Some Words in Praise of the NHS
– and the Gift of Choice
At
time of writing there has been widely reported ‘bad news’ in the
British press and broadcast media concerning the NHS (National Health
Service). A government adviser has pointed out that there have been
20,000 avoidable deaths in certain poorly performing hospitals over
the last decade.
Needless to say, this is scandalous. But my intention here is not
to condemn the NHS, despite some very serious failings in some areas
of the country.
Those
who have read some of my previous blog entries will know that I have
often touched upon a particular issue that, by implication,
incorporates criticism of the NHS. That issue is the historic abuse
or inappropriate treatment of people – especially children and
young people – within mental healthcare settings (and one setting
in particular).
Indeed,
as a result of my book Delivered Unto Lions
I occasionally hear from people with their own horror stories related
to past mental health treatment within the NHS. And I am also aware
of one or two horror stories relating to recent or current treatment.
It should be emphasised, however, that such things are not
confined to the NHS.
Bad things happen in the private healthcare sector too. And in any
case, I’ve also heard of examples of excellent mental health
treatment within the NHS.
Negative
attitudes and maltreatment in mental health settings were, of course,
deeply entrenched long before the creation of the NHS – if
anything, such things have improved (though not nearly enough) since
the 1940s when British government minister Aneurin Bevan set in
motion the events that led to the creation of this system of
healthcare.
One
of Bevan’s assumptions was that free healthcare available to all
(funded through taxation) would lead to (a) an improvement in the
health of the nation, which would in turn lead to (b) the NHS being
able to ‘pay for itself’ as better health led to a more efficient
economy (healthy workers better contributing to a healthy economy).
Needless to say, this didn’t quite happen. The health of the
nation certainly improved, but the NHS did not ‘pay for itself’ –
as Geoffrey Wheatcroft, a columnist for The
Guardian, recently
pointed out.
But
whatever deficiencies may exist within the NHS, I want to say
something positive about my own recent experience of treatment. This
experience has included the very welcome opportunity making my own
choice with regard to treatment. This isn’t a completely
positive story, but it is a substantially
positive story.
One
of the reasons why I’ve been silent on my blog during the early
part of this year is because I was given some unexpected news on the
final day of last year.
On
31 December 2012 I had an appointment with a urology consultant at
Worthing Hospital in West Sussex. I was expecting some
‘inconvenient’ news, but not anything especially bad. However,
the consultant told me that I had cancer. It was prostate cancer.
At the time I was surprised rather than shocked – not having yet
hit 50 I thought I was a bit too youthful for that sort of thing!
The fact that I didn’t react with panic on that occasion may have
something to do with the consultant’s rather quaint and reassuring
turn of phrase. That’s a good thing!
Over
the following weeks I had various scans and tests before learning
that my best option was surgery, which in this case meant radical
prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate).
Less
than a month after I was given my cancer diagnosis I met my
prospective surgeon. He carefully described the procedure and what I
should expect in terms of recovery, and then he patiently answered
all my questions.
Since
the beginning of this year, every one of the staff members I’ve
encountered at Worthing Hospital – consultants, registrar, surgeon,
specialist urology nurse, other nurses, counsellor, etc. – has
treated me with professionalism and courtesy. I have experienced
care of the highest standard.
Unfortunately,
the surgery I need is not undertaken at Worthing. I was told I would
have to go to another hospital, some 50 miles away, for the actual
procedure. I won’t name the hospital where the surgery was to take
place because it does not come up to the same high standard I’ve
witnessed at Worthing (I’ve already said that this is a
substantially
positive story, not a completely
positive one).
I
attended a preoperative assessment at the hospital in question. I
won’t go into too many of the unpleasant or off-putting details,
but I will just say that I never expected to be sent home with a
blank consent form to sign! (That’s the yellow CON 1 form for
anyone who’s interested.) Needless to say, I came away determined
that I would not sign away my consent on a form which had not been
filled in. In fact, I was determined not to be
operated on at that particular hospital.
The
following day I did a bit of hasty research (clearly this is
something that I should have done earlier!) and identified another
hospital and surgeon, both with excellent reputations (not that I had
any objection to my original surgeon). I then tried to see if my own
GP (General Practitioner) would be willing to refer me to the
hospital and surgeon of my choice. That referral has now been made
with no difficulty whatsoever.
At
present this story doesn’t have an end. But it does have a
message. The NHS provides free treatment to UK citizens at the point
of delivery. In many countries a cancer patient would be reliant on
private insurance to pay for a radical prostatectomy. With the best
surgeons at the best hospitals charging thousands more than their
less experienced and less well-regarded counterparts, it’s easy to
see where many insurance providers would steer their policy holders.
Like
any very large institution, the NHS it has its dark corners. But
there is also light. This will be no comfort for those who have not
received the best treatment, those who have lost loved ones to poor
treatment, and especially to those who have done so without realising
there was a possibility of choice (at least in some cases). But for
those yet to need
treatment, this could well be an encouragement.
While
my operation will now be delayed a little – due to my ‘eleventh
hour’ exercise of choice – I now know that I will undergo the
procedure at a centre of excellence performed by one of the best
surgeons. This is a true privilege for which I am very grateful.
____________
Delivered
Unto Lions by David
Austin is published by CheckPoint Press
ISBN
978-1-906628-21-5
For
more information visit www.davidaustin.eu
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