Grimsby Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital suffering from foot in mouth disease?
Is Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital suffering from foot in mouth disease?
So asks Simon Faulkner in his Simon Says column in today's Grimsby Telegraph.
-
Read Simon Says in your Telegraph
Add your comment below and read the full column in today's Telegraph.
AS PR blunders go it’s up there with Gerald Ratner’s infamous remarks about the quality of his own company’s jewellery.
BLINDS & CURTAINS MADE 2 MEASURE WE COVER SCUNTHORPE & GRIMSBY...
View detailsHave a look at our website and view our fantastic new blinds! then you could book a free home visit were we show you more samples and help you choose your new blinds.www.grimsby-sunblinds.co.uk
Contact: 01472 809887
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
Those of you familiar with the tale will recall that Mr Ratner, the owner of an eponymous jewellery company, described his firm’s products as “total crap” in a speech at the Institute Of Directors, in 1991.
The affect was so devastating – the value of the Ratner group plummeted by about £500 million, nearly resulting in the firm’s collapse – that the phrase “doing a Ratner” entered the business lexicon.
Now the decision by the trust which run’s Grimsby Hospital to investigate a councillor and trust governor for expressing concerns about blood-stained seats in A & E to the Grimsby Telegraph is unlikely to have similarly catastrophic results.
But it does exhibit the same alarming signs of muddleheadedness.
Admittedly there are significant differences.
For one, Ratner’s undoing was simply being too candid – although he claimed his remarks were made in jest.
The Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust, on the other hand, shot itself in the foot by trying to suppress the truth as if it were a Communist dictatorship.
Displeased that Councillor Matthew Brown took it upon himself to inform members of the public – through the Grimsby Telegraph – about the blood-stained chairs, chairman of the trust Dr James Whittingham fired off an angry missive in which he expressed his concern disappointment that the councillor had “felt it appropriate to publicly criticise the trust on this subject.”
Unfortunately for the trust, the threat of the Gulag did not have the desired effect on the errant Comrade Brown, who promptly brought the story to the Telegraph’s attention.
Cue more bad publicity for the trust – and arguably more damaging than the initial story about the bloodied chairs.
Especially in a week when attempts to silence NHS whistleblowers was dominating the national news.
As ever, the attempted cover-up was worse than the original crime.
Just ask Chris Huhne.
5 Comments
by fruitus
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:51PM
“Lets have some balance in the argument.
It's a CHAIR we are talking about, not a bungled medical procedure, complaint against staff, or the NHS as an institution, etc, etc.
It's not NHS bashing, it's more NHS management and bureaucracy bashing.
If they are prepared to issue a letter to a fellow 'team' member over a CHAIR, then you can't blame anyone for being suspicious, including the media of whatever ilk.
The simple fact is, No letter = No story.
But, I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.
So, maybe the best course of action would be to go read the 104 page Trust constitution CEM002 http://tinyurl.com/av63rdy (If it's not the right one let us know). See if you can understand it - then come back and enlighten us, via a comment, as to which bit(s) of it the guy has supposedly transgressed.
Then, think if the action was justified, over a CHAIR remember, or were there better, simpler ways it could have been handled.
Then, think if the members who authorised the letter have, "4.3.2 act in the best interests of the trust at all times". Especially considering all the adverse publicity that's been generated needlessly.”
by blackbob
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:21PM
“The chairs should not have been there in the first place GERMS GERMS ??.
WHAT ABOUT ACOUNTABILITY.
This is not a represive state. These poeple are public servants and should eccept the responsability when it goes wrong and not waste time covering mistakes up.
The Trust members should be accountable and sacked and replaced with Honest poeple.
The problem is are there any??
bob”
by blackbob
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:13PM
“The chairs should not have been there in the first place GERMS GERMS ???
Sack the trust managers and start again.”
by RKid83
Monday, February 25 2013, 11:19AM
“Typical NHS-bashing agenda. Is it any surprise that the GT is affiliated with the Daily Mail?”
by GTWebonly
Monday, February 25 2013, 10:27AM
“The Telegraph's stance on this subject is a massive mistake. Matthew Brown was on the board of governors for the Trust. He, more than most, should have dealt with his complaints in an appropriate manner.
Matthew Brown went to the paper on the very same day he made an official complaint to the trust. Strangely enough Mr Brown was also vying (unsuccessfully) to be the Labour candidate for Hartsmere, Hertfordshire.
The fact that Cllr Brown went for that particular seat show his causes to be based on his own career ambitions rather than fighting the causes of his own community.
The fact that the Telegraph is willing to target the local NHS trust goes to show that they are jumping on the bandwagon created since the report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust. Easy 'journalism'. It's a shame they don't take as much interest into the questionable methods of our local council, but I guess a good story isn't worth as much as a bit of advertising revenue?”