The whole system is under such strain on more than one front. I have been a huge supporter of the NHS - indeed worked in it for decades - but things are going so wrong.
Many people will know the hopeless saga of my foot fractures (still ongoing after 14 months!) and the dreadful care that my father received (resulting in a fall in hospital and fractured femur, the surgery for which precipitated his decline and death). So I have no reason to feel happy with the care.
There is so much window dressing - forms, care awards (Investors in People - for heaven's sake!) , protocols etc. - but the substance is crumbling.
Our local district hospital, which serves a huge rural area, was built under PFI funding. The health authority will finish up paying billions of pounds in rent - many many times the cost of the original build. And when those payments come to an end (2028 I think), the whole shebang belongs to the builders/investors and they could simply close it and use the site and buildings for some other purpose - they have a 95 year lease on it. More likely they will choose to rent it back to the health service at an even more exorbitant rate, as they will have them over a barrel.
And in the meantime, the company providing maintenance is failing to perform and it was found that a theatre ventilation system intended to hoover up bugs was pumping them round the rest of the hospital!
We have an example of appalling GP and NHS Direct care on our doorstep at the moment - I will not give details as I do not want the people involved to be identified. But, suffice to say, without the input of a close family member who is medically qualified, the outcome could have been fatal.