Pathetic and expensive window dressing by public agencies

Perhaps it’s to remind the staff of what they should be doing Lucky.

I remember seeing a bus in Newcastle with an advert on the side advertising the new acute hospital in S Northumberland.
I wondered at the time how much NHS money was going to the bus company got the advert.

‘For’ the advert

An acronym for everything. The first word is usually reasonable, then they run out of words and write any old rubbish.

Accessible?

" please can my 92 year old relative have transport?"

No

Oh I totally agree with you there Lily65 it used to make my blood boil trying to get patient transport for my late grandma. She was 99 years old and I would have to go through the same pathetic routine...….

I always used to always take her to appointments in my car but it got where I couldn't physically get her in the seat on my own, yet they would still refuse her an ambulance !

I can understand your anger Luckygirl considering all the difficulties you have encountered. Makes you want to point out each word to all the staff.
Maybe it is there as a reminder as JaneA said.

I remember when I worked in hospitals that the compassion etc. were simply a given, and were the raison d'etre of the place - we did not have to trumpet it aloud with posters etc. - it was present in the whole ethos of the place.

Does anyone seriously think that the presence of this window dressing actually makes patients or relatives any more confident of good care?

The irony of course is that as these silly notices have proliferated, the quality of the care has deteriorated.

I remember one hospital years ago which had 2 irritating things. One was a wall full of butterflies, one for each person who had died there! The other was a notice right next to the waste bin asking people to put their rubbish in it. The point was what exactly?

It’s done by non clinical overpaid hospital managers and business consultants to justify their jobs.

Totally agree - am 'astonished' at how much excellent care we gave when we didn't have a 'mission statement'.

The trouble nowadays is that nobody likes " being told what to do ", such as when we had matrons who on their daily rounds would pick you out if your hat wasn't on straight which in those days spelt inefficiency in an individual that reflected lack of care toward the patient.

Imagine a matron with her discipline today ? Everyone would walk out on strike ! Yet there should be a visual leader and his/her deputy to oversee that hospitals are run efficiently in all areas and who should be on hand where problems arise.

I have often wondered how much all this froth costs Luckygirl - and in Wales there is the cost of translating everything into Welsh too - all funds which could be going to patient care.

I asked at a clinic we attended how many of the staff spoke Welsh - none - and they estimated that very few patients spoke Welsh and any who did spoke English too.

It is a box-ticking exercise to keep some bureaucrats in a job.

EllanVannin, how I agree with you. Unfortunately telling someone that they are not doing a good job can be construed as bullying these days. Although I would not like to return to the old days completely. Nursing is a profession that does need rules and regulations, policies and procedures. I spent over 40 years in healthcare, and cannot see much evidence of a care culture in some staff. Fortunately there are those that do care and they should be applauded. As for the useless notices, it does give you reading matter when you are sitting in A&E for five hours

"The "care" he received was total pants"

??
What are total pants please?

Total pants (or even just pants) means absolute rubbish.

I've worked for the NHS for 26 years now and believe me - these window dressing initiatives irritate the hell out of most of us staff too. They're usually dreamed up by groups of overpaid managers on £60-70K salaries in departments with meaningless names such as Change and Innovation or Organisational Development. It's nothing more than an exercise in papering over the cracks while justifying their existence.

I take your point regarding irritation, but They could be papering over the cracks that are getting ever wider because of austerity.

Did anyone watch Panarama last night. I will admit to not watching it as I get so depressed. What is happening is disgusting, and anyone with any compassion would think the same.

We always knew that you can’t continue with the sort of cuts this wretched government has imposed without consequences. Much of the worst is hidden and undoubtedly they have caused untold misery and wretchedness because of their small state policies.

Pippa000, if you google "Christmas at Whiston hospital in the 50's " you'll come across a pic of one ward I worked on when training and matron,Miss Graves sitting on the left of the pic---she was about 6ft tall and didn't stand for any messing. I was a 15/16 year old cadet nurse at that time. Her deputy is on the right of the picture. I still recognise the nurses and sisters from then.

Yes, I agree, total bollocks!
When I went over the handlebars of my bike a couple of years ago and had to pay a visit to A&E I was given a questionnaire to complete about my stay. "Would you recommend this A&E to a friend or relative?" Like we have a choice! Am I going to say "I'm bleeding profusely and have a dislocated collar bone, but I think I'll read up the reviews and journey to an A&E in another town instead"?

When asked how bad pain was from 1 to 10 I just told the the woman at the desk to stop being silly. You see, I wasn't in pain--------my circulation was depleting after heart decided not to pump so was hurtled to resus.
Just be firm with the staff if/when asked daft questions.