Dr Sam Everington OBE first trained as a Barrister and then as a doctor. He first made his name back in the 1980s when he found novel ways of highlighting the absurdly long hours which doctors worked. He slept outside the Royal London Hospital, creating a media storm. These days Dr Sam Everington is a GP, who attracts nationwide interest for the idiosyncratic ways in which he uses talented people in his practice area, a deprived part of London's east end. Through his innovation the government now uses his “Healthy Living Centre” as a model. His holistic approach to medicine means that education, employment, housing and creativity are all crucial in helping patients get back on their feet.
His centre is no small undertaking it includes over one hundred projects – a church, complimentary therapies, art studios, a nursery, community care projects, garden projects, a community café and a community cinema. It is a unique partnership between the private, public and voluntary sector.
Apparently the first thing former secretary of state for health John Reid said when he came to visit was, "Where's the NHS sign?" But Sam reminded him who the centre belongs to – the patients. When Sam talks about setting up such massive centres, he does not give false hope, but believes in being a "can do" person with a strong belief in the end goal. He strongly encourages other doctors and believes they too have the potential to be great entrepreneurs. What an inspiration.
5 comments:
Hi Michelle, interesting blog.
Haven't read the book yet, but I'm certainly interested in the future of the NHS or rather the future of healthcare and Private Trusts in Britain.
I'll add a short cut at my place if that's ok with you
Thanks for that - I've also added you to my links. Glad to hear you are interested in the future of healthcare.
Hi Michelle, Thanks for stopping by my blog and linking me to yours. I will come back later and have a good read and link to yours.
Hi Michelle,
Did you happen to see BBC2 last night 09.00-10.00 pm
The Trouble with the nhs.
Gerry Anderson is sent to Rotheram nhs hospital
one of the best performing hospitals in the uk
as a trouble shooter
He tries to address 'revenues' & 'performance' waiting lists
Since Surgery & orthopaedics is the 'cash cow' of the nhs
He is comfronted with 10 fully equipped theatres
which are empty most of the time.
10 Consultant Surgeons hold the hole hospital to ransom
If they only perform three operations a day
and do not practice surgery on fridays.
Just one more in each theatre would get rid of waiting lists
in months - not years.
With 3,500 patients on waiting lists
and the potential to perform 10,000 operations a year.
The hospital has a full quota of Consultants & Surgeons
bit what is lacking is the will to fulfil their contracts.
And they are not accountable to anybody.
They can cancel operations at any time
They can refuse to operate on fridays
They can be moonlighting in private hospitals (surgeries).
They can refuse to train up and qualify more surgeons.
The net result - high costs - high waiting lists
The net results - fully equipped theatres lying empty
The problems with the nhs in Black & White
Hi quasar9, I have written a piece today about the programme. But in defence somewhat of surgeons and Fridays - doing major surgery on a Friday is not always possible, as caring for critically post-operative patients over a weekend on-call emergency service would not be in the best interests of the patients. Surgeons still work on a Friday, just they have a myriad of other other jobs to clinics, paper work, looking after in-patients...... I suspect it's not moonlighting.
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