Discussion about this post

User's avatar
jockblue's avatar

The problem is that as a country we are so tied into the NHS as a fine institution, that we are unable to properly critique and fix the bits that need fixing. Any suspected slight on the NHS is met by those who argue it's world class and any attempt to change it would be to load it with unneccessary middle managers or even, god forbid, private companies.

Everytime I've had involvment from the NHS, it's been the same - clinical care at the sharp end is excellent (world class even), but the organisation is broken. You are pushed from one process to another without anyone having oversight of your entire journey/treatment. As soon as X ray are done with you, the X ray people couldn't care where you go next...

Two examples - my father recently passed with pancreatic cancer. Having decided not to engage with chemo, he was discharged by the hospital and referred back to his GP. I say discharged - literally discharged to the extent we needed to rush around the hospital to find a spare wheelchair to take him back to our car. The GP was completeley out of her depth and we relied on Marie Curie who were marvellous. On the morning Dad passed away, the Marie Curie nurse needed the GP to sign the death certificate. She phoned the surgery, and sat on the phone for 30 mins listening to it ring as my father lay there. Eventually she got into her car, drove to the surgery and was seen by a receptionist before anyone answered the phone. Three weeks after my father passed, we received a letter from the surgery asking him to come in for a wellness check....

My other example - I have a long standing condition - my consultant is excelleent, he tells me about a new drug on the market and tells me he'll arrange for me to come back in 3 months time to see if I can get on a trial. I go to book a new appointment at his reception desk to be told the next possible appointment was 9 months later and sure enough no trial took place...

We need outside help to change the culture but there is no way it can happen whilst every single area of the NHS is pigeon-holed into their own little area with no-one overseeing process. But hey, middle managers....privatisation....can't talk about it so we'll all suffer in silence.

Expand full comment
Norma Spark's avatar

I have a chronic medical condition, which necessitates numerous trips to A&E and stays in hospital for observation or treatment.

Watching hard working health care professionals run themselves ragged, day after day, clarifies the need for reform in the NHS. I fear that layers of management have been stripped out from the health service, over the last 13 years. The myth that managers are unnecessary and all resources should be focussed on doctors, nurses and to the front line continues to be perpetuated.

This results in systems that don’t talk to each other, or even align, staff members repeating time consuming tasks over and over again, massively wasted energy and resources and long, long delays.

Money spent on good, efficient management systems is vital investment in efficiency and resource maximisation.

The net effect on patients of these over stretched staff and resources, are experiences like yours and the multiplicity of stories I could share!

Expand full comment
9 more comments...

No posts