Not quite in the way you might surmise, at The Gods of the Copybook Headings. Canadian provinces, anyone?
10 Replies to “The Dying British Weekend”
Stupid Brits. They should start a system like we have. You don’t have to worry about dying after surgery here in Canuckistan. Under Dear Tommy/Castro’s system,you’re lucky if you don’t die waiting in “emergency”,on a gurney in the hall.
But then I guess one could avoid all that by just screaming that you voted for Taliban/Tugem Jack on the way in.
Ever think of putting a space after a comma, Justthinkin? Sure would be more readable.
Ahhh …the medical experts expound……….
Administration of healthcare is a Provincial responsibility. The quality of Canadian healthcare depends on where you live in Canada. If you choose to live in a big city region with lots of unhealthy sick people than that’s your choice, don’t expect the best care in that case.
Ah yes, this “weekend” concept that I often hear people discussing but I have no idea what it is. It only seems to apply to non-physicians and often the first clue that I get that a “weekend” is in progress is that the hospital seems much less crowded. Physician and nursing coverage is available 365 days a year (for me 364 as I insist on taking New Years day off). What isn’t available is physiotherapy, dietician, occupational therapy and other services that don’t understand that people’s illness’s don’t take periodic breaks.
I’ll put in 100+ hours during a busy week but then I’ll take a week “off” where I might only work 2-3 hours during a day. I haven’t noticed any variation in increased mortality rates for people who have surgery on a Friday but I have noticed longer hospital stays for ortho patients who have surgery on a friday and then don’t see a physio for a couple of days. That happens infrequently as the single weekend physio usually is assigned to the ortho ward.
Nurses work a 4 day on 5 day off schedule and they are as unfamiliar with the “weekend” concept as I am. What really messes things up are the totally unexpected “long weekends” and I’ve asked hospital administration to provide warning of these events as I haven’t a clue when they are with my work schedule. Given that I find it impossible to not work when I’m in town, I take off 2 weeks every 3 months and leave town making sure to travel far enough that my pager is no longer operational.
OMG. The punctuation nazis are out. Okay. Putting it simply…our commie health care system kills!
And loki…hear you. I knew a doc who worked his butt off,24/7,in Valleyview.Was there any time he was needed. Died of a heart attack at 35. Probobly worked himself to death,but he cared.
Hospitals are as representative of our society as any other institution. Coming from a large family with many doctors, there are some that I would relate are very close to being saints and of course there are others I would not trust with a plant.
I could rant a book about our health scare system, I won’t tho, not good for my temper:-)))
I had the misfortune of having appendicitis on a Friday afternoon, almost 15 years ago in Calgary. The lack of surgeons combined with the steady stream of drunken injuries that I assume peak on Fri/Sat nights had me move hospitals once and sit in waiting rooms for over 12 hours before a surgeon was able to remove my appendix. Somewhere during that period, it ruptured and went septic. I was lucky enough to live, but forced to wear a colostomy bag for 3 months. I also managed to pick up Colostridium Difficile during my fine stay. Luckily I was in my mid-20s and very healthy. Another unfortunate young man died in a waiting room during that same summer, same thing. This is the only time I have ever really needed our healthcare system during my adult life and it failed me, almost killed me.
I get a little hostile when I hear some self-righteous “Canadian” wax eloquent on how great our healthcare system is, how we are the envy of the world. It is broken and no politician, right or left, has the guts to discuss any way forward other than more borrowed money being thrown at it.
Stupid Brits. They should start a system like we have. You don’t have to worry about dying after surgery here in Canuckistan. Under Dear Tommy/Castro’s system,you’re lucky if you don’t die waiting in “emergency”,on a gurney in the hall.
But then I guess one could avoid all that by just screaming that you voted for Taliban/Tugem Jack on the way in.
Welcome home David.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/06/04/david-miller-named-new-ceo-of-canadas-world-wildlife-fund/
If the shoe fits…
http://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2013/05/18/wwf-gets-into-bed-with-oppressive-dictatorship/
Wear it…
http://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2013/03/19/indonesian-official-compares-wwf-to-thieves/
Ever think of putting a space after a comma, Justthinkin? Sure would be more readable.
Ahhh …the medical experts expound……….
Administration of healthcare is a Provincial responsibility. The quality of Canadian healthcare depends on where you live in Canada. If you choose to live in a big city region with lots of unhealthy sick people than that’s your choice, don’t expect the best care in that case.
Ah yes, this “weekend” concept that I often hear people discussing but I have no idea what it is. It only seems to apply to non-physicians and often the first clue that I get that a “weekend” is in progress is that the hospital seems much less crowded. Physician and nursing coverage is available 365 days a year (for me 364 as I insist on taking New Years day off). What isn’t available is physiotherapy, dietician, occupational therapy and other services that don’t understand that people’s illness’s don’t take periodic breaks.
I’ll put in 100+ hours during a busy week but then I’ll take a week “off” where I might only work 2-3 hours during a day. I haven’t noticed any variation in increased mortality rates for people who have surgery on a Friday but I have noticed longer hospital stays for ortho patients who have surgery on a friday and then don’t see a physio for a couple of days. That happens infrequently as the single weekend physio usually is assigned to the ortho ward.
Nurses work a 4 day on 5 day off schedule and they are as unfamiliar with the “weekend” concept as I am. What really messes things up are the totally unexpected “long weekends” and I’ve asked hospital administration to provide warning of these events as I haven’t a clue when they are with my work schedule. Given that I find it impossible to not work when I’m in town, I take off 2 weeks every 3 months and leave town making sure to travel far enough that my pager is no longer operational.
OMG. The punctuation nazis are out. Okay. Putting it simply…our commie health care system kills!
And loki…hear you. I knew a doc who worked his butt off,24/7,in Valleyview.Was there any time he was needed. Died of a heart attack at 35. Probobly worked himself to death,but he cared.
Hospitals are as representative of our society as any other institution. Coming from a large family with many doctors, there are some that I would relate are very close to being saints and of course there are others I would not trust with a plant.
I could rant a book about our health scare system, I won’t tho, not good for my temper:-)))
I had the misfortune of having appendicitis on a Friday afternoon, almost 15 years ago in Calgary. The lack of surgeons combined with the steady stream of drunken injuries that I assume peak on Fri/Sat nights had me move hospitals once and sit in waiting rooms for over 12 hours before a surgeon was able to remove my appendix. Somewhere during that period, it ruptured and went septic. I was lucky enough to live, but forced to wear a colostomy bag for 3 months. I also managed to pick up Colostridium Difficile during my fine stay. Luckily I was in my mid-20s and very healthy. Another unfortunate young man died in a waiting room during that same summer, same thing. This is the only time I have ever really needed our healthcare system during my adult life and it failed me, almost killed me.
I get a little hostile when I hear some self-righteous “Canadian” wax eloquent on how great our healthcare system is, how we are the envy of the world. It is broken and no politician, right or left, has the guts to discuss any way forward other than more borrowed money being thrown at it.