Closing hospitals, killing patients

I've just been out to deal with an emergency call from a patient.

Severe abdominal pain. Needs to see a surgeon. I call the nearest surgeon and he agrees to see her. I call an ambulance.

"Can't take her there doc" they tell me. "Too far. We're the only ambulance on for this area after midnight, so there will be no cover if we go."

They want to take her to the local hospital. But it's been downgraded and only has a GP on duty. Not much use, I point out, when you need to see a surgeon.

They head off to see if they can arrange to meet another ambulance en route and swap the patient over. At night. In a lay by.

The good news, they told me, is that there are more cuts in ambulance numbers in the neighboring areas on the way, so the problem is set to get worse.

So when Tony Blair said that 'closing hospitals saves lives', he was either being inappropriately ironic or a Big Fucking Liar.

Like Crippen, I hoped New Labour would save the NHS. Now I hate them.

Lies, corruption, and deceit.