SOHS Devon have produced a short film arguing that the Care Closer to Home (CCTH) concept is not working.  The idea behind CCTH is, on the face of it, very attractive: many patients, after receiving whatever care they were in hospital for, need a degree of further care from health- or social-care professionals.  Rather than occupying expensive hospital beds, such patients are sent home and are then visited, as needed by health- or social-care professionals. 

This week, the NHS handed us two belated Christmas presents that we could well have done without.  First, the Minor Injuries Unit at the Tyrrell Hospital (along with that in Bideford) was closed for several days because of staff sickness.  Second, we have the now-traditional winter black alert at several hospitals in the region, with the result that all operations, other than those to deal with life-threatening conditions, are postponed; and let us not forget the occasional unfortunate incident where someone dies whilst waiting for an ambulance that takes too long to arrive, or where they die on a trolley in a hospital corridor because the harassed and over-worked staff have not been able to get round to them.

Well, actually, if you don’t mind, I could do with a little boredom now!  The last few years have been altogether too interesting for my comfort!  What with the credit crunch, austerity, the first coalition government that I can remember in this country, Brexit, Donald Trump, North Korea, it seems the excitement never ends.  I suppose the most interesting thing over the last year was Mrs May’s unnecessary General Election, in which she asked the electorate to deliver “strong and stable leadership”.  The electorate duly delivered, but, unfortunately for Mrs May, delivered it to the leader of the opposition instead!