Don’t take our hospitals for granted

I HAVE found it very distressing that in recent weeks there have been so many letters in The Hunts Post criticising or blaming Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

I have lived in this area for over 40 years. All my three boys have received care and been successfully treated at the hospital. I have attended both routinely and at the A&E unit. My wife receives regular treatment for an incurable condition, yet the hospital always has managed to prevent her condition worsening. Both my parents have spent time in the hospital.

From a family experience I have only one criticism, when my mother was admitted to a ward for the elderly, the ward was noticeably short of nurses/carers to provide her needs.

But, do hospitals have an unlimited budget? No, so we have to accept that in some cases the “service” is not entirely ideal.

Sometimes things go wrong, as at everybody else’s place of work. Is it realistic to expect hospitals not to have their failures, when they occur so frequently in all other walks of life?

Can we reasonably expect that doctor’s and nurses never make mistakes? How many people do you know who are “perfect” all the time at work?

Yes, I can understand the sadness and frustration people feel when a “loved one” dies or fails to improve following a hospital visit. However, we need to be in the real world.

By far the majority of people who have attended hospital later fully recover. Hospitals are there to serve us all and I am absolutely sure that the staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital are professional, work hard and do the best they can to treat their patients with both dignity and respect.

My final comment is, medical treatment is not an exact science and never will be, so don’t take our hospitals for granted, we should just be grateful that we have one of our own nearby.

RON TAYLOR

High Street,

Benwick