40 years in the NHS – what have we learned?

A recent meeting with many of my fellow healthcare veterans got me thinking about the past and the future of the NHS.

Last year, I had the pleasure of attending a reunion to mark the 40th anniversary of my graduation from medical school. More than 80 of my peers and I gathered to celebrate our time in the NHS. 

When we originally embarked on our studies, we were a small select band of less than a hundred and got to know each other very well over the five or six year course. Today, most of my colleagues are either retired, retiring, transitioning to part-time jobs or switching to a different career. 

This gathering provided an interesting opportunity for reflection on the good and the bad times. 

When I first started medical school, the intake was about 70% male and 80% white European. This is in stark contrast to the current makeup of medical students, which, fortunately, is much more representative of the general population. 

Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq

Remarkably, most of my peers – including me – had thoroughly enjoyed their careers and had no real regrets. Interestingly, many would not have gotten into medical school today as their grades were too poor. Yet, they generally had successful careers, which suggests that academic attainment at school is not necessarily a good predictor of later success. 

What came as a bit of a shock was that no one had been asked what they thought of the NHS as they left or retired. This type of exit interview and self-reflection is commonplace in most large companies but sadly lacking in the NHS, which blunders on seemingly without thought or self-criticism. 

My colleagues have vast experience and have worked in the NHS for more than half its existence. Many were angry that they were unable to carry on part-time because of either tax issues, increased paperwork or the proliferation of seemingly trivial health and safety measures – such as having to answer questions annually on terrorism or the colour of fire extinguishers.