10.25.05
Reflections on the day
Just under a week away from work and 127 emails awaited; what fun. I know I have said it before, but what on earth did we do in the old days? Still my journey had been more pleasurable due to it being half term, it seems a lot of people are away from work this week.
I had cause to spend some time today with one of our district nurses, and during the course of our conversation we talked about the way in which people in affluent areas are sometimes reluctant to mix with council estate rif raf. You would imagine that if services could be set up in your area to ensure that you could receive the best available care for say your leg ulcer treatment, then you would think it a great idea. But apparently this is not necessarily the case and it is a sad inditment of 21st centrury Britain that the haves would like to access free health care but not in full view of the have nots.
My district nursing practice took place within a new town where there is little in the way of affluent housing (or there wasn’t in the early 90’s), and much of the clientele were first and second generation Londoners who had moved into the area to escape the poor housing left by the second world war. Many of these people would have jumped at the opportunity to get out and about particularly when offered a free bus service, since these people often appeared to think that health services were their right not any kind of privilege. I remember once visiting a patient with diabetes to administer insulin, and being told that no the patient did not wish to learn how to give their own injections, since they had paid ‘their stamp’ (national insurance contributions) all their working life and was therefore entitled to have me there giving their injection to them. Luckily I was just covering that patch for the weekend and it wasn’t my problem to sort out, but it left me wondering!
I wonder though if people realise that the money being paid into the national insurance pot today is paying for today’s education, health and social security and that none of us has a little bank account sitting there waiting for us to be ill or to retire on a state pension. I also wonder how much longer we can have our cake and eat it too.
The picture above is from a tv show some years ago called the District Nurse, played by Nerys Hughes. I don’t think many district nurses travel on a bike these days, and certainly I never did. I carried all kinds of things in my car (some of which people have more sense than to transport these days, for example commodes), but that is another story for another day!
vegas said,
October 26, 2005 at 2:20 am
Hi Julie
Nice blog site. Would be very interested to get your opinion on mine - http://www.gettingcaned.blogspot.com
And do you know of any doctors who have stepped into Health Management? It is something I am looking into, as I see more potential for changing things that way.
Kim said,
October 30, 2005 at 11:44 pm
There are so many similarities in the attitudes re: health care between the USA and England. I see a lot of “you owe me” attitudes here, too.
I’ve been wondering - it seems that nurses wear blue in England and I’ve seen different shades of blue. What do the different shades signify?
Julie said,
October 31, 2005 at 4:54 pm
In the past the dark blue was reserved for the sister or more senior nurse. Staff nurses wore something lighter blue. Lately since the advent of trousers (Pants to you) and a tunic people often seem to wear the same colour whatever the grade.
One think you find traditionally over here is that people are very hooked on hierachy.