All Hail the NHS!

It is extraordinary to think that there are still some people around who can remember the UK before the National Health Service came into being (although this ever decreasing minority will now be of advanced years). What must their lives have been like without the safety net of a health provider, ready to treat you come what may? Perhaps it was a source of constant anxiety for some. For others, maybe they didn’t know any different so gave little attention to the potential need for costly healthcare. My granny (94 years old) will be one of the aforementioned who can recall the pre-NHS days. I ought to ask her what that was like.

Since its founding in 1948 by the then health minister Aneurin Bevan, we have been able to access healthcare free at the point of delivery. Or as Bevan himself put it: “a healthcare service based in clinical need, not the ability to pay”.

These days, there is no denying that, to a degree at least, we all take the NHS for granted. I know I certainly do. Those three white capitalised letters, set on a background of deep blue is such a familiar symbol that its true value is only something I very occasionally take the time to appreciate.

I feel compelled to jump in at this point and say that we (that is, Nutty’s), do not wish to make any kind of party political point when championing the NHS, but simply to celebrate its existence and acknowledge it’s brilliance! 

Here at Nutty’s we are feeling particularly grateful for the NHS of late, because the two of us who head up the company (Danny, assisted by James) have both had need of it in recent times. 

In April of last year, I (James), was treated for testicular cancer at St. George’s NHS Trust. Thankfully, it was caught early and, following surgery, no further treatment was needed.

And just in the last fortnight, Danny underwent an operation for a serious infection in his thumb.

Now, the NHS in far from perfect and, as we know, is under great strain at the moment; my experience last year of using it of course came with a few frustrations.

But here’s the crucial thing which I never gave a second thought before my extensive use of the NHS last spring… At no point did I (or Danny with his recent experience) have to make a choice about which parts of the treatment we could or could not afford. Now I know that is not a profound observation! I mean, that’s the whole point of the NHS, right? But I had never considered it in such stark terms. 

Consider a parallel scenario. Perhaps something along the lines of “I am sorry Mr Camp, but your insurance doesn’t cover that treatment option” or “yes that is available but it will cost you an additional £XXX”. Money, from the patient’s perspective at least, was never a factor. Not once. At no point did I have to deal with the additional stress of what the treatment would mean in relation to my bank balance. And let me tell you, it was stressful enough without all of that!

Just last weekend I was doing a party in Forest Hill, and was told that one child attending was recovering from Leukaemia. Thankfully, he was out of the life-threatening zone and was on his way to making a full recovery. 

I chatted to his parents about their experience of using the NHS. They too commented on how brilliant it is that none of the services provided come with a price tag. We talked about the brilliant individuals (or rather, Heroes) who make up the NHS staff - doctors, nurses, cleaners, consultants, administrators and all the rest (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU) and about how, on the whole, both of our experiences were second to none. 

Yes, NHS has its problems. And yes, doubtless there are ways in which it can be improved. But, my word, does it deliver when we need it to! 

We never know when we may need the it for us or a loved one. Long may it continue and thank you!

We 💙 the NHS!

POSTSCRIPT:  When holidaying in America a coupe of years ago, my dad spent four days in a hospital in Alaska. When he arrived back to the UK, a bill was waiting on the doormat - $27,000. Mercifully, they had taken out comprehensive travel insurance. But still, it was enough to make them recoil in horror and, once they had regained their composure, thank their lucky stars that we do things differently here.