THE NHS 75 YEARS
Hi bonnie weans and anyone else who drops bye.
This is just a scrambled note, a kind of heads up.
This month, the day I believe, 5th July 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the beginnings of the NHS – the National Health Service – at the end, give or take, of the second world war. WW11
The national press is feeding the line that ‘think tanks’ are predicting that the ‘Service will not last beyond its 100th birthday, 25 more years, that is around 2048. However, the blethers continue, it could recover from its ailments with careful investment and measured, creative change.
How the ‘Service has got into this ‘condition’ depends on who you speak with. Politicians, customers, patients, staffing groups- ancillary, nursing, junior doctors, senior ‘calm mister’ doctors and a shoal of floating, bloated managers, all have view on what is wrong, why it has failed but often this is not matched with action based follow through. In fact the whole story usually involves blame being transferred to one or more of the other groups, ‘it wisnae me, maw, it wis them’.
Can I butt in though? I have to declare that I have an interest in this story.
I’m old now and with the debilitating conditions I seem to hold, I need the support of this idealised service. Yes I do. So I have some ‘skin’ in the debate, as they say!
And I also do by proxy as you do too…..you were all in receipt of this service as were your mums and dads from day one as you entered this world. One or two of you have had cause to rush to the hospital, thank our spirits nothing serious.
It was there, this service and for the most part, worked well. I need it to be around for a long time for you, your kids and beyond.
Can you imagine that in so many countries, there is no service no matter how ill children, adults are? So parents can’t take their kids to get better.
Unless you are wealthy, and you can buy health. Kids, think about this, if not as and when you read this, in the near future. Why? You will have to fight for it in the future. Or at least, I hope you will if need be.
There is a group of politicians in this broken UK nation of ours that want to charge for health care so that they and their ‘chums’ can make profits. It’s already started as many politicians have interests in health suppliers, providers and decision makers. They have practised this with so many public services
The obscene profits that they made during the COVID pandemic is solid evidence of this. People dying as they made profit.
So, they want to charge poor people, the same citizens that they made poor in the first place, for health care – as I say it’s already started. It will result in people dying.
These people are verging on the wicked side of evil, they run huge businesses and many are conservative politicians – they don’t queue for hospital care. Work it out guys.
So when you can, look around – I really don’t want to scare you – I’m afraid my every day is like that now – scared of critical services being cut, no houses for people, ordinary people suffering from addictions that briefly help them ‘escape’ from reality, children who are poor, hungry, cold, mentally strained.
It also comes down to who it should be to take responsibility. Us? You? Friends?
I live in the Scottish Borders at the moment- I’m in the age range where old folks illnesses can strike, I only hope I’m around for long enough to see you guys grow a bit. We’ll see.
Back to the Borders, this beautiful land on every horizon. It is however, full of selfish, just care about themselves people who pretend they are something else. Their lack of honesty, or, intelligence is frighteningly real. We have a tory MP.
So have a look around you, make up your own minds, stay kind and thoughtful and keep your eyes raised to the sky.
Here’s hoping we or at least you are in the next couple of decades of celebrating a functioning National Health Service