For those of us GPs on scorched Earth, it’s really gratifying to see that Another Planetism is still alive and kicking. Specifically, kicking us. Thus, we have NICE continuing to mandate unfettered excellence, the CQC with a new set of ‘quality statements’ for us to live up to, the PCN DES looking to extend our access, the IIF creating more work and more targets, and various other toxic emissions. Which seems odd, because you don’t normally rescues a drowning workforce by tying lead weights to its feet.
It’s almost as if they’ve tested the atmosphere of the NHS and simply denied that it’s dangerously overheating. What GP shortage, what ambulances in a holding pattern outside A&E, what endless waits for outpatient appointments, what Casualty queues, what 24 hour delays for paramedics, what abuse of primary care staff by disenfranchised patients, what system literally crumbling, to the horror of all involved? Nope, nothing to see here.
My God. Was it only ten years ago that the NHS was joyfully depicted in the Olympic opening ceremony by gleeful children bouncing on hospital beds? Those beds are no more, and those children have grown into young people wondering if they should already start saving for private healthcare. And as for the notion that the NHS remains a source of pride, we can again turn to an opening ceremony emblem, this time the Commonwealth Games: it’s massive bull.
It’s time for the Government to realise that, as far as our health service is concerned, they can stop putting caviar on the menu given that we’re already directing everyone to the food bank. A moratorium, then, on all the excellent this, gold standard that and world class the other bollocks. Instead, a focus on getting the basics right while we steady the ship and try to work out what the NHS can and should do.
At least there is a glimmer of hope in trying to save Planet NHS, because I realise I’ve inadvertently and independently repeated the theme of Shaba Nabi’s blog. One makes a rant, two a rebellion, right? So I’m off to the M25. Anyone got any glue?
Dr Tony Copperfield is a GP in Essex. Read more of Copperfield’s blogs here
The depiction of the NHS ‘as gleeful children bouncing on hospital beds’ at the time of the Olympics has metamorphosed in ten years into an ‘enormous bull’ for the Commonwealth Games.
You might have something there?
Since covid is over, and all miniscule leaders have vanished into nothing-land, I am now hacking out plugs of BA.5 like a kicked drought. In those febrile surges, I know – it is just all unrecyclable recycled bull. The excrement of narcissists. Behind each bullet point, is a bullet. Visioned by nameless savages. You know the lot at school and even medical class. Don’t go near them. They’ll dob you in, lurk in the library corner and trip you up. It never happened hey. You did it.
Brilliant. Says it in a nutshell. Maybe concerted action to refuse some of the caviar?
You’re right on target as usual. , big C .! I’m retired but my old colleagues are in a state of denial as you say. It seems like the situation in the 80s when the young and students just seemed to stop protesting and going on marches like we did in the 60/70s . It was really depressing to see them so docile.But the wheel is turning there .( the extinction rebellion etc ) , but I can’t see anything changing in the GP Universe .
“A moratorium, then, on all the excellent this, gold standard that and world class the other bollocks. Instead, a focus on getting the basics right while we steady the ship and try to work out what the NHS can and should do.”
This, more than any other statement in Pulse, sums things up to a tee. We are drowning in a tsunami of “unmet need”, much of which is unnecessary “want” not “need”, and yet the edict from on high is to respond with “we need more/better access”. No, we don’t. We *really* don’t.
We need to spend our time and expertise with patients in need, sorting them out properly and comprehensively so they are better if only for a time, and find ways to mop up the drivel, worried well and “had a sore throat since this morning” brigade who are swamping the system. Likewise in A&E – simple answer – at triage “I’m sorry, this is neither an accident nor an emergency – goodbye” would solve the waiting times but no-one has the balls in government to back us to tell the time wasters exactly where to jog off to
Another brilliant piece. The worrying thing is that its all true.