Another essential entry in the NHS debate

Last week, I urged CoffeeHousers to read Ian Birrell’s heartrending article in the Independent on the struggles he faced getting his disabled daughter treated in the NHS, and on the need for health service reform.  Today, Birrell returns to the subject, highlighting some of the many supportive email responses he has received over the past seven days.  Aside from just how moving many of the cases are, it’s striking that many of the voices agreeing with Birrell actually work in the NHS.  As he puts it:

“When I last wrote about the NHS four years ago, I received a barrage of criticism from those working within it. Not this time; something significant has changed. The first email was a short, sharp note of congratulation from a Yorkshire GP; in its wake came scores more from doctors, nurses, secretaries, carers, even those loathed managers. All sympathised with my family’s plight, engaged with the argument and supported the call for more open debate.