Who cares
This is a one person play but can be revised for a cast.
Setting is in an A&E unit.
Three chairs with an A&E sign either on a wall or on a stand. Person walks in a sits down - needs to be a Frank Spencer or a hypochondriac type character.
Has a towel draped around right hand and talks to audience as if someone sitting in the A&E dept.
I'll just sit here and wait, I hope they are not going to be to much longer.
Hello, are you waiting to see a doctor as well, have you been here long? Five minutes, that is nothing I have been here four hours and forty seven no forty eight minutes. No one cares you know I don’t know what has happened to the Health Services. When I came in the girl at the reception desk - and I do mean a girl, could not have been left school more then a week - says "name, address, what is the matter?", then as quick as that "take a seat and listen for your name". No time to listen or even sympathise about why I am here, no, take a seat.
Then after fifty-two minutes, (looking at watch) I hear my name over the loud speaker (in a loud voice) to come to see the "tragic nurse" well I think that was what you called her. So I had to make my way too her by following a blue line, not even a porter to take me in wheelchair. No make your own way, tell you no one cares.
I arrive there and the door opens “come in and what is the matter” says this nurse not even would you like to take a seat or can I get you a cup of tea. No, what is the matter and before I knew, I was back in the waiting room again, this time waiting to see a doctor , tell you no one cares.
Then I sat for another thirty-two minutes, (looking at the watch again) before anyone told me the doctor was having his lunch and it would be another hour before I would be seen. I ask one of the domestic staff if I could have a cup of tea, she pointed to the tea machine “sixty pence will get you a cup of tea” not even I' ll get you change for the machine, then almost took the legs from me as she mopped around the chairs.
Then at last the doctor came back from his lunch, I hope he enjoyed it for my cup of tea was terrible, and I thought at last, but no. By now others patients had been brought in to A&E who where seemingly much iller then me so I went to the bottom of the queue. I ask you who makes these decisions.
So I have been sitting here since, some four hours and fifty-six minutes now you would think someone would be able to give you a little of their time, I thought someone like me would have seen a doctor, a Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist a Social Worker or maybe even Speech Therapist, not that there is anything wrong with my speech but I could do with my feet being looked at. Or been given a X ray or even be seen by the chaplain, but No. no one cares? Only you have listened to me and I am so glad, you should become a healthcare worker, they say it is a vocation that is vanishing. Oh you do work for the hospital, so what job do you do? Here maybe you could look at my injury?
Slowly unrolling the towel from the hand, with a lot of oh's and aha's hold the up your hand.
Look at that! no one cares any more if you have a paper cut.
Walks off.
Narrator: When people enter through the doors of a hospital or we as carers enter their home they want to see people who care. Due to the throughput of patients within the Health Service there is now less time to show caring face by sitting down and talking to the patient. In the healthcare profession we need to get the patient well and home as quick as possible.
(This can be added to by individuals as they need to for the area they work in).
Jesus took time to listen to people and care, so let us in our Christian vocation as healthcare workers not vanish into time management and deadlines but take time to care, even if it is someone with a paper cut.
