It seems to be de rigueur, or fashionable, to knock the National Health Service every now and again and read about another scandal of incompetence, inadequacy, failing or funding, but there are few good news stories that get the same headlines. Dear old NHS took a bashing last year when the USA were making comparisons with what could be their model and then certain individuals made comments about it using their opinions to create a vision of uselessness for our friends accross the pond. I was horrified by that criticism. None of us are perfect, many of us make mistakes, and I know that lives are often at stake in our Health Service, so that does not excuse the mistakes, but there is more to the NHS than a few random poor examples.
Personally I cannot see any US model that could replicate our NHS model anyway, when so many precedents and history has been so solidly based on private health and insurance schemes. Our NHS has evolved and developed over many years, from an entirely different base, and it will continue to move on, and with a private sector in the market place.
I can speak with much experience, and I would generally say the NHS is wonderful, but I have to admit I have had moments when I have also been upset, annoyed and even disgusted by what I have seen in the NHS. But where I have seen faults, I have seen people try and fix things and resolve problems.
I had an awful road accident 21 years ago. I was in a mess. I was virtually dead, when I got to the nearest accident and emergency unit. They patched me up, I lived, and I have had pain and difficulties from those injuries ever since. I have actually lived with one leg much shorter than the other. I cannot run, I lose my balance, and I get terrific leg and back pain-and headaches. But I am glad to be alive. 21 years ago is a long time in medical history. I have also aged in that time! Now the NHS is rebreaking me and resetting me. I have several operations to go through, and only one has happened, but that was the most significant-breaking and straightening the hip/pelvis and femur. It was a 7 hour operation and a pretty tough one for the medics, and me! Its taking a while to recover, but its still the NHS.
I went private to get a diagnosis, and a possible solution, as I had experienced about two years of increasing and burdening pain. I was then referred to Kings College London, back on the NHS, because this particular specialism-Limb Reconstruction-is the best you can find in the UK. And despite my frustrations and overcoming my own demons-boredom and a lack of activity-I have had superb treatment-at every step and from every individual involved. It has been communicated, coordinated and controlled superbly too.
So I have nothing but praise for the NHS. I just wish I could have had this surgery sooner, but hindsight is a great science, and the knowledge has not been around for long anyway.
I can of course talk about poor service at the NHS, but hey that was in Maidstone during a time when the world probably heard about the scandals there, under a certain Chief Executive who no longer holds the post.
If the USA ever gets anything like our model that bears any common ground with the NHS then they will be lucky. I do not know the US well enough to make any predictions, but its more political and economic than it is to do with health, so I can only wish Obama well with it. But then will he be around long enough to actually see it happen for it to be anywhere near our NHS?
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