"The NHS's gone to pot ..."

That ("The NHS's gone to pot ...") was said by a fellow student of mine, today in a seminar - and she said it while were discussing if people who don't pay NI should be entitled to free health care. Well - should they? I don't know, I assume that you don't either, but when I heard the woman behind me say that - my Labour blood boiled and I could have spat acid.
I don't pretend that the NHS is some kind of nirvana - perfect and without fault, because clearly that's bollocks. It's not perfect, it's completely imperfect , it's full of faults - but at it's core is the basis of a truly fantastic thing, healthcare free at the point of access. Because I for one couldn't afford  cancer care in a private system, I couldn't afford to have years of dialysis after suffering from kidney failure in a private system, and I'm proud that I can work in a country where anyone - regardless of their background and income can get treated. It may not be perfect but I think that the NHS is pretty damn good, I know plenty of people have bad experiences, but on the other hand on a personal note: I've always experienced brilliant care at the hands of the staff of the NHS, (Of course I'm biased ...) a district nurse who cared for some of my relatives was one of the most fantastic women I've ever met - caring and kind and very talented. The midwife who looked after my Mam when I was born - saved my life after I went all kamakaze with the umbilical cord.

So - maybe I'm biased, maybe I'm just just a naive labour girl, with my head stuck in the past - but I'll defend  anything that means that everyone, from a Tory peer to a homeless man on the street, from a middle class head teacher, to a single Mam from a council estate can receive the same medical treatment, for them, their children and their parents - without worrying about the cost.