BRING US YOUR STARVING….
By ATWadmin On August 30th, 2010It’s “the envy of the world”, so some of our politicians claim, and the UK people love it so much they £££billions in taxes to sustain it. It’s the third largest employer in the world and it is our national treasure. Unless, of course, you get sick. Or old. Or both…..
“NHS care of the elderly is so appalling that more than two thirds of nurses admit hospitals do not ensure frail patients receive the help they need to eat. An Age UK report found relatives routinely have to make sure their loved ones are being fed properly – while others bring in their own food. And a third of nurses said they would not trust their hospital to tackle a relative’s malnutrition.”
Removing the neo-Stalinist dead hand of impersonal bureaucracy is the first step towards making the NHS work properly. It must be patient-centred but at the moment it is bureaucracy-centric. Those the elderly starve in the wards whilst the fat cats that run it dine well, paying themselves HUGE salaries.
This national disgrace was exposed in a C4 documentary a while back. It is much worse for people without family. There is a major issue with how we look after our elderly in general. It is an issue we need to urgently address as people get older and live longer – particularly when they wind up alone. I don't think general hospitals should be caring for large numbers of the elderly.
Under private healthcare BUPA used the opportunity of being sick elderly and alone to shaft someone we knew out of the healthcare she was due and paid into all her working life. When it came time to honour their commitments they ducked out, knowing full well she could not challenge it in her state. The NHS picked up where they ducked out.
There should be a powerful independent national inspectorate charged with the duty of ensuring that wherever Elderly people are being cared for, in Homes, hospitals, hospices or respite centres , private NHS or Council run, they are being treated well. This should involve the right and duty to carry out blind no-warning inspections whenever and wherever they wish. It should involve the power to launch prosecutions and real disciplinary measures against staff, managers and owners found to be engaged in willfull or idle neglect. Any individuals found guilty should be prevented by law from ever working in the caring or nursing professions again -in addition to any other punishment they recieve. Owners of private bodies that have abused those in their care should have their businesses closed immediately without compensation.
We who are not yet old all are all obliged to ensure the frail and vulnerable elderly are looked after properly and every effort should be made to effect that. This is not and should not be regarded as a State v Private battle.
It boils down to state versus private since they are the only options open to us where family care, charities etc fail to provide. I'm unconvinced we need another government sponsored "inspectorate". Outside of more family provision of care we need separate provisions for the elderly away from hospitals and more importantly caring good quality nursing that does not view basics like feeding and sanitary provision as outside of their "remit".
Alison
I only meant that it should not be viewed as though State care =bad , Private care = good as some would claim . However you hit the nail on the head with your point about caring quality nursing. That's what it boils down to in the end. An individual in any form of caring/nursing envinronment who really feels proud of his/her job and proactively seeks to make the patients comfortable is always worth 10 of those who take a minimalist approach and who would think nothing of sitting watching a patient being uncomfortable because "I'm on my break" or "it's not my job to pick up the magazine she's dropped on the floor"