feel very let down by the nhs! what next? a lottery for treatment buy your ticket on a wednesday see if you've got a winning ticket saturday!!!!!"
Karen Ratcliffe

"After 40 years of national insurance contributions I am now faced with paying for private health care. I consider this a "breach of contract" and would like to seek legal redress to obtain funds from the Government to fund my treatment."
David Metcalfe

"Having had a heart attack in November, an operation was very successful but my problems arose after as the medication given has had severe side effects. I should have had an appointment in outpatients with the consultant after 4-6 weeks, I'm still waiting and have now been told that it could be 16 weeks before they will even look at the appointment "due to cut-backs", doctor has written twice marked urgent, don't they consider that heart problems are urgent any more. It comes to something when you don't even know what they have done to you as no-one seems to want to tell me."
Anon

"Harrogate District Hospital has not had a permanent Psychiatric Consultant for people with learning difficulties for about 2 years. This impacts on quaity of life as no changes in medication can be made as their is no support mechanism in place."
Eleanor Borkett

"My registered NHS Dental practice recently went private. As no other Dentists in the Harrogate area are taking on new NHS patients we have had no option but to subscribe to private dental care which includes my wife and two children. I contacted the PCT to request they cover the cost of my children's dental care. They refused. I think it is a national scandal that in 2007 we are having to pay for basic health services which I've already paid for with NI & Income Tax."
Mark Campey

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