Last week I recounted my experiences of a visit to a local A&E department which was trying, but failing, to operate under extreme pressure and perfectly demonstrated the most challenging issues faced by our NHS.

At the other end of the scale I recently got the chance to sit in on a hip replacement operation and was fascinated and amazed by both the level of technology employed and the brute force administered.

Even I, just present as an observer, was wearing a NASA-style protective suit which refreshed the air it contained several times a minute.

At the same time, the main surgeon was wielding what looked like a heavy lump hammer and several good-sized, razor-sharp saws.

Then last week I took a neighbour to get his cataract done and, whilst there was a little faffing around with drops and the like, the actual operation was completed in less than a minute.

But while we waited a nurse said this was nothing, and described a brain operation conducted remotely by a surgeon in England with the patient awake and fully conscious in Australia.

That wireless networking and robotic technology has advanced to such a level is remarkable and it’s great healthcare is able to take advantage of such developments.

But, with progress like this and the costs they understandably incur, combined with an ever-ageing population, it’s hardly surprising that at the same time, several basic areas of the service are failing appallingly.

Then, just when I thought I’d heard it all when it comes to medical advancements, I met a guy in Maidstone who, by his own admission, is lucky to still be with us following three heart attacks.

“With progress like this, it’s hardly surprising that at the same time, several basic areas of the service are failing appallingly…”

He reckons he’s now had not just a simple pacemaker fitted but some even more advanced contraption inserted that is not only remotely monitored by the health experts who installed it, but can also be remotely controlled by his surgeon.

He explained the problem with his heart is that, at any given moment without warning, it can suddenly go haywire and start beating at a rate which will kill him within minutes. The only way to treat this is to first stop it completely and then, hopefully, get it to restart and beat at a more controlled rate.

Imagine that - not only having to rely on someone else to monitor the performance of your heart but also having the power to stop it remotely and then restart it.

Your life in their hands takes on a whole new meaning.