Surely This Can't Be Right?

[cupotee]

I am reading the East of England Ambulance service have been fined £2 million for not meeting targets.

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/10463636.Ambulance_service_fined___2million/?ref=nt

What happens to that money and how come they have that amount of unused money to pay the fine?

Surely this isn't the way to get the service up to scratch it needs investment not fines.

[naomi24]

No doubt someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think they have to actually pay the money – rather the amount of money they are fined is withheld, so in effect the ambulance service will receive £2 million less from the government – and the government will be £2 million better off.

This has been happening for a long time – it isn’t new – but I’ve always thought it was a silly way to try to improve any public service. Sacking the managers in favour of people more competent would, to me, be a more sensible approach. I recently waited for 11 hours for an ambulance to take a very sick lady to hospital. Not good.

[emmie]

does seem pointless, and this target led directive seems to be a poor way to treat people.

[dave50]

Cupotee- -You have been brainwashed by Gordon Brown, it's called spending, not 'investment'. The next time I go overdrawn at the bank and i get a nasty letter i will say to them that it's ok because it's not spending, it's 'investment'.