"The NHS - A Mythical Creature"

So we wonder why the NHS seems to be going to the dogs on a daily basis, and we wonder why we hear all the terrible stories. Well I hate to tell it to you guys but the system is nothing but a white whale. Something we like to believe is around us, always there to help. What proceeds is only one mans experience but shows a majority of underlining flaws in the system.... My partner and I had recently found we were pregnant with our first child, only 6-7 weeks but still exciting times . My partner started to experience heavy pains, sickness and diharea. Me being ever the pessimist (and a workaholic) decided if do a quick google as I was half way through a shift. You can never be to careful of course but my prognosis suggested that these were normal cramps and pains for a woman of this condition and the diharea linked to an ongoing case of IBS and spicey rice. Despite this and explaining my case to my partner , she insisted we attend North tees hospital. We arrived at 5:20 and were seen in record time (20 minutes), questions, blood pressure , Heart rate and temp all taken aswell as urine . Que 1 hour wait... After getting seen again, and taking BP, HR and temp again! We waited in a room for 45 minutes, to be told we'd be moved upstairs in no time. Que 15 min wait. Another nurse then comes to take .. You guessed it .. HR, BP and temp before another 15 minute wait for a porter who insisted we had to use a wheelchair citing health and safety.. (What a useless waste of resources) . We were sent upstairs and ... You'll never guess what ... HR, BP , temp & another urine sample. Now my thoughts are in 2hrs 35 mins ... Very little will have changed , and despite all the information being written down still did the minor tests. ( again the rate at which these were done I believe it to be a huge drain on the system) ... Again we waited 1 hr 30 mins to finally see a gynaecologist who'd forgotten about us. Finally we get in to see the doctor. The ends in sight ! It must be . 'We'll send you for a scan, it will be a bit of a wait mind you' ..... I'm speechless at this point ... I've waited 4 hours and the only information you can give me that the pains my now distressed, upset, hungry and tired partner is getting are probably all normal part of pregnancy. But as a precaution they'll send us for a scan. To me , I'd already got this basic information and you can imagine my anger that waiting over 4 hours to be told something I already knew to me was like trying to get a conversation out of a stone Buddha I have sat in my garden. I'ts now 9:58pm exactly and we still don't know if we are going for a scan or not! 4hrs 32 minutes !!!

If you find a hungry looking skeleton, clutching a pregnant blonde girl in a few weeks time , It's probably me , I'm just waiting to be seen still. What a total and utter drain on my taxes. A joke of a system that doesn't work.