I’ve left the NHS!

So yesterday was my last day with the NHS. After many years of repeatedly trying to steer the ship in the right direction, I’m finally going to do my own thing – at least for a while 😉

Thing is about the NHS is that it’s a behemoth – it really does feel a lot of the time like it cannot be steered, and a little bit like it really is almost broken 😠 Despite all the people who clapped on their doorsteps for the NHS during the pandemic, my experience tells me that most of us really do feel worn out after the last few years.

You know, there a whole load of great people who work for the NHS – it really is a vocation. In my experience, most of the decent staff do it to help people, and are not in it for the money. Unfortunately not everyone is of that mindset, and some are definitely not helping to improve the system, which makes it that whole much more difficult to change – it’s such a shame.

Born free!

So when I woke up this morning, and I was still thinking about a whole load of work issues which I can no longer influence – I had a revelation! Well – a re-revelation; if there is such a thing, as I’ve realised it before, but forgotten! I’m finally free! ☺️

I realised that I felt like I’d self-indoctrinated myself into being part of the system – institutionalised myself in my own mind! Almost like I’d lost my freedom. Well no longer – it didn’t take me long to wake up 😉

There’s a great film I like called Midnight Express, here’s a quote from it that alludes to how I felt this morning:

Ahmet: Where are you going? Why don’t you walk the wheel with us? What is the matter my American friend? What has upset you? Oh, a bad machine doesn’t know that he’s a bad machine. You still don’t believe it? You still don’t believe you’re a bad machine? To know yourself is to know God, my friend. The factory knows, that’s why they put you here. You’ll see. You’ll find out. In time, you’ll know.

Billy Hayes: Oh, I know. I already know. I know that you are a bad machine. That’s why the factory keeps *you* here. And do you know how I know? Huh? I know, because I’m from the factory. I make the machines.

So I still love what the NHS stands for. So for all those still there – keep going – don’t give up the good fight! And there is one more thing, to quote Vinnie Jones…’It’s been emotional!‘