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Our NHS, the mark of a dignified nation

THE shock of realising I'd virtually severed my left index finger last December quite literally took my breath away yet, now, after an intensive three-hour operation to re-attach it, plus several weeks of healing time, I feel compelled to talk about it non-stop.

Or rather, to voice my admiration for the NHS Scotland staff who have helped me through my ordeal.

There were two female paramedics who, on hearing our screeching arrival at Glasgow's Western Infirmary A&E, immediately recognised my distress and ran me straight through to the emergency doctors. Nurses soothed me and gave me a blissful morphine shot. I was also grateful for a swift and frank assessment of the injury and the doctor's magical powers of persuasion when I could not bring myself to look at my temporarily-restitched digit. I could not have asked for a more understanding orthopaedic consultant. And the West of Scotland's top hand surgeon happened to be in on his day off that fateful Sunday afternoon.