Cynical; “Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others: a cynical dismissal of the politician’s promise to reform the campaign finance system. Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness: a cynical view of the average voter’s intelligence.” Its easy to be cynical, what is harder is to give praise where it is due. When I started this blog I thought a healthy does of cynicism would be an easy way to stop ranting to myself about the incompetence I have met within the NHS mental health services. However, this has sort of turned into a long list of the problems and shortcomings encountered. I might as well rename Shards of Glass as “How The NHS Is Wasting Your Money”, or In The Limelight: Referrals as “How To Access No Help”.
Today we went to the coast (Gower to be precise). To get to one of the beaches there is a ten minute walk down a long set of steep steps. On this staircase there was a woman who was unconscious and (what looked like) her husband had called an ambulance. Within a minutes an air ambulance was taking her to hospital and six paramedics were packing up their bags. What reminded me about the best thing about the NHS was the only thing that her husband had to think about was his wife, not money or insurance. ts not like if you are injured skiing and the first question you are asked while clutching your (probably broken knee in agony) is for a visa card or who your insurance is with.
What I had lost sight of was the fact that my mental health care has been free, and specialised for my age, and usually the right amount has been given at the right time. I have never been put in hospital when I really didnt need it, nor have I been deprived of care when I was at my worst. I am a student, I have never had to pay for my prescriptions, I have never had to worry about what insurance will cover and what I will have to pay for, all I have needed to focus on is getting better. Sometimes I have wished I lived in the US because then you are the consumer so you can discharge yourself when you wish, and there are shorter waiting lists, and if you don’t like your psychiatrist you can find another one (this is probably all wrong I have never received health care in the US). I trust my psychiatrist, I trust that I am not over medicated. I know he cannot push drugs to make himself richer, or persuade me to have more appointments than I really need. To put it simply I trust him because there is no money involved.
Last Line…
Dear all, wishing you were here. I had a day sitting on the beach scoring peoples outfits out of ten while my sister made a sandcastle. Tomorrow we have the good old family cycle ride. Hannah X
17 Comments
July 29, 2008 at 6:55 am
Sounds like you had an enjoyable day Hannah!
July 29, 2008 at 7:43 am
All that you say is true, though still adult services in particular could do with a bit of work. CAMHS definitely was a walk in the park compared and the people were lovely. Take care and have a good ride xx
July 29, 2008 at 11:32 am
Hurrah for the NHS, at least for as long as it lasts!! Hope the weather holds for you!
July 29, 2008 at 9:53 pm
A day out to the beach, I am so envious. Its so easy to forget the wonders of the NHS, its probably the best creation of the twentieth centuary.
July 29, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Alison- It was a really great day. Well I dont like sand, but apart from that it was good. A nice chance to relax with a book.
Emma- I am really nervous about the move to CMHT now, so many people have commented about how different adults is compared to childrens.
Chuckle- The weather is ok at the moment, a few showers today but it was mainly sunny. And tomorrow we are going to Cardiff so it doesnt really matter about the weather.
Emily- I have to agree with you that the NHS was such a great creation. We did a lot of work on it for AS history and it was really interesting.
July 30, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hannah…
You have an award…
http://daydreamgirl.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/awarded/
July 30, 2008 at 10:16 pm
AS history I did that too, well early history but after the hell of the course essay I decided that A2 would not be for me. Hope your having a good holiday.
July 31, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Head down thumbs up disappear? or is my computer faffing around? Hope you’re okay x
July 31, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Ahh the dredded course essay, I did not have to do coursework for A2 because I applied for special consideration, now that looked like hell. X
July 31, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Emma- yes it did dissapear. Cant stand the record of my dropping mood, destroy all record and it goes. Me mood disordered, no. Me camhs, no. Me meds, no.
July 31, 2008 at 11:57 pm
You’re pretty much right about healthcare in the US – and we pay dearly for it, unless you’ve got insurance, and then you’re paying dearly for that. Even with my insurance, which is pretty decent, I pay around $100/month just for my meds. I pay $30 every time I go to see the therapist and another $30 every time I go to see the psychiatrist, so that’s been averaging another $150 – $210/month. It’s not cheap being bipolar.
August 2, 2008 at 3:15 pm
[...] start off, Coloured Mind and Scattered Thoughts considers that maybe the NHS isn’t so bad after all. What I had lost sight of was the fact that my mental health care has been free, and specialised for [...]
August 2, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Hi
I came here through Mental Nurse and found your post very interesting. I had similar thoughts about the NHS early last month on the occasion of its 60th Birthday. It’s sad how often people focus on the negatives about it, so it’s really refreshing to see another person who thinks as I do about it
My “essay” on it is here if you’re interested in it. Thank you for sharing yours 
August 8, 2008 at 11:04 am
I don’t know if you’re still on holiday… but I live ten minutes from Cardiff (Caerdydd, you fool!
) and a bit more from the Gower…
I was very much struck by your innovative stalking idea when you gave it me back in July!
Suzy x
August 9, 2008 at 1:14 am
Erin-Thats a lot of money you have to spend on healthcare. I am so used to recieving everything for free that it just seems so odd.
Lizzie- your essay was really interesting, the start up of the NHS as a topic is great especially compared to what health care had been like pre NHS.
Suzy- am still here. Going home in about fifteen hours time. And am currently sitting almost on top of the herefordshire/monmouthshire border. Remind me again what my stalking idea was, I seem to have had so many they have all merged together.
August 9, 2008 at 3:01 pm
OK: it was the one where I find out the CAMHS closest to where you live and read your blog to figure out your next visit and then go sit in the waiting room, and wait. And wait. And spring!
Ahem.
Suzy x
August 9, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Oh nohh. Your going to jump out at me after playing with the carpet. But I am one ahead of you Suzy my next apppointment I am not going to because well its results day so the pub is calling and all the rest are at my house until like september and then you will be at school. *sticks toungue out*