OK so you attend hospital for some tests
You fill in the politically correct registration form, and hand it over, do you think its acceptable that the nurse or admin staff write your social group in big letters on the back of the form? What purpose would this serve?
Would it be acceptable to write BLACK ? would it be acceptable to write JEW? would it be acceptable to write WORKING CLASS ? After all the NHS is supposed to be equal access to treatment for all?
Well there is one pretty large social group that routinely gets their status recorded on the back of these cards in big letters
STUDENT
They write
Now why do we think that is acceptable? And what other process and procedures do we think the NHS follows when its recorded this bit of information?
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5 comments:
I'm sorry, I think I'm missing the point. Are you saying you're offended by being referred to as a student? I'm not sure what your objection is. Please clarify.
I think the point is that in a system that supposedly prides itself at being "free at the point of use for all", why are they trying to catagorise the "all".
Also, if you are a minority, do you want your "classification" transmitted to the world in large letters on the back of a form? The gowns that patients are made to wear that do little to maintain personal dignity are yet another example. The staff know they are shit but it doesn't effect them so what's the problem?
This follows on from the attitude many of the NHS exhibits towards its patients; we don't really care if it is bad or good for the patient as long as we are okay.
I can see why they'd classify a student - Students are often in contact with a lot of people from other countries who have come to England for University. Therefore they may be in contact with disease that you may not expect other members of the population to be. It also gives some idea of their lifestyle, often not getting much sleep (whether for drinking or working). All details which can be useful when diagnosing.
"Free service for all" doesn't mean putting everyone into a one-size-fits-all bucket. It's about giving everyone equal but different treatment. With that in mind, I can see nothing wrong with writing "student" on the form.
And they can't really afford gucci outfits, so what are the staff expected to do about them? They're designed to be able to fit a wide range of body shapes, and to be easy for people with limited mobility to take on and off, or have someone else take on and off, and be comfortable for people who are stuck in bed.
Although, I have to say, maybe it's because I've only ever stayed in paediatric wards, I've just worn my own pyjamas or when I was well enough to get dressed, my clothes. And the same has gone with everyone else on those wards. But that may well be because I was in a paediatric ward.
PS - And if the gowns and being called a student are the worst things that happen to you in hospital, I reckon you're doing pretty well ;)
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