Andrew Kay: Take care
My recent foray into the world of the stage had me raking over the guilt in my heart, but it also prompted me to make a point about health care in the United Kingdom.
In the last few years I have had a fair bit of contact with health services. First, the devastating loss of my father which was less than well-handled. An inquest was requested by the local coroner’s office in Exeter, and this took nearly 14 months to happen. In the end I resorted to throwing my toys out of the pram and writing to my mum’s local MP. Funnily enough, the copy I sent to the coroner seemed to have the required effect and all was finally resolved.
“Without moving from his seat he said: “Well, what do you expect? You’re old and overweight””
A year later, and Mum was in hospital with a brace of strokes. I cannot fault the care that she received, and still receives. Her doctors are amazing and quick to respond; the care workers are kind and willing too.
It is once again the case that administration falls down. The people who arrange the care seem oblivious to the need for order in Mum’s life, so she spends time waiting around for broken appointments and seldom gets a call letting her know when someone is not going to turn up. It’s not good for a lady recovering from a stroke.
Personally, I have recently changed my GP surgery. I simply couldn’t go on dealing with people who really did not seem to have my wellbeing at heart. On my first visit, my old doctor was terse to the point of downright rude. I went in with a foot problem. He asked me to remove my shoes and socks, and then, without moving from his seat he said: “Well, what do you expect? You’re old and overweight.” I left with nothing but a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach.
A few months later, I felt the need to return as the foot problem was getting worse. This time a second doctor suggested a blood test for gout. I returned and a charming nurse drew a sample of blood. I went home and waited, and waited, and waited … in the end I called, and the receptionist said that I did indeed have gout.
I had to call again to make an appointment to see the doctor, and only then did I get some medication. Two types, and one which made me so ill that I had to stop taking it. I was given no advice that it could turn my guts to water.
I have changed surgery now and I have to say that the treatment and respect I am getting at Park Crescent Health Centre is really good, really very thorough and polite, and informative.
When I wrote the play, I wanted to counter the constant barrage of bad press that seems to be directed at health care workers. I wanted to show that many people in that profession are good and kind, caring and professional. Okay, there must be some bad: we see the evidence of elderly people being neglected in quite appaling ways. But surely this coverage is of the few damaging the reputation of the many. I hope so!
I’m not excusing the bad, far from it. Bring on the whistle-blowers, show the bad guys for what they are and prosecute, prosecute the backsides off the wrong do-ers – from the ground up! There is no excuse for people at the top claiming that they did not know what was happening at the bottom; it’s merely evidence that they are not up to a top management job. Sack ’em, sack ’em all.
At the same time, let’s sing the praises of those who do deliver, the caring and compassionate who deal with things that some of us could never face up to. The hard working who receive minimum wage and work long hours – often unsociable hours. I suspect that some of these poorly paid key workers are badly managed and often victims of the inadequacies of top heavy management systems, where paper or email is king, and action a bit-part player.
And again, not all managers are bad. There must be good ones, and maybe they too get bogged down by top heavy systems.
Actions really do speak louder. Stop analysing and creating systems and let’s get off our backsides and starting doing things again: less chat, less admin and jargon and pointless meetings … just do it!
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