A Letter to the NHS
Hi! It's little old me...again. We're kind of familiar at this point; we've bumped* into each other quite a lot over the years. I know that you come under a lot of criticism for pretty much anything and everything: from the amount of money you swallow to your lengthy appointment waiting times and everything in between. But I don't see that side of things. I only see how you've helped me and those I love.
*not an intentional pun.
I'm extremely fortunate and am proud to say that I have grown up in a country where medical care is free. It's a given for those around my age. We've only ever really known free healthcare. Got a bad cut? Nip up to the walk-in centre for some stitches...for free! Had a nasty cough for a while? Give your local GP a call and book an appointment...for free! I'm kind of embarrassed to say that I have taken it for granted. However, over the course of this month in particular, I've gained insight into the world in which you work. You do amazing things for so many people. Sooooo, I thought I would write you a quick thankyou letter for everything you have done and continue to do.
I'll start from the beginning.
Thankyou to those wonderful midwives who helped my mum on that hot June day in 1998. Thankyou for sitting with her through a long, traumatic labour, comforting her and encouraging her to keep going. I was clearly in no rush to meet you all but you were pretty happy to welcome me into the world and take care of us both.
Thankyou to our family GP. You've watched one child after the other, after the other, wander nervously into your office as we sat awkwardly, listening to our concerns over everything from agonising stomach pains to asthma attacks. Without your years of study and experience, without your patience and your understanding, our lives would have been riddled with confusion and discomfort.
Thankyou to every paramedic that has rushed out to meet us in our time of need. You run towards the crisis, not away from it. You keep cool amidst the panic, you're efficient and you're as helpful as you possibly can be. You care. And in the moments we need you, that's simply enough.
Thankyou to every surgeon who has used your incomprehensibly massive brain to serve others. Thankyou for working 12+ hour shifts to keep people alive, working for them to open their eyes when you desperately need to shut yours for the night. Thankyou for fixing backs, legs, hearts, noses, throats, stomachs...everything we have come to you for. Thankyou for fixing us, taking away our pain, letting us put all of our trust and faith in you for a few fateful hours...only for us to never cross paths again.
Thankyou to the nurses who have comforted us in every A and E waiting room, every ward, every office we've been in. Thankyou for being friendly and always having a smile on your face - even though your pay is quite frankly shite and your working conditions are worsening by the year. I'm shocked more of you haven't rolled your eyes, stuck your finger up and turned your back on it all. But that goes to show how special you all really are. Know that you are appreciated.
Thank you to every healthcare assistant, cleaner, porter, cook, janitor, everyone who has helped run the hospitals my family and I have been in. You make the running of the wards a better place. You always have a kind word and a cheery smile for me and I have never once heard any one of you complain about the anti-social hours you work or the abuse you face each day. You make the whole operation run as smoothly as you can and you don't get nearly enough credit for it.
Each one of you staff members are something special. Our battle-weary bodies - tired, weak, vulnerable - pull through because of you: you are our personal army, unleashing everything you possibly have within you to keep us going. You affect us all in more ways than one and you aren't told that nearly enough.
Yes, it is easy to complain about the NHS. Yes, it's easy to moan that it swallows our taxes and that waiting 30 minutes for an ambulance isn't good enough. But this underfunded, blocked-bed problem of a system is being propped up on the shoulders of super-humans who, day in, day out, are blamed for a crisis that is completely out of their control. Let's think about them for a second.
And that's why I've written this letter for all those working as a part of this system. From behalf of myself, my family, and an entire nation that takes you for granted...thankyou.
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