Jane Ball

Coach, mentor and NHS strategy manager.

[Jane Ball @GenuineJaneBall]

@DAaronovitch Ŵ

[Jane Ball @GenuineJaneBall]

@manairport @hlpdesk_manair Be glad to!

[Jane Ball @GenuineJaneBall]

Hello @hlpdesk_manair I bought parking at T3 when I paid Ryanair for an upcoming flight on NYE. No reservation confirmation received, so do I have parking booked or no?Ryanair won't help! Manchester Airport Parking wont help! So I've bought another space tonight. Can YOU help?

[Lauren Harrhy BDS PGDip @Laurenharrhy85]

📖 Story time; A general dentist reflects upon a case of throat cancer

A few years ago, at the practice which I now own, I was making my way down to reception with some papers.

The receptionist was talking to a man at the front desk who was not a current patient. She explained that we didn’t have space for new NHS patients. The gentleman explained that he didn’t necessarily want to see someone about his teeth but about the big lump at the back of his throat. He had been to see the GP over the road who had advised him that “it’s probably a cyst, go and see a dentist” as whatever the problem was it was affecting the fit of his denture - red flag 🚩

I had a spare few minutes so invited the gentleman to come to my surgery so that I could “have a quick look”

It was not a “quick look”

Upon inspection I found that the patient had a firm lump extending down the right hand side of his pharynx from the soft palate. He had no gag reflex to speak of so I was able to palpate quite far down. That was the second red flag 🚩

When discussing the patient’s medical history we talked about his use of alcohol (100+ units per week, possibly more) and his use of tobacco (60 cigarettes per day). Red flag number three 🚩

The patient had also recently lost some weight unintentionally but had, understandably, put it down to the stress of looking after his elderly mother who was terminally ill. Red flag 🚩 4

I had heard enough and put in a call to the local Maxillofacial department and asked for him to be seen urgently. Dentists aren’t able to refer directly into ENT.

Within days the patient called to inform us that it was cancer and to thank me for referring him.

This gentleman wrote me a letter some months later to express his gratitude that I had “saved his life”.

Of course, I had done no such thing, I had merely identified a substantial risk and referred him to the appropriate department. The treatment he received there was what saved him.

There are several things to take away from this story (and absolutely no shade to be thrown on my very busy, capable but overstretched GP colleagues)

1) The GP was not able to identify whether this was a lesion of concern (why would they? They have about a one hour lecture on oral cancer or something, the mouth isn’t specifically their area, like it would be for say; a dentist)

2) The GP advised the patient to go and see a dentist (someone who is used to looking at mouths all day), but this patient did not have access to a dentist. Had he not been in the right place at the right time (the front desk of my practice while I happened to be taking paperwork down and have five mins spare to examine him) he might not have been looked at for much, much longer. He was in no pain and would be unlikely to be triaged as “urgent” when ringing any helplines.

I have been the identifying/referring clinician several times through my career. I have cared for some of those patients when they have been well enough to come back to primary care.

I have even referred some of my patients for skin lesions (on the face & head) which have been malignant.

Oral cancer is often painless, unnoticed by the patient. Yes we must teach the public to self screen but where do they go then?

GP colleagues are overstretched, NHS dental services are at breaking point. Who will direct these patients into the hospital? A&E would be wholly inappropriate.

If you have made it this far, please know that I am not writing this to scare anyone or to virtue signal that I’ve picked up so many of these cases. I work in a deprived area, there is a correlation.

There is so much more awareness that needs to be raised around head and neck cancer. The government, healthcare professionals and the public could all stand to know more.

A good place to start is here:

https://t.co/9PQK14FVDh

November is a month for Mouth Cancer Awareness and blue is the colour we use to signify that

Thank you for reading

@TheBDA @MouthCancerMCF @TheBMA

[Jane Ball @GenuineJaneBall]

@Baddiel Sorry, @Baddiel, for me they've turned a great song of romantic anticipation into 2 creepy guys comparing notes!

[Anna Smith 💙 @HipThorn]

@ollieburtonmed Wouldn't it be lovely if a credible, electable opposition party or coalition offered policies designed to keep the NHS, restore it to a service which recognised its workers with fair salaries, a service everyone could be proud of? Then we could vote for that party/coalition.

[Ollie Burton @ollieburtonmed]

There's a new NHS article every 5 minutes. The bottom line is

1) we need vastly more doctors and nurses (and everyone else, including managers)
2) the government is not willing to pay for enough of them

You get the health service you are willing to vote or pay for.

[Steve in Toffeeland. @marrtoffee]

This week’s Private Eye

[Brexit Bin 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇩🇪🕊🇺🇦 #BrexitHasFailed @BrexitBin]

In case you missed it ...
Back at the start of Brexit, renowned economist @AdamPosen set out a very fair and balanced assessment of how Brexit would negatively affect our economy. Looking back at it, every word of what he said came true.
#BrexitHasFailed

[James Hogg @JamesAHogg2]

I'm sticking with Spike today. This is an absolute gem!

[Dr Steve Taylor @DrSteveTaylor]

GPs at CAPACITY

Government expects GPs to manage the current demand for appts alone

Despite 7% fewer GP - 7% increase in population- 10% waiting hospital treatments

A&E, Pharmacies, Urgent treatment centres, Hospitals all FULL

GPs are already doing 20% more

Blame MPs not GPs

[Keep Our NHS Public @keepnhspublic]

“Do not look at the American model. Build on what you have, improve what you have.

Healthcare is a human right, that’s what it is. And that was established here in 1948!”

@BernieSanders hits the nail on the head we fight to save our NHS

[Shabnam Nasimi @NasimiShabnam]

In Afghanistan, over 28 million people face starvation, while little children like this boy are forced to work on the streets to put bread on the table.

Where is the humanity. This is soul-shattering. We can't stay silent.

[Jack Kennedy @jackgkennedy]

A genuinely depressing day in admission avoidance today. 20 minutes to take a blood pressure.
Why? An octogenarian wears 7 layers to keep warm that needs to come off to expose her upper arm.
She can’t afford to heat her small 1 bed flat.
Retired nurse who gave 50 yrs to the NHS

[Big Up the NHS 💙 @butNHS]

Some say the government has deliberately defunded the NHS so that it will collapse and private medicine can take over.
Some have said that’s OK.
But remember this.
THERE IS NO PRIVATE PROVIDER IN THE WORLD THAT COULD UPSCALE TO REPLACE ALL OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES WITHIN A DECADE!

[Jane Ball @GenuineJaneBall]

To keep people warm this winter, and every winter that follows, @RishiSunak must commit to urgently funding insulation in this parliament.

2025 is too late for people struggling with bills. #CostOfLivingFilm https://t.co/nkcYLkADz4

[Greenpeace UK @GreenpeaceUK]

🚨 NEW: What do you do when the government abandons your community?

Persist against all odds.

#CostOfLivingFilm

[Dr Linda Dykes has moved to Bluesky @DrLindaDykes]

It beggars belief that the govt responds to news nurses have voted to strike by asking them to "carefully consider" the impact on patients... it's a crying shame the Tories didn't consider the impact on patients from a decade of #ToryAusterity & pay restraint. #ReapWhatYouSow

[jim rose circus @jimrosecircus1]

Apple Pi, Not everyone will get it, but those who do will be like me and re-tweet with glee.

[Mike Harding AKA Lord Hardinge of Dribblesdale @HardingMike]

Shouldn't this be on Page 1 of the Mail and Express?