The following morning we drove back to Birmingham instead, curtailing our trip, and went straight to a hospital where a specialist was available in A and E at the City Eye Hospital. Once more my wife waited for hours until eventually seen and diagnosed with two retinal tears needing urgent surgery. This was the 2^nd of January, a Sunday and normal service was not to be resumed until Tuesday 4^th so the best treatment on offer was admission for my wife and for her to lie in a predetermined position so that the gravitational pull on her retina might not worsen. She eventually had her operation on the afternoon of the 4^th and thankfully is making a good recovery, but as yet we are unsure of the success as the gas bubble used to retain the retina has not yet gone down to allow vision.

So what does David Cameron mean when he talks about Patient Recorded Outcomes? Is this what he meant when he spoke this week about second rate service when interviewed by Radio 4, which he corrected to being “second best” later in the day? The hospital where my wife eventually was operated on had a beautiful photo perched on each bed showing how the bed, cabinet and all should be presented, and how you might complain if the bed did not appear as the photo, we were not told however how we might complain if my wife had to wait 72hours for her operation hoping all would be well by lying in position A.

David Cameron has reacted to criticism of the “privatisation” of the NHS, telling the critics to grow up.Perhaps he is not as concerned as some GPs that KPMG are “helping” assist GP Pathfinder Consortia in London, such privatisation is surely nothing to concern? Why are KPMG interested? As legislation hits Parliament this week on the NHS Reforms we should all engage the debate and if critical make some noise, we will not be alone.

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