As the NHS awaits a new Prime Minister and the removal of Patricia Hewitt, hospitals have been left with yet 'another fine mess' to sort out. Nobody could have missed the Modernising Medical Careers debacle. It has been left to hospitals to save the day, as they scramble to fill medical jobs in time to ensure patient safety. This is no small under taking, as doctors have all been forced to change jobs on the same day (1st August) in a way which has never happened before... and will never happen again.
So, what does the future hold under new Gordon Brown leadership? There are mumblings that he will increase NHS spending. Hence, exactly the same idea he's had for the past ten years, which hardly inspires the feeling of a fresh start. Knowing the government's capacity for money to be wasted long before it reaches patients, leaves me with the concern that there will be more Laurel and Hardy NHS policies. There is no prize for guessing which one in the picture represents Brown.... but the person he 'points' to be new Secretary of State for Health will have a very important job on his/her hands.
12 comments:
That made me laugh - thanks Michelle I needed that. Sarahx
Oh dear. But I honestly can't see there being a lot of difference if another party was elected. It all seems to cumbersome and unmanageable.
Thanks Sarah.
Thanks Clara. You could say that I'm an eternal optimist, but where there's a will there's a way. The Conservative Party have just released a white party with alot of new ideas in it. One being an Independent NHS Board... this is for another blog. However, NuLabour throwing money without any strategy and not listening to those who work within the healthcare profession does not seem fair to the patients.
Thanks for the comments.
Michelle
In my eighteen years working in hospital pharmacy I never ceased to be amazed at the way money was wasted on things not directly related to patient care.
One example was a change of logo of the hospital. They hired consultants at a cost of $400,000 dollars to design the thing. Then the signs on all three sites had to be changed as well as all the hospital's stationery and forms had to be redone with all the old ones just discarded. Tell me how one patient benefited from that.
regards
jmb
we have elections here soon... if Labor get in our country will be "rooted" ( can I say that here?)
I had the impression that they were all incompetant cretins but maybe, just maybe, there is someone on the Labour back benches, possibly named Stanley and well versed in creating fine messes, ready and able to supplant Patricia?
Curious Ex-Pat
How much money has to be wasted before things change. geordielass.
See Vicky Ford's blog. Good description up there at the moment of huge amounts of money spent on a target of little value and could have been spent elsewhere.
I think the problem is that Gordon Brown doesn't truly understand the value of money. If there is waste it is so much easier to raise taxes, visibly or stealthily, than it is to try and fix the leak and improve efficiency.
Plus, this can only be done by decentralising power which he doesn't like the thought of very much
So who is going to play Laurel?
The post of Health Secretary is a poisoned chalice. The problem is that the NHS is one of the few institutions which is still cherished by the public, against all the evidence which points in favour of dismantling it in favour of some form of medical insurance.
But how could a Labour government take that step?
For that matter, dare a Tory one?
. . . throwing money without any strategy . . .
I could live with this.
As a taxpayers it's less than ideal, since money's being spent and you're not entirely suure on what, or why.
But from working in the NHS I'm tired of redisorganisation and want to be left alone.
If they'll just give us the money to run ther service and leave us to it, I'm more than happy!
Thanks for all those comments.
Michelle
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