Tilly, a itchy winky on little Jimmy could be a serious infection,or there could be Diabetes,a raised blood sugar with spillage into the kidneys which then causes irriatation and thrush on Jimmy's little winky. It IS something that may need to be looked at as an emergency.(he may only have told his Mum today that it has been itchy for four days).And it is something that has happened in our family,although thankfully the GP was able to be visited the same day.
I have seen both good and bad in the NHS. I am still very hurt with the memory of how my family was treated when my son was lying dead in A and E.I am also very puzzled as to why my father had much better treatment in the same wards than my late son had had. If my son had been treated and test results puzzled over as well as my Dad,then he may well still be alive today.
My daughter and grandson have been treated badly in A and E.They went there last summer when his blood sugar spiked at over 20.Although I was was not there, I am aware of how they were treated. My husband was there(as was a good friend of ours).My grandson does not have Diabetes,but there is plenty in the family,and she tested his blood sugar because he was drinking gallons and had other symptoms also.My husband and I virtually diagnosed our own baby and our elder son,as we recognised the same symptoms.
I was in hospital collecting my husband after he had had hand surgery,and we had to wait for take home meds to be delivered. A man in the bed opposite(a man in his 40's probably),had both arms in plaster,so could not use either of them. His cup of tea arrived,nurses said they were going to coffee and they would give him his when they got back(the other nurses were only overseeing that bay, the patients were not their responsibility),so I gave him his tea. He said it was the first hot tea he had drunk since he had been in there.When I was nursing, the patients comfort was paramount. If we did not have time for a coffee break,then we didn't get one. I have had times when I would have a coffee or tea on the ward while feeding a patient, taking sips of mine in between their sips,and other times where there was no time to even take a sip.
I have also seen brilliant nurses, Drs,cleaning staff and others. Wonderful people.When my Dad was dying, the staff kept him so comfortable,and whatever he wanted to eat or drink was brought to him at whatever time he wanted it.
I can't say that I was ever under-paid. I was a grade D Enrolled Nurse,and my husband was a househusband.Our family of five was able to be kept comfortable with my salary and child benefit,we had a mortgage and interest rates were very high when our children were young,but we had fun family days out and one summer holiday each year.We worked hard,very hard,but 5 weeks holidays and 10 bank holiday days,which equalled 7 weeks holiday overall was,I thought, very good.
I do miss nursing, very much,but wouldn't want to go back now. I don't like the way that nurses are treated,not just by members of the public but by the powers that be.I have relations in their 50's working for the NHS,who will be relieved when retirement gets to them,because conditions have changed so much.