Maggie's Farm

Monkey police are great. In my home, there was a funny letter to the editor commenting on how we pay our human policemen close to $100,000 a year with benefits to tell people when to cross the street, when within four blocks of them, there have been four successful bank robberies within the last year or two.

As far as the National Health Services, it is an absolute tragedy of mismanagement. My elderly and infirm parents' care is being bolloxed up by delays, bureaucratic mistakes, waiting lists, being bumped from necessary treatments and surgeries, being kept in the dark by their doctors. The doctors and nurses seem kind, dedicated, but overwhelmed by numbers and not allowed to give needed care in a timely or targetted fashion. Never ordering tests that would be automatically done in America (even if only to avoid malpractice).

Having said that, I would much rather be treated by the British doctors and nurses. Universally polite, well-spoken (yes, they speak English!!) no matter where in the world some of them come from. The hospitals are vile--dirty, crowded, remind me of the ones in the Third World I saw as a kid--but the care, when the carers are allowed to give it, is devoted.

Yesterday after escorting one aged relative to a procedure that ended up being done 2 1/2 hours late, I was ready to kill. We assertive Yanks are considered abominably rude in this country, however, so I quelled the urge to yell. Only to be touched by the tender solicitude of the male nurse after the test, gently waking up the patient, offering tea and returning. Not with a styrofoam cup, but a tray with china teapot, two cups and saucers, milk and sugar...A moment of civilization and grace despite all the financial mess and cut services...