Monday 9 May 2016

Memorandum Monday - Things can only get better

This is the face of a man who thought he was going home on Friday, then it was to be Saturday. Now it is Monday and our photographer is a bit afraid to point the camera at him.

Friday the ambulance crew were set to take him home when he just happened to say that it would be difficult to get him up the two flights of stairs because the furniture guys had not been able to get a sofa up the stairway. As they planned to use a stretcher you can just imagine the shocked silence that followed his statement.
There was discussion about using "the Chair" and someone to ensure his leg stayed straight. They contacted Social Services to see if there was somewhere else he could be until he can bend his leg again. They asked his age and because he is under 55 they cannot help him.

Today the suggestion is that they will try to get him up the stairs on an air mattress.

What do I take from this fiasco? I take that the government has very nearly broken the NHS sufficiently to be able to tell us it doesn't work and has to be privatised. The fact that his private health insurance through work doesn't cover this situation either just makes me aware of how much danger the population of this country is in. Am I angry? you bet I am. The NHS was started the year after I was born and has kept my whole family alive for nearly 70 years. Now the greed of a few very rich people is set to take this away. I think I have to unwrap my campaigning banners and set to work

My thanks to Sian at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this meme to keep me writing

2 comments:

Sian said...

I'm really sorry to hear this.

My Mum is sleeping on a mattress on the floor at the moment because she fell out of bed and the ambulance men said she wasn't allowed to sleep in her bed again until it was fitted with rails.

Send him our best, won't you?

Patio Postcards said...

Oh dear not good. I will send positive energy that recovery goes smoother & that a solution is quickly found for Uncle to get into his own flat. Until you need it you just never know the ins & outs of health care services. We also have government sponsored health coverage & little to no choice of private services - it has its pitfalls but I am still glad it's there.