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My mother was in hospital the day of the junior doctors’ strike. Here’s how it affected us

Her impeccable treatment by NHS staff is the very reason we should support doctors on the picket line

Oliver Kassman
Wednesday 13 January 2016 14:45 GMT
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Paediatric surgery registrar Naomi Wright outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Paediatric surgery registrar Naomi Wright outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London

My Mum went for a routine eye test for her new glasses. The optician found something unusual - the vision in her right was eye badly compromised despite any lenses she tried. The fear was that it might be macular degeneration – which would mean that she was almost certainly in danger of losing all but her peripheral vision, or at worst her sight completely.

The optician referred her straight to hospital, where I joined her. Within half an hour she was in the A&E department of Moorfields Eye Hospital. Within an hour she had had three tests by nurses to prime her meet with a specialist Consultant, who examined her eyes in detail. Then she was sent straight through to the imaging department in the same hospital so detailed scans could be made of her eyes. We then went back to the consultant, who checked the many images and was able to put our fears to rest - it was a retinal inflammation in the centre of her focal plane - which should go away in time and certainly won't get any worse.

Within a few hours, a thorough examination by specialists had left us both completely reassured. If it had been worse news, we were told that they could have started treatment on the same day.

This is the NHS we are fighting for. As we left the hospital, the junior doctors were on strike outside - we wished them the best of luck and told them we were behind them 100 per cent.

This is a service through which you are referred to some of the best doctors in the world immediately, specialists in the area of concern and supported by efficient and hardworking nurses, receptionists, porters and cleaners. These people work hard to give you the best possible care, immediately, with no question of payment, insurance or any lack of willingness to treat you based on where you're from, how you're employed or how much money you have.

This is our great privilege as citizens of the UK. This is what makes Britain great. This - arguably the greatest achievement in the history of the UK - is what we must protect and never compromise on.

Let us not let Conservative, neoliberal ideology, masquerading as necessary cuts destroy the thing we treasure the most.We should support our new doctors and not expect them to work long hours which will burn them out before they are 30 and reduce the level of care they can provide.

Solidarity with the NHS staff who look after us when we are at are most vulnerable. My mother and I are eternally grateful.

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