Meeting the new NHS

 

       On Monday Mr Tait and Dr Payne came to see me to discuss the local NHS. They are the  CEO and Medical Director of NHS England for the Thames Valley. Their role is to oversee the work of the 10 Clinical Commissioning Groups in their area. Oxfordshire has one, Buckinghamshire 2, and Berkshire 7. We in the Wokingham constituency are in the West Berks one.

          They told me they oversee the Clinical Commissioning Groups, the buyers of health care in the area.  They also do some direct purchasing themselves to ensure a comprehensive free service for us. They cover issues like emergency planning and tertiary care.

           I asked them if there were any plans afoot to make major changes in local hospital provision. They said they expected Heatherwood and Frimley to become larger hospitals but anticipate the Royal Berks on its current site will continue to be our main District General Hospital. Some more specialist areas will be run from Oxford, as at present.

            I asked them what action was being taken to ensure

1. high standards of hotel service for patients in hospital

2.  good control of patient records, with easy access for all nurses and care assistants to the information they need to look after each patient as required

3. proper control of stocks,equipment and drugs to avoid waste, loss and misuse

4. to ensure high standards of staff training and leadership, so that patients receive high quality care at all times

5. to handle changes of shift and to provide safe services at week-ends

         They pro0msied to get back to me and keep me in touch with developments as they get the new system to settle down.

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Nick
    June 25, 2013

    So why no mention of how many patients they are killing?

    NHS averages 40,000 avoidable deaths a year.

    Woking’s going to have its fair share.

    Or its it see no evil, hear no evil, … keep quite, don’t rock the boat, …

    Reply I do not represent Woking

  2. alan jutson
    July 3, 2013

    The new outpatients appointments system seems to be in a bit of chaos.

    My wife was requested to arrive for a 12.30 appointment for a minor ear op (day care)

    We arrived at 11,45 because we know parking is difficult at the besty of times at this Hospital,
    We were the first to arrive at the ward reception area, but as time moved on, it then turned out that everyone else was also asked to be present for 12,30, so we waited another 4 hours for her turn, before she went down for her 10 min operation, we finally left at 5.15.

    Thus five and a half hours at the hospital for a 10 min proceedure.

    I had to move the car 3 times (car park full so had to park in the road) as did some other patients drivers, what if I had not been retired, and my wife had driven herself to hospital, how many parking fines whould she have got.

    Why does the hospital operate in this way?
    It chokes up the waiting rooms.
    It fills the car parks.
    It leads to much frustration, and the raising of blood pressure.

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