Hello once again!
It's been a while since I posted, and there is so much to catch up on, so I will endeavour to post regularly and get up to date. This one may be controversial!
I think it was Connie Francis who sang "Lipstick on your collar told a tale on you!". Well I think chewing gum on my hospital bed tells another tale.
Following my recent nephroureterectomy (excision of left kidney and ureter), I was in hospital for 3 days. When I got back from theatre and woke up on the ward, I found hard chewing gum stuck to my hospital bed - disgusting, yes, but it disgusts me in different way on which I will elaborate.
While the chewing gum is unhygenic etc., it is the symbolism that struck me. It is the lack of respect an individual had for either the NHS or other patients. It is a lack of self awareness and awareness of others. And then I wondered why? and what is the solution?
In relation to the "Why", I wondered if it is because healthcare on the NHS is free at the point of delivery. Let's be very clear, the NHS costs tax payers £210 billion per year. For a population of 70 million, that is £3,000 per annum for every man, woman and child in the country. Or £250 each per month. But because it is free at the point of delivery, people treat it as free....and abuse it, or don't give it the respect it deserves because they don't physically pay for it.
I will use the analogy of a free bar - it is not free, some one is paying for it. But because it is deemed to be free, people abuse it, overuse it and don't value it as much as if they were paying for it. The over consumption and crowds at the free bar make it difficult for the swamped bar staff to help everyone, it becomes a free for all with people shouting louder and louder to get heard.
The person paying the bill is overwhelmed by the large bill due to the abuse, and receives little gratitude. He would have been better suited going to each individual and giving them £20 each to buy some drinks, and people would them spend that £20 wisely. (You can already see where this is going!)
So back to the solution to raising people's conciousness of free healthcare and respecting it, what if we had a reduction in our taxes but had to pay a nominal fee for a GP or hospital appointment. (There can be a scheme for those that cannot afford it, like for prescriptions). I think this would raise awareness and respect, reduce the abuse of the free-for-all and free up more resources for those that actually need it.
If you had to pay, say £15, to see a GP, would you be less inclined to stick chewing gum on the waiting chair, or the hospital bed?
Until I had a cancer diagnosis, I had little involvement with the NHS. Since the diagnosis, it has been a continuous cycle of appointments, during which I have seen both good and bad, respect and abuse. As a higher rate tax payer for most of my life, I agree with the concept of joint pooling of taxes for the joint healthcare of the population, where the fortunate pay for the healthcare of the less fortunate, or until the day they become a beneficiary of healthcare. But during this time, I have also witnessed far to many people unwilling to work or better themselves, who live a life of victimhood and who abuse the NHS as a forum to seek some excuse for their inertia or justification for their victimhood. Their selfishness detracts much needed resources and funds from those that truly need it. Maybe a fee for a crisp £20 would focus their attention.
So there's my controversial take on society, taken from finding chewing gum on my operative hospital bed!
