Time was

Time was:

©2012Am Ang Zhang   

… When I was employed by a Regional Health Authority and seconded to a local Hospital. Consultants were thus “protected” though we hardly “whistle-blowed” and in those days only really “bad” doctors got suspended.

…  When GPs would write personally to a named Consultant and the Consultant would take pride in providing the consultation and reply personally.

…  When medical secretaries would take short hand and they took pride in what they did for a low pay, but it was for the common good.

…  When junior doctors would learn not only from consultants but from experienced nurses and sisters (yes, sisters).

…  When we accepted patients transferred back from private hospitals because the patients’ insurer dumped them or the private hospitals could no longer cope.

…  When the only cancelled appointments were those with the wives, husbands, or family: patients always came first. One Christmas day I took a present to a young patient in hospital before going to friends for lunch. The family waited in the car.

… When we were respected and we knew it, and we were all proud of our NHS.

3/16/12 6:15 AM