Local And General
Nov. 26th, 2022 09:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloBexhill Hospital is local and general and has no A&E. It was opened in 1933 by a granddaughter of Queen Victoria after a fund-raising campaign fronted by Admiral Charles Edward Anson. In the 1940s the Luftwaffe, bless them, dropped four bombs on it without greatly affecting the architecture. In an alcove inside the main door is a counter selling tea and coffee and snacks- not a Starbucks, not a Cafe Nero but a local enterprise run by volunteers. If it weren't for everybody wearing masks you could imagine you'd gone back in time some 50 years or more. I'm used to hospitals that feel like airports. This was so much nicer.
I'd be happy to die there.
Ailz had been called in for an eye test. The waiting room was small and clearing fast. I read the notices. I learned that staff are colour coded: matrons wear purple (like bishops) sisters dark blue and staff nurses light blue. The chairs were carefully spaced (covid regulations probably) with notices above them saying "Please Do Not Move This Chair" But people were moving them anyway
The optometrist was running a little late. Five minutes after the time of Ailz's appointment he came out his room in an aura of kindliness and called her name. When she got out of her chair he fussed in a caring manner and explained that he'd only come to apologise for the delay and he'd be five minutes more. Wasn't that brilliant?
I'd be happy to die there.
Ailz had been called in for an eye test. The waiting room was small and clearing fast. I read the notices. I learned that staff are colour coded: matrons wear purple (like bishops) sisters dark blue and staff nurses light blue. The chairs were carefully spaced (covid regulations probably) with notices above them saying "Please Do Not Move This Chair" But people were moving them anyway
The optometrist was running a little late. Five minutes after the time of Ailz's appointment he came out his room in an aura of kindliness and called her name. When she got out of her chair he fussed in a caring manner and explained that he'd only come to apologise for the delay and he'd be five minutes more. Wasn't that brilliant?
