NHS reform

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Dont think he'd be interested.I noticed last night that the wind turbine contracts have gone to the North East not to the IOW etc nothing to do with elections comig up of course.

 

The contracts could not be awarded to Vestas because they no longer have an operating factory on the Island. It was reported on the radio, and workers stated in interviews, that they are moving abroad not because of lack of work but because their market is mainly in the U.S.A.

 

I don't know of any other wind turbine factories in the UK apart from this obvious one in the North East.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

No but they are MANAGING the people who do - hence the title 'manager'. Pen pushers fill out forms, do costings and get quotes so that nurses and doctors don't have to.

 

Or would you rather nurses and doctors carried out these tasks instead of treating patients?

 

Well it works with the police force.........oh! That's what keeps the Bobby off the beat.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

There's no conflict there, Nick. I have worked in the NHS for 15 years and have just secured a job back in the NHS so I do speak from personal experience.

 

Most clincian / managers combine the two roles very successfully. The clincians in particular will work extra hours to do so (although they won't give up their private patients and, some would say, why should they).

 

But here's an example for you. Many years ago, if a ward required, say, more bandages, a nurse would phone up a bandage supplier and order a dozen bandages. The flaws with this process were a) valuable nursing time was being lost on simple clerical work and b) best value was not being obtained because a small volume was being purchased.

 

So each ward will now employ a ward clerk (some would say a manager but that's not the case because the ward clerk would earn far less than a nurse). That ward clerk would place an order via the supplies department who would have negotiated a contract with the bandage supplier to 'call off' bandages at a deeply discounted rate.

 

So valuable (and comparitively expensive) nursing time has been saved and the bandages have been purchased at a much better rate. Win Win!

 

In fact, it gets better, because most hospitals use a Materials Management System to ensure Just In Time deliveries to the wards - saving even more money.

 

Another function of the Ward Clerk is to notify the Maintenance team of any concerns, broken equipment etc. Again saving the waste of a nurse's valuable time. I'm new to the NHS and as a fresh face it amazes me how hard the vast majority of staff work at ensuring the patients are cared for. I do understand that there are sadly some glitches but seeing is believing.

[bridge too far]

Well it works with the police force.........oh! That's what keeps the Bobby off the beat.

 

Slight difference A in that a bobby will be writing down events pertinent to an arrest or caution s/he may have made.

 

I wouldn't expect a ward clerk to write up medical notes either

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Slight difference A in that a bobby will be writing down events pertinent to an arrest or caution s/he may have made.

 

I wouldn't expect a ward clerk to write up medical notes either

 

Thanks for clarifying my point!

[solentstars]

i agree how hard the vast majority of staff work at ensuring the patients are cared for,fantastic people and a service to be proud of,.

[OldNick]

Because if you'd read my posts thoroughly you would have seen that I explained that:

 

a) there has been a large increase in capital spend. This is for new buildings (of which there have been many - I know - I was a Project Manager on a huge one in Oxford of over £100m) and for new equipment. There comes a point when it is cheaper to renew than to retain and maintain. Many health buildings had been allowed to deteriorate in the 80s and 90s and were unfit for purpose.

 

b) pay increases.

 

My posts were primarily explaining how non-pay spend for day to day items has been targeted to decrease year on year and, in my experience, this has happened.

 

Is that clear enough for you?

the spend on buildings is a bit misleading is it not? I was under the impression the private sector build them and then charge massive fees in repayments.Therefore the cost of the NHS is really a bit shrouded because the liabilites are spread over a longterm.That if added to the actual cost to us would be even greater.

As I sya the NHS should never not be there for all entitled people but it should not be out of control.

[bridge too far]

the spend on buildings is a bit misleading is it not? I was under the impression the private sector build them and then charge massive fees in repayments.Therefore the cost of the NHS is really a bit shrouded because the liabilites are spread over a longterm.That if added to the actual cost to us would be even greater.

As I sya the NHS should never not be there for all entitled people but it should not be out of control.

 

That's PFI and, whilst I'm against it in principle, to proceed with a PFI build it has to be demonstrated that the annual 'payments' (these cover maintenance, catering, cleaning etc. as well as rent) are cheaper than if nothing had been built but services (including maintenance, catering, cleaning etc.) had continued to be provided from old, dilapidated buildings.

 

The idea of PFI was thought up by the Major government (and that is a fact, as the scheme I was working on at the time had a moratorium applied during the 1997 election run-up). Sadly, the following Labour government decided to continue with the idea. The main issue I had with PFI was that the private sector consortia secured funding at an initially high percentage interest rate. This interest rate was renegotiated once the buildings were built as the risk decreased. The additional 'profit' that accrued was kept by the private sector. This has now been addressed and this profit is shared between the private sector and the NHS.

 

Most NHS buildings these days are Treasury funded. They are called LIFT projects or P21 projects. PFI consortia are unable to attract investment in these 'troubled times'.

 

I hope that explains things for you Nick

[sotonjoe]

The NHS is shocking. Recent and continued experience tells me so. I really hope I never get seriously ill and find my private medical insurance not wanting to know.