Please accept my apologies for slow moderating yesterday.
And a slow start to today.
Just before 3 yesterday afternoon I got a call to say that my teenage son had been hit by a car on a zebra crossing. By chance I was working from home. I was with him in minutes.
He was a pretty concussed, rather bloodied person when I got there. But an ambulance and several police cars were in attendance very quickly. And by 10 last night we were back home. At 17 you bounce more easily than you do in later life. When he wakes this morning he's going to be in some pain, but nothing was broken and Addenbrooks could assure us that a brain scan was fine, even though he had lost consciousness for a bit.
At moments like this you count what really matters.
You say, another, sincere thanks to the NHS and all who work in it. They were under some stress last night.
You appreciate the people who came to his immediate help.
You call the driver to say he's fine and so take away one of their causes of stress.
And you cancel today's appointments so you can keep an eye on him.
But I also say other things too.
Thank heaven for regulation: the driver made a mistake but they were driving at less than the speed limit.
And you say thanks for the NHS.
And other public services.
And you note why it is that we live in a community.
And note that it matters.
And that all pay their part in it by paying tax so we can all enjoy the benefit of living in that society which can function because we do.
Because, yes I know tax does not pay for public services, but without tax to control the inflation that their supply would otherwise create, much of this would not be possible.
Now, back to work.
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I know your son’s health is a priority. But you’ve gone and used it to try and score political points, so I’ll add one – your son would have been dealt with just as well if not better in any number of North European countries like Ireland or the Netherlands or Denmark which do not have an NHS system.
With fees charged, in Ireland at least
And you have entirely missed the point
My son would have been – I could have paid, and would probably have insurance if it was required
But that would have meant there would have been a two tier system last night
Instead money had nothing to do with who was seen first
And behind the cowardice of your stupid pseudonym you don’t even appreciate that fact
@ Toby Carvery
“I know your son’s health is a priority. But you’ve gone and used it to try and score political points, so I’ll add one — your son would have been dealt with just as well if not better in any number of North European countries like Ireland or the Netherlands or Denmark which do not have an NHS system.”
It’s precisely because the health of RM’s son is a priority to Mr Murphy that he’s made a point of the Importance of the NHS in this blog. The fact that this point is political hardly classes it as political point scoring. Have you never heard of the expression that the personal is Political?
You’re behaving exactly like those predictable bores who when you try to make some point about poverty in this country witter on about how much worse it is in India et al.
So what! As if poverty being worse elsewhere means we shouldn’t be concerned about it here. Medieval serfs had virtually no rights in the eyes of the law. Does that mean we should no longer be concerned about the erosion of our rights and access to the law just because we’re no longer surfs?
The only person trying to score political points here is you, Mr Toby Carvery who’s motto is ‘Home of the Roast.’ And me too for trying to give you a well deserved roasting.
If the likes of Mr Murphy and others can’t use his son as an example of how great the NHS is in a crisis, whatever it’s other faults, then we will lose it and rue the day.
Far better Mr Murphy’s use of his son’s accident than ‘Call me Dave’ Cameron’s abuse of his dead, disabled toddler son as a human shield to deflect criticism at every opportunity.
There’s far more difference between the words ‘use’ and ‘abuse’ than the first two letters of the alphabet.
I’d call DC’s abuse of his son’s conditions and death immoral. But in order to be immoral you need to have morals to break in the first place. DC clearly doesn’t have any so I’ll call the sleaze ball amoral instead.
At least Mr Murphy’s use of his son’s accident was for positive aims and not negative like DC.
@ Mr Murphy
So glad to read that your son is well on the road to recovery; that must be such a relief to you.
But please do keep an eagal eye out for weird & wonderful symptoms of delayed reactions. I wasn’t knocked over last year by a car, but it missed me by millimeters and caused me to lose my balance and fall flat on my face. I have 14 stitches in my forehead to show for it. I was fine until about a month later when I developed a raging thirst and was permanently groggy. I’d developed Diabetes Insipedus (or something) as a result of my head injury. It cleared itself up eventually, but without immediate medical intervention it could’ve led to kidney failure.
Sp please carry on being the protective, watchful dad. If my dad hadn’t done likewise and practically dragged me to the doc’s as I didn’t want to go and pester the doc, I could well be on a dialysis machine by now.
Take care and my best wishes for your son and a speedy FULL recovery.
