Hospitals‿ and‿ illnesses

My name‿ is Lucia. I had‿ an‿ operation three years‿ ago,│ an(d) what‿ I learned from‿ it concerned not the surgeon but the system‿ in│ which he was‿ obliged to work.

My diagnosis took four months,│ because triage correctly identified my case‿ as non-urgent,│ and‿ I do not resen(t) that. What struck me was the visible pressure:│ twelve patients‿ on one list│ before lunch,│ and‿ a surgeon│ who was‿ excellent‿ and‿ exhausted. Six beds to a room meant‿ I contracted‿ a nosocomial‿ infection that kep(t) me there‿ an‿ extra week. None‿ of this was‿ attributable to any individual. It was the predictable‿ output‿ of running‿ every department‿ at full capacity,│ where‿ a single‿ emergency displaces‿ a hundred‿ appointments‿ and‿ every saving made‿ on‿ infrastructure‿ is repaid later^la-der‿ in complications.

What‿ I now believe‿ is that the argument‿ about health care‿ is conducted‿ in the wrong terms. It‿ is framed‿ as‿ a matter^ma-der‿ of funding,│ when the more‿ awkwar(d) question‿ is‿ adequacy an(d) rationing,│ which‿ an‿ ageing population makes‿ unavoidable‿ in some form. If‿ a politician promises‿ everything for‿ everybody,│ ask who will staff‿ it. The nurses│ who looked│ after me were‿ extraordinary an(d) visibly exhausted,│ and‿ I would put that sentence‿ at the head‿ of‿ any reform proposal. Entitlements that cannot be staffed‿ are not‿ entitlements;│ they are‿ intentions.