VERITY LUSH: The medical profession is very much vocational

I used this surgery when I was a child, before moving to one in Southsea.

The Southsea surgery has now become part of a larger group practice, as have so many others.

There is no way that anybody could argue that we have not moved far away from the old days of visiting your family GP, who knew you and your children.

This may be different in rural areas, but I know that in my surgery, it is rare to see the same GP twice if you’re not a frequent visitor.

That said, when I lived in Titchfield (not especially rural), the surgery was not large but it was dynamic.

Small operations, such as vasectomies (sorry about the ‘small’, lads) and even flexible sigmoidoscopies were carried out on-site, and subsequently negated the need for much in the way of a waiting list.

You usually saw the same GP and, if not, then the practice was small enough to ensure that you knew the doctors.

I hope it’s still the same now because it had such a lovely feel and was very reassuring.

Even ringing to get an appointment these days can leave some people feeling anxious – and health is enough of a worry.

I don’t know that rarely seeing the same GP twice is a problem as such, but I wonder if GPs themselves would prefer a more personal relationship with their patients.

I’ve no doubt that being a GP leaves you very much in the firing line as regards government decisions, restrictions and funding.

The image that can be portrayed in the media is sometimes appalling and, as a teacher, I can fully empathise with how frustrating that can be.

I can also imagine that seeing hundreds of patients a week and needing to spot the genuinely ill in amongst the worried well is a responsibility that I would never wish to have.

Also, like teaching, I presume that the medical profession – from doctors to nurses to porters to surgeons – is very much one of vocation.

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WARNED, BUT NOBODY DID

If you are considering purchasing furniture from Oak Furniture Land, quiz the salesperson about the delivery and the entrance to your home.

As I write, two delivery gentleman are attempting to carry a triple wardrobe up my staircase, having made it clear that we will need to sign a disclaimer should the furniture or our property be damaged, now that they’ve seen the shape of the staircase and landing.

Just like the GPs I’ve already mentioned, these delivery guys are in the firing line as the messengers.

Because despite the fact that it’s supposed to be company policy to warn us of this upon purchase, nobody did. You’ll also need to pay £100 for each piece that won’t fit into your home...

THIS ACT IS BEYOND ANY USUAL COMPREHENSION OF ‘AWFUL’

I’ve just been told this morning that a cat has been found beheaded in the vicinity of North End in Portsmouth.

This is beyond any usual comprehension of ‘awful’. Pets are often extensions to our families, let alone being animals within their own right.

I have tried to explain to my children that we need to keep our cats indoors, but there was simply no need to tell them why.

Who would wish to know that such people exist in our locale, or indeed anywhere in the world?

I’d rather keep the children cosseted from this kind of reality, for it shouldn’t even be a reality.

I think that the land of dreams and wishes and childhood hopes is far more preferable.