Hope St.

If you read this column last week you'll know that AngryBritain had a little run in with the West Herts NHS Trust. Round 2 was duly scheduled for yesterday and we arrived bright and early for Mrs AB's appointments.

 

What a difference.

 

The first was with a lovely lady. Full of experience, wisdom and most importantly humility to Mrs AB's concerns. She listened, answered our questions, told us the no-nonsense facts about what we had requested and genuinely seemed to have the AngryBaby's best interests at heart. She listened, she listened hard and we appreciated it.

 

The second, was a kindly older gentleman. Just by looking at him you could tell he had bedside manner honed over many years of dealing with pregnant women like Mrs AB. He too listened to what she had to say, again told her the facts, offerred time to think about things and then left the door open for her to see him again before the AngryBaby makes an appearance.

 

Both of these people, in AngryBritain's opinion, did their jobs with the utmost care and professionalism, unlike the person last week who coldly shut the door.

 

These two have restored some of AngryBritain's faith in the NHS. There are still good people in the service, battling against the odds and bureaucracy to provide genuine patient care. You'll find a few of them on Twitter, and if you have an account you should have a look at @LucyKD @drsimonc @EmmaRhoyds

 

I'm sure a few of you caught The Hospital again last night on C4. This week it was the obese seeking surgery to cure their 'illness'. The upshot, gastric bands being given out like Smarties to people who could really just stop eating cake.

 

With this sort of madness, I guess it isn't really any wonder the NHS is in such a mess and some of those working within it have all but given up. But all the time people like the two Mrs AB and I saw yesterday, and those medical Twitterers are still working at hospitals around the UK, you never know, there might just still be hope.

NHS - No Help Service

'No'. 'No, I'm not agreeing to it, there's no medical reason'.

 

And that was that.

 

As regular readers will know AngryBritain is expecting, well not AngryBritain himself, though looking at his gut hanging over the top of his trousers you might think otherwise. Mrs AB is very pregnant, and a mere 4 weeks away from giving me my son, or daughter, and heir to this crap island.

 

Mrs AB you might say, is a bit of a hottie. Cute, gorgeous, petit and blonde with a peachy bum. In fact too good for a old, fat, balding misery-guts like me. To most outsiders one of those couples who you see and ask 'What's she doing with him? ...'

 

The AngryBaby is already showing traits from it's dad judging by the size of the bump poor Mrs AB is carrying around. Without going into too much detail the logistics of this human miracle don't appear to add up so we have a birth plan which we would very much like to stick too. And in this age of Patient Choice, we wrongly assumed that our decision would, while initially be fought, ultimately be agreed leading to a safe, calm and planned birth.

 

Determined not to fall at the first hurdle the AngryMan annonymously fought Mrs ABs case, pointing out the Patient Choice Charter and demanded a second opinion. Like a scolded schoolboy the consultant begrudingly agreed and Round 2 is early next week. We will be seeing the consultant midwife, then a further consultant who will hopefully agree to our request.

 

Some of you may have caught 'The Hospital' again on Channel 4 the other night. This particular episode followed teen-pregnancy 'victims'. Star of the show was 'Lisa' the overweight benefit-claiming chain-smoker who was offerred as much care as she needed, in the way she requested. And a house afterwards.

 

AngryBritain presumes that different NHS Trusts have different views on such matters and that the West Herts NHS Trust is a closed book on this matter. For now.

 

As an aside the AngryMan had to give his blood type. It seems we are B Positive. Oh, the irony.