NHS financial crisis

[skylark, BSN, RN]

Sadly I feel that this is not entirely a political issue, a huge part of the problem lies within the service itself.

Its top-heavy with management, and there are just to many short-sighted decisions being made, I think anyone who has worked int he UK in recent years can think of a hospital that had money spend on updating it, only to be closed within a couple of years. Certainly I can think of 3 straight away where I used to live, and its probably a pattern being repeated across the country.

What exactly do all the "project managers" do?

Apart from command huge salaries, it seems to be that they exist to fix things that ain't broke, and throw money at schemes that don't work.

One example - How many computer systems and new software systems are there in use now? And yet we still don't have joined-up access, between sites and services?

Still have to put stuff onto a CD rom and find a motorbike courier to take it across town.

A&Es still can't access GP records to get info when that lovely patient comes in and describes their meds as "white tablets, four of them, you know the ones . . . "

This is just one trivial example. I could list dozens more, but my point is that no matter how much money is thrown at the NHS by politicians, its bad housekeeping and lack of joined-up thinking is what will destroy it.

[skylark, BSN, RN]

Cutbacks continue to undermine the service and destory morale.

Just this week, one London A&E has been cut back to a 12 hour day, shutting at night, and completely closed from December, and another is likely to close in April.

Does anyone care about the patients?

For those that will continue to turn up at night, not realising it is shut, the delay when searching for another hospital could be disastrous.

Hospitals that are already struggling to meet targets will be even more challenged when trying to absorb the workload of the newly closed A&E, (which btw was the one that they used to divert ambulances to when they were full).

Staff morale is already rockbottom, and just piling the pressure on is unlikely to fix that.

I think the only word that can be used now for the NHS is implode . . . . .

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Just been reading the RCN site, they have agreed to ballot for strike action in January, somewhat behind the others who will be taking industrial action on the 30th November

[skylark, BSN, RN]

I think the unions have been slow generally. Unison has made a lot of noise but has not been very pro-active in actually negotiating or supporting, and the RCN just seems to make vague "We will represent you" sounds. : (

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I think the unions have been slow generally. Unison has made a lot of noise but has not been very pro-active in actually negotiating or supporting, and the RCN just seems to make vague "We will represent you" sounds. : (

I've been surprised at the level of discontent on the RCN Facebook page at their response and the fact they are balloting after the day of action

[skylark, BSN, RN]

There are a lot of decisions being made that just dont make sense.

One London hospital - closing A&E, unable to state if/where they can redeploy the nurses, but STILL advertising vacancies, and also actively recruiting in the Philippines, there are 70 new starters flying across at the start of December.

In Cambridge the first NHS hospital to be completely run by the private sector, I think its Huntingdon / Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Most hospitals have private input, such as hotel services, portering, linen, etc, and this year a lot of minor injury units have been taken over by a group called Care UK, but this is apparently the first hospital to be completely private.

Doesnt look good at all.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I read about stafford emergency unit and the taking over of that other hospital by a private company.

Not good at all,

[skylark, BSN, RN]

It seems that right across the country, A&Es are being divided up, and the minor side is being handed over to Care UK.

There have been problems in that they have a very specific criteria for the patients they will see, and therefore a larger proportion have been shifted to majors unnecessarily. Care UK runs a seperate computer system, so for example anyone requiring bloodwork or xrays has to go to majors, to get a hospital number for their investigations. They also refuse all drunks and also psych patients, which is some areas of London is a big part of the caseload!!

So minors gradually evolves into a GP walk-in centre, unable to manage injuries, and the work for majors piles up. Then after a while someone at the top of the food chain decides there are now too many breaches, the nurses are no good, majors is unsafe, and they close it down.

THen of course the next nearest A&E has to pick up the slack, then their breach numbers go up as they cannot admit to a full hospital, and there is nowhere to divert to. So they get investigated for the breaches, Care Uk gets brought in to "help", and so it starts over . . . . .

Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist, but I'm seeing this pattern being repeated, and I'm wondering what its all about.

[scared'o'needles!]

People are employed to manage a situation and others to mismanage, It depends on what the real goal is.