Healthcare
Earlier in the year I was very ill with, to put it bluntly, chronic bloody diarrhoea. Very unpleasant and rather frightening for a 22 year old woman, I'm sure you'll agree. My GP listened to me and didn't try to fob me off with "Oh it's just a virus/IBS go away and come back when your insides have actually imploded". He went out of his way to see me every week until my hospital appointment came though (10 days after his referral, thanks to him getting me rushed through) and got me on medication straight away for what he suspected was wrong (ulcerative colitis). Thanks to some exemplary care from my GP and the staff at the hospital I am now fully recovered and the extremely good news is that I probably don't have ulcerative colitis and will lead a full medication-free life. I will even finish my PhD in time (probably). Unfortunately nobody is able to tell me why I spent a month bleeding from somewhere in my intestines and why it got better with the medication for a disease I probably don't have, but that's medicine for you - not all that scientific! So my hero of the year is my GP for listening, and all the staff at the hospital who looked after me, and whatever gods were looking over me when I found out I don't have a lifelong debilitating condition.

And my villain of the year? David Cameron, for trying to destroy the fine institution that is the NHS, much as people complain about it. We are so lucky to be blessed with free healthcare, as there is no way in hell I could have afforded all the medication, colonoscopy, and doctor's appointments on a PhD student's stipend (and before anyone tells me to get a job, I'm researching Alzheimer's disease so I am *trying* to make a difference myself!). Next time you're feeling a bit poorly and you think your doctor is being slow remember that in some countries you wouldn't even have access to a doctor.

Length? I didn't look.
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 17:43, 13 replies)

You dislike St. Dave? I thought you highly educated types stuck together.

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 18:08, closed)

What's you've done there
is mix up "highly educated" and "twat".

Besides, I may be at Cambridge but every single person in my research group is state educated and proud. Take that, Cameron!
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 19:15, closed)

There is no evidence that Cameron is trying to take away free healthcare.
Of course a universally affordable, efficient, high quality, safe and advanced healthcare system is an inherent good. But IMO it doesn't inherently matter if anything is state owned or privately owned for profit, just as long as it provides these things. Have you got any evidence that structural reforms will put what is good about the NHS in jeopardy?
(Glucose-Maximus All over the world., Tue 3 Jan 2012, 20:33, closed)

P.S...
Also, I notice that you go down the typical route of attacking Cameron's Etonian education. Take it from me as the council estate born, state educated holder of an MSc from a top 10 UK uni, it doesn't matter where you come from, just where you are going. The Tories had 40 years straight of state educated leaders, the longest such run of any UK political party. Cameron's leadership no more indicates the Conservatives are a party of elites than Blair's or Clegg's does for their parties. Please remember that many of the most notable people in the history of the left have been equally as posh as any right of center figure.
(Glucose-Maximus All over the world., Tue 3 Jan 2012, 20:34, closed)

^This

My wife moved from a job in private industry to work in the local hospital. She regularly rants about he amount of money being wasted. She still has to print out multiple copies of monthly reports and file them - just in case.

Could the NHS be run for x% less? Easily, but the cuts always come out of a reduced headcount (of frontline staff) rather than sorting out the antiquated working practices, etc.
(jono_h, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 21:06, closed)

I worked
for a large construction company on a city hospital where £100,000s were spent having the car park re-designed with multiple changes to the planned layout being requested by the hospital estate manager as it was being built...most of them purely cosmetic.

It was New Labour PFI that fucked the NHS.
( Larry Death Anger Pain Fear Aggression, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 22:56, closed)

I'm sure the boys of B3TA are thrilled to hear your bum hole is back in tip top health.

( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Tue 3 Jan 2012, 21:32, closed)

Not just the boys of b3ta ;)

(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 22:36, closed)

ColonoscopyPOIDH
:)
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Wed 4 Jan 2012, 0:05, closed)

So you're saying Wah Wah Wah I wasn't very well.
And attempting to disguise this beakering by mentioning your GP.

Well done. Only 7/10 for the beakering though, but it's early in the year so you've time to build on this.
( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Tue 3 Jan 2012, 21:51, closed)

Why are you posting like a /talk robot?

( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Tue 3 Jan 2012, 23:33, closed)

Saw you every week?
"He went out of his way to see me every week until my hospital appointment came though (10 days after his referral.....)"

He saw you once more? Not that heroic.
(pastcaring trembling in a corner....., Wed 4 Jan 2012, 0:12, closed)

Oslerism
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
(uncle_bud is not the jelly roll king., Wed 4 Jan 2012, 2:30, closed)