By chance I have had to go to hospital twice in the last couple of months. Once to a private hospital and once to the NHS. The experience has made me think about the issue.

On the first occasion, I had a hernia which was becoming quite painful. I went to the private consultant and soon after, on the right day, at 7am, went to the hospital and had my operation.

Things went very smoothly and I went out the same evening. The staff were kind, the room comfortable, the place clean, the food really quite good. I am sure the treatment itself was excellent.

A week ago I got a pain in the chest which occasioned my second visit to hospital. It was in the middle of the night. As I suffered a heart attack a few years ago, my wife and I were a bit concerned.

An hour later the pain was still there so my wife drove me to A&E at Northwick Park Hospital. When I explained the situation, I was gently scolded by the on-duty ambulance driver for not having telephoned an ambulance.

Within a few minutes I had seen the doctor who arranged an ECG to check out my heart. It was OK. We discussed the situation and they gave me some medicine and then I waited my turn. This was quite right.

They still checked up on me from time to time, but my priority had gone down. About 6am they sent me home.

I have to say that, on the first occasion, arranging a time to suit me, the cleanliness and comfort, the care of the staff and the efficiency of not having a protracted stay were all excellent.

But it made me think. One day, whether you are Tony Blair, the Governor of the Bank of England or a famous medical consultant, you will get a pain.

When you do it is no good going to a private hospital with no A&E you have to go NHS.

When that day comes, I hope you receive the care I did at Northwick Park.

Michael Lansman

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