"NHS collapsing"

I attended Milton Keynes A and E on Saturday 27th April. I spent 10 hours in A and E to have a vital blood test for a complex and potentially life threatening condition. I was impressed with the very friendly and caring staff, but sadly they seemed overwhelmed and under pressure. However, a member of staff commented to me that she was grateful the dept was not to busy at the time. A nurse was unable to take my blood I had to wait several hours for a doctor to be free to do so and although the laboratory returned the results in an hour it took five hours for a doctor to be able to spare the time to give me the results. There was no access to food other than a malfunctioning vending machine for chocolate and crisps. Staff commented that they were sad that it had become standard that many people who are very unwell often spend a day or more in the department without direct access to proper food. Even on what the staff describe as a less busy day the department resembles a war zone. There was a clear shortage of doctors and nurses. But this seems to be a situation across many such A and E departments across the country. I am grateful that the NHS still exists, particularly as our private sector is not accessible on such occasions as emergencies and is not affordable for many. But I admit needing to use the NHS now often fills me with fear as waiting times in general have left me to deteriorate and be at risk of dying.