Pet scan

[Norrie]

HIya Alan, if you want I will mail you Geoff the Cod's address, he's a G.P. and also does a lot of work with Monklands and Wishaw Hospitals.

Cheers

Norrie

[Newt]

These folks may be a good source of accurate information.

 

Might also be good to check how many MRI scanners are there though. Still an outstanding diagnostic scanning system and often there is no need to go the extra to get a PET scan.

[Alan Taylor]

Norrie:

Yes please Norrie.

 

Newt, agreed, the pet scan is only ordered if the results from the ct scan are not good enough. He has booked the Pet scan as there is a 16 day waiting list and it is easier/quicker to cancel and move someone up the list.

 

Thanks for the link, very interesting.

 

He did the Bronchoscope and has it on VIDEO. You can see loads of stuff with the camera they ran down into his lungs. He recons it would make one of those space invaders games. sic.

 

His car failed the MOT but he can buy spares for that.

 

He was glowing today, he had the lung exam with radio active fluid injected into his blood system.

 

I wonder how much the machines cost to buy/maintain/run and train people to use em.

 

ATB

 

Alan(nl)

 

[ 29. January 2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Alan Taylor ]

[Newt]

Alan Taylor:

I wonder how much the machines cost to buy/maintain/run and train people to use em.

A huge amount I'm sure. And any institution getting one would have to run a large number of patients thru day-in and day-out to make payments on the thing.

 

A hospital where I lived several years ago is in a medium size town and a lightly populated area. They solved the problem (MRI though, not PET) by housing a unit in a large trailer to be pulled by a truck. One of the 18 wheeler rigs.

 

Hospitals in that area built a special parking dock for the trailer and on days when it was at their facility, they could simply open a door that led directly into the trailer and have a MRI clinic.

 

In fact, there were 4 different devices that traveled a circuit on a regular schedule. Great way for smaller hospitals to offer a service they couldn't afford otherwise. The equipment could easily move several hundred miles during the evening and be set up & operational the next day with staff and all.

[Norrie]

Alan ,Hi, You have pm.... Geoff is the boy to give you running costs etc...

Norrie

[Alan Taylor]

Norrie:

Alan ,Hi, You have pm.... Geoff is the boy to give you running costs etc...

Norrie

I hope you guys don't mind this but I would just like to pass on my mates good news. Its a bit complicated but I will keep it short.

 

They can operate and will give him a date on the 18th Feb, it would have been the 17th but he is booked on a charter trip

Depending on the results of the Pet Scan it will be either 2 operations, 1 a little one followed by the big one at a later date or just the big one at the end of the month.

He has also been told that his pluming is fine and if required (very doubtful) he can continue on 1 lung.

 

The specialist was not too pleased that he is still smoking even though he is down to 10 a day and has an aquapuncture session arranged.

 

Sorry to keep this one going but I have had a few emails wishing him well and he appreciated them a lot.

 

Tight lines

 

Alan(nl)

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Hi Alan

 

Good to hear your friend is getting the treatment he needs when he needs it.

 

How does the health care system work across there, is it all publicly funded, or do you need insurance?

 

If publicly funded what rates of tax do people pay, and is there a seperate National Insurance scheme or similar?

[Guest Ferret1959]

Alan,

If you mate wants to chat about his little problem(I treated mine like that) then you know how to get intouch.

Oh tell him all the best and it will be a breeze.

(or should that be wheeze )

[Alan Taylor]

NickInTheNorth:

Hi Alan

 

Good to hear your friend is getting the treatment he needs when he needs it.

Thanks, I will pass on your and Ferrets kind wishes.

 

As for the medical system over here, thats a big topic.

My employer pays 6.250% of my salary into the "pot" and I pay 1.700% out of my salary into the same "pot". This contribution is why I work part time for an employer and can't afford to chance expanding my business by employing people. Maggie did a good thing for the UK when she opted out of the "Social Chapter of the Mastrict treaty".

 

The "pot" is one of several Insurance companies that specialise in medical insurance and it is compulsory even if you are unemployed.

 

The system is properly "policed", for the first 3 days there is no payment of sick pay. A claimant can be called on at ANY time, day or night by a medical person from the Pot, etc etc.

 

Another thing is nurses, there is a drastic shortage of them so a lot work part time with Grandparents looking after the kids and picking them up from school etc. Flexi hours are also used. One hospital in Utrecht brings nurses over from the far east and has a unit that teaches them (full time) Dutch before they are let loose on the wards.

 

Sorry I can't add too much more, I just pay in and even though there has just been a 15% increase hardly any one complained as opposed to when MXstream put up there fast internet coections charges up by 1% above the cost of living there were questions asked in Parliment.

 

If anyone is really interested in this as a topic, let me know and I will do some diging.

 

ATB

 

Alan(nl)

[Norrie]

Hi Alan, Great News, Give him my best, He can stop the fags if he wants, till 4 years ago I was at least 80 a day, plus roll ups. Maybe this wee fright is the impetus he needs. Eh! Also,I had a next door neighbour who had a lung taken out and is going as strong as ever 20years later.

Cheers

Norrie