Luca's Monday

After being away with Ruth, Josh and Eben over the weekend, Luca was happy to have a fairly quiet day with us, revisiting his favourite activities. And periodially having a roll on the floor and a giggle. After two weeks, his persistent cough and cold are finally clearing up, and he's back to his cheery self.
He and I both went to pick Frieda up from preschool at 3 p.m.
We arrived a little early, and found a mum and her toddler also waiting at the gate. She was deeply involved in a phone conversation. When this ended, she looked up and commented to me, "I've been trying to get a GP appointment for my Mum and it's just impossible." There followed a tale of how difficult it was even to get into the phone queue for an 'urgent' appointment, never mind actually progressing through that queue. Hours of trying, during the day, had not worked. Our own GP practice is very similar; when I needed to book an appointment recently, the earliest available was a month ahead.
I said something sympathetic, along the lines of "It never used to be this difficult". And then out it all came, in response: "They've ruined this country, the government. We used to pay our bills, our taxes; it wasn't easy but we got on with it. But now? Nothing works any more. And the prices going up all the time... It all started with Brexit. Everything's been getting worse and worse since then."
I could only agree. We parted with the shared comment that we need a general election, as she rushed off with two toddlers in tow to collect an older child, and Luca and I greeted Frieda.
Roll on that general election. Often I wonder whether we will still have a functioning health service by the scheduled time of the next election in  2024., and that is a frightening thought.