Having returned from a painting holiday in North Devon with a heavy cold and hacking cough, I was out on steroids and antibiotics, as I suffer from asthma and have developed pneumonia twice in the past.
At 11.30pm on February 8 my symptoms became acute, with pain in my eye and the side of my face and a fit of coughing which needed extra doses of inhaler. My husband was concerned about drug side effects and multiple drug contraindications. I rang 111 for advice, after extensive questioning, they did not reassure me but said “get to A&E within the next hour”.
It was very busy. I felt great empathy for the staff, who rushed off their feet managed compassion, professional practice and were extremely supportive and reassuring.
If Jeremy Hunt is really serious that the current crisis is ‘unacceptable’, why has it taken so long to acknowledge what has been blatantly obvious for months?
Furthermore, apart from wringing his hands, what is he going to do about it? The numerous reorganisations have wasted so much money, created extra levels of management and bureaucracy. The appalling conditions that staff have to endure across all sectors, has created low morale and a recruitment crisis.
The Tories caused the same chaos in the 1980s and 1990s and the consequences nearly wrecked my career due to extended waiting lists for operations.
It appears they are all talk with no sustained, viable action. Non political cross party, long term planning for health, education and the integration of health and social care is long overdue. We have known about ‘the baby boomers’ for over 60 years, so why the shock now?
Diane Turner
Stibb Green
Burbage
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