Reframing the NHS: Care, Challenges, and the Enduring Spirit
Author Anne Perkins recounts her experience as an emergency patient facing potential major surgery, which led her to reframe her view of the National Health Service (NHS). She references Nye the National Theatre's show about Aneurin Bevan, highlighting Bevan's foundational role in establishing the NHS as a defining political project.
During her hospital stay, Perkins observes a warmth and competence among staff, describing their care as a form of love. Hospital personnel answer calls promptly and strive to keep patients safe, clean, and cared for, creating a sense of a shared journey toward recovery that transcends wealth or status. The NHS’s principle of care free at the point of use underlines this common destination.
Perkins describes an "alchemy" of care—professionalism, patience, and generosity—that allows patients to feel seen and valued even amid pain. She provides vivid details of ward life, including two older women with chronic conditions receiving ongoing support and the perseverance of staff. Small everyday scenes, such as the hospital shop and helpers at WH Smith, illustrate ongoing kindness within the hospital environment.
While acknowledging the NHS’s flaws and bureaucratic challenges, the author argues that the value of what exists within the service is extraordinary and priceless. Historical context includes a hospital opened by Princess Anne in the 1980s and a mention of an era when Chancellor Nigel Lawson disparaged the NHS as the "national religion."
