PRIVATISED AND UNPREPARED - THE NHS SUPPLY CHAIN: THE REPORT

well the british government never liked paying out monmey and it still doesnt.

The link:

weownit.org.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Privatised%20and%20Unprepared%20-%20The%20NHS%20Supply%20Chain%20Final.pdf

There is no doubt that privatisation in the health service has been a huge problem; not only in practical and logistical terms, but the fragmentation and distancing from the service itself demotivates.

I have often used an example from when I was working in a local hospital and privatisation of many aspects of the service was starting to be being brought in. A pool of dried blood sat on the corridor between the wards for several days, because it was no one person's responsibility to clean it up. Because the private services employed lacked the sense of commitment to each other and to the service to simply clean it up. Previously one of the cleaning staff based in the hospital would have dashed to get a mop and get it cleared up, out of a sense of pride in their hospital. That sort of commitment cannot be bought.

Fragmented supply chains are a disaster in public services.

Surely the NHS Managers are responsible for ordering PPEs?
I thought that was why they are paid big money , to actually manage the supply chain?

Thank you for the link MaizieD

I can't get over DHL, a* logistics company* for heaven's sake, tendering for 'ward based consumables'.

What do they know about hospitals' requirements for 'ward based consumables'? What sort of expertise did they have in order to win the contract? It's like going to the butchers to buy a dress! Crazy....

Sorry, not tendering, sourcing...

The trouble is Oopsadaisy that NHS "managers" work for hundreds of separate organisations - hospital trusts, GP practices, etc and are all in competition for the same scarce resources. There is no central coordination. NHS Supply, which was formed in 2016, to replace the shambles caused by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act can't cope and trusts, GPs, care homes etc have had to look elsewhere.

There are hundreds of other examples where fragmentation is causing operational and communication problems. People are often not aware that companies with the NHS logo are often, in fact, private companies (some for profit), who are all competing in a market.

None of these companies are up to the job and shouldn't have been given contracts, nor should the supply chain have been privatised.

I've just quickly read through the report. I do hope that other people do, too. It's quite an eyeopener.

Just read it. I knew about some of it, but it's worse than I thought.

That is exactly right Luckygirl outside agencies do not have the same commitment or sense of responsibility to the hospital.

This is a must read an important report.

The government are pushing through a bill for trade deal with USA no clause included about saving our NHS from sell off A second reading what will happen? I have written to my MP to speak up and be heard to stop this happening.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-plans-to-dismantle-our-nhs?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1589635778&utm_source=facebook&share=87165b38-21eb-4f00-9b62-6939577e6fc1&fbclid=IwAR3CdkjOTjIhn_HOb-_IPsQbFUH3vl3E8skhDufu1huDxJJfymmByC0v-iE

www.doubledown.news/watch/2020/20/april/they-done-everything-to-destroy-the-nhs-chris-packham-on-coronavirus-crisis

Surely if nothing else, this pandemic will have demonstrated to the Government (and anyone else that thinks all's well) that their shambolic approach to both the NHS and to Social Care is unworkable, unfit for purpose.

What's it going to take?

Just emailed a link to my MP.

I emailed my MP & Matt Hancock some days ago when I saw this. Neither can be in doubt at my my anger.
I always knew the procurement procedure was bad but this is ....... words fail me.???

A rather tangential point, but one that makes me cross as well, is that if governments understood how the 'real' economy worked and were not so obsessed with saving money (what for, a birthday treat, a special holiday?) or cutting back public expenditure, they would not be insistent on looking for the cheapest 'value for money' and sourcing from abroad, but would use the manufacturing capacity in the UK as far as is possible.

That way, every penny spent for the Health Service goes into the 'real' UK economy and benefits us all through employment, consumer spending and the demand for related businesses, rather than going abroad to increase the profits of foreign companies. In this instance I definitely approve of buying British...

Did you read the "Independent Sage" recommendations about all this Maizie? I agree.

The UK has the capacity, expertise and experience to produce almost everything the NHS needs (apart from some specialist equipment). There's a ready pool of young graduates, who can't find work this year (and others), who could work in pharmaceuticals and in logistics.

What really horrifies me is how privatisation has mean there are so many layers in the supply chain, all of whom need to make a profit to keep their share holders happy.

I really don't think people realise how much the NHS has been privatised under their noses. Yes, basic healthcare is still free and most places still carry an NHS logo, but actually the services have been fragmented and outsourced to hundreds of different companies, most of which are profit-making.

This means that money is being siphoned out of the NHS for shareholders, communication is poor, profits are put before patients, fewer options are available to clinicians and patients and, maybe most important, the government can wash its hands of overall responsibility and claim they outsourced and paid somebody else to take on the responsibility.

As somebody with chronic conditions, who has had to use the NHS regularly (albeit infrequently) for many years, I've seen the changes over the last few years and know that if I weren't on top of my conditions, I know my health would have suffered. Generally, I have nothing but praise for the clinicians within the NHS, but they're working within a flawed system. It really scares me that pharma and healthcare are still on the table in trade talks with the US.