KT Dodge

Well if you’ve read my husbands blog, Andrew Ian Dodge, you will know that yesterday he underwent a colonoscopy. It was actually amazing how easily he took it all in his stride, he even seemed to enjoy drinking the saline potion to cleanse his body (puke) which everybody who’s ever had a colonoscopy says is the worst part. He even asked for pictures which they readily handed to him…gross.

Now the hospital staff were great, nothing was too much trouble and the surgeon afterwards came out and explained everything. No badgering for information, everything was clearly outlined which is so refreshing.

I suppose in a way it is unfair to compare the NHS with a private hospital procedure in the US, but one cannot help oneself. When I was a child, the NHS was something for Britons to be proud of and really it made private health care irrelevant because it was so efficient and good. Now with constant re-structuring and financial cuts it has lost its fine reputation. Instead we keep hearing horror stories where people have died because of NHS staff negligence or suffered because of poor sanitary conditions. Now in 2007, it seems it is essential to have a private medical health plan (if you can afford it) so that you get good medical care when you need it.