When I signed up to the NHS European Office’s academic health science networks (AHSNs) study tour to Odense in Denmark, I had only just mastered putting the ‘H’ before the ‘S’ in AHSN! In the event, it was a great opportunity to better understand the agenda of those creating AHSNs and to contribute a different … Continue reading
We need a revolution. Right now the NHS is at a turning point and, as commentators have pointed out post Francis report, we are now forced to look with fresh eyes. The emperor has no clothes; performance measures alone do not guarantee great care. They may indicate it, but do not guarantee it. The friends … Continue reading
As new NHS organisations formally take on their responsibilities, at the Health Ombudsman service we are also beginning a new phase, with the roll out of our new strategy and changes to the way we will handle complaints. Our vision is to make sure that complaints make a real difference ― to public sector health … Continue reading
The statistics surrounding our urgent care system are well known to us, but are nonetheless shocking. Emergency hospital admissions have increased by 37 per cent in the last 10 years. Nearly two thirds of people admitted to hospital are over 65 years old, and those over 85 account for one quarter of bed days. There … Continue reading
The pace of the news cycle may already have made the Francis report feel like yesterday’s news or a flash in the pan. But nothing could be further from the truth. We know that the issues of poor, undignified care and neglect that prompted the report are the cause for sober reflection among many people … Continue reading
Back in 1973 at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, no-one talked about compassion. You were either a good student nurse or a bad one. Or, as in my case, one with plenty of room for improvement. It was a Saturday lunchtime, and I was in handover on the infectious ward. I was allocated … Continue reading
At times of significant change, strong leadership and engagement are vitally important. I know this first-hand as the chief nurse and clinical director of an organisation going through exceptional and widespread change. At NHS Direct, we are preparing to move from being a national provider of the 0845 46 47 telephone service to the local … Continue reading
As a midwife, I was interested to learn that the impact of the negative culture and poor standards at Mid Staffs extended to the maternity service. Highlighting the woeful prioritising of cost over care, the report brought to mind the marvels and frustrations I’ve encountered during the course of my 35 years working in the … Continue reading
In the wake of the Francis report and Mid-Staffordshire scandals, it has recently come to light that a further 14 trusts are under investigation due to unnecessary deaths and appalling mismanagement. There may be more. It is clear that our current system of healthcare regulation has failed. More importantly, this has meant that the NHS … Continue reading
Speaking on a recent Question Time panel, Lord Falconer expressed his despair at the failings in care unearthed at Stafford Hospital, saying he could not begin to think how to start to address such a failure. I think I know where to start – by making people who work in hospitals feel more connected. Connected … Continue reading
