The Doctor & The Astin
For all the hoopla surrounding the cuts and reductions in public spending I find it incredible that I still see some of the most expensive cars being driven around by people I would never expect to have such vehicles. I was admiring a new Astin Martin DBS the other week before I realised it was being driven by a doctor. Now I know doctors do get paid a fair amount of money, but with the NHS undergoing a consultation to have its services transferred to the private sector I find it difficult to understand how a doctor can afford a car like this. So admiring was I about the car, and so curious to find out more about it, I followed the doctor to the hospital he worked at.
Stalking someone is not something I do on a regular basis but when a really nice car takes my eye it does become something that I have to bow down to on occasion. I think the doctor thought I was sick at first when I approached him in the car park, but after I’d spent several minutes convincing him that I wasn’t either sick or a nutter he was quite willing to talk about the Astin with me. It turns out he got it as a present in matter of fact from his father in law who had passed away recently. I expressed my condolences and then we got talking about the car itself.
For those who didn’t watch Casino Royale back when James Bond burst back onto the big screen in 2006, the Astin Martin DBS is the car of the film and gets a little screen time before being written off spectacularly toward the end. A beautiful car, it has a slightly darker shade of grey then the older David Brown models, but still retains the same tone. As a sports car it has a lower clearance level then most road cars but you can still sit in it comfortably without feeling like you’re about to be squashed into oblivion. The doctor that I was speaking to was a genuinely lovely chap and he was clearly delighted with the car, especially as he told me that there wasn’t a way in hell he could afford something like it on his salary – apparently more money is going to care home jobs then to doctors in some cases. As well as learning more about the DBS I learnt a lot more about the state of the NHS and the people who are working within it.
Whilst there are many jobs being advertised in the medical profession, not everyone is aware of how desperately the NHS needs some positions to be filled. The care industry is calling for applicants but despite care jobs being advertised, the doctor told me that not enough people are applying. This may be due to the fear that pervades the NHS now that the new policies of budget changes and reductions are being put into effect. It is scaring people off despite the jobs being available.
Eventually I had to leave as I was going to be late for work. The doctor I spoke to was one of many wondering what is going to happen to the NHS in the months to come. Being a car enthusiast, I had never paid it that much attention before, but considering the amount of traffic accidents that happen every year I can see it is essential that the organisation survives. I might also start driving more slowly!
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