The only thing failing in our precious NHS is political will to fund it properly

Sir, – I write after completing a training course to which I was involuntarily enrolled by being infected by a particularly nasty virus which had the party trick of making me incredibly unwell in an incredibly short time.

After a week, and with no improvement, my wife sought intervention from Banchory Group practice, where a locum doctor – after checking me out – arranged immediate admission to ARI. At 2.30am the next morning I was further admitted to Ward 106b ICU medical high dependency unit.

There, this highly-skilled team of multi-disciplinary individuals, from all over – Scotland, Ukraine, Syria, Poland, England, Ireland, Nigeria, Phillipines, Portugal and so on – immediately set to work to stabilise me.

I had a very bad double pneumonia with attendant dangerously low blood oxygen levels. The unit had the technology to get industrial-grade levels of oxygen into me, effectively a gale up each nostril. Fortyeight hours of that, with intravenous antibiotics and so on, sorted me out.

I was then transferred back to respiratory ward 107 and the professional team there completed the job.

I will be eternally grateful to them – they undoubtedly saved my life.

So I have completed my course, and now I am fully qualified to have a valid opinion on “Scotland’s failing NHS” and assess the views of those such as unionist MSPs.

Is our NHS failing? No!

What do the professional teams based at ARI bring to the community?

Well, they save lives on a daily basis with style, working day and night, planning, inducting, treating, discharging. They do a brilliant job but they need our support with no quibble over money.

Aberdeen – be proud of what you have on Foresterhill, saving lives on a daily basis.

Ken Gow, Banchory.

SUPPORT: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary should be cherished. Picture by Kenny Elrick.