NHS

The NHS has been a significant part of my life for all of my 50 yrs. I was born, prematurely with a low birth weight [how the hell I ended up this size...well another post].

In my first few years I was identified to have deafness in my right ear. That started the fun [not] in the ensuing years I had my adenoids scraped, my tonsils removed, my eardrum pierced and my sinuses washed out [leaving me with a lifetime sinus problems which can't be cured]. After all that it was declared I had congenital deafness. These traumatic toddler/primary school years left me a scarred and neurotic child. my teens were filled with Psychological problems emanating from my brothers death, my mothers descent into depression and my fathers inability to cope with it all. My escape ?? The NHS, I became a nurse, a Psychiatric nurse to be precise and I found I had a natural proclivity to be a listener and a friend, a curious ability to retain copious amounts of unrelated facts & figures helped me Qualify. 30 years later and I was still there now working in commissioning care at a fairly senior level.

I met my ex through the NHS. My daughter is now looking to work in the NHS [My son thankfully escaped this madhouse and opted to do an Mchem]. My present partner works in the NHS.

AT the age of 42 and a bit I discovered that I had developed a fairly rare form of a life threatening disease, the NHS discovered it, diagnosed and have been treating me for it since [with varying degrees of success...another post].

So I have seen most of the NHS from whichever side you think there could be. Yes, it is flawed, what isn't. However the overwhelming majority of people who work in the NHS do so with poor pay, poor prospects, poor management systems and terrible political interference in what should be a non-politicised service. The level of service is as good as you can expect from a publicly funded body.

Rant if you must and be outraged about some media inspired shock headline, but if you want alternatives look abroad and see the other systems..... YOU WILL PAY MORE ....

My solution? Take the politics out of health care, ring fence the National Insurance so it actually goes to the Heath care system [and doesn't prop up a failing bank or 10] and let the people who are trained to do what they are good at, do it....

It won't happen of course, but let's leave them in peace anyway.......