Wonders will never cease ! The NHS Confederation - ooooh, I like the sound of that - there's posh. I wonder if they have a Starship ? If they did , it certainly couldn't be called 'Enterprise' because that would imply 'Bold Undertakings' and , unfortunately, the only suitable, or appropriate word for the NHS' undertakings is unfathonable, because no one can get to the bottom of anything they are undertaking at present.
First we have a recession, and David Francis of the Universally Inept Health Board says that they have to save £20m this fiscal year. Next, the figure is increased to £80m, on its' way to the last figure published - £100m. Now the Director of 'The Confederation', Dr George Findlay reports that the NHS has already saved £300m this year ! So, this explains his agreement with the outburst from GP, Dr Jessop that the NHS doesn't have the resources to meet current need. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics - which is is it I wonder ? Could it be that the £300m saving is correct, which would certainly explain why resources have been so savagely slashed ? Of course, this isn't the first time we've heard this complaint from GPs. Their own represesentative body, the BMA have frequently complained that their are not enough beds, surgical, or Intensive care resources to meet current need - to say nothing about the disaster that is Midwife Led services or Women's services in general.
Even trying to be positive, we must welcome the new hospital in Ystrad Mynach, even though it hasn't got an A & E Department. Of course beds will be lost at Caerphilly Miner's hospital, even though the bed units at Ystrad are supposed to be self-sufficient, as befits any new Starship, of course. And we mustn't forget the 'ring-fenced' £80m for the new Mental Health Inpatient unit to be built at Llandough, that will replace beds at Barry, St David's, Hamadryad, Whitchurch and the Llanfair Unit ( cost £7.155m only ). And we must be realistic, in these times of austerity, that the numbers of beds at this expensive new unit will not even number half the total of those being closed....oh dear ! But we can at least be reassured that the new Elderly Mentally Infirm Unit is built and will be open sometime this year.....or next. These 82 new beds are a tad short of the 191 that have been cut, but - with a targeted maximum stay of 42 days - the old dears won't be allowed to clutter up the new unit for long. Nope - it's that phrase again - 'Care In The Community' that will benefit from increased funding ( unspecified as yet......) with locations absolutely everywhere - except where they're most needed. So that's the plan, in a nutshell; close hospitals, centralise all services, provide less beds and surgical facilities in inaccessible locations - for most of the population of Wales at least - and dump the patients back into the community.
Ah, but this is where the Great Sayer of Sooths, Tony Jewell makes his devestating ( but still unsubstantiated ) point that 94 % of the population are living unhealthy lifestyles - Bingo - there it is then, isn't it ? - We are all making ourselves ill, therefore we are all responsible for making ourselves better, aren't we ?? At least we can take some satisfaction from knowing that all these newly created senior posts will have sufficient resources to look after each other and keep themselves in their highly paid part-time jobs.
Don't you feel better now ????? No ? - wonders will never cease ! R.W.
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