And what a positive story, focussing as it did on the elimination of ‘corridor care’ at Watford General Hospital.
Before becoming the town’s MP, I worked in health and social care and remember the documentary on Channel 4 with undercover footage showing patients lining the corridors languishing on trolley after trolley, crammed nose-to-tail.
Those pictures got another airing, but this time, it wasn’t demonstrating the here and now, but instead how it was. Clear corridors replacing cluttered and chaotic ones.
MP Matt Turmaine praises Watford General Hospital for eliminating corridor care (Image: Matt Turmaine)
I know Age UK have been campaigning on the issue and the government is pledged to eradicate corridor care by 2029.
That change has clearly and irrefutably happened here already.
I pay tribute to the award-winning staff and management at West Herts Hospitals Trust who run Watford for delivering the mother of all turnarounds which was rightly highlighted on the national news.
I know that having cracked it, nobody will be resting on their laurels.
Also featuring in ITV’s report was the excellent news about improved ambulance handover times at Watford General.
With Parliament in recess, I had actually heard about this on a visit to Watford Ambulance station on May 1.
Neill Moloney, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust informed me with pride about the part paramedics play in providing advanced information to A&E pre-arrival and their contribution to curing corridor care.
Another glittering jewel in the crown of the NHS is the fantastic reduction in waiting times, at A&E, for cancer care and operations.
Positive change from Labour and only made possible by dedicated NHS professionals. I thank and salute them all.
Matt Turmaine is Labour MP for Watford.