The slightly elderly gentleman came along nicely after his not very serious procedure. He sat up on his trolley, looked around in the recovery room and seemed quite pleased with things. There was an air of confidence about him. He was happy with himself and you got the feeling he had reason to be. I greeted him and said that I was the one to take him up from theatres to the day surgery …
Welcome to the jungle
There's dirt and there's dirt. Then there's the bizarre. Working in the Deep South London. Late nine o’clock finish and an early seven-thirty start the day after, a commute of three hours and kids being away on a school trip. Suddenly the on-site accommodation seemed rather attractive. I duly paid the £25 rent and checked myself in. The rooms were located in some derelict wing of the building. …
Polite disturbance in dormitory
My holiday had just started and all was as it should. Then Fabio entered the room… On the northern tip of Yafo (Jaffa), an ancient Mediterranean city once famous for its oranges and just a stone throw from Tel Aviv, its baby-young neighbour, is Old Jaffa Hostel, a friendly refuge for travellers during three decades. If it’s a posh hotel you want, this isn’t it. But as far as hostels go, they …
Spitting and straight talking
This staff member was spitting down the sinks and no one said anything. Should I? In my struggle, I started missing my beloved straight talking Filipinos. The day surgery department in the hospital was friendly enough and the sandwiches it offered the patients were not bad considering. There were both ham, cheese and pickle and salmon. In the staff room, parathas were going …
The day Obama gave hope to the NHS
A staff room in a dysfunctional theatre department in north-west London. On the TV, Barack Obama became president. And the black nurses threw a party. Audio version in the player above. The winter of early 2009 was unusually cold. Years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan had worn us out. Disillusioned we shivered our way through the freeze and as that was not enough, the …
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NHS – A new religion?
We love the NHS. It might be Britain’s most important institution. Every day I show up at work I meet people from literally all walks of life with the only thing in common that they are in need of healthcare. I do my share, among thousands of others, in providing that care. It’s something very basic and human about it and, often, it’s truly rewarding. But. The precious national treasure has …
