I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday to ask a potential gallbladder problem which will require a blood test and ultrasound initially. It wasn’t in my normal surgery, but when I got there I had to wait for some time.

There was 7 of us in the waiting room, myself and 6 other people filling in forms to join the surgery. Some had passports, some didn’t and none could speak English fluently, far from it.

While waiting 2 people came in and demanded an urgent appointment because they had forgotten to attend the day before. Their complaint was that they did not get a reminder on the day and so it was a surgery error. It reached the point where they were shouting and when a few more questions were asked they stated that they were staying at a local hotel (it only houses asylum seekers). This is not an issue for me, it never has been, but the attitude was terrible and extremely demanding.

Next, a man started complaining that he had just had an urgent call and told the receptionist that he had to leave, he was waiting for his appointment to start. The nurse then called his name and he said that he was leaving and that he would be back in an hour. She told him that they were booked for the day- multiple swear words were shouted and he said that he would be back and demanded they see him. One chair kicked over as he left and out he went.

I haven’t mentioned the 30 men I saw leaving the hotel I mentioned earlier heading to town as I drove there, but all of a sudden I felt alien in my home town and it got me thinking about why so many have such a bad view of asylum in the UK. In towns where it changes the entire landscape it must be hard to deal with, and I am seeing it in my home town now.

I am left wing, always have been and always will be, but there are some aspects of the UK at the moment that are testing me such as having to wait weeks and weeks for more hospital tests myself. And I hate myself for it.

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