Hi

I am not sure whether this is the right place to put this. But i am really fed up with all the things the government is doing without it seems fully thinking it out. I am worried to what they are going to do to the NHS as at last I am settled at a hospital with a lovely consultant and feel secure that I am getting looked after.

I dont really know the full ins and outs but one doctor on the tv gave me the impression that it was increasing competitiveness and so standards but teh other side of the coin is that the private hospitals only will deal with healthy people and not people with rheumotological diseases. I suppose these private hospitals will get the prime earners and reject the areas with large overheads. Maybe I am being negative to change - can anyway give a positive spin to this...

I had a good chat to my GP about this yesterday. He says that EVEN the GP's haven't been told what is happening yet - so what hope is there for us. As you know, the white Paper only went through this week. I am sure NRAS will update us as and when info is available. My Gp reassured me that my rheumatology treatment would remain unchanged

Just what I was thinking Lyn......if mine remains the same I'll be in dire need!

Here's hoping for improvements!

Doreen xx

This worries me too. Some of the drugs that we take are not cheap and if our GP's are in charge of arranging and funding our treatment they make think that is too much money to spend on one patient in their practice. I'm thinking here of the costs of the Anti TNF's and extras like physio's OT's etc. My hospital is so good and I would hate to think that the cost of my care would come into question. I've just had a hours appointment today with a lovely OT who is going to take me under her wing and talk to me to help to come to terms with this horrid illness. She wants to talk to me, about me, and how its affecting my life and help me with stress etc.

I have read that 80% of treatment will be up to the GP with 20% remaining with the hospital, so I am hoping that because our illness is so complex and needs to be constantly monitored it will be left in the hands of the hospital.

Paula

What worries me is that the GPs will be slower to refer us on to the specialists. When I first got ill two GPs totally misdiagnosed me and you also hear this often with early cancer symptoms.