Monday 27 April 2009

Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave...

...when we let civil service bureaucracy have unfettered license to design healthcare systems:
A mother-to-be has been turned down for free dental treatment - because the surgery will not accept that she is expecting.

Sarah Luisis, 27, who is five months pregnant, has been told she needs to provide more proof that she has a baby on the way.
Well, fair dos. Some women these days are huge, and you can’t expect them to just assume that she’s pregnant, instead of just had too much chocolate!

If only she had some sort of medical confirma...

Oh:
That is despite the fact that she has a big bump, a doctor's certificate, antenatal notes and ultrasound pictures of her unborn child.
And that isn’t considered ‘evidence’?

No, it seems she’s missing a magical document that will open the world of free dentistry to her. And if she doesn’t have that particular document no other will do.

Welcome to the NHS, envy of the world!
... the mother of one was turned away from St John's dental practice in Romford because she did not have a Maternity Exemption Certificate.

She said: 'I filled in a form to get the certificate when I found out I was pregnant and sent it off.

'But I've discovered that the form was never received in Newcastle where the certificates are issued.

'I now have to fill in another form but that could take up to four weeks to be approved.'
And if that one also gets lost in the post, she could have actually delivered by the time she gets to see a dentist!

Needless to say, the cries of ‘It’s not our fault!’ ring out loud and clear:
A spokesman for the dental surgery said: 'This is not our policy. It comes from the health authority.

'The PCT have said to us, "We will not pay you if you don't have this information".

'It's not up to us, and we used to take people's word.'
Aha. They used to take people’s word. I wonder why they now don’t?

Is it because the system was abused? And, in order to prevent the abuse, a magical document, the One Form of Pregnancy, was created? I bet that’s what happened...

And now, in spite of the fact that she has other medically-certified forms of proof, without that document, she can’t get treatment.

Because people’s judgement isn’t good enough. All must worship The System. And Pay Homage to Its Forms and Procedures....

8 comments:

Henry North London 2.0 said...

Its becoming a joke Cant they see the bulge?

Mark Wadsworth said...

Nice one. I posted it at NationalDeathService.

It reminds of the time I had to sign an NHS form at the dentist saying I wasn't entitled to free treatment - having just paid the bill by debit card.

Henry North London 2.0 said...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wGr8njEWjtI/Sa9B6Q_HuuI/AAAAAAAACHY/QPedqE599nI/s1600/Relllii%2B(ANON).jpg

From Cake wrecks blogspot

Sarah Luisis said...

Thank you for your support! It seems people are missing my point entirely on The Mail Online.

"If she cant afford £40, why is she having another child"

This isnt about whether I can afford it or not, this is about principles. Why am I being made to jump through hoops to get something I am entitled to?

Sarah Luisis

Henry North London 2.0 said...

Absolutely

Its like Im on benefits and Im entitled to them. I pay 40% tax when I work, why the hell shouldnt I get benefits when Im not working?

Dr Evil said...

I hate bureaucracy. I really do. Of course the NHS loves it. That's why in the 60s you had about 6 or 8 admin staff for the hospital itself (excluding departmental secretaries). Now you have about 200.

JuliaM said...

"It reminds of the time I had to sign an NHS form at the dentist saying I wasn't entitled to free treatment - having just paid the bill by debit card."

Good grief...!

"Why am I being made to jump through hoops to get something I am entitled to?"

Because it's what the Righteous (see LegIron's blog for the origin of that term, at http://leg-iron.livejournal.com/) excel at, ensuring that people are made to feel dependent on the largesse of the state. It also serves to keep legions of penpushers in jobs.

Initiative and thinkuing 'ourtside the box' is discouraged in all bureacracies.

"I pay 40% tax when I work, why the hell shouldnt I get benefits when Im not working?"

Welcome, Sarah.

I fear the reason is because, despite what they claim, they don't intend for YOU to have those benefits. They intend for their own special 'pets' to have them.

The ones who haven't worked in their lives. And often don't intend to....

Sam Collins said...

Hi all,
My name is Sam Collins, and I am working (along with think tank Progressive Vision) with an American film maker on a film about the NHS, and how a public health system is run (both the positives and negatives). Frankly, this type of story is exactly the type of thing we are looking for (along with, of course, positive stories of the NHS). Sarah, if you would be willing to be interviewed about this story, please let me know. If anyone has a similar story of NHS bureaucracy or waiting lists messing up a life they would be willing to share, please contact me on sam.collins@progressive-vision.org