I didn’t join the final ‘clap for the NHS’. On that day, I had gone for blood tests in the early afternoon. The medical practice is 45 minutes away from the nearest hospital and labs, so analysis took a little time, but I was called back to go directly to to Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy, within two hours of seeing the GP.
The care I received was exemplary. It had first to be confirmed that I did not have Covid-19. After that, everything worked as it was supposed to. The GP identified the problem and took the necessary steps to deal with it, at great speed. There was a coordinated response from a range of different consultants and specialities, supported by specialist services in Edinburgh and Southampton. The nursing staff in particular were thoroughly professional, warm, polite and good-humoured. What I owe them all is immeasurable.