While Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt grudgingly admitted unprecedented crisis in NHS, PM May, while visiting Frimley Park hospital in Surrey, apologised for NHS cancelling non urgent operations in January which will be rescheduled later on when winter crisis is over.
Every year NHS crisis is getting worse during winter months; no wonder this year has been the worse ever with 50k cancelled operations, 17k patients waiting in ambulances for more than 30 minutes before being transferred to A & E and half a million calls to 111, hospital beds filled to capacity leaving little room for emergency admittance.
Many people would view this hollow apology with a pinch of salt, considering PM’s reaction to other crisis in the past. Who could forget PM’s visit to Grenfell tragedy site when she was in and out in a flesh, without meeting residents who lost their loved ones. This was in sharp contrast to JC’s visit where he met, talked, hugged and comforted distressed residents, handing JC a million pound publicity on a plate, as these photographs grabbed front page headlines in national papers!
If PM wants us to believe her, that she is sincere and cares for the long suffering people of this great nation, then it is time to act, divert funds from ever bulging “Overseas Aid” budget to NHS, not hotchpotch feeding, lukewarm words at crisis time and give us NHS that we could be proud of, in line with that of Germany, France and Scandinavian countries where no one has to wait for treatment, their politicians blessed with oasis of enlightenment. Most people would not grudge some contribution for GP and A & E visits to keep time wasters out, as we already pay for prescriptions and visits to dentist which costs me at least £50 for every visit.
Kumudini Valambia
By email