Many thanks
I will be a protective dad, within reason….
But in fairness, he seems to have the sense to tell dad his concerns
Because, yes I know tax does not pay for public services, but without tax to control the inflation that their supply would otherwise create, much of this would not be possible.
Thank you at last I understand. I hope all is well my own visit to the NHS yesterday was interesting. I was referred to see a consultant. I will accept the earliest appt. I go to what is a private hospital as an NHS patient. It is little different from any of the local and in London many alternatives. The staff are excellent and kind. Unfortunately I have to wait over 2 hours because…. I have been using the NHS for over 60 years that is the longest on record.
The consultant is the same one that I would have seen, the difference is that the procedure he required could be performed very soon. There is something wrong I never intended to queue jump but seemingly I have. Should all medical centres be put back under the control of society and hence increase the capacity for everyone.
Yes, in a word
Sorry to hear this Richard, but what wonderful honesty and forgiveness from you. I agree this is exactly how community is built and retained. And now wait for those greedy insurance calls!
You are probably right
And there will be no claim
Richard,
Glad to hear all ends well. Your response also seems remarkably calm after such a ‘shaking’. And I commend your appreciation not just of the services on which we all depend in a moment of crisis, but for your wise appreciation of ‘regulation’, which in reality underpins the possibility of ‘liberty’ and distributive justice (and I suddenly think I have ‘over-abstracted’ this). I guess right now you will just be appreciating more fully and richly, humble normality. Enjoy.
You abstracted as I intended
And probably as he did: he’s reading a lot of philosophy right now
Well, not right now: he’s sound asleep right now wearing it off
I hope he is reading Hume, Schopenhauer and Feyerabend.
A wide range of ethics is his bed side reading at present
I take some pleasure in that!
A sound reflection. We take so much for granted until life collides with our plans. Glad to hear yr son is going to be ok. A cousin of mine who has two barely teenage children came off his bike a couple of weeks ago (nobody else involved, thankfully) and remains in a coma with an apparently catastrophic brain injury. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
My thoughts go to his family
We were lucky
Thanks for sharing this Richard, it brings home the importance of remembering everything you remark about. There is much to complain about but also so much to be thankful for
So pleased to hear your son will be fine.
I wish your son prompt recovery Richard, it must have been quite a shock to both of you, you’ll need to look after him, and after yourself.
All the best to you both.
And yes, indeed, all the very best to our precious NHS.
Thanks
I’m really sorry to hear it, Richard. I hope he makes a full and quick recovery. As parents we all live in fear of these kinds of things happening to our children and we count on the public services to help us when they do.
Diarmid
So true
I never understood why, before I was a parent, those who told me they’d never stop worrying about their children said that
Now I do
Richard, so pleased that your son was not seriously injured. Wish him well from us.
Thanks John and everyone
I think he’ll be fine
17 year olds bounce, thankfully
I hope everything is okay Richard. The NHS saved my daughter when she had a ruptured appendix. It baffles me how some people cannot see what a precious and wonderful thing it is.
So pleased to hear he escaped serious injury. What a huge relief. Blessings.
As a parent I add my wishes to the others for a complete recovery for your son. I think you are absolutely right to make the points you do. I had to visit A & E three times earlier this year. The treatment was good albeit delayed. However it was almost traumatic to see the stress the (too few) staff were under trying to cope. That’s why what you do is important because adequate funding for the NHS would not be the problem it currently is if MMT & tax justice were more widely understood.
Thanks
That was my point for saying this on here
And sometimes life does intrude on theory!
All the best to your son, Richard, for a speedy recovery. Got knocked over myself at about that age (I was out for a training run with the local rugby club and forgot to look while crossing the road between footpaths…) luckily I escaped with nothing more than a grazed knee but it could have been much worse.
best
Howard
I did it at 16….
With luck he may be a better driver when that process starts soon …. he might remember the risks of the thing he will be entrusted with
Hope your son makes a full recovery. What an awful day you and your family have had. I lost a 22 year old son in very different circumstances but was so impressed with the functioning of the Coroners Court and the Pathologist and although those things didn’t bring him back I felt I lived in a civilised society where individual lives counted. Maybe our society is less civilised now than it was then but clearly there are people out there who care and that leaves hope for the future.
I am so sorry Rod
That makes me realise how lucky I am today
Richard,
My heart was in my mouth at your third sentence. I am so relieved that he is OK.
