Do shoot the messenger. Just make sure it's the right one.
The real problem with a well-functioning democracy is that our representatives need you and me to re-elect them every now and again. This would be more than a tad difficult unless he or she can convince you that: (a) they're doing a good job; and, (b) their opponents would do it worse. Recent governments have perfected the art of making all news sound good or as we all know, "finding good days to bury bad news".
The NHS has been until now a rich vein of positive-sounding anecdotes. So it should be considering how much of our money they've thrown at it. I just wish they would act more responsibly and consider the wider implications of the claims they make.
It's all very well managing patients' expectations to make it sound as if things are now under control - "the NHS is safe with us" - "an appointment when and where you want". The whole "spin thing" depends on Joe Public not reading the small print and by and large he doesn't. At least, not until he walks up to the GP reception desk and asks for a hospital appointment on Thursday at the hospital near his Mum in Cardiff where he's staying for a week or so. It's left to us to explain the small print.
You can understand why Mr Public is puzzled. He's been told: "when you want it". He's not been told that he can choose, but it is only from any one of a number of appointments all of which are three months or more from now. He's also more than little pissed off that he can choose to go where he wants but only as long as it's to any one of four local hospitals. Cardiff is in another country as is Edinburgh and Belfast. As usual, it's the GPs' reception team that have to explain the precise realities and how they vary from the crowing and the disingenuous claims being made for purely political gain.
Posts
