I
had to call upon one of the emergency services last week to assist me. They
were very helpful and, within an hour, I had professional assistance by my
side. He made sure the situation was safe before greeting me politely and
taking a quick history. He then proceeded to examine the problem, made a
preliminary diagnosis, and tried treating the condition. Sadly, relapse
occurred after a short distance of mobility and, despite two more attempts at
treatment, we finally agreed to call a halt. There was nothing for it but to
call for transport and whisk me off to hospital. Well, at least my Smart car
was whisked off to a car hospital. I had an afternoon’s work to do.
I
have to say that the RAC provided a first class service. They answered the
telephone quickly, were caring in their approach, had assistance to me as
quickly as possible and, before that, kept me informed throughout by regular
telephone updates. The patrolman was incredibly attentive and went out of his
way to be of help, with a ‘nothing is too much trouble’ attitude (even to the
point of running me home to collect another car whilst we waited for the
transporter to arrive.) The driver of
the car ‘ambulance’ from Gallows Wood Services was equally caring and soon had
my car delivered to the garage, where it has since been operated on.
As
a postscript, the aftercare has also been good. Even the local council sprang
to life with the rapid mobilisation of community care in the guise of the Mayor
of Barton upon Humber, Councillor Paul Vickers. Within 24 hours, he ensured
that his office staff had been informed of the whereabouts of the offending
pothole and, the last I knew, he was seen striding up the B1218 armed with a
can of yellow spray paint.
Likewise,
Smart cars are usually wonderful things; small, nippy, easy to park and very
economical. At least that is how they are until one hits a pothole or two in
the road. Once that happens life has the propensity to come to an abrupt halt,
with the prospect of helplessly sitting staring at a ploughed field, or the
equivalent, for several hours. At least it was a sunny day and the birds were
singing.
However,
the analogy between my car hitting a pothole and the subsequent care received
from those coming to my assistance, made me think about our journeys through
life and how unexpected events have the ability to bring us to an abrupt halt.
I also recognised an analogy between the services provided to me by the RAC and
Gallows Wood Services with that experienced by patients in the NHS. Our hopes
and expectations would be very similar: swift, expert and compassionate care
interlaced throughout with good communication; followed through with focused
community support after the event. It is what we all want at times of crisis,
and I don’t think it is too much to ask for, is it?
First published in the Scunthorpe
Telegraph, 16 May 2013
© Copyright Robert M Jaggs-Fowler 2013
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