The 'pruning back' of the NHS is never far from being in the News

[Bobbisox]

The NHS will face the biggest shake up and reforms very soon, It is without doubt the best Service in the world, Lord knows, plenty come from overseas to use it, but I am inclined to agree, reforms and changes have to be made for this service to run efficiently ....
Where would you suggest savings could be made?
Could a charge be made to those who simple don't bother to turn up for an appointment? seems to work in the Netherlands..

[Sqad]

//// It is without doubt the best Service in the world,///
??????????????

/// plenty come from overseas to use it//

Because it is free.......well.......not to the UK taxpayer.

Giving the money to GP's and Clinicians is MADNESS.

[VHG]

>>>It is without doubt the best Service in the world, Lord knows, plenty >>>come from overseas to use it,

They dont come because it is the best (it isn't), they come because it is free, and nobody in the NHS ever seems to bother to get foreigners to pay towards it.

I have relatives who live in Hillingdon (home of Heathrow airport) and they are forever getting articles in their local paper about people flying in from abroad for expensive NHS treatment in a hospital near Heathrow and then flying out again, paying nothing.

We are so gullible.

[Bobbisox]

sqad I agree 100%, let the Doctors get on with their jobs of being a Doctor
it is free, so perhaps people from overseas should pay for their treatment, we have to when visiting another country

[Sqad]

VHG...exactly.

[mrs_overall]

Huge savings can be made by stopping health tourism.
I've just witnessed this first hand (two Libyans and a Ghanaian) in hospital and it appalled me

[Bobbisox]

VHG, again I am with you on this, it isn't rocket science to introduce payments for people who 'fly' here for free treatment

[Bobbisox]

so how and why does this happen?

[Sqad]

\\\I've just witnessed this first hand (two Libyans and a Ghanaian)\\\

Menage a trois eh? and free on the NHS...I am all for it.

[Bobbisox]

you are?

[emmie]

It's a bloated leviathan that needed pruning years ago. I wouldn't want private medicine running the show, but to have more top brass, than on the ground staff makes nonsense of a public health service. Put the emphasis back on caring for one thing, and dispense with the 20 forms the hospital staff have to complete for each patient, and perhaps then we won't get headlines in the papers about the disgraceful scenario of elderly being left with no food, water, or being able to access the lavatories. Having witnessed the same myself, and when an elderly relative was in hospital, i wondered quite what the staff were actually doing.

[Bobbisox]

Why was the Matron replaced?

[emmie]

Because they didn't think in a modern hospital you would need them, in some cases they have been retained, but not called matron, perhaps that smacks of carry on doctor.

[shaneystar2]

Where would you suggest savings could be made?
Easy ,get rid of all these pen pushers,bean counters and paper shufflers .
I was at my local hospital for an appt this morning and the amount of chatting and paper shuffling going on was unbelievable .Someone even turned up with a shopping trolley full of paperwork and they then then proceeded to shuffle it even more and gossip even more while we all sat there .My 9.10 appt drifted on to 10.00am ......

[Zeuhl]

Went Tuesday to village surgery to have clips removed from op wounds. Brilliant facility and service; modern, spacious, efficient, easy access.

The 'reuters' sign in the Reception quoted 58 doctor and 28 nurse appointments missed in september!

I wonder what punitive measures they can take against repeat offenders. I would hope making it awkward to arrange further appointments would be a minimum.

[Bobbisox]

shaney...my friend had 8!, yes 8 identical letters from one department for an appointment

[andy-hughes]

Stop treating it like it is Marks & Spencers.

Stop talking nonsene about 'patient choice' - how many patients have the first idea how to make an informed choice about a hospital or surgeon?

Stop referring to 'competition' and 'market forces' - this is health care and should not be based on competing with other hospitals or doctors.

Adopt a little caring and sympathy - which goes hand in hand with health care, but not with Tory thinking.

Bring hospital cleaning back 'in house' - instead of farming it out to contractors who again focus on profit, not service.

Bring back matrons who know how to organise nursing care efficiently.

Make the ehtos of the Health Service about 'health' - the clue is in the name - not about profit.

[Bobbisox]

AH and Zheul, how very true, if we can see this, why can't the Government?

[Bobbisox]

perhaps a 'dinner money' type of thing just as the kids at school have to do, or do you think that wouldn't be feasible ?

[rowanwitch]

And who do you suppose...makes the appointments, files the notes , lab results, enters them onto the computer system, ensures letters go out, picks up on patients that have been waiting too long and alerts the teams to make extra provision, ensures patients can be seen in clinics with their notes...or an equivalent electronic record... arranges for repairs and maintenance, printing leaflets and information, ensures staff are trained in key skills by maintining records and organising courses, books agency staff, arranges for staff to be paid, books cover when doctors go off sick, checks they have the qualifications to practice, etc.... NHS pen pushers... of course there is scope for efficiencies and people shoul be treated in appropriate centres... minor ops should be done in satellite clinics for example as should routine physio therapy and the like not in major hospitals... and people should be penalised for wasting A & E time with trivial things not sure how though

[Bobbisox]

Rowan, of course we need hospital admin to all these things, I agree and what you say about the A and E, it is how to implement it I suppose