The NHS is the "envy of the world"

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair before him as well as assorted Labour Ministers are fond of telling us that the NHS is the "envy of the world". The news about the Staffordshire General Hospital, and others, puts the lie to the claims. Let's look at some of the things that other Countries should apparently be envious of:

"Dehydrated patients were forced to drink out of flower vases, while others were left in soiled linen on filthy wards.

Receptionists carrying out initial checks on patients;

Two clinical decision units - one unstaffed - used as 'dumping grounds' for A&E patients to avoid missing waiting targets;

Nurses who turned off heart monitors because they didn't understand how to use them;

Delayed operations, with some patients having surgery cancelled four days in a row and left without food, drink or medication;

"My wife had treatment at this hospital and it was beyond belief. Staff tried to get my wife to believe she had already been given her tablets when they hadn't; later admitting they ran out and did not want to call out the Pharmacy! People were screaming for the toilet as their requests for assistance went unheeded."
Mick, Stafford

"My mother in law died at a hospital where her 'care' was almost non-existant. She died screaming in pain because nobody could be found to replace her morphine pump." Claire, Norfolk

"When my father was in hospital for months, he lay in a bed with dirty, torn blankets and grubby sheets. I asked to see the Hospital Manager and was walked through the most plush of offices. I was sickened and told her so." Sammy, UK

"My sister recently qualified as a nurse. During her training a fellow student commented to a manager that a doctor hadn't bothered to change his scrubs after undertaking a minor operation on a patient and wore the same ones for his next operation. She was warned any whistle blowing of that sort would result in her being kicked out." Jo, Middlesex"

"Envy of the world" my arse, the NHS is an over bureaucratic organisation run by bureaucrats for bureaucrats, it exists to ration care and meet government targets. My visits to NHS hospitals have left me usually feeling unclean and often untreated as well. If the NHS was half as good as Gordon Blair claims then many people would not spend the horrendous sums that they do on private medial care.