Broken

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Never before have I been so grateful to hear that one little word, "broken." For months now, witnessing the alarming increase in NHS waiting times and repeated examples of maladministration, I have had concerned discussions with friends where we have bemoaned the fact that just when we might be on the cusp of needing it the most, the NHS clearly cannot cope.

Of course, those conversations have taken place against a backdrop of Tory propaganda telling us how many more hospitals have been built, staff recruited and additional spending deployed. In truth that £350 million a week promised on the Vote Leave battle bus has never been needed so much. Such a shame it was never ever going to be deliverable.

Thank you, therefore, to the new Health Minister, Wes Streeting, for saying yesterday what we have all known for sometime: The NHS is broken. How refreshing to hear something that accords with public perception instead of the constant lies and slogans of the previous incumbents. 

I imagine fixing the issues is not going to be quick or easy but at least acknowledging that the current situation is dire and needs drastic remedial action is not only refreshingly honest but hopefully a start to putting things right.

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

 

Comments

Marksgran said…
It is indeed a worry as you get older. I hope they can indeed fix the NHS although I suspect some privatisation will be forthcoming as the world is a very different one from when it was started. At least so far things feel a bit more honest. Lets hope that continues.
11 July 2024 at 08:16
Caree Risover said…
I do think honesty is what we are all crying out for. In fact if any party had resolved in its manifesto to make lying in public office a criminal offence, they’d have had my vote!
11 July 2024 at 22:29
Treaders said…
Call me cynical but I think privatisation (and massive profit-making) is what they want. There's a lot of money to be made in health care when there is little to no competition. The same thing is happening in France!
13 July 2024 at 09:27
Caree Risover said…
I’d be with you if we were talking about the previous incumbents but I do hope the present Government genuinely wants to preserve a service that’s free at the point of delivery for most situations. That said, a workable system will require some ingenuity and I do hope we are not going to end up with health care viewed as a commodity for purchase by the consumer or their insurers.
13 July 2024 at 18:46
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