Government neglect and underfunding over the last ten years has contributed to a situation that is untenable and the actions of those in power continue to make working in the NHS extremely challenging.

In the Great Fuel Crisis of Autumn 2021, those queuing at the petrol pumps may have wondered who was to blame. Could anyone have seen it coming? Could anything have been done to avert it? With scenes of forecourt chaos receding in the rear-view mirror, we would do well to scan the road ahead for any other looming disasters. And to take note of the warning lights blinking up on the NHS dashboard. Because the consequences of the healthcare tank running dry don’t bear thinking about.

The government is playing dangerous games with our NHS as it pushes its reorganisation of the NHS through parliament. The Health and Care Bill committee stage ended 2 November. The Bill is not really about a new threat to the NHS but it is nailing down a more sophisticated structure for bringing private interests even more into the NHS.

Rewind to the start of 2020, the world had become aware of a disease in China that was spreading and had hit Italy. I had been following the story on Sky News and watched the footage in disbelief.

Depression manifests itself in a physical way to the extent that it can, on occasion, become debilitating. Unfortunately, it is one of those invisible illnesses like vertigo, chronic fatigue or even simply a bad back.

My recent depression was caused simply by a very unpleasant turn of events in my life; things that happened completely beyond my control. I don’t generally suffer with depression, it’s not a general mental condition that I have. For me it needs a trigger.

In August I took my two children to the Trafford Centre in Manchester. Covid and the closure of High Street boutiques and brand names alike brought home how much I’d miss the retail experience I’d grown up with, despite my use of online shopping during the pandemic.

I have so many of these memories. Too many to document, of ‘simple cases’ expanding, like a fan. Each fold seemingly more complex.

Half the time, being dyslexic is like having a secret drug habit. It can take extraordinary lengths to keep up at work, before saying ‘bye’ for the day, and then creeping around the back to ensure you completed everything

In the earliest days of the pandemic, as reports of a crashing wave of a mystery virus toppled healthcare system after system, from Wuhan, to Iran, to Italy, I stopped sleeping. Whole nights, punctuated by the usual wake-up duties of my kids, of staring at the ceiling, mind racing.

I have spoken on Instagram about the challenges of getting my own loved ones sorted during the pandemic. However, that isn’t because our GP is a giant lazy arsehole. On the contrary, like GPs across the country, they are working harder than ever.