NHS fragmentation

There is some good news about the NHS.
www.hsj.co.uk/news/finance/serco-to-withdraw-from-uk-clinical-services-market/5073892.article?blocktitle=Most-popular&contentID=-1

On the subject of GPs surgeries closing, today's news.
pulsetoday.msgfocus.com/c/15kiPmLlidJXb89ULnLTYFj

Eloethan, have you read this about the secrecy of the private hospitals? Rather worrying as the tax payer keeps many of them in the black, yet we are not allowed to find out about their safety statistics.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/colin-leys/why-do-private-hospitals-want-to-hide-their-patient-safety-records

I was aware that private hospitals do not have to provide the in-depth information which the NHS has to provide. I didn't realise the extent of their exemption. It also hadn't occurred to me that patients who are transferred to an NHS hospital following negligent private treatment but who then die in an NHS hospital become part of the NHS death statistics.

.

They would probably argue that this was confidential business information. Probably requires legislation to put it right. I have tweeted the link.
Private hospitals look nice and clean but this is not necessarily the case.
Private hospitals do not usually have a doctor on site to deal with emergencies. They have to call the consultant in if they are worried.
Private hospitals are probably not equipped to deal with seriously ill patients - e.g. they won't have intensive care facilities etc. They mostly specialise in routine operations and childbirth - nice lucrative areas.
Providing these statistics is an administrative burden - with a cost attached.

As more work contracted out to private hospitals it is essential that they are made to disclose all their data.

That's why so many private hospitals are built close to NHS ones. It's safer for them as well as the patients.

Just had a thought about TTIP. If it goes through, does that mean we lose even more information about the NHS because of "commercial confidentiality"?

Private hospitals are built near the main NHS hospitals so that the consultants can move from one to the other as quickly as possible.

Never thought of that, Flickety. Do they have tunnels to keep them dry?

The people's march for the NHS ( The Jarrow March) is in Barnsley at the moment, leaving for Sheffield tomorrow.
As a matter of interest has anyone been on it, or signed up for it?

999callfornhs.org.uk/welcome/4583609406

Some good pictures of it here.

Just spent half an hour playing this game.

www.healthemergency.org.uk/millions/millions.php

I think it's better if you have someone else to play with.

My husband is, and possibly I am. Only walking from Enfield though - 10 miles. A fellow People' Assembly member started right at the beginning.

When the NHS works is it sooooo good!

Husband poleaxed with back yesterday and couldn't move so phoned out of hours number. Dr phoned back within 20mins, and faxed a prescription to the nearest chemist which I picked up within the next 10 mins - brilliant service!

Eloethan, Clive Peedell is running the last 66 km next Saturday.
He's also standing against David Cameron in next year's election. That should be very interesting.
Anyone on here in Cameron's constituency?

The people's march is at Leicester today, by the way.
If you can't march but want to help you can donate here.

999callfornhs.org.uk/welcome/4583609406

Just received the latest issue of "Your Trust" from County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
Their motto is "with you>all the way", which is very apt as the People's March was started by Darlington mums.
The march doesn't get a mention, of course.

What does is the fact that the trust can have an extra £70 million to spend between now and 2018, providing they continue to reduce their costs by £20 million this year.

That looks to me that they can have an extra £50 million between 2015 and 2018. Funny how money gets twisted. By the way, they do keep mentioning the frail elderly and what is taking over from the Liverpool Care Plan, called Deciding Right, a new toolkit.
Can't do anything about getting elderly, but try not to get frail!

I am sure Jesse Boot did not want this to happen.
Do you expect Boots to pay all their taxes in the UK? I know I do.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/guddi-singh/boots-loots-what-has-happened-to-our-friendly-high-street-pharmacist

Eloethan mentioned United Health a fortnight ago in a list of private companies being given NHS work.

This is in today's Observer.
www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/30/nhs-bosses-summits-contracts-unitedhealth-insurer

This is another case where "under the radar" meetings between senior health service managers and an American healthcare company, United Health, have been held. These meetings have only come to light because Freedom of Information Act requests were made and the documents disclosed these discussions.

This is the healthcare company that was given the contract to run 3 Camden GP surgeries, which they then sold to another provider, after which one surgery was closed and the remaining two were again put out to tender.

In The I last week there was a report that the NHS has been overcharged millions of pounds by Serco. Apparently discrepancies have been found following a partial audit, so goodness only knows how many irregularities would come to light if a full audit was done.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-overcharging-by-outsourcing-giant-serco-costs-nhs-millions-9695342.html?origin=internalSearch

pulsetoday.msgfocus.com/c/15GoeziNna4aOhitmcPS7LX

For those who think that it's only NHS hospitals that cause harm to patients. Note that the numbers only come from available information, and that private hospitals do not have to give information if they do not want to.

I think an important point is made in the comments after the Pulse article - that there is little media coverage given to failures in the private healthcare sector.

Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that private healthcare providers are allowed to conceal information regarding mortality rates, poor care, etc. etc., so it is very difficult for commentators to report on such matters when they do not have full access to crucial statistical information.

It is, of course, important that failures in the NHS are reported and acted upon but, when the private sector is allowed to evade the same degree of scrutiny, it does give a very distorted picture.

Is there any possible chance that people could stop flogging the subject of private hospitals and their shortcomings? - just until I have had my hip done - please! I am only going privately because the local hospital made such a b**s-up of my broken foot, and because I am committed to a project next year that demands that I am well by then.

I am scared enough as it is!!!!! Give me a break!!!!

By which time it will be too late to save the NHS. Is that what you want?

Sorry Mishap. I didn't want to alarm you and I hope everything goes well for you.

It's just that some of us are very worried about what is happening.

Eloethan, did you join the People's March?
What did you think of it, and the media coverage?

What coverage? This is the first I have heard of this march!