Don’t carry on striking too long for all our sakes

WHILE sitting in a hospital waiting room, my head in a newspaper, my eye caught an article about the seven-day NHS getting ever closer.

I was very amused, because I was in Hillingdon Hospital with Mr F … on a Saturday! Yes, it was a weekend.

The hospital, you won’t be surprised to know, hadn’t opened especially for him, and it all felt very normal and workaday.

Mr F was having acupuncture for a dodgy back, and it was NHS treatment, not private, in case you were wondering.

I did read on though to find that the article was mainly about the clause being scrapped that allows senior hospitals to opt out of shifts on Saturdays and Sundays.

A worthy move, as it aims to give the public the same high level of service every day of the week.

I have to say our experience at the weekend a year ago was very positive when Mr F was admitted to Hillingdon Hospital and needed an emergency operation.

He was rushed through to resusc, and there seemed plenty of expertise on call, including someone brought in to take a vital scan.

The doctors on duty who were presumably junior doctors – apparently the description for all medics below the level of consultant – worked tirelessly to find out what was wrong and he was operated on as soon as possible.

You will remember it was only the so-called 999 service that had let us down by refusing to send an ambulance, which still makes my blood boil, but I won’t go over old ground again.

Instead, let’s give a big, loud, positive Gazette cheer that after five months of crippling strikes, the junior doctors’ union has agreed to a deal. But – there’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there? – there are now fears that the deal will be rejected in a members’ referendum to be held this month (June).

I think they should worry more about losing public sympathy.

Many think it is wrong for doctors ever to withdraw labour – others are tired of having operations and appointments postponed. Support is hanging by a thread.

Oh please, red carpet people, stop showing us acres of unfettered flesh. It’s not daring or sexy. It’s boring. It’s like being trapped in a Carry On Doctor movie. At least for Barbara Windsor, showing side boobs and buttocks was in the script.