In Britain we are lucky enough to have a tax-funded healthcare system by way of the National Health Service (NHS). This means that everyone, no matter their income, is entitled to free healthcare if they need it. But in the past few years we have increasingly been faced with numerous reports on the lack of funding for our NHS, and the cost that this will have on patient care. A particular concern is due to the necessity for increasing efficiency due to staff shortages, patients are not gaining the nurture and support that is often required with stays in hospital.

This is in no way doubting the good work that doctors and nurses do on a day-to-day basis in hospitals up and down the country. It would not be inaccurate to assume that the NHS has helped each and every one of us. But it cannot be ignored that the NHS is under increasing strain.

It cannot be ignored that the NHS is under increasing strain

The NHS website itself articulates that per patient funding has decreased due to a lack of capital investment. There is considerable strain on the nursing profession, with the number of nurse vacancies reaching a record high, with 43,000 jobs across England unfilled. As of 2017 bursaries for trainee nurses were also abolished,resulting in a decrease in applications. These statistics show the absence of necessary man power, with 93% of trusts failing to meet the required staffing targets during the day. This means that individuals are put under strain, with healthcare professionals being increasingly faced with a decision between nurturing and supporting patients or focusing on the medical aspects and saving lives. Obviously, no one would dispute that saving lives takes precedence.

But for patients these cuts can lead to frightening stays in hospitals, as support systems for patients are simply no longer in place. This can be particularly painful for older people, whose stays in hospital may be more frequent and more uncertain. My own grandmother was in hospital over the Christmas period, and though we will be forever grateful for the tireless work that nurses do every day, the lack of emotional support is evident.

Though we will be forever grateful for the tireless work that nurses do every day, the lack of emotional support is evident

When asked to comment on this situation my grandmother, Norma Murinas, articulated that, “some people are fortunate and have a wonderful support system of loved ones who come and visit. But others have to wait, sometimes in pain, frightened of what is happening to them.”

An absence of family can leave people scared and alone, and there isn’t the physical manpower to allow nurses to sit and help people through it. When I was visiting my grandmother, I was faced with the heart-breaking sight of an elderly woman with no visitors persistently calling out for help. This lady was suffering from some form of Dementia, and kept forgetting where she was, and confused as to why she was surrounded by so many men. As this was not a medical anomaly nurses were not able to answer every call she made, and though one can understand why, it is a saddened fact that she was left to face this emotional distress alone.

Hospitals have always been a daunting place, and though they are the best place for people who need medical help, the intimidating atmosphere of them must not be forgotten. My grandmother expressed; “Older people have always been afraid to enter hospital. They remember so many of their friends going in and not coming out again. But years ago, there seemed to be a calmness. Now they enter and the process starts with them bluntly being told exactly what is wrong with them and exactly what could go wrong.” Though everyone does have a right to know what is wrong with them, patients are simply given a diagnosis in a straight forward manner, which is not followed up with emotional support. The bluntness of doctors not only leaves the specific patient distressed, but can also traumatise other patients in the same ward. When a doctor is explicitly telling one patient that they could die, it is no wonder that other patients will fear the same, and feel distressed themselves.

I am not a medical professional, but I am a person. And I know that a system which leaves people feeling scared and alone is one that needs fixing. Of course, this is part of a wider problem which will, in all likelihood, take many years to solve. But it is possible that voluntary organisations could be put in place that aim to support people facing these diagnoses. My grandmother resolved, “if only there was the time just for someone to say I’m here to listen to you”, and I think that this is what we need. Patients should not be left frightened and daunted by an establishment that is there to help them. What they do need, is extra nurture and care to help them through it.