What is the weaponisation of the NHS?
It's been the splash of some of the Fleet Street faithful, I can't seem to understand what this term is, the Labour Leader Edward Miliband denies saying this, but I would like some clarification on this term!
From my discussions with a original member of the NHS, I'm slowly coming to think that the NHS was just set up for political leaders to use as political cannon fodder to use for election purposes.
My discussions with Jean Hall, Vice President of Haltemprice and Howden Conservative Association, opens up to debate where the NHS actually went wrong.
When she became a nurse the NHS was run quite efficiently, one person at the top of the hospital, nurses, cleaners and doctors. Matrons ran the wards and when cleaners were cleaning, staff didn't go near where they were working.
A committee of people were on the board of the hospital and they had someone who knew finance and they did the books.
So why has the NHS become the mess it is? Greed? Lack of value in staff? Ignorance to policies? Too many complex policies?
The list of questions is endless, but Jean's account is that people knew their job and were valued for doing their job.
It seems of we returned to that sort of set up in hospitals we might actually get an NHS that we need, even when new treatments become available it isn't hard to factor a specialist in to the budget.
But my own thoughts are is that greed has taken over, I haven't heard too many employees of the NHS talk about how proud they are to serve the public and be a public servants all I hear about is pay and pensions, your pay doesn't improve your working conditions nor does your pension.
Working conditions are improved by looking hard at what is going wrong, is their too many mangers to one department, is it confusing staff on who is actually in charge?
Could we do with removing alcoholics, drug addicts and drinks from A&E and instead invest more in centres where these people can be taken for counselling and support, rather than clogging up A&E and Police Cells.
From Jeans time and she spent over four decades in the NHS, it's time we the public valued the staff of the NHS and the management and politicians did as well, it won't fix all the problems, but taking us back to a simpler time would improve our healthcare service considerably!
We should also stop using the NHS for political leverage as elections come and go, nothing changes! It's time for real change!
