Yes, the NHS is overstretched and underfunded – but when did it become quite so uncaring?
Walking down a poorly lit street in heavy rain, Rory Cellan-Jones, the BBC’s former tech guru who has Parkinson’s disease, tripped on a branch dislodged by the recent storms. He crashed to the pavement. With blood pouring from him, he made his way to A&E. That was when his nightmare began.
There were hours stuck on a trolley, anxiety-inducing waits for a call about a badly fractured elbow and a surgery nightmare, going through nil-by-mouth only for his op to be cancelled, occupying a bed for hours on end, to no apparent purpose.
“Getting information about one’s treatment seems like an obstacle race where the system is always one step ahead,” Cellan-Jones said. “But communication between medical staff within and between hospitals also appears hopelessly inadequate, with the gulf between doctors and nurses particularly acute.”
