The Buck Stops Here

The TV programme was all about the experiences of an undercover reporter in hospital and the subject was the awful food. I have no idea why this reporter felt the need to hide under the covers; hospital food is almost invariably awful and everybody knows it to be so. Anyway, having puffed up his feathers into a fit of righteous indignation, he confronts some poor hapless politician to demand what is to be done? After floundering around talking about anything but money, this drowing MP reaches for the usual "get out of jail free" card:

"Your local GP" says he, " is the chap to sort this out! We are giving them the budget and they are in the best position to drive up standards and make sure you are a happy bunny."

Oh really?

Here's a question for the reporter: how will you feel if the next time you need to see your GP, you can't get an appointment because his morning surgery is full of people angry about hospital car park charges, the lack of a direct bus to the surgery, the district nurse arriving late, the curtain pattern in Nan's sheltered accommodation, young Henry's lack of choice for designer prescription spectacles and all the other things with which the "I want it all and I want it now" brigade can fill their spare time?