Comments on: An unhealthy way to spend money http://waleshome.org/2010/02/an-unhealthy-way-to-spend-money/ Independent analysis from and about Wales Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Jackson http://waleshome.org/2010/02/an-unhealthy-way-to-spend-money/comment-page-1/#comment-6803 Jackson Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:21:44 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=7722#comment-6803 Ah, numbers. numbers. £18 million over 10 years. £1.8 million per year. Something like 40 NHS institutions in that period. Works out as about £40,000 per year per institution - roughly a band 7 nurse post per organisation. Sorry Jonathan, this really is a drop in the ocean. I think that you would have been better looking at what these consultants were paid to do. As regards these Health Boards being careful about what they spend money on...well they need lots of help from Government and some brave leadership on what they should and should not be doing. Brave because too often your political colleagues promise all to everyone and as every parent really knows, at some point you have to say no (only we don't do this when it comes to health care). Effectively, central Government spends the budget by tying the hands of the institutions and then blames the institutions for the results. So time to put up - what should we should the NHS be doing and what should it not be doing or spending our money on? Ah, numbers. numbers.

£18 million over 10 years. £1.8 million per year. Something like 40 NHS institutions in that period. Works out as about £40,000 per year per institution – roughly a band 7 nurse post per organisation.

Sorry Jonathan, this really is a drop in the ocean. I think that you would have been better looking at what these consultants were paid to do.

As regards these Health Boards being careful about what they spend money on…well they need lots of help from Government and some brave leadership on what they should and should not be doing. Brave because too often your political colleagues promise all to everyone and as every parent really knows, at some point you have to say no (only we don’t do this when it comes to health care). Effectively, central Government spends the budget by tying the hands of the institutions and then blames the institutions for the results. So time to put up – what should we should the NHS be doing and what should it not be doing or spending our money on?

]]> By: Len Gibbs http://waleshome.org/2010/02/an-unhealthy-way-to-spend-money/comment-page-1/#comment-6629 Len Gibbs Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:28:43 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=7722#comment-6629 As a former management consult who did some work in NHS hospitals the conclusion remains with me that it is huge and diverse organisation that cannot be be regarded as a single entity. The problem is that hospitals are long term capital projects that are built to suit the medical methods and procedures at the time of planning. By the time they are completed the medical practices have not only been modified but some have been abandoned and replaced by others that may need new capital but not the capital invested in fixed wards. On top of this there are all to frequent management changes introduced by political dictate. My experience of the front-line staff and management was very favourable. But I understood their frustration. They would be provided with hugely expensive equipment, installed in non-purpose built facilities and then, no additional staff provided to operate the equipment. In such a large organisation there is bound to be some mild chaos and perhaps this is the best way of working as it allows changes to occur to the circumstances of demand. On balance I'd rather trust and allow the staff and management to do the job they are doing and keep politicians out of it. I think the staff in the NHS hospitals are wonderful. I'll send an invoice on for the advice. As a former management consult who did some work in NHS hospitals the conclusion remains with me that it is huge and diverse organisation that cannot be be regarded as a single entity. The problem is that hospitals are long term capital projects that are built to suit the medical methods and procedures at the time of planning. By the time they are completed the medical practices have not only been modified but some have been abandoned and replaced by others that may need new capital but not the capital invested in fixed wards. On top of this there are all to frequent management changes introduced by political dictate.
My experience of the front-line staff and management was very favourable. But I understood their frustration. They would be provided with hugely expensive equipment, installed in non-purpose built facilities and then, no additional staff provided to operate the equipment.
In such a large organisation there is bound to be some mild chaos and perhaps this is the best way of working as it allows changes to occur to the circumstances of demand. On balance I’d rather trust and allow the staff and management to do the job they are doing and keep politicians out of it.
I think the staff in the NHS hospitals are wonderful.
I’ll send an invoice on for the advice.

]]> By: Daran Hill http://waleshome.org/2010/02/an-unhealthy-way-to-spend-money/comment-page-1/#comment-6627 Daran Hill Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:27:40 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=7722#comment-6627 Thanks for this interesting article, Jon. The point on the UK Health Select Committee report is well made. will be interesting to see if this approach migrates to Wales. Thanks for this interesting article, Jon. The point on the UK Health Select Committee report is well made. will be interesting to see if this approach migrates to Wales.

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