Forum Topic

What an NHS waste!

Why is the NHS short of money? Stupid waste. Three months ago occupational therapy at St Mark's Hospital arranged for me to have two commodes on discharge. The suppliers left a card with instructions for when I no longer needed them. I contacted the supplier. The commodes were picked up. This time Northwick Park arranged for a commode. No card from the supplier but I managed to phone them. 'We don't collect, phone the OT department". I phone. OT says we do not collect as it is too expensive to collect and clean for infection control. Dispose of the commode yourself. So: use a substantial piece of furniture once and chuck it! So much for the age of recycling! Anyone need a good light commode as new?

Graham Weeks ● 3022d12 Comments

Oh and the dire state of the pavements just makes it worse.I can't believe that there aren't an increase in people tripping on broken paving stones.  Just watched an unbelievably long scaffolding lorry this morning parked on a South Ealing Road with half its wheels on the pavement and being unloaded.  It seemed too big for the main road it was on so what if it needed to turn off and go down any side street?  Madness!

Philippa Bond ● 3020d

If we had a more joined-up system we would be able to take items like a commode to a local collection point.  I'm sure that the bureaucracy that has been created makes it more difficult for anyone to do anything - and probably deliberately so. Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything.  When we needed an OT - so that mobility could be reassessed for risk assessment in handling requested by the care agency - they said there was a wait of three months. They are very quick to get an OT assessment when they want to get you out of hospital because they need the space (understandably) so you will get the equipment too.  They could if they kept better records and had more staff to organise it also arrange collection when you no longer need it if they make it easy for you contact them to say you don't want it - or they could outsource this to a charity or voluntary organisation - but they don't.Not being able to deal with the infection control is just another excuse.  Plenty of stuff has to be cleaned before reuse. Somebody else needs to get involved to make this happen.  It could happen but I don't think you can expect the already stretched staff to be able to do this.  I've seen them racing from patient to patient across town.

Philippa Bond ● 3021d

Part of the problem is the internal markets within the NHS. Trying to move invisible money around and the cost of administration has gone through the roof as a result. also the PFI contracts to build new hospitals. In the old days the resources to run a hospital were known because you had to order what you needed. You did not have all the bureaucracy that we have now. In order to make the NHS more efficient things have been made more complex

Peter Chadburn ● 3021d

The trouble is the way the NHS is run now they'll always need more money so where does it end?

Tania Bapuji ● 3021d

They are obviously available when and where the government wants.

Philippa Bond ● 3021d

So what figure would make the NHS workable ? An extra 20 ,30,40 ,50 Billion per year ? Obviously Philippa and Corbyn want to retain the £12 billion foreign aid and possibly another £10 billion on green issues , £30 billion on foreign immigrants ! Please Philippa detail your budget on how much should be spent , without relying on Jeremy's magic money tree . Government money is like your weekly budget , incomings , outgoings , is that too difficult to understand ?

Dennis Brogan ● 3022d

Some of us would prefer that the government redistributed more of it to the NHS so it could work more effectively.

Philippa Bond ● 3022d

No, the money comes from the tax payer - you and I.The government collect and redistribute it.

Martin C. Harris ● 3022d

http://www.splinter.co.uk/amnesty-campaign-featured-on-the-bbcs-one-show/

Philippa Bond ● 3022d

If only the NHS had the right staff and enough staff to organise this - but they are not getting enough money.  The money comes from a government that does not want to spend on services.

Philippa Bond ● 3022d

I totally agree.  I didn't realise about the One Show campaign.  A lot of the equipment we last had was hired by the NHS and the company that hired it out to the was very efficient at arranging to collect it from us - unlike the NHS who were unsure as to exactly what we had been loaned.  We wanted a collection of everything on one day; the NHS thought it was OK for us to leave stuff outside.  We disagreed as it was a fire hazard as well as a stupid idea.

Philippa Bond ● 3022d

Last year the One Show on BBC started a campaign for recycling NHS equipment, I can't find any follow up on it.

Fred Hunt ● 3022d