Opinion PUBLISHED: 09:45 14 July 2018 | UPDATED: 09:45 14 July 2018 Tom Bristow claims that The NHS enjoys quasi-religious status in this country. PHOTO: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Archant “I assume if any members of the EDP team are ever in need of medical attention then you won’t call for an ambulance or use the NHS.” So reads one of several comments and emails we get at the EDP when we run stories which point out failings in our health system. The NHS enjoys quasi-religious status in this country. That reverence touched on piety last week with the NHS’ 70th birthday celebrated with cathedral services across the country. But as with any religion, those who do point out its failings can face a backlash. So along with all the fantastic things about the NHS we should also remember this: -Its leaders are very well paid public servants and must be held accountable for its failings -It is repeatedly missing its targets and letting down patients -Locally, it is in crisis with our biggest hospital and mental health trust both in special measures. Our ambulance service, meanwhile, has been under fire for years. The idea that the NHS should not be challenged does a huge disservice to patients. Just some of the findings in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report into the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital should provoke public anger – patients treated on trolleys, waiting time targets manipulated, and despite tens of millions more pounds of our money being… [Read full story]
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