Apologies
For some reason the settings on comments were only allowing me to post comments - something of a weakness. This should now be sorted.
Can only think this is the same thick thumb syndrome that led me to put Louise's nationality as Algerian on our first draft of visa applications.
Can only think this is the same thick thumb syndrome that led me to put Louise's nationality as Algerian on our first draft of visa applications.
posted by Exiled in mainstream at 10:53 AM
1 Comments:
At the weekend Patricia Hewitt announced plans to transfer 'simple' operations like hernias and varicose veins to GP surgeries. In addition she thought chemotherapy could be given in patient's homes instead of in hospital. Hospitals are such expensive places. We are so used to ministers engaging the mouth with engaging the brain that I expect that this will die the same death as taking binge drinkers to cashpoints, but for the record let me say that anyone who gives such a harebrained scheme a moments approval isn't fit to run a whelk stall, let alone a government department.
There are a very few GPs with sufficient training to perform intermediate grade surgery like hernias and varicose veins. (Although with the reduction in training time because of the European Working Time Directive there will be pecious few surgeons with this skill). Those that have such training are probably already practising their trade in what used to be called cottage hospitals, but what are now called community hospitals. Where are they to do these operations? On kitchen tables? Equipping every GP surgery with an operating theatre would cost millions. I say nothing about the need for anaesthetists, but I presume that a partner could wield the old ether bottle. A few years ago we had a thing called the industrial revolution. It put an end to cottage industry and introduced central manufactories. In the health service we call such places hospitals. The rather quaint idea of concentrating scarce resourses in one place sems to have caught on.
A similar idea works for giving chemotherapy. It is called a 'day-ward'. It allows 4 nurses to give chemotherapy to 60 patients in a morning. Some patients need an infusion taking several hours, some a bolus taking a few minutes. They all need to be watched for ill-effets, but they do not need the close attention of one nurse. An experiment to see how many patients 4 nurses could deliver chemotherapy to in their own homes came up with the optomistic figure of 10.
It is clear that Ms Hewitt is looking for work oportunities for the tens of thousands unemployed nurses currently drawing the dole in the UK.
Post a Comment
<< Home