I have heard people call the NHS many things.
But this caught my eye.
Last week I was asked to write an article for the Western Mail and I was doing some research.
I was reading a government health report from a few years back, and just before I fell asleep I saw this, from no less than Dr Brian Gibbons, who was Minister for Health and Social Services at the time the report was written. (He practiced as a GP in South Wales for many years.)
He called the National Health Service the National Illness Service.
I can’t believe he said it publicly in a report.
I think he was spot on, and it does give me hope that at least some of the politicians are speaking some sense.
He said:
Above all, we want to change the nature of the NHS: to transform it from the national illness service it currently is into a truly national health service. In this way it will play a key role with its partners in improving the quality of life in Wales.
Well said Brian.
You could say it’s just a name, and it’s not important, but to me its an important point to make, the NHS only deals with illness and Disease, NOT health.
The name is misleading.
The name is not representative of what it offers or delivers.
The name is wrong.
Its fair to say they are experts in illness disease and saving lives.
They are certainly experts at drugs and medication.
However in my experience they know very little about health promotion, fat loss, exercise or detoxification.
They didn’t study nutrition as a treatment method when they trained, they learned mostly about using drugs to solve problems.
It seems, to me at least, they do very little to actually make people healthier, and anything they do for health is usually a by product of them trying to save money.
This may sound a little cynical but I think it’s a (pardon the pun) healthy cynicism.
This is all based on my own and others experience.
I’m certainly not here to slag the NHS off.
The NHS do a good job at all the things I have mentioned, plus the ante natal stuff is superb.
They are an emergency service and they do that VERY well.
There is no one better at saving you from things like:
– Heart attacks
– Car crashes
– Cancer
– Breathing difficulties
– Other emergency stuff
I have clients who work for the NHS, many at senior levels, they assure me that for many illnesses, going private is no better than the NHS, except for the speed at which things are done of course.
Plus you all know I do a weekly radio show with a GP, who works for the NHS and is a legend, but (for now) he is an exception to the norm.
My message to you today is about taking personal responsibility.
You shouldn’t rely on the NHS to keep you healthy or even get you healthy – that stuff is up to you.
The NHS are only there for emergencies.
Its an illness service as Dr Gibbons Said.
Look after yourself.
No one else can do it for you.
Eat well and do a little bit of keep fit, its not complicated.
Exercise and good food are THE best medicine you can get.
The NHS will help “if the shit hits the fan” but at the end of the day the rest is up to you.
Rich “your health is up to you” Clarke
PS – We should have a podcast ready for you by tomorrow, it is recorded but we have not quite done all the fiddling to get it up on the blog yet.
Here are the other 50 episodes in case there are any you missed.