To fix failing NHS, it is now time for action not words
I COULDN’T agree more with the points made by Stuart Russell (Grimsby Telegraph Tuesday, February 12) concerning the identified inadequacies in our hospital systems and the staff involved in not providing rudimentary care and compassion to patients.
When will accountability actually mean anything to the chief executives and others in charge who receive massive salaries, but fail to deliver the most basic things for a patient in a hospital?
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It is alarming that because of failings at all levels a patient can no longer have the – not unreasonable – hope and expectation that they will leave hospital better than when they went in. Don’t these chief executives ever go onto the wards to see the real world and talk with patients and staff?
If they claim they do then they haven’t done it well.
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As with the bank chief executives it seems to be acceptable to say “don’t blame me, I’m only in charge”.
If real changes are not made and individuals are not held to account in any meaningful way, eg allowed to resign, it will make a mockery of the achievements and potential for good embodied in the NHS.
What is urgently needed is a strong Inspectorate of Hospital and Care Homes with the powers to make unannounced and regular inspections of all aspects of patient care.
Any identified weaknesses should then be presented to the management authority, with time scales for improvements to be implemented. Failures should result in penalties for named individuals. It is time for action not words.
Jill Thompson,
Full address supplied.
The editor says:
This country is lucky to have an NHS – but one that is failing its care duties is no good to any of us. This letter writer makes a very good point about a strong Inspectorate getting to really understand what the main issues are.
Comments
by plebian
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 12:11PM
“I agree with the need for unnanounced inspections - not like the OFSTED inepection of schools where we are given up to 1 years notice that they are coming. Patients should also be given more opportunity to comment on the care they receive.
I have tried to get my head round the various management structures - chief executives, directors-executive and non executive, senior policy implementation managers etc.etc.,and the various NHS Trusts (which I`m told are not trusts in the usual legal sense, but are public sector corporations) eg Primary Care Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts,NHS Commissioning Trusts and NHS Hospital Trusts.There are others which directly affect us(for example I hadn`t realised that ther was a separate NHS Ambulance Trust), but I gave up at this point.
I had`t realised how complicated and bureaucratic the NHS had become. I used to think that there were more chiefs than indians, but now I know it. But wherever there is a job there`s a vested interest so don`t hold you breathe for any meaningful changes.”