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ST LUKE'S: Back pain, centred on my spine, means I'm still unable to start up running, play football or do any type of excercise. It also hurts a shitload when I cough. So I took myself down to Tooting to visit a walk in centre last night after work.

Other than my brief tenure working in admissions at Charing Cross Hospital, this was my first real experience with the NHS. At first I was assessed by a nurse. Our conversation went something like this:

Nurse: You really should have made an appointment with your GP last week.
Me: But last week I'd only had the back pain for a couple of days, I was going off to France and I thought it would go away. Now I can't get an appointment till next week.
Nurse: Well that's the way things work here.
Me: I'm sorry. It's the first time I've had to do anything with the NHS.
Nurse: I know it's different to Australia. [snidely]. And more expensive too.

At this point I lost my patience and replied "True. It is more expensive. For £5 I could've visited any doctor I wanted, where I wanted, when I wanted." I glared at her and she gave my referral to the Doctor.

Apparently the back pain is a result of asthma. Odd though. I've had asthma for 22 years and never once has it given me backpain. Still it's hard to argue against the NHS being one of the wonders of modern Britain. Surely up there with its fast, cheap and reliable rail network and the peerless success of its sporting teams.