Hospital systems in different countries: England

Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 10:08 PM Innocent victims of traffic accidents make me very sad. Yesterday in San Francisco an old woman was standing on the sidewalk waiting for a traffic light to change. A drunk driver smashed into her, severing one leg, and the other had to be amputated. I thought of my one-time Stanford student and assistant at the University ot the Air Pat Charlton who married Stanford colleague Dick Payne. He tells what happened to her in Winchester, England, which I honored with my presence for many years: "Thank your very much indeed for affording me ‹ and Pat the opportunity to add our praise to the National British Health Service. You are quite right in recalling that Pat was in an accident in Winchester (England) when a BMW stopped on a one-way street (Parchment Street) then accelerated rapidly to get into a lane of a main boulevard (St George's Street) during the morning rush-hour traffic just as she was walking directly in front of it. (It was not the unfortunately common mishap that has befalls Americans in the UK looking the wrong way ‹ to the left ‹ when they step off the curbing.) She took the brunt of the impact on her knee which was so badly damaged that, despite expert medical attention, she will remain disabled for life.

The accident took place about 10.00 in the morning. She was thrown into the intersection but was spared further injury when witnesses stopped the traffic. She lay on the pavement for a very few minutes before an ambulance arrived and transported her to the Royal Winchester County Hospital, where a highly-respected orthopedic consultant (Mr John Fowler) was waiting in the operating theater to treat her. He decided that she would have to remain hospitalized so that she spent three weeks there. Bartlett Ward was immaculate and the nurses were exceptionally considerate, able and caring. The food (she was presented with a daily menu for selection of dishes at meals) was excellent.

When it came time to check-out, I inquired how much we owed. The question caused slight a stir and provoked telephone calls. Finally the rather distraught face reappeared at the window and said,'Why, you don't owe anything.' It was a happy experience.

Less happy was our treatment at the law courts in an attempt to recover some of the considerable expenses connected with the accident. I had to make four trips from Tunisia to England, with stays at hotels during her hospitalization Early on it was decided that the driver was 75% blameworthy. Even so, after four years of correspondence, telephone calls, exchanges of documents and justifications, etc, she was awarded less than our costs".