In praise of...the NHS

Politaholic is typing this one-handed with his arm in a sling following a cycling accident (dislocated shoulder, it was agony). We take so much for granted. I walked into the A and E at Manchester Royal Infirmary, told them I was in great pain. They saw me within 10 minutes. A nurse first looked at me; then I had to wait for an x-ray for what seemed ages, but probably wasn't really that long. Then two nurses and a doctor gave me some morphine, attached various bit of equipment to me to monitor heart beat, took my blood pressure, manipulated the arm, then another x-ray before being allowed home. Walk in, walk out. Competent, sympathetic staff. As I took a taxi home I thought: "Thank God I don't live in Detroit". The NHS truly is a marvellous achievement. As I say, we take so much for granted. The picture shows Nye Bevan with the first NHS patient, Sylvia Diggory.