THIS week the TV and newspapers have all been looking back over the years of the National Health Service and how we managed before it came into place.

I have lots of memories of that time. My dad worked at the Star Paper Mill and contributed weekly to Blackburn Royal Infirmary in case we needed hospital care.

Our Alf, Tom and I were in at the same time, having our tonsils and adenoids removed.

It was the “in” thing for doctors to recommned then.

I was also in the ENT ward to have my squint straightened and i don’t recall that we had any problems or stress over paying for them.

You see when my gran came to live with us, she brought her organ with her.

Nobody played it so it became my mum’s bureau and the books for rent, insurance, the doctors’ man, holiday money, clothing club and our penny bank books for school on Monday, were all lined up neat and tidy under the lid along the keys, Every Friday night there would be taps on the door, and shouts of ‘it’s only the doctor’s man’ or ‘rent’ and in they would come, sign their book and take the money.

At that time, should you be poorly and needed to visit the doctor, you just went along to the surgery and sat in a circle waiting your turn. Dr Leigh would say to my mum, ‘And how’s grandma?’ followed by, ‘and is Mr Womack well?’ It was quite a social occasion, as he knew all about the families of his ‘customers.’ Now I don’t know if it’s like that for everyone, but at my Dr Phillips, it’s very much the same, though now I have to make an appointment, so I’m not in favour of this new idea of big clinics dispensing with most local GPs.

I’d really like the hospitals and our health interests to be run by a Lancashire Health Authority, who would be able to consider our local needs and differences.

The plans of ‘one fits all’ coming direct from Westminster might suit London, but not necessarily do the trick for us.