Deep cleaning of hospitals throughout England is supposed to be completed in every hospital by Monday - but alas, what a shock, with every target our government sets, this target's not going to be met.
Now I am not going to sit here and say any cleaning of hospitals is a bad idea, beit "deep" or otherwise. Matters of cost and effectiveness are another matter of course (MRSA/CDiff spread from person to person so all it takes is one person to carry one of these infections and...), but the principle of 'the government wants to give our hospitals a damn good scrubbing' is rather agreeable.
But although I don't dislike the policy, it's the politics that worries me.
Gordon Brown is a stupid man. Ben Bradshaw is even worse, but I'm going to go after GB on this one. Announcing, with typical GB pomp and 'love me' grandeur, that all hospitals are going to get a "deep clean" in order to tackle MRSA and CDiff, was a stupid thing to do. The govt made out that this big gesture-policy was the answer to solving the MRSA/CDiff crisis and by announcing it in such a big way have set themselves up to fail.
Every hospital is getting a deep clean. Does GB, his advisers, anyone of use to him not realise that all it will take is ONE SINGLE case of MRSA or CDiff being contracted by a patient within two weeks of the deep clean before the whole problem comes back to haunt him and then that is the big, new, bad story, where yet again Labour are getting fisted on health?
Then, once a month has gone by, if just one hospital has two, three or four cases in that time, then the government are going to get hammered with front pages of our (ridiculous) media proclaiming - "Deep Clean Fails", "Brown in deep sh*t over deep clean" for the new outbreak sweeping through our hospitals. And we all know that, with these infections being as complicