My blog last week described the beginning of a brave new NHS world. A world of preventative medicine and relentless testing. All designed to move the focus of health care away from reactionary hospital care more in the direction of early diagnosis and community care. It sounds almost too good to be true. But will it work? Will it save money? How long will it take? These questions have still to be answered.

Let’s see if we can extrapolate from my own experience over the last two months. As my last blog explained it all started with a routine annual medication review with my GP and a casual passing remark about a cough. This obviously rang a warning bell for the GP. Who is very good and rightly cautious on my behalf.

However, it triggered the start of an investigation far greater than I imagined. The first phase is fully described in detail in my earlier blog. Over the period of a month it involved three potentially significant health conditions and FOURTEEN different front-line health professionals plus even more back room staff. The good news was that at the end of this nothing untoward was found. PHEW!

Just one problem. None of these tests explained the mysterious and long forgotten cough☹️

So started phase two of the testing journey. The search for an unexplained shadow on my left lung☹️ Don’t mention the “C” word at this point! Off to see a specialist lung doctor for some more tests. (receptionist, lung doctor, lung nurse) Height and weight measured again. (2 patient measurers). This time the “C” word was mentioned as a possibility☹️ but only briefly😀.

This then began a trek thought some previously unexplored parts of the vast NHS empire. First a respiratory test in a cubicle that could have fired me into space, but fortunately didn’t lift off. Lots of heavy breathing. (Receptionist, respiratory nurse). Next, a few days later, a CT scan on my chest in a newly built diagnostic unit in the community ( receptionist, CT assistant, CT consultant)

Still not conclusive, so I needed a full body scan, so two weeks later I went to the local hospital to meet some more nice people ( receptionist, CT assistant, CT nurse and a back room CT consultant) All very polite, friendly and efficient. Results in two weeks.

By now it is nearly two months since I went for a routine check on my medication and mentioned my occasional cough. I’ ve seen all of whom were very helpful. I have also had all done fairly promptly.

Finally I got the 😀😀😀😀

God knows how much that cost the NHS, but testing is obviously not cheap. Thank goodness the NHS is free. The service was exemplary throughout, in complete contrast to the image often portrayed of the NHS. Absolutely no case for ambulance chasing, no win, no fee lawyers.