How the NHS wastes money.

Returning to waste, when my son was mid teens he had a hairline fracture of his ankle and was given a pair of those light alloy crutches to hobble around on. We handed them back later to the hospital. My husband has a couple of surgeon friends, when talking about that, one said 'they don't get used again' They always said 'the waste within the NHS is on an industrial scale' and also very critical of some of the stratas of management.

Of course there's waste in the NHS I don't think anyone would disagree with that. It's a huge bureaucratic organisation. A friend is the chair of a health care trust, her story of the building of a new modern hospital to replace three crumbling Victorian community hospitals spans 10 years, millions spent on consultations and patching up buildings that were unsafe to patients and staff together with spiralling costs of the new build. Why? Because local communities, who all agreed their local hospital was unfit for purpose couldn't agree the location of the new hospital which they all agreed was totally necessary. Now that's really wasteful. Thankfully the hospital is now built and is able to provide good care. No one is complaining and objecting now.

Primrose53

Another hospital visitor told me today of something he witnessed recently.

He works in the building trade himself. He was visiting an older relative and stayed 4 hours. He said there was an NHS maintenance man looking at a small hole in an interior wall. He had all his gear with him including a tub of filler. He put a barricade around his work area, put a sign up, did a lot of looking at it. Went off for a break. Had a chat to everybody who passed by. After 4 hrs he finally put some filler in the hole!

The visitor had a few words with him and they talked about various sites they had worked on. The NHS guy said “This job is a doddle. Best one ever. Nobody on your case, take as long as you like.” The visitor said that was a 15 minute job maximum!

There is an out of order toilet on my husband’s bay. The loo was leaking and they had to remove it and take up all the flooring. 10 days so far and it’s still not useable because “someone ordered the wrong loo.”

This is just one hospital. 😥

Gossip, which is all this thead is, isn't evidence. The OP contains zero facts.

I certainly think we need a new model for the NHS ( based on actual skills in organisational management) but what value is this he said/she said?

This is neither "News" or "Politics" it's just "Chat"

Oh lets just not discuss it then. Mea culpa for relating 'gossip'

PoliticsNerd

Primrose53

Another hospital visitor told me today of something he witnessed recently.

He works in the building trade himself. He was visiting an older relative and stayed 4 hours. He said there was an NHS maintenance man looking at a small hole in an interior wall. He had all his gear with him including a tub of filler. He put a barricade around his work area, put a sign up, did a lot of looking at it. Went off for a break. Had a chat to everybody who passed by. After 4 hrs he finally put some filler in the hole!

The visitor had a few words with him and they talked about various sites they had worked on. The NHS guy said “This job is a doddle. Best one ever. Nobody on your case, take as long as you like.” The visitor said that was a 15 minute job maximum!

There is an out of order toilet on my husband’s bay. The loo was leaking and they had to remove it and take up all the flooring. 10 days so far and it’s still not useable because “someone ordered the wrong loo.”

This is just one hospital. 😥

Gossip, which is all this thead is, isn't evidence. The OP contains zero facts.

I certainly think we need a new model for the NHS ( based on actual skills in organisational management) but what value is this he said/she said?

This is neither "News" or "Politics" it's just "Chat"

It’s not gossip, it’s fact. I am spending half of my life in hospitals at the moment unfortunately. I have seen a steady stream of workmen attempting to fix the toilet in my husband's bay. I have seen 4 men in there all holding clipboards and doing very little. 11 days and still no toilet!

However, how many times have you seen a doctor or nurse you can't understand

Never. However I did understand the kindness of a Syrian consultant when my father was very ill and the empathy of a Phillipino nurse when I nearly died.

Iam64

TerriBull

I was relating what the doctor told me a year ago, I presume he knew what he was talking about.

I might be wrong but - many patients demand paracetemol on prescription, cost over £9 when they can buy it for pennies. That may be what the doctor meant
After a fracture, I was discharged with a codeine prescription and advised to buy paracetemol

I thought there had been a clampdown on prescriptions for items like paracetamol that can be bought very cheaply in supermarkets.

Maybe other items, too. When I had shingles, the GP told me to buy a stronger painkiller that you can’t pick up off the shelf, from a pharmacy counter.

Granmarderby10

HowVeryDareYou I don’t know many NHS hospitals and clinics there are in the Uk but that figure quoted divided between, say just the bigger hospitals doesn’t seem all that much over two years.

If you were a Japanese tourist and you had a stroke and lost your speech and were sent to hospital here you wouldn’t think it a waste of resources to have the practical support from someone who speaks your language and could liaise on your behalf ..would you?

If I had any illness in another country, I'd expect my travel insurance to pay for anything I needed - and anyone coming here from another country should have to do the same.

Casdon

These incidents need to be reported, hopefully the person who related the story did so. We all have a responsibility when we see something amiss.

This, for the filling man.
The toilet one more problematic - what complex plumbing system it may be connected to.

A family member worked in admin. In the NHS for many years. She said the amount of waste and unnecessary spending would make you weep.

PoliticsNerd

Primrose53

Another hospital visitor told me today of something he witnessed recently.

