SPL photo
By
Hazel Speed
First of all the NHS must have spent a huge amount of money putting together the TV campaign telling us to stay well.
The participants portrayed their parts well and it came across that they could well be the medical-related professionals they were inferring to be.
That said, the content of the message was in the least simplistic and full of platitudes.
The ad commenced with “Are you 65 years of age or older?” Ah now that is the point, given that people of such age know the common sense of further advice and have known it for a life time, yet here were younger generations trying to teach their Mothers/Grandmothers ‘how to suck eggs’ as the saying goes.
Stay Warm – then the ideal room temperature was given.
No reference to those who are fuel poverty and rely on hugging hot water bottles (some causing serious burns).
First sign of a cold speak to your pharmacist. Have you ever tried getting through on the phone and if one lives alone full of cold (which runs its course anyway) then one is not physically able to go to the chemist to be told go home, drink plenty of fluids, take two asprins/hot drinks to ease the cold, throat lozengers and stay at home wrapped up warm.
Again, a luxury if food shopping or urgent appointments beckon.
Though well meaning, and well presented, the money spent for the TV advert would have been better donated to one part of the NHS or another, i.e reinstate the old A and E pleasant waiting environments, sandwich and drinks machines (hot and cold) and TV with news programmes. Remove the grills at reception which smack of cold war austerity – staff could be protected in a less confrontational way. Remove offensive notices “we will not tolerate abuse” as neither will waiting patients.
So all of the above would save monies and franchises would facilitate consumables.
Now to raising money.
I have suggested in other articles that all interactions with patients (whether as in-patients or out-patients) should be recorded with the option for those who want to opt out being allowed to do so.
If all interactions are visually and audio recorded (voice activated) this means any disputes can be verified, what medications were given to a patient and when.
As just mentioned, all discussions would be voice activated (for personal discussions it would state voice activation suspended for a while then reactivated).
Any negligence or abuse via nurse, senior or other doctors, cleaners, technicians, visitors or patients, and any thefts would all be captured on film and audio.
Upon leaving the hospital each patient would be handed either a copy disk or memory stick and the hospital then retains an identical copy for their archives.
This all could be paid for via third party sponsorship/Government grants and if required, a nominal fee from the patient if within their ability to pay and free to those who cannot.
Such a system would not only generate income but would sort out good and bad medical treatment and neglect thereby precluding unsubstantiated claims thus avoiding Ombudsman and Legal Disputes.
Each hospital would have their own in-hospital training tool.
Such a system could extend to GP Surgeries and home treatments as well as Residential Home environments.
Medical Colleges, Nurses Training etc could all benefit but most importantly, neglect and abuse will become things of the past and serious monies could be earned to benefit the NHS.
Hazel Speed
Photo (c) Hazel Speed – used by kind permision to Tuck Magazine
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