How many have to die before the coalition learns from mistakes?
Monday 11 February 2013
Printable
EmailAndrew Lansley and David Cameron both knew and acknowledged the importance of a public inquiry into the report of the horrific failings of the Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust.
Indeed in 2010 while setting out the terms of reference for the inquiry, Lansley said: "The families of those patients who suffered so dreadfully deserve to know and so too does every NHS patient in this country."
So why were they allowed to go ahead with the wholesale top-down reorganisation of the NHS that is taking place under the Health and Social Care Bill without waiting for the findings of the inquiry?
Why was Monitor, which was found to have failed Mid Staffs, given such a prominent role to play in the Bill?
More people will die unnecessarily because of the push for trust status and, from where I'm currently sitting in a hospital bed in Norfolk, Cameron's ridiculous idea that nurses should have performance-related pay cannot possibly improve matters as they have responsibility for too many patients at one time to be able to care for them in the way the report recommends.
Only more staff, who work in a climate of confidence rather than fear, bullying and concentrating on business and finance will help this.
Jo Rust
c/o NNUH (Usually Kings Lynn)
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