"Our great NHS"

Having been taken ill with urinary retention on a boat in Salcombe estuary I phoned 999 on my mobile and told the ambulance service of my dilemma they immediately despatched an ambulance to the harbour office and picked me up 3/4 hour later in pain the ambulance crew were very attentive and gave me gas and air to reduce the pain level and delivered me to A&E at Derriford where a well oiled machine swung into action and within 1/4 hour I had a catheter and within 5 minutes was pain free.

I can honestly say that the 3 people who attended me were efficient quick concerned and dealt with my whole stay in the hospital in a very pleasant manner. In the media there have been many reports of inefficiencies and bad service within the NHS and also reports that after the age of 70 you are not treated within the same speed or the same manner as younger people, at 76 it can be said I fall into the older category but there was no evidence of ageism in my treatment at all and I don't wonder at the way the British people have earned the reputation for winging unnecessarily. My experience of our great NHS was as close to perfect as it could be and I think a little encouragement from the public would do wonders for staff morale.