One fall and knockout service from NHS
Last night, pedalling home in the dark on a relatively deserted street, two pedestrians suddenly ran out from behind a lorry on my left straight into my path. I was right on top of them and in attempting to avoid them was thrown off my bike.
They seemed OK, if surprised, and I seemed OK, if fed up. I did what I have done before when unexpectedly disconnected from my steed. I remounted the bike and made for home.
We went out to a long-planned family supper with friends, but by around 10pm I thought I should get checked, as the handle-bars seemed to have bruised my ribs in the fall.
I drove to casualty at London’s University College Hospital and within 30 seconds of entering and disclosing the bike fall, I was attended by a nurse. Within 70 seconds I was on a trolley.
Fortunately the casualty traffic on a Wednesday night was light. Within three minutes I was being seen by a confident, knowledgeable Dutch/American doctor.
She and the nurses told me that they have an absolute protocol at UCH that if anyone is thrown from a bicycle they are immediately prioritized. Blood tests were done; my heart rate plugged into a monitor; my chest X-rayed. All within the first 20 minutes of my arrival.
Needless to say, the journalist in me went into overdrive. I have hardly ever had to attend a hospital.
In assorted moments of pulse taking and the rest, I quizzed the staff. The doctor had been working in the unit for two years, the nurses, all full-time staff, had worked in the unit for periods of three and four years other than one who had recently transferred from the Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital.
The team, the system, the environment, all worked as a completely integrated machine with an extraordinary additional element of humanity. Nothing was too much trouble.
Now UCH is a modern state-of-the-art unit. But it was living proof positive that there remains in the NHS, the greatest free health care at the sharp end of the system, anywhere in world.
Three hours and 18 minutes after I arrived, I left and drove home. I had only stayed that long for belt and braces observation and blood results.
This morning I awoke in my own bed, feeling calm and reassured that I was happy, and in one piece. I also awoke mindful that I had sampled the best of the best…and aware that I must be a little more alert to the possibility of pedestrians running out from behind trucks.
Follow Jon on Twitter: @jonsnowC4