NHS satisfaction
I want to tell you a story. In a nutshell my story is the story of both the evolution of the NHS, its success and its Achilles’ heel.
I'm a, mostly, healthy active 74-year-old. For more than 30 years I've lived in Waterlooville and been served by the same GP practice which has never let me down despite evolving and expanding to offer a range of services and support including a panel of doctors and specialist paramedics and nurses.
In the past five years I've had good reasons to thank Queen Alexandra Hospital and its A and E department. Gall bladder, kidney stones, torn shoulder tendon, blood disorder and other issues including several stays in wards and ongoing care.
On one occasion my GP took a precautionary blood test which was passed to QA for testing the same day.
The test was completed after hours and, when found to have a very serious problem, was urgently
passed to haematology (the blood specialists) who phoned the out-ofhours service which sent a doctor to my house to check I was OK and tell me to go to hospital immediately. This resulted in an extended stay in a ward and serious medication, successfully, for three months. Please Emma Kay (Less lip service, more action is needed to save our NHS, Wednesday, July 28) don't tell me that the NHS is failing or at breaking point or on the point of collapse, it’s not true. You just make my blood boil.
The NHS is a magnificent organisation employing more than 1,000,000 people and serving millions of us every week courteously and professionally despite pressures and demands and is far more than just doctors and nurses. My stay in hospital depended on cleaners, caterers, porters, building maintenance and many other trades. Your self-serving smug simplistic attack on those struggling with rocketing demand and limited finances is demoralising for those very people you claim to speak for. I know that because I know some of them and they hate it.
I do wonder if you have any idea of the enormous financial cost of health and care in the UK?
You say you would happily pay an extra one per cent income tax towards their pay which is very magnanimous of you but what about services, new drugs and buildings, and while we're at it how about one per cent for care in old age and police and local government and the environment and the myriad other demands on the taxpayer.
The simple but difficult truth is that health spending has increased substantially in the past 20 years but demand has outstripped spending and shows no sign of slowing down and I and my fellow happy but needy retirees are part of the reason.
My story is nothing new or unusual. Many of the contributors to this letters page would tell the same and more.
So please Emma, if you want to write about the problems of the NHS, first recognise the wonderful work they are doing, recognise the successes and recognise that
Don't tell me that the NHS is failing or at breaking point or on the point of collapse, it’s not true
TONY HAMLETT
the vast majority of patients are satisfied. The NHS desperately needs an honest rational realistic discussion on the future – not emotional political posturing.
Tony Hamlett, Waterlooville