The National Health Service

This morning I went to the city hospital to an out patients clinic. I got there 15 minutes early for my appointment and the waiting area was packed to standing room only. The clinic was running two hours behind schedule. Eventually I was able to sit down and looked around me at the people waiting and the staff trying to organise the clinic for the consultant and his interns. It was chaotic and stressful for all concerned.

I thought back to the inception of the NHS in 1948. It was born out of a long-held ideal that good health care should be available to all. Aneurin Bevan, born in my home town of Tredegar, son of a Tredegar miner, was the creator of the NHS. The central principal was clear, the NHS would be available to all and financed entirely from taxation which meant that people paid into it according to their means. So what has happened since 1948.....population explosion, bad management, taxes being spread to thinly but whatever the reason, I don't believe it needs to be in the chaotic state it is today.

When you have nothing to do but stare into space for two hours, no magazines, no vending machine to get a cup of tea, you can't help but overhear people's conversations. Dissatisfied, disgruntled and all these comments being made in ear-shot of the nurses, was soul destroying for all concerned.

The chap sitting opposite me likened it to being packed in like animals in an abattoir, to which his daughter replied 'at least the animals get a time slot for slaughter that is adhered to'. Someone else said he supposed the consultant had been late starting due to over running in his early morning private clinic......... Then one of the nurses was sent off for a break and another one took her place. Someone shouted 'what about a break for us, where is our cup of tea'......... The morning dragged on.

I came to the conclusion that for very little cost a vending machine could be supplied or a water dispenser, and a few magazines donated by staff. If Nye Bevan had taken such a nonchalant approach to his vision of the NHS none of us would be as healthy and privileged as we are today. It is so sad to see it all in such a shambles.....I wonder what the man himself would think about the way it has evolved............... but despite it's shortfalls the NHS is far better and more economical than any other service in the world.................. Now that is food for thought!