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The NHS is very strict about language... this is following a string of problems and safety issues over NHS staff not understanding what patients needed . So now all NHS staff HAVE to be able to understand both oral and written English.
Take the PC out of this for a minute. If you are ill and in pain wouldn't you want the person treating you to understand fully what you needed?
And if you were ill and in pain wouldn;t you want to be able to tell the person treating you what you needed?
FM
I have to say Issy, when I was in hospital last April, the agency staff (after 8pm), came from all over the world, which I would normally love, but they were so badly out of their depth that you have to question the system of taking them on. The language barrier was huge and the routine went out the window every night, medicine which should have been given by 9pm was never finished until midnight unless there was a regular nurse on the ward to supervise. I fell asleep for 5 minutes and was overlooked for my medication, when I went to chase the nurse she disputed that it was her duty to administer the stuff (which was keeping me going) and I had to ask for a duty doctor to solve the situation. During the day great, at night, mayhem.
cologne 1
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I have to say Issy, when I was in hospital last April, the agency staff (after 8pm), came from all over the world, which I would normally love, but they were so badly out of their depth that you have to question the system of taking them on. The language barrier was huge and the routine went out the window every night, medicine which should have been given by 9pm was never finished until midnight unless there was a regular nurse on the ward to supervise. I fell asleep for 5 minutes and was overlooked for my medication, when I went to chase the nurse she disputed that it was her duty to administer the stuff (which was keeping me going) and I had to ask for a duty doctor to solve the situation. During the day great, at night, mayhem.

Exactly my point Cologne. It is so dangerous and these are people's lives we are messing with,

BUT they are supposed to be improving now and nurses and doctors do have to take language tests before they are allowed to register with the BMA and the NMC.
FM
I have nothing against nurses from overseas, but agency staff seem not to be capable of keeping to the routine, which I totally understand, they are somewhere else every night, I just question the system. Does it really save money, rather than keeping the usual staff, paying them decent wages instead of giving it to a middle man and holding on to them because they really do seem dedicated. I'm not saying the agency nurses aren't before somebody jumps on me, but the whole feeling of the ward changed after 8pm.
cologne 1
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Why did you query my "especially the elderly "observation?  You're a self professed expert on all NHS matters so why do you agree and yet at the same time disagree on some topics?

I am not a self professed expert Hobbes - I work for the NHS and have done for as long as I can remember. Doesn't make me an expert although I may know more than someone who has never worked for them

I suppose  I should apologise though . I am naturally defensive of older people and really why would they have any more trouble understanding someone who had poor English skills than any other person. Perhaps I should have made that clearer.
FM
Speaking from my own experience I found that the nurses from other countries worked like they were the Duracell bunny,they never stopped running around and chatting to one I discovered when nursing in their local hospitals because the ratio of patients to nurses was so high this was the norm for them....I couldn't fault them in any way .
~Lee~
Aha. The issue of the NHS staff and their English (and pronunciation of certain words). When I was in hopsital last year, some nurse nearly got a kick right up her chuff cos I misheard what she was saying about me. They were doing their handover thing they do at night and this one nurse who had just come on was talking about me and what I needed and she said something about 'that bit' while pointing at a bit of paper. I thought she said 'that bitch'. She kept on saying, 'yes, and what about that bit'...ah ok I see the bit now'.

By the time she'd finished yapping I was raging (I even phoned me mum and expressed my anger ) and when her nurse mate came in to see me I glared at her all Medusa like and when it was explained what the other one was really talking about I felt like a prize dick

Needless to say the nurse in question was actually bloody lovely (she nabbed me some toast and tea in the middle of the night) and if was was indeed calling me a bitch, I could hardly have done her for slander, could I
Karma_
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Aha. The issue of the NHS staff and their English (and pronunciation of certain words). When I was in hopsital last year, some nurse nearly got a kick right up her chuff cos I misheard what she was saying about me. They were doing their handover thing they do at night and this one nurse who had just come on was talking about me and what I needed and she said something about 'that bit' while pointing at a bit of paper. I thought she said 'that bitch'. She kept on saying, 'yes, and what about that bit'...ah ok I see the bit now'. By the time she'd finished yapping I was raging (I even phoned me mum and expressed my anger ) and when her nurse mate came in to see me I glared at her all Medusa like and when it was explained what the other one was really talking about I felt like a prize dick Needless to say the nurse in question was actually bloody lovely (she nabbed me some toast and tea in the middle of the night) and if was was indeed calling me a bitch, I could hardly have done her for slander, could I
I know I shouldn't but that did make me laugh..
But at least you got tea and toast.
FM
I always try and find humour when I'm in hospital (casualty on a Saturday night can be a right hoot!) The nurse was quite new and was trying really hard to keep things as confidential as possible, not even mentioning other patients names or what they were they for. I really appreciated that (after the bitch episode), cos the amount of medical staff who have zero discretion is shocking. With my old GP's surgery, I could sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes and know someone's full name, address, date of birth, phone number and medical history. I was forever complaining to the GP about it cos I thought it was not only bang out of order, but surely breaching a confidentiality law of some kind?
Karma_
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With my old GP's surgery, I could sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes and know someone's full name, address, date of birth, phone number and medical history. I was forever complaining to the GP about it cos I thought it was not only bang out of order, but surely breaching a confidentiality law of some kind?
Its completely unprofessional and if you reported it to the Care Quality Commission they would investigate it.
FM
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Karma - my parents surgery has a nighmare receptionist who thinks it her business to know everyone's reason for their visit. My mother takes a peverse delight in thinking up the most bizarre ailments to keep her on her toes.

Yay gwaan Mother Cariad! It was one of the reasons I changed my GP, knowing those Janet Street Porter soundalikes had access to my medical records and probably discussed it with each other over their mid-morning cuppa (as well as old Joan the neighbour over the garden fence), also I know that other patients complained too, but nothing seemed to be done. At my new practice not only is my GP brilliant, the receptionists seem to understand discretion (although I still have my gripes about their incompetence from time to time - it's compulsory, my world wouldn't turn without it )

And good to see you missus, hope you and yours are well x
Karma_
It's simple really, even a PC brigade monkey sould understand this....ANYONE moving to another country to start a new life where the language is different (BEFORE ENTERING THAT NEW COUNTRY) should have already learned that countries language...and that goes for all those middle aged leathery skinned tossers who leave England to start a new life in Spain or France.


It's just lazy to expact  the locals to have to speak to you in your language instead of speaking to them in their own language.... in their country.
Videostar

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