My M.P.’s decided he’s not to support me

In attempting to find out the reasons why

Failed discharges, deaths and palliative care referrals

Without warning soared so unaccountably high

On a single hospital ward, just the single, recent year,

Which I’m not at liberty to categorise more clearly,

As to do so might attract loud shouts of ‘libel’, despite the fact

These are the Trust’s own stats – and that might cost me dearly

This falls outside the time remit allowed the Ombudsman,

The CQC can check only what goes on now;

The Trust’s told others that it had no valid clinical concerns,

But I myself was not made party as to how

With independent investigation not commissioned

And no external mitigation to recall,

This was happening, just there and then, that year,

And not occurring anywhere else we could find at all

As if by chance, the rate of turnover of patients

Achieved in this year represented seven-tenths

Of the total increase marked up over five years

Either side of it; am I making common sense?

Twenty-six more hospitals had been consulted

Around the country, under Freedom of Information;

On twenty-six comparable wards in fact the opposite

In terms of rise and fall in numbers, confirmation?

That this apparent strange scenario needs revisiting?

By an authority cleared to report, warts and all;

Unprejudiced, undaunted, not at all NHS leaning,

To give assurance patients got a proper call?

‘That would have been the Ombudsman’ – forget it!

In ’17-’18, it upheld one in hundred and fifty

Of complaints, expressed as a proportion of the contacts it received

About the NHS – which I’d describe as ‘shifty’!

Wouldn’t you?