Our poor NHS!

I recently had to visit our local Hopsital St Richards in Chichester, to see a consultant and have a chest x ray and ultra sound scan.

Whilst the staff, nurses, doctors and consultants are all excellent - you only have to look lost and they offer to help you find where you need to go (special people)

But whilst the NHS hierachy and government dine out on this, the actual NHS is a disgrace!

Fisrt thing I noticed was that all the lights were on, even though many (most) were not needed.
In addition, many of the bulbs had gone and not been replaced.
In one area the blown bulb was in fact in one of the emergency light fittings a health and safety risk!
The Fire Exit signs were just signs not illuminated signs.

Some areas the actual light difusers were hanging from the down from ceilings. ceiling tiles were missing, there was dust and dust at skirtings etc.

The heating was on full bore and as it was too hot, windows were left open and everyone was sitting in a draft.
When I said to the consultant that the raidiatiors should be fitted with a Thermostaitic Radiator Valves TRV's, he said

"ahh.welcome to the NHS. The heating goes on on 1 Sept and goes off on 1 st May. It stays on whether it is needed or not!" When I said about wasting money he said that the "same goverment wasted £1.3bn on a computer system for the NHS that didnt work!"

So when we are asked to sacrifice and services are being withdrawn think about the KNOWN WASTE and NEGLECT that is OUR health Service!

Re: Our poor NHS!

Yea - makes ya 'sick' dont it

Re: Our poor NHS!

It's a good job I don't run my household like that or we'd soon be broke !!!

Re: Our poor NHS!

I'm also surprised at some of the wastage that goes on - how the tabards have been done away with and replaced by plastic aprons that are discarded (I thought we were supposed to be cutting down on plastic use?).

I also have a friend who is a technical engineer for hospitals all over the north - many operating rooms have robotic arms to assist (in some way that I've forgotten) during surgical procedures and want to know what function that arm often provides? A table for a CD system to sit on to play music thoughout surgery. The cost of those robotic arms is very high and an engineer who specialises in robotics is not a cheap engineer yet his is called out frequently to repair them and the damage is, more often than not, down to pure negligence or misuse. It seems the NHS has money to waste!

Re: Our poor NHS!

It sounds as though somebody is milking the maintenance budget, very short sighted as how are they going to find the patients when all of the lights go out?

I agree that savings must be made, teams of auditors and work study engineers would sort it out, but on their arrival the staff would probably go on strike. This is needed by all government run establishments starting at Westminster.

Re: Our poor NHS!

You really think so - somebody has got to pay for the teams of auditors and work study engineers - yet again and again and again. The NHS is always in the process of some major audit or another - Agenda for Change was supposed to sort staffing grades and responsibilities out (but who knows what that was all about now). Problem is that nothing stays in place long enough to be able to see if it works or not. Someone always comes along and turns it on its head, starting all over again - and that someone or organisation is nearly always The Government - and it is all so expensive and futile. Leaving lights burning, or heating on or off should be the least of our worries.

Re: Our poor NHS!

So whats the answer?

Looks like the only way to make the NHS work is to privatize it.

Re: Our poor NHS!

I do see your point Aerolor, inconsistency in methods or instructions does not help efficiency or savings in costs.

I still live by the old saying 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves', so yes worry about light bulbs and elastoplast, the savings might surprise you.

Re: Our poor NHS!

I would suggest getting rid of a lot of the managers - they are costly and don't seem to making a success of the NHS so in that sense, they are a waste of money. It's strange that the NHS worked better when those with medical training and knowledge were in charge, can't figure out why that should be though

Re: Our poor NHS!

Over my dead body!!!! - NO WAY!!!