Forget swine flu. Forget bird flu. Forget SARS. Forget salmonela in your eggs and every other Daily Mail panic you can think of. A new highly contagous syndrome is spreading fast. Symptoms are distinct. Patients become convinced to the point of dellusion at times that they, their family, their friends and many others "owe" their lives to a body they refer to with the anacronym "N-H-S", which they believe is the "envy of the World", and that anyone who does not share their unquestioning "love" of this "N-H-S" by Tweeting #welovethenhs and praising its every last action is a dangerous heretic bent on denying healthcare to millions.
Every kind action of a nurse or doctor is not attributed to that individual as a human being but instead to the all mighty NHS, and every criticism of the NHS spun as a personal attack upon those same good staff who's kindness, caring and human goodness the monolithic institution hides behind and claims as its own. The NHS is the national religion, as I believe Lawson called it, and all who complain in any way, or propose improvement, or offer constructive critique, or don't profess their "love" of this particular anacronym, are branded heretics. I guess I'm a heretic.
But like many people branded as heretics, I have its best interests at heart, that's why I criticise. I believe in universal healthcare. I believe everyone should get the treatment they need. I believe in high quality healthcare for all. I believe only the best is good enough. I believe these things strongly, but the NHS isn't these things, and I do not love it.
I have had life saving treatment and major surgery in NHS hospitals, but the NHS didn't save my life. Good people in their callings as medics saved my life, medical technology and the drug companies saved my life. No one was ever saved by an anacronym and so no anacronym deserves our thanks, let alone love.
I love the kindness shown by many of its staff, but I will never dehumanise them by transposing their virtue onto an institution, for they would be good people in any hospital. Many great people work for it, but I do not love the NHS. I do not love the often filthy open wards where the only privacy is a curtain, the poor food, the superbugs, the lowest cancer survival rate in Europe, the poor pay and long hours that mean we have fewer doctors per population than most developed nations and even then have to poach from the Third World.
I did not "love" the NHS when it gave me CO2 poisoning last year; or when I was told by a snooty underling - me being 5 minutes late and having been kept waiting 2 hours the day before by the same team - that my delay "was not like keeping a consultant waiting"; and I certainly didn't like it when a dozen unintroduced people (being trained) would sit in (without having asked) on my consultation taking notes!
If it were not for my family, there are times when I have been Ill in the NHS and would not have received the treatment and care that should be expected as standard and is the standard in France. Here I have seen people left. I have seen the NHS, I do not love the NHS.