He works in the building trade himself. He was visiting an older relative and stayed 4 hours. He said there was an NHS maintenance man looking at a small hole in an interior wall. He had all his gear with him including a tub of filler. He put a barricade around his work area, put a sign up, did a lot of looking at it. Went off for a break. Had a chat to everybody who passed by. After 4 hrs he finally put some filler in the hole!

The visitor had a few words with him and they talked about various sites they had worked on. The NHS guy said “This job is a doddle. Best one ever. Nobody on your case, take as long as you like.” The visitor said that was a 15 minute job maximum!

There is an out of order toilet on my husband’s bay. The loo was leaking and they had to remove it and take up all the flooring. 10 days so far and it’s still not useable because “someone ordered the wrong loo.”

This is just one hospital. 😥

Gossip, which is all this thead is, isn't evidence. The OP contains zero facts.

I certainly think we need a new model for the NHS ( based on actual skills in organisational management) but what value is this he said/she said?

This is neither "News" or "Politics" it's just "Chat"

You could always ask for the thread to be moved to Chat, PoliticsNerd if you don't think it's either News or Politics.

Or Health?

Kate1949

A family member worked in admin. In the NHS for many years. She said the amount of waste and unnecessary spending would make you weep.

I can believe that.

To be fair to Bathsalts I've had medical professionals that I have struggled to understand twice which is not a lot, but in the main I'm grateful for the treatment of my ailments and the last Indian doctor to attend me was very gentle and kind. What does annoy me is interpreters and all these leaflets that just end up in the bin! I know someone with permanent residence in Spain ( pre- Brexit). They had to take out medical insurance when moving there and pay for their Spanish interpreter, it was either 12 or 15 Euros each time for interpreter services. They had no Spanish relatives who could interpret for them. Personally, only my opinion, here it's a service people should pay for. Interpreter services should not be free.

I'd just add whilst attending hospital for my broken arm saw a myriad of medics, of varying ethnicities. All were wonderful, with a good command of English, that was my experience, others may be different.

I'd like to know more about the how's and why's of interpreters before condemning or applauding them. I presume it includes some UK citizens ie no insurance from abroad.

Hate to think of serious conditions like cancer or other conditions where life threatening decisions have to be made, or end of life care, SW conferences on what it to happen after hospital care wise, decisions on DNR, are at stake, without some support where strictly necessary.

TerriBull. I agree. My DH was blue lighted to A&E last year. We saw many nurses, medical staff of all nationalities. They all spoke English and were wonderful. We have had a lot of dealings with the NHS over the years and have no complaints.

TerriBull

I'd just add whilst attending hospital for my broken arm saw a myriad of medics, of varying ethnicities. All were wonderful, with a good command of English, that was my experience, others may be different.

Overseas staff had to take an English examination before they could work for the NHS, including those whose first language was English.

I don't know if that is still the case.

I certainly think we need a new model for the NHS ( based on actual skills in organisational management)

I think I probably agree with you, PN. I've read report after report on the NHS which include the recommendation that management is lacking, both in number and skills. Years of ideological cutting of the NHS budget has imposed managerial duties on staff who are not qualified and/or don't have the time for them. Of course it's a nightmare of waste and inefficiency in some quarters.

We are paying for the 'small state' ideology that has dogged us since 2010.

I don't think this thread is a criticism of the medical staff more about management of funds available.
I don't believe this one incident means that all maintenance staff are wasting time and money.
There is wastage and people being paid disproportionately. My friend who is a senior dietician is being paid much less than the diversity officer as an example.

Kate1949

A family member worked in admin. In the NHS for many years. She said the amount of waste and unnecessary spending would make you weep.

You only have to work in any nationalised industry to see the obscene waste.
I tried to beat the system when it came to my own department but it’s pointless.

I also have a relative who works in a hospital. She is in charge of a store and is horrified at the amount of waste, so put in suggestions for reducing this. These were ignored.

Indeed petra. I worked in the Civil Service for many years. It was the same there. I'm not sure the NHS needs to hire large venues and pay for buffets for meetings. Why not have a half an hour break and bring a sandwich?

My family has been using nhs hospitals and other resources rather too frequently this past couple of years. The pressure on A and E and ambulances is ever present.
The quality of care, the compassionate professionalism of staff from the ancillaries through to consultants excellent.
Apologies for going all Pollyanna on a thread aimed at raising endless complaints about imperfect management of some things.
It sounds as though admin is an issue. I was told my cardiologist is to lose his secretary, as are other consultants. It’s cost saving - who is to answer calls from patients, organise their diaries etc? It can’t be a positive move. I can’t imagine my senior lawyer friends in private practice will lose their excellent secretarial and admin support to ‘save’ money

My brother was disgusted that my husband had to wait 8 hours to see a doctor in A&E and was treated on a trolley in the corridor until they found him a bad. Brother said 'Its disgusting. Complain'.

I explained that it really wasn't like that. The wait for the doctor, although awful as my DH was feeling very ill, was unavoidable. As for being treated in the corridor, he was on a clean, comfortable bed, drips attached, constantly checked on by lovely staff and tea and toast brought to him when he could eat and tea for me.

Kate1949 without knowing why your husband was in A&E, 8 hours isn't unusual at all. My local hospital (QMC in Nottingham) had patients waiting for up to 50, yes, 5-0, hours the other weekend. There are far too many people using the system now (many of whom have never paid into it nor ever will)