Friday 23 November 2007

Further sickbed reflections

Well, the saga continues with hopsitalisation. Nothing too serious but it did give me a chance to see the internal workings of a hospital ward for the first time in a long time. Lots of people working hard - but often to little effect it seemed to me. Little flow. Lots of ad hoc activity. Lots of form filling, little time for 'care'. The staff seemed as frustrated by it all as I was. They look in desperate need of liberating and empowering. The new all-graduate nursing profession has not found its new role - often sometimes acting as 'technicians' rather than 'care workers'.

What is the value of much of the work carried out? How does it help patients? Patients get their treatment - but as a series of scheduled interventions and procedures rather than as an integrated whole.

I would love to be let loose on parts of the health service with a set of simple productivity tools!

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