Chris Ham's BMJ editorial describes the situation in the NHS that the next government needs to improve:-"... the destabilising effects of constant organisational restructuring, the negative consequences of a command and control style of leadership, and the lack of engagement of clinicians—especially doctors—in quality improvement."
There has been a "pervasive culture of fear" in the NHS, and clinicians are not always able to speak honestly and may be subject to disciplinary procedures if they do. For example, Mr Ramon Niekrash gives his story in the Independent on Sunday.
I'm not sure why three government reports prepared for the Department of Health only came to light through Freedom of Information requests from Policy Exchange (see its press release). It is clear that the government had indications that there was something wrong with healthcare regulation. Lady Young, who was chair of the Care Quality Commission (see previous post) was someone who may have been able to put it right. Her post-office interview in The Times reinforces that the problem is political sensitivity to criticism.
2 comments:
Clinicians will be completely silenced by the subjective elements of the revalidation procedures. They are set alongside the investigative part of the FTP procedures in the GMC. Hearings will run at 1000 per year; erasures will run at 250-500 per year. Psychiatrists are particulalry vulnerable to these processes and your blog will be read to you in the hearing - pour encourager les autres !
I'll quote you if and when it happens.
Post a Comment