A Few Painful Reminders ( I hope ! )

Did I say that ( about my job, the NHS, or finances  ) ??

4th May 2012 - Adam Cairns - new CEO of the University Health Board -

"We'll put patients at the Heart of the NHS" - Boy, how dumb can you get ? obviously, he hadn't finished learning his script. He famously said,

"People who work in this organisation have the answers, I don't. I have a job to enable those who know their service intimately to take charge of their own bit of service and to do the right thing within the context and direction the Board has set".

A priceless piece of rhetoric that. What happened since, Mr Law Graduate ?  Like, how did we get to cancelling 2600 elective operations, and how is it, we're just hearing that 152 cardiac patients have died over the past 5 five years ?  How about the other specialities - will you tell us about their failings ? Also, have you met your budget targets, or is this a secret too ?

3rd October 2012 -Hutt's draft Budget aims to deliver growth....ad nauseum

After hearing, many times from Director of Planning, Paul Hollard and Mis(s)director of information, Katie Norton that "£80m has been ring-fenced for the new mental hospital - to be built at Llandough" I still didn't believe a word they said.  The then Finance Minister, Jane Hutt, revealed the real budget figures, which included - "£30m for hospitals - £18m to support redevelopment at Morriston, and £12 for adult mental health facilities in Llandough Hospital and Glanrhyd Hospital Bridgend." She also added that "£2m of the £12m was to be allocated to providing essential mental health community services".

That makes only £10m for a new adult hospital at Llandough, but not to worry Jane - not a brick has been laid nor any other promised change taken place !

6th February 2013 - Minister, Leslie Griffiths, says

"I'll Remove Senior Managers on Health Boards that spend over budget ".

Unfortunately, we were never told the results of budget overspending, and the only person to lose her job was Dear old Leslie ! ( a ruddy shame, really - that the results were hidden from us ).

Of course I could fill an entire blog with lies, platitudes and empty rhetoric from these incompetents, but more news awaits !   Ho Hum                          R.W.