In a recent interview, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that he now wants doctors to work seven days a week. Even though they already do. But the question that strikes me about this man is. Does Jeremy Hunt really understand how the NHS works? Back in 1948 when Beaven founded the NHS, I’m sure he would have been furious if he had known that this man was supposed to be running it and the state that is has turned into. Because trust me, This man does not have the patients best interest at heart.
As we should all know, we can’t pick and choose the days we become ill which can lead to unexpected trips to your local A&E department. Yes waiting times can be problem with many Hospitals not reaching the old national target, but I guess it wont be an issue now since Mr Hunt decided to get rid of the target waiting time to see patients within four hours. Bright idea, NOT!!!
And the recent idea of getting doctors to work seven days a week is outrages, because guess what Jeremy? THEY ALREADY DO!!!! Many doctors work weekends as well as weekdays. Many consultants are always on call so that if there is an emergency, they can be there to give the patient the best chance of making a full recovery. Many doctors work late shifts and may work even more than they are expected to. Medicine is a life commitment, not just a career choice.Have you worked weekends Jeremy? Many of the short staffing problems within the NHS isn’t due to the doctors. It’s due to lack of resources because many services are not available on the NHS at the weekends. This includes radiological investigations and physiotherapy.
And another important point, when the Conservatives promised in their 2015 general election manifesto that they are going to give an extra £8 billion to the NHS by the end of the next government (Which was a Liberal Democrats policy). Did they even think they would be able to keep that promise? Jeremy Hunt shouldn’t be targeting Hospital Consultants. He should be finding a way to be able to give more patients access to GP services without putting a strain on the resources and most importantly the doctors, as many medical student do not pursue the medical career path of becoming a GP.
Bed blocking is also a big problem problem within the NHS. This is because many Hospitals are taking in elderly patients because they are not able to find a suitable setting for the patient and an appropriate carer for when the patient is discharged. Maybe Jeremy you should also focus on creating more residential care homes. This may take the strain away a little bit from Hospitals and their resources which will more beds will become available for critically ill patients.
I also hardly hear him talk about mental health nowadays. One thing the Conservatives don’t realise is that mental health, is just as equally important as physical health. Something the Liberal Democrats realise and highlighted in their 2015 general election manifesto. Thanks to the Liberal Democrats, during the coalition government two million mental health patients were treated as a result of access to talking therapies being improved. I have a feeling that if Mr Hunt addressed the mental health side of the NHS and improved the budget and access to treatments, less beds would be taken up due to self inflicting injuries.
The only thing I do agree with what Jeremy is doing, is to charge patients who don’t turn up for their GP appointments. Many people don’t turn up to their appointment which leads to a unnecessary waste of time in which another patient could have been treated. With many patients waiting at least three weeks for a GP appointment. Which can result in many patients even turning up to A&E with minor illnesses because they were not able to get an appointment with their GP.
What Jeremy Hunt really needs to do, is to gather research on what is really causing troubles within the NHS and come up with a plan to resolve those issues. Rather than just trying to blame other people than himself for what the state of the NHS is in and cutting money and resources. What ever happened to the term for the NHS treating people “From the cradle to the grave!”? Something I think Jeremy Hunt has forgotten all about.
The Liberal Queen 