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Showing posts from June, 2017

A Health Service

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With a UK General Election just one week away, I’ve been encouraged by the level of appreciation for the National Health Service, first launched in the summer of 1948. It strikes me as a mark of a civilised and compassionate society that values the cradle-to-grave care of all of its citizens, knowing that in doing so, the financial burden must be shared. But what do we do when this much loved institution is in crisis? Is it exclusively a political matter that will be resolved if we make the ‘right’ choice at the ballot box next week? It is my fervent hope that our votes will support the continuation of our universal free healthcare system, but this can only be part of the response to the crisis alluded to above. My affection for the NHS is at odds with my views on how we ‘do health’. Our medical care responds exceptionally well to acute conditions and emergencies, however, as a nation, we don’t prioritise health, but rather wait for disease and chronic conditions to take hold and