The Silver Lining That Is Our N.H.S.

Before I begin this blog I must declare an interest.  Some 14 years ago, I volunteered my services to my local hospital NHS Foundation Trust.  After two new stainless steel knees, two new thumbs and a Gall Bladder removed I felt it time that I started to give something back.  I’m a writer so I took on the writing, amending and reviewing Patients Notes.  I often also spent time at the hospital acting like a mystery shopper making sure that the staff did what they are supposed to be doing.  Declaration over.

If there is a silver lining to the CoronaVirus it’s that the National Health Service has become more than just a publicly funded healthcare.  Britain’ love for the NHS runs deep.  Since its founding in 1945, every single person in the country has been touched by it in some way from maternity to end of life palliative care.  NHS workers’ love and compassion is woven into the very fabric of our lives.

In the 1980’s Margaret Thatcher’s attempt at privatisation prompted national uproar.  This led her former Chancellor, Nigel Lawson to write in his memoirs years later, “The NHS is the closest thing the English now have to religion”.  It certainly isn’t a charity and is government funded.  At the moment, when we have a scarcity of news in the media other than the CoronaVirus, this has prompted an abundance of false news;  An opportunity for the anti-Brexit, anti-government brigade to dribble fake news into the media.  If you have a left wing bias like the BBC and more than half the Press, any news is good news, fake or not, best not to check the veracity.  So lets get some perspective on those who are intent on pulling Boris and his government down.

They won’t like the truth, which is;

Firstly, the government FUNDS the NHS – it does not order equipment for the NHS they just supply the money – the USELESS managers of the NHS are the procurement source.

Its not the government that deals with the logistics of the NHS, its, yes you’ve  guessed it, its the RUBBISH NHS MANAGERS.

A couple of years ago, the NHS ran a major exercise about the Country being prepared for a possible pandemic – they came out of that exercise and assured the government – “We are ready”.  THE USELESS MANAGERS then decided against using the more expensive local suppliers and decided to instead order from CHINA – look at us, we are saving money.  they didn’t store any stockpiles in case of a Pandemic nor did the fools take into account the four weeks that it takes any ship to bring their order.  Sort of a slow boat from CHINA, with best will in the world.  That is what happens when STUPID PROCURERS put all their eggs in one basket.  Who did that? Not the government, the NHS procurement.

Now to answer the next bleat;  The Care Homes, now screaming out for PPE ( PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT), shouting at the government.  The majority of care homes are PRIVATE BUSINESSES   84% in fact.  It is not the responsibility of the government to order PPE for private care homes and certainly not to pay for it.  The others are council led therefore whichever banner they come under, it is down to them, their managers who are at fault.

The government has made mistakes, not as many as the gutter press would have you believe, instead of trying to pull our country together, it seeks to divide.  We certainly don’t need this at this crucial time.  They don’t seem to realise that Joe Public is quite aware hat these naysayers area waste of oxygen so let’s get through this and beat it because its not over yet, not by a long way.  Once again the Brits unique love for the NHS is apparent here; taken in context these sentiments ‘Made in the UK’  could come across as nationalistic, t think the co-opting of our country’s national identity by Brexiteers and the far right haven’t helped.  The NHS is our saviour and our people will never forget.

The events of COVID-19  have shown how vital they are, and this must continue.  All healthcare professionals doctors, nurses, surgeons, porters, cleaners etc., should be treated as heroes.  Even the suspect NHS procurement managers, should now have been forced to get their act together by now, because we know who you are! – God bless our NHS!

About Jake

Long retired travel writer, author and freelance journalist. Educated at Wolverton Grammar and Greenwich Naval College. Happily married since 1958, with a married son and daughter, a married granddaughter and an adult grandson. Hobbies rock-climbing, dinghy racing and ocean racing. Still regularly working out in the gym.
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