I heard someone ask “What did we talk about before Covid?” The answer was “Brexit”. Since we stopped talking about Covid all we hear about is The Cost of Living Crisis and the fact that everybody wants to go out on strike.
The relentless bombardment of negativity is draining. My daughter tells me that she follows news outlets that cover stories with a positive message and I am beginning to think that I might just do the same. The trouble with this approach is that I might miss an important piece of bad news that I really ought to know about.
So I now listen to the news and ask myself, “Is this true?” Recently it has been claimed that 7 million people are waiting for a “procedure” on the NHS in England alone. You only have to look around to see that obesity is everywhere. I feel I no longer live in London- I live in Obie City. But SEVEN million procedures seems an awful lot and with my cynical hat on I cannot help but feel that a huge number of these people are waiting for procedures that simply are not necessary.
Sadly, people with MSK issues will not be prioritised and many people will wait many months or years to be seen and treated.
At LFAC we may not be able to save the world but we can offer help, guidance, hope and treatment to people with foot and ankle problems. The self-pay numbers are increasing hugely as people feel let down or deserted. I would love to see the NHS rise from the ashes and provide timely high quality care to all but I cannot see it changing any time soon.
So many LFAC patients are grateful just to have a diagnosis and have their options outlined to them.
At LFAC I think we do this particularly well.
Mark Davies
