NHS

Trevor returned from emergency dental surgery for an abscess y'day having left the tooth behind. He will probably have to have most of his teeth out. As a cancer patient - the radiotherapy pretty much finished off his back teeth - he may be able to get free treatment, so we're going to go back to the oncology dept and ask for advice. However, I'm impressed with the NHS - he was not registered with a dentist, so had to re-register via the helpline at 2 pm. By 2.15 they'd called back with an appointment for 3 in one of the nearby towns and by 3.30 he'd been treated, for £17, which is the NHS flat rate. I'm making this entirely domestic post public, as a minor record of how quickly the health service here can respond - great in crisis, if not so hot on treatment of chronic conditions.

Meanwhile, my 90 yo father, who is in reasonable health for his age, is trying to avoid the doctor, who keeps trying to make appointments for him. Given some of the hysteria over 'death panels,' the medical profession is doing all they can to keep some elderly people alive, though not, I must say, with much co-operation from their patients!