29 May (Part 2) - More NHS crap. Far too literally in this case
I have just returned from my nursing trip to Newham and forgotten why I made
this morning’s blog a Part 1.
To fill the Part 2 hole I will resist the temptation to comment on the appalling
driving standards adopted by most of the residents in that God forsaken borough and instead let off a
little steam about the equally bad NHS standards to be found over there.
My aunt is very unwell and I fear she will not recover. The GP, who isn’t himself too bad, and all of his
incompetent support staff accept that she should be in hospital receiving 24/7
care but in present circumstances that might not be wise and in any case the old
lady doesn’t want to be there. I do not disagree with their decision but they
are only providing three hours of home care a day leaving my sister and me to fill in the gaps.
The number of their individual cockups would fill a small book and I will spare you
the details and confine comment to the fact that treatment has involved suppositories and
the consequences of that are unpleasant to say the least, not helped by the fact
that my aunt, a centenarian spinster, objects to having a man in her bedroom.
My sister is therefore resisting more suppositories as she cannot cope with
the results single handed. The case manager or some such jobsworth said that we
must call in more family members to help, oblivious of two basic facts it would seem.
One is that the NHS is supposed to be providing 24 hour care and failing to do so and the
other is that 100 year old spinsters, almost by definition, do not have a string
of children and grandchildren to call on.
The NHS in Newham employs too many uncaring cretins.
She won’t thank me for saying so but my sister is almost as old as I am and only
four feet seven inches tall. She does not have the physical strength to be an
unpaid NHS substitute. The only real help she gets is access to a charity helpline after ten at night.
Are there any laws on walking out on an old lady? Surely no one is expected to
move house just because the NHS is so bloody useless?