As Charlie the mastiff shot past me, I grabbed for his chain - and seriously aggravated old shoulder and elbow injuries. Several stone of excited dog are not something to get in front of!
After hours of suffering pain in the way only men can, the Editor dragged me to the local surgery. We had an emergency appointment and a prescription for opiate-based painkillers all in under 30 minutes.
When I had this injury back at the nick, it took two days to get Healthcare to even talk to me and the result was the standard Lazarus mixture of Ibuprofen and paracetamol.
The official line is that healthcare provision for prisoners is broadly equivalent to that received in the community. I can tell you now, with greater authority, that is a lie of monumental proportions.
The difference lays in two factors. Firstly, prison medical staff work on the assumption that we are all lying bastards just trying to pull some scam or other when we appear to be ill. And secondly, prison healthcare providers scheme with prison managers to avoid giving cons prescription drugs lest they make drug testing slightly more awkward.
Result? I sat there in miserable pain. I sit here slightly woozy but functional. This is better.
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I'd say you are lucky in a way Ben. I have been taking codeine for migranes for almost 30 years and now I have developped an really serious allergy to it. No other painkiller does anything for me. So, now your out and can have codeine for pain, you're on a roll, just don't overdo the stuff, but you'll probably be alright since you've never had any of it until the grand old age of 47.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I wanted to mention is about how prisoners get treated when they present with medical problems, that they are dismissed; well, we get the same, mental health service users are dismissed if we make complaints about our physical health, they consider we have made it up, its psychosematic or something like that. I have known people with a history of mental illness who required urgent medical attention for physical problems being denied it - and dying as a consequence.
It ain't a bed of roses out here either, you know.
Oh Ben, I never thought I'd say this but I think release has softened you already! A small comparison... really?
ReplyDeleteI think you've been too kind, either that or the prison's I've worked in have had the shitty end of the healthcare stick.
And I do appreciate things aren't great out here too, but I've had hard men come to my office out of the way to sob from the pain they're in, usually dental but there was a case with kidney stones that I just don't wish to recall.. We treat animals better.
And it's not just issues with emergency healthcare... I've seen guys with terminal and mental illnesses deprived of their medication for days, weeks and powerless to do anything about it.
I could go on but would probably end up in trouble (again :) )
So why didn't you report all of this? Surely you were/are bound to do so by the UKCC code of conduct (NMC 2002)?? You could always vote with your feet and work elsewhere.....
DeleteDear anon
DeleteEverything was documented and reported, lack of change prompted me to vote with my feet and go.
Shell
Very true Ben - if you recall our liaisons in Leyhill - I had my dislocated thumb - and they kept me in plaster for 8 weeks without even changing it!!! the reasons they said it was totally fine and the longer it was on would make it more stable and they thought I was trying to pull a fast one and because of security risk!! After weeks of complaining they eventually decided I was being normal!! Then when they eventually took me to Frenchay hospital I was amazed when the SO said I will drop you off here and I will be back in two hours for you - make sure your back here! Security risk my ass!! LOL - Chris B
ReplyDeleteInteresting point about the issue of meds in prison Ben. A different perspective on the subject is that (in general, and compared to a similarly sized group of men of an age range of say 25-55) prisoners are about 3 times more likely to visit the healthcare centre than their un-imprisoned counterparts are likely to visit their GP for identical complaints. There are many reasons for this; the man on the street perhaps can't afford to take the time off work to visit whereas its free for prisoners, the cost of prescriptions (£7.65 per item) may be prohibitive whereas they are free for prisoners too. Also many prisoners go sick to attempt to be classed as "labour 3" (light work only) or "rest in cell" (no work) etc etc. Many prisoners have a disproportionately high incidence of accessing prison healthcare because they lead chaotic lifestyles in the community and don't even bother to register whereas in prison registration is free and part of the reception process. The point you make about the issue of co-codamol (and many many other medications) is flawed: the fact is that if you are prescribed it and then given an MDT and it is present at the screening test result you know that it will be eliminated on the confirmation test. The reality is that many prisoners try to get meds prescribed in order to either use the prescription to mask other (illicit) drug use, or to use their prescription as currency.... A quick look at the gang activity around the med issue hatch proves that ,... Your blog is interesting and informative but sadly subjective (again) ... On a completely different note couldn't you take a "legal opinion" on your unfortunate canine related accident?? Surely AS Law or Carringtons will take this forward as a legally aided case deserving substantial compensation, or does that sort of thing only happen in prison??
ReplyDeleteA screws perspective is always....'interesting'.
ReplyDelete@ Darby-ironically both interesting & true!
ReplyDeleteDarby, I'm not a screw, I'm an ex con ( it was me who disagreed with you on bens other recent posts) for some reason all I can do is blog as anonymous, so ( for clarity's sake) ill sign off as "cynic-al" from now on. Anyway, how is it that whenever I disagree with the great Ben you assume I'm a screw? Are you paranoid, or just unable ( still) to accept that there are those amongst us who don't see things as your messiah does? ..... Oops, forgot, he's NOT the messiah, he's just a naughty boy
ReplyDelete'A screws perspective is always....'interesting'.'
DeleteAs is, a cons who thinks like one!
No, just an ex con who isn't quite as institutionalised as some and one who can see across the divide... Give it a try Darby, as I said a couple of weeks ago "free your mind and the rest will follow" ... On the other hand of course you could just pull your blinkers that little bit tighter and maintain what is obviously a very narrow. Field of vision ... Cynic-Al
DeleteIt is always preferable to have a doctor who is capable of listening when you really need to talk to a doctor about a difficult set of symptoms.http://www.md247.com
ReplyDeleteIt is always preferable to have a doctor who is capable of listening when you really need to talk to a doctor about a difficult set of symptoms.http://www.md247.com
ReplyDeleteFirst thing? In your picture, Ben, you look good for 47, so the crap food never destroyed your well being, did it?
ReplyDeleteSo, you get released, and you find someone with a big Bullmastiff, hey-presto, collateral
damage. It is strange, but for over 30years, you have had a similar Bullmastiff at you, but that one was the moronic prison service, at your arse 24/7. You can turn this around, and learn to run-with-the-beast, or die by the beast? You better start by sliming your belly down, riding a bike, and taking that damn beast, for very, very long walks, to wear the bugger out! Life is fun, isn't it Ben?