Today I received a letter from Kingsmill Hospital, in regard to the referral my GP made in October 2021. The appointment I have been given is for mid June 2022.
This was after I finally managed to get through to their appointments team, given I had been ringing them almost daily since December 2021 and have only last week finally got through.
It was also after explaining my circumstances to them, to Patient Advice and Liaison (PALS) and them taking it not to a clinician but a business team.
When I spoke to them I explained my blood sugars range daily from 3 to 33mml. That this poor control is due to medication and effects of my other illnesses. That I have had consultant’s in diabetes, crohns and pain management look at how to gain better control.
I explained on top of this I have neuropathy (biggest cause of amputation in UK) which along with other conditions brings about severe constant pain and quite often a quality of life that makes me question why I carry on.
So it will be 9 months from referral to appointment (if they do not cancel it) before I am seen
In the mean time I continue to use insulin, in high dises, ozempic in highest dose, along with my other medications without any support or consultation.
Yes my GP surgery try to help but sadly with the complication factors of my other illnesses, the nurses and doctors openly admit they are out of their depth.
Now I was able to finally get to speak to someone, I had the ability to put my needs forward, to insist in being heard. Sadly many cannot. Many may have to rely on support worker to try to ring as and when they can, others on family or friends and many with no support nor ability
I am not blaming the clinicians. The call handles, PALS or even the business team, the fault is 100% on this government, on previous governments including that of “New Labour’ the party run by Blair and emulated with such vigor by Starmer and Raynor.
The Conservatives and neoliberalism of the UK, the capitalists, the shareholders of corporations here and in the USA, in France, Germany and even Russian and China all want a profit from the breakup of the NHS.
The NHS was set up to protect the people, to ensure we in the UK had not just a basic but groundbreaking health service to ensure we were kept as well as could be. When it was set up it was to give us support and care from birth to death. It was not perfect, but it was the pride of Britain and the envy of the world. There was no postcode lottery on services (until Thatcher then Blair) there was a reliable efficient service that meant injury and illness were not going to break families, not cause poverty, pain, or undue suffering
But greed and corruption was introduced by Thatcher, by Blair and every subsequent government and most ministers.
Now the NHS breathes the final breaths of a dying monolith. It will be remembered by those of us lucky enough to have been able to rely on it, with affection, pride and sadly loss
I am but one person of approximately 68,000,000 living in the UK. I am not in the worst of positions, unlike my 35yr old brother who died in extreme pain over a period of years, due to being unsupported and failed with his medication, no support and even improper diagnosis of his of diabetes 2yrs ago leaving behind his 8yr old son, I am still alive – for now.
We cannot let this continue any longer, the destruction of the NHS must be stopped, those theives and robbers that call thieves MP’s held to account. Private health shut down. Health care is not a luxury. Since the 1940’s in the UK its been our birthright. Do not let them take that from us,not now or ever!
Fight!