Less Mundane.
Feb. 15th, 2012 07:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
f4f3Unblinkered had a nasty fall on Sunday night. She twisted her ankle pretty badly, badly enough that, with my support, she went off to Casualty (you don't call it that anymore, you call in Accident and Emergency).
We spent a pretty boring couple of hours in the Western Infirmary, and an x-ray confirmed that she hadn't broken anything, so the good drugs and good advice were distributed, and we set off home, diverting to pick up walking sticks from Sadie Lou, who'd managed to break her ankle last year, in a roller-derby related accident.
Unblinkered spent Monday with her feet up, and managed to get to work yesterday. Naturally she overdid it, and was back on the sofa last night, but it looks like she'll be, um, back on her feet in no time.
So, another chance to praise the NHS. Yes, we waited for a couple of hours to be seen, but the given reason was that "All the doctors are in resuscitation". I chose to believe that they were treating, rather than being treated. The place was fairly busy, and at least two police cases were in. I think about 20 people were seen while we were there. All the staff were polite, receptionists, nurses, doctor, x-ray tech and all.
No one asked us for money. No one offered us a choice of another A&E, or another doctor, and you know what? That was fine.
God bless the NHS.
We spent a pretty boring couple of hours in the Western Infirmary, and an x-ray confirmed that she hadn't broken anything, so the good drugs and good advice were distributed, and we set off home, diverting to pick up walking sticks from Sadie Lou, who'd managed to break her ankle last year, in a roller-derby related accident.
Unblinkered spent Monday with her feet up, and managed to get to work yesterday. Naturally she overdid it, and was back on the sofa last night, but it looks like she'll be, um, back on her feet in no time.
So, another chance to praise the NHS. Yes, we waited for a couple of hours to be seen, but the given reason was that "All the doctors are in resuscitation". I chose to believe that they were treating, rather than being treated. The place was fairly busy, and at least two police cases were in. I think about 20 people were seen while we were there. All the staff were polite, receptionists, nurses, doctor, x-ray tech and all.
No one asked us for money. No one offered us a choice of another A&E, or another doctor, and you know what? That was fine.
God bless the NHS.
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no subject
Date: 2012-02-15 08:58 am (UTC)Indeed, three cheers for the NHS.
Choice in healthcare is a funny business. Some choices I'm very keen on but the tend to be micro and be rolled up into informed consent. Other choices I'm less keen on.
Probably the choice I'd like to have in terms of health care is whether some operations my mum is having take place in Edinburgh rather than in Cornwall.
I sometimes think it is less important that the NHS does a first rate job than it is that the whole population don't have the anxiety of being bankrupted by an unfortunate accident.
The average age of entretreprenuers in the UK is significantly higher than that of the US in part becuase you can set up your own business in the UK when you have a spouse and children and still not have to worry about medical care.