Time to go out and spread joy and happiness so back to my health visitor's desk after 3 weeks holiday and clinging on for dear life to the wonderful literary time I've had and hoping not to see it all dissipate in the first hour.
I thought it all through as I drove the ten miles down into the valley.The radio news was cranking up the annual flu vaccine debacle
(wrong stuff on wrong eggs or something) into a crisis and we're all going to die of flu before Christmas and yes the chaos was predictably in full
swing as I walked into the surgery.
I'm covering an extra caseload at the minute, GP surgeries far flung and responsibility all told for about 400 children under the age of 5, which is a lot of names and histories to remember.
As I drove I anticipated the things that might spoil my day and determined not to be phased by any of it
- my in tray approaching the ceiling
- my message book running to 10 pages
- my colleague who has been covering for me ringing to tell me of disasters
- messages from social workers
- messages from the police (especially the WPC for Domestic Violence)
- messages from GP's
- first person in to see me has insurmountable problems
Anyway,all of my anticipated's happened in full measure and though the biggest disaster recounted by my colleague was shocking and sickening it is not mine to worry about (this time) but it will mean pressure,turmoil and sleepless nights for others.
What I hadn't anticipated was an office full of books, yes that's right, well Bookstart packs to be exact.This is a government initiative, free books for all children and I have the pleasure of handing out the packs except something has gone seriously amiss with the order. If every woman in the parish were to give birth to quads I would still have spare Bookstart packs.I tripped over and round them all day so I felt quite at home.
I also have a new employer from today.The South West is back where it started 30 or more years ago in terms of NHS organisation but please don't ask me to recall how many changes we have had in that time or how many new central office suites have been set up.I have no idea where mission control is now but doubtless someone will tell me eventually. Meanwhile first instruction, please use Tippex on your photo ID badge to erase the name of the old trust, good positive savings on Day One.
I still have my old name badge from 30 years ago so perhaps I'll just use that, I'm sure I haven't changed a bit.
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