On Sunday morning, queueing to get some cash out from an ATM I got knocked flying by a bloke behind me with a huge rucksack turning round suddenly. I whacked my head (no blood but an egg sized bump on me bonce) and was whisked off to A&E (someone called an ambulance). I said I was fine but they insisted as I appeared a bit dazed. Well, I was, to tell the truth. In the ambulance on the way (no blue lights, just a calm and efficient journey) the paramedic asked me who the Prime Minister was and I just put my head in my hands and groaned. He laughed and said "You and me both."
I just wanted to say, despite the decimation of the NHS starting with Thatcher outsourcing food and laundry then Blair & PFI and it being so very much worse since then, that the staff, despite working under great difficulties, were wonderful.
One thing I did notice was that without overseas staff, A&E could not function, from the security (dealing with drunks), cleaners and medical staff. A really lovely Nigerian nurse really looked after me from the moment I was booked in and brought me tea once it was clear I wouldn't be nil by mouth (up to then I was allowed tiny sips of water only).
They wanted to keep me in overnight for obs but I persuaded them that my daughter would look after me and if I felt sick or sleepy I'd come straight back.
When she was discharging me & doing the paperwork I asked her if she got much racism from patients and she said it was a daily occurance. I asked her how she dealt with that and she said she treats all patients the same, no matter how abusive. She did say she pitied the racists as it was clear to her they had very small lives and even smaller brains.
She had also been assaulted more than once, sometimes deliberately and maliciously but sometimes by scared and confused badly injured patients. She said that wasn't the worst part of her job though which surprised me. She said the worst thing was not having enough time to reassure & comfort people who clearly would benefit just as much from someone just being there holding their hand as from any medical treatment.
There are angels amongst us and we should treasure them.
Is there such a thing as delicious ready meals?
Shall we reboot our cartoons thread again? 😁