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A healthy Weston is a happy Weston

August 25 2009

This has been a medical week. First I went to see the local ambulance service, who are recovering from awful problems after some genius decided to amalgamate them with two neighbouring forces a few years ago. The merger was a mess, so ambulances weren't responding fast enough and the Chief Executive had to be replaced.

The good news is that things are getting back to normal. The staff say they can see it's improving, and response times are getting quicker steadily. I even had a chance to go out with them on a 999 call, which was fascinating. It's always impressive watching highly-trained professionals working under pressure. They talked in clipped, half sentences full of jargon and acronyms, but still managed to make their patient – an elderly gentleman who had collapsed – feel safe and secure as they whisked him into hospital.

Next I went to Weston Hospice, to visit a friend who's very ill. The hospice has a wonderfully positive, life-affirming atmosphere. It doesn't matter how ill you are; they believe that life is worth living. For them, it's just a question of getting the right medical and emotional support for their patients to enjoy life, no matter what they're suffering from. There's only one problem; if you're on a diet, don't eat the food – it's utterly delicious and incredibly fattening!

And finally, I went to Weston hospital to take part in a show for Sunshine Radio about the future of Weston. Talk of the Tropicana, the pier, the promenade and Weston's Wheel mixed with lots of eighties music (anyone remember Katrina and the Waves?) and stories about a penguin in a wetsuit (don't ask). Sunshine is a great service, run by volunteers to cheer up people while they're recovering in hospital. I just hope the patients enjoyed the show as much as I did!