The NHS still the best in the world !

I have been extremely critical of the NHS and its treatment for diabetics. The diabetic diet recommendations border on the criminal, and are certainly ludicrous. We have heard many horror stories in recent times, gagging orders, people dying totally unnecessarily, and massive failures in basic care for patients. Heart breaking stories for the people and the families involved. There is no excuse for such appalling care and behaviour. People should have been fired or prosecuted, but most escape severe reprimand, sacking or the courts. But we only hear about the bad news in the media. Every day many thousands of people are saved from death or repaired and sent on their way with a smile on their face, the NHS has worked brilliantly for them, as it has for me and my family and friends countless times. Nothing is perfect and Doctors are not Gods, human error will always play a part.

This was a comment that came in from a friend on the NHS RIP thread, a great comment and true, it makes sense to me, changes must take place !

“The idea of the NHS is a glorious and truly civilised thing but as we have found out with our diabetes the execution is often not quite so wonderful.

Any organisation needs to refine what it does, manage change, make sure it behaves in a rational and efficient manner and most importantly not waste money.

The NHS, sadly, is guilty of failing in all of those areas and that is not acceptable to us as the patients nor to us as the tax payers.

It is a truism that the public sector, because it is protected from the harsh realities of the market, also fails to benefit from the evolutionary pressure of surviving those harsh market conditions.

I don't think that it is good enough that in almost all my interactions with the NHS I come away thinking that the treatment is slightly suspect and slightly shambling.

Good intentions are not enough.”

Agreed, big changes must take place, but I truly fear, changes are being made that will destroy the NHS as we know it. The private sector are hovering like vultures, picking up the most profitable and straight forward medical cases. MPs and members of the House of Lords are investing their money into private healthcare at an unprecedented rate. They smell the money and rich pickings are coming soon. Where will the poor, the disabled, the old and the frail and the weak end up ?

Look at the NHS this way, it’s like our legal system and democracy, not perfect, but it’s the best we have come up with to date. I have seen the alternatives, and I do not like what I see. One day people will look back at what the NHS has done, and curse what it has become. I have never wanted to be wrong so much in my life. I am getting old, my time is nearly run, but I lose sleep for what my children and grand children will have to face in the future.

Eddie