NHS is a something we can be proud of
With a severe cold snap just before Christmas and a virulent strain of flu doing the rounds, unfortunately, many people will have had to access NHS services over Christmas and New Year.
Indeed, the demand on our NHS services has been unprecedented in recent weeks. Outbreaks of flu, respiratory illnesses and slips and trips have led to additional pressure on hospitals. The Scottish Government has been working closely with health boards on the run up to, and during the festive period, providing additional funding to help tackle waiting times and delayed discharges.
Before Christmas the health secretary, Shona Robison, announced an additional £22.4 million to be invested across Scotland this year to ensure good patient flow in hospitals and in the community during this particularly busy spell.
Individual boards have responded to the pressures they are facing in line with their winter planning processes. While NHS England has cancelled all elective surgery until the end of January, people across Scotland can be reassured that there is no blanket cancellation of procedures for this month.
What remains a constant is the dedication of staff across Scotland’s healthcare system who should get the praise they rightly deserve.
As a registered mental health nurse I have an unpaid honorary contract with the NHS and was able to witness the dedication of NHS staff first hand when I worked in the health service over the Christmas holidays.
We have heard heartening stories of office based staff, including senior managers, rolling up their sleeves to help their colleagues cope with demand. Many volunteered to be re-deployed at hospitals and GP practices in supporting roles, including administrative work and cleaning duties.
NHS Lanarkshire have also announced that GP surgeries will open on Saturday mornings until the end of January to help with the increased demand. This will include Doctors Tierney and Canning at Rutherglen Primary Care Centre and the Craigallian and Ardoch practices in Cambuslang.
In my experience of the NHS it has always been the case that, at times of exceptional demand, everyone across the service works as a team to ensure the best outcome for patients.
Of course, some patients have experienced delays or discomfort because of the seasonal challenges, and both the health secretary and the first minister have apologised unreservedly to those affected.
However, it now appears that opposition politicians are actively seeking out negative experiences for the sake of petty point scoring, with not even grudging acceptance of how well the service is coping overall relative to other parts of the UK.
Interestingly though, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard’s call on social media last week for people to send him their NHS experiences appears to have backfired, as the overwhelming number of responses to his blatant ambulance chasing exercise were people telling of their positive experiences and praising both the service and staff.
Whilst it is not perfect, and certainly under challenge, the vast majority of people would agree that our Scottish NHS is a service we can be proud of, with staff who work hard to deliver the best outcomes they can. I would like to thank them once again for the dedication they have shown.
Pressures may continue on the health services for some weeks yet. We can all play a part by taking time to think of the best way to access advice and treatment.
What remains a constant is the dedication of staff across the NHS