Most of all thank you for “You call the driver to say he’s fine and so take away one of their causes of stress.” In a UK that has become so punitive it did my soul good to hear that your compassion extended to the driver (who had made a mistake).
You have made my day.
Why not?
It was obvious they realised their error
I told them not to worry on the spot
My son asked the police not to prosecute, to be told that was not his decision , but he’d made his point
An last night it was the right thing to talk to them and say my son was OK. They were very obviously relieved
I hope there is no hidden damage and that recovery is complete and speedy.
At times like that it’s good to be around even when there’s not much you can personally do to help.
I know from personal experience and friends’ anecdotes that some of the European, and other nation’s, health facilities are good also, but having the NHS as part of the fabric of our society is something really special.
I don’t doubt there may be better (or at least more shiny) health facilities in the US, but the NHS serves everybody and its priorities have always been welfare of patients rather than turning a profit. Millions of Americans have no access to medical services. And according to a recent correspondence many are bankrupted by medical charges.
This very recent posted link from John Carlisle has a cartoon at its head which sums up the threat to the NHS.
http://publicmatters.org.uk/economy/
Indeed – worth looking at
Phew!
I am so relieved for you and your family Richard and the driver concerned too.
Thanks
I can tell you – it’s knocked the stuffing out of me this morning
He, on the other hand, has asked for his favourite supper tonight…..
So glad to hear that it all seems to have ended well. With the NHS as ever playing a critical role
Y’all take good care of yourselves as they say in the Deep South
Thanks Robin
24 hours on I have no doubted he bounced the right way
I may now be the one in a little more shock
Hope your son makes a full recovery and everyone else. That was very kind hearted of you on lots of levels. M
I find it odd that people think it kind hearted
The person who hit him made a mistake – and clearly a genuine one
My son had made it very clear to them he was sorry for the fact they had to go through this before he went in the ambulance to hospital
Reaching out is part of being human
We all make mistakes
“I find it odd that people think it kind hearted”
I don’t find it ‘odd’ exactly, but it does indicate the extent to which our society’s values and behavioural norms have shifted; that what many of us regard as normal common concern stands out as exceptional.
I don’t much like living in a society where the first reaction to any misfortune is to see an opportunity to ‘sue the bastards’ (for every penny they’ve got). It costs the NHS an absolute fortune not only in compensation claims (some of which are probably entirely justified), but more so in the constant vigilance of looking over the shoulder and covering your back rather than being able to concentrate on the service delivery that health and medical care is about.
The medical professional’s first duty in this sort of barmy culture becomes to protect the hospital rather than care for the patient.
I take my hat off to those who are still working in the NHS against this poisonous ethos and managing to do their jobs so well and with good humour.
In these days that is a hell of a kind heart.
Best wishes for your son’s recovery. We Yanks envy your NHS! But after such a blow to the head, you have to be insanely careful to avoid a second one, as from a fall – even one that can seem trivial and inconsequential especially in comparison with the initial one. If the second one happens, watch for symptoms like a hawk and take them very seriously. All the scans may look fine, but your brain is still fragile in ways still undetectable and in particular its sodium regulation can be very fragile. There is something called Second-impact syndrome (Wikipedia has an article on it, which I don’t think is too good though, it deals mainly with athletes and wrongly imho suggests it is rare, probably from overly strict definition, is incomplete concerning complications etc.)
From a conversation I had with a brain surgeon 12 years ago – “Yeah, well I operate, then they’re fine. But then they hit their head in a fall, particularly the old – and then . . . .”
He’s aware
So am I
Great news it wasn’t much worse, Richard. So true re the NHS which I have had several occassions in the past to be sincerely grateful for.
Coming late to this and sending very best wishes for a speedy recovery – and yet again, echoing your gratitude for the NHS and the sheer civilised-ness of its underlying principle.
I still recall with considerable pleasure being part f the team running a holiday camp in Devon many, many years ago (early 90s – this will become relevant*, as you’ll see…) An American kid fell out of a tree and broke his arm, and his parents accompanied him as the ambulance took him to the local A&E. When they came back, they were in a kind of shock: they kept repeating “they just fixed him!” in utter bewilderment.
*i.e. before H&S had really kicked in to remove any chance of their falling, and before the NHS were too picky about spotting non-UK residents and charging them…
Thanks…..
Feel the lurve… Great