'After Visiting Hours' by UA Fanthorpe

Another recent interesting stay in hospital for an emergency operation brings to mind this old favourite of Ms Fanthorpe's..... I know that Jill and Jo will be interested at least....

Don't we all imagine how much more of a success we could make of life if we started off with say, the best of seven decades of life experiences?

That's nonsense in medicine - innocence, naive enthusiasm, a complete ignorance of the subjective suffering of patients, an astonishing capacity to dissociate from horrible circumstances, intolerable demands, pressures and expectations- all these are fundamental survival techniques for young medical and nursing professionals just to get through the working day - and the loneliest hours after visiting hour left to you and a hundred or so patients.

It is very often like a war - but maybe in the right company, good colleagues, with the kindness, good will and forgiveness of one's patients (the best are those that, despite experience, keep coming back faithfully until you finally get it right) you might just reach the finishing line as a recognizable human being. The outcome can never be certain and very much depends on how you come to terms with character and personality flaws that are revealed in the brightest operating lights.

There is nothing else I could been but I know for sure  how much more comfortable it is to be on the right end of the stethoscope of Ms Fanthorpe's 'South Sea Dancers'

Incidentally if you search BBC Radio iPlayer there's a lovely account of Ms Fanthorpe's 'Christmas Poems' - hand made cards she and her partner made for friends including Carol Ann Duffy.