Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham

I've been here in the past, before this 'grand' entrance was created. The place used to have a very quaint 'cottage' feel to the site and as I walked from the car you could still see that behind the new facade, those old buildings still remained.

It seems to be a modern phenomenon to 'tart up' the main entrance of our hospitals. Certainly it has happened with Walsall's and Dudley's main hospitals. The thing is it feels like a sham. Behind the modern frontage, the old buildings and wards remain, testament to a service struggling to cope. Don't get me wrong, I admire the medical professions and staff, but the cynic in me can't help but believe that all of this building is so politicians can say, "hey look, we're pumping money into the NHS".

The only hospital I can think of where it is all brand new is the Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham.

I wonder if anyone has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of all the money spent?

Oh, and my reason for visiting? A dodgy knee. So far the x-rays do not show the cause of my knee pain, so I'm coming back in a few weeks for a MRI scan. The registrar already suspects cartilage damage. Looks like my track record of never being in hospital for an operation may be coming to an end! Gulp!