As previously noted the NHS in Scotland is better value for the public than in England, or at least London.
Prescriptions and eye tests are free and dentists are very much cheaper.

Probably because no one wants to live there!

Said with love to my old ancestral homeland.

Edited by Stirlingsays (13 Dec 2022 11.43am)

Convalescent homes they were called.

I don't understand why they cannot build a few 'Nightingale' type hospitals (or have used the original ones) for this.

As most patients are ready for discharge, they would only need a mininmum of 'qualified' staff and a few health care assistants, with the patients themselves helping with things like meal delivery and drinks rounds as part of their occupational therapy, preparing them for home (obviously only for those who are actually able to help in some way).

This and the 'community spirit' and companionship would probably be far more beneficial all round.

All of this boils down to good management within said organisation.

My (somewhat uninformed) opinion of the NHS is that it has been existence so long and transitioned from government to government (naturally) so a lot of it's problems have been somewhat organic in the very nature of it's existence and lifespan.

It is poor management, whether that is senior leaders or governments, which has led to a very nonstrategic approach and management of the workforce and thus a cacophony and snowballing of issues. Only keeping 'half an eye' on such matters from the outset, or at least some time ago, would have equally halved the problems.

The sad state now is that the NHS is underappreciated as to the quite frankly astonishing institution it is and by extension so are it's employees who, without exaggeration, I hold in the highest regard and think others should do too.

The investment (sincerity and less so financial), silo management of it, it's 'political football' status and a general disregard for it's workforce are all elements that must be addressed to give it any chance of sustaining let alone improving.

A young woman worked for me when I was in banking. She was a decent enough worker bee but definitely not bright enough for management. Specifically she lack imagination and problem solving skills. Anyway she left to join the NHS as a manager and I recently came across her she is now a senior manager.

Now it may be that she had an IQ transplant but I very much doubt it I think she realised that the competition in our company was too fierce so she was never going to get on so for her the NHS was a good career move.

One person I know but if that is the quality of NHS managers......

Edited by Badger11 (13 Dec 2022 12.27pm)

I dealt with a lot of corporates other the years. At the very top most of these people are very bright and get it, where you notice the difference is the people below them, it is not like for like the brightest go where the best prospects are.

Decision making was the key difference. I was happy to make decisions even as a junior because your career stood or fell on that. I came across many people in other companies where they had the title but could not decide between tea or coffee for a staff meeting.

That was also my experience of the public sector happy to take the salary but petrified to make a decision which is why they call it the blob.

Edited by Badger11 (13 Dec 2022 1.54pm)