Having been admitted to the Royal London for a suspected heart attack for 8 days, I found the NHS surprisingly better than I had been led to believe. Sure, its not 5 star service, but it was treatment with compassion. Staff are pressed for time and the only complaint I would have is the over use of agency staff who were too busy talking amongst themselves where the most lucrative assingments were. Being 41 as opposed to 91 probably meant I'm viewing things from a different perspective.

I've generally noticed a vast improvement in the NHS during Labour's term in office and it will be interesting to see what happens under the current government.

I do have private health care as well, but their brouchures state that the NHS is the best place to go for emergency treatment. And by opting to stay in an NHS hospital, I received £100 per night cash back, so great.

My parents fly from Australia to the ancestral home in Europe every year and with my father nearly 80 and having had heart issues, I always worry. But I feel if I deny him the right to go, it means he's not doing the things he's work hard for. As long as the doctors say its ok, I don't stand in their way.