NHScine Creed

An unusual bit of blogging today. In general this vanity exercise it about writing my thoughts. For today, I am going to quote someone else's, but these are words that I completely agree with. For the record I am an unrependent apologist for the NHS for lots of reasons that I won't go into just now. This is one of the best expressions that I have come across of why the NHS is not just important but vital. It was written by someone I only know as DoubleThink - who I believe is a Quaker, but also is wise and insightful and believes like I do that access to quality healthcare is the right of all of God's people. Many thanks Doublethink.

For anyone who doesn't quite get the reference, check out the Nicene Creed here.

Statement

I believe in one National Health Service
Provider of treatment and care,
And of all things
Therapeutic and necessary

And in one point of access,
The General Practitioner’s surgery
Visited first before all referrals.
Source of advice, place of screening,
Foundation of healthcare.
Given not sold,
Being of one body with the State,
To whom all taxes are paid;
Who for our people and for our welfare
Created and funded the NHS,
As was envisioned by Beverage, of suffering & want,
and was made real,
and was sore mutilated under Thatcher,
was starved and denied,
and in the second millennium rose again,
according to the promises,
and grew strong in ideas,
and sitteth on the list of priorities of the State,
And shall come again to national pride,
to care for both the quick and the dying,
whose provision shall have no end.

And I believe in the public good,
Ethical work, the supervision of practice,
Which proceeds from competence and care.
Which, with the team and the individual together,
Is effective and needed,
Guided by research.
And I believe in one integrated & multidisciplinary approach.
I acknowledge one profession for the teaching of skills.
And I look for the support of government,
And the future of the service to come.

Forever

With apologies to scribes at Nicea