First, there was the story of one of Canadia's premiers choosing to come here to the U.S. for heart surgery, electing to leave his nation's "model" health care system. From the Canadian Press
An unapologetic Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision.Second story: Today I read that there are ongoing NHS hospital woes in England. From the BBC:
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Williams said he went to Miami to have a "minimally invasive" surgery for an ailment first detected nearly a year ago, based on the advice of his doctors.
"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.
"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."
The 60-year-old Williams said doctors detected a heart murmur last spring and told him that one of his heart valves wasn't closing properly, creating a leakage.
He said he was told at the time that the problem was "moderate" and that he should come back for a checkup in six months.
Eight months later, in December, his doctors told him the problem had become severe and urged him to get his valve repaired immediately or risk heart failure, he said.
His doctors in Canada presented him with two options - a full or partial sternotomy, both of which would've required breaking bones, he said.
He said he spoke with and provided his medical information to a leading cardiac surgeon in New Jersey who is also from Newfoundland and Labrador. He advised him to seek treatment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami.
That's where he was treated by Dr. Joseph Lamelas, a cardiac surgeon who has performed more than 8,000 open-heart surgeries.
Williams said Lamelas made an incision under his arm that didn't require any bone breakage.
"I wanted to get in, get out fast, get back to work in a short period of time," the premier said.
Williams said he didn't announce his departure south of the border because he didn't want to create "a media gong show," but added that criticism would've followed him had he chose to have surgery in Canada.
"I would've been criticized if I had stayed in Canada and had been perceived as jumping a line or a wait list. ... I accept that. That's public life," he said.
"(But) this is not a unique phenomenon to me. This is something that happens with lots of families throughout this country, so I make no apologies for that."
Williams said his decision to go to the U.S. did not reflect any lack of faith in his own province's health care system.
"I have the utmost confidence in our own health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador, but we are just over half a million people," he said.
"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who's doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week."
Ah, yes ... the infamous wait times in Canada
[source: US News & World Reports].
Hospital patients were left "sobbing and humiliated" by uncaring staff, an investigation into one of the worst NHS scandals in history has found.
The independent inquiry claimed the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust had become driven by targets and cost-cutting.
The report - the latest in a long line of critical reviews - said the distress and suffering had been "unimaginable".
Last year it was reported there were at least 400 more deaths than expected at the trust from 2005 to 2008.
But the relatives of patients treated there said many questions still remained unanswered.
In particular, they want a public inquiry into how the scandal could have happened, including the role of the wider NHS in the case.
It may be uncomfortable for ministers, but there are still major questions that need to be answered about the Stafford Hospital scandal.The poor treatment patients received is now well documented. But what remains unclear is why it was not picked up earlier.
The hospital would have been monitored by a primary care trust, strategic health authority and host of patient safety agencies, but none picked up the problems. In fact, the SHA even dismissed concerns about high death rates at one point.
......
Stafford Hospital hit the headlines last year when a report was published by the Healthcare Commission claiming patients had been "dying needlessly" and put the number of excess deaths at more than 400.
It reported a catalogue of shocking examples, including cases where unqualified receptionists assessed people as they arrived at A&E.
...
This latest report also outlines instances where patients were "routinely neglected".
It documents cases where patients were left in soiled sheets which relatives were forced to wash.
And it highlights examples where patients were left alone, leading to falls - some fatal, which were not reported.
And one woman, who gave evidence, told the inquiry: "My Mum was in absolute agony, I can hear her screams now, as I walked into the ward."
Half of the patients and relatives who gave evidence also cited problems getting enough food and drink.
The report criticised the "ineffective" management which was too often concerned with hitting targets, particularly in A&E, as well as the "lack of compassion" and "uncaring attitude" of staff.
But staffing levels were also said to be too low because the trust was trying to slash costs by £10m.
"It is time that the public were told the truth about the very large number of excess deaths of patients in NHS care and the very large number of avoidable but deadly errors that occur in NHS hospitals every day."
Since the original Healthcare Commission report, inspectors have been carrying out regular checks and have said care is now safe, although some problems persist over staffing and equipment.
...
Sounds like a nightmare ... that some Americans think would solve all of our problems here. Wake up!
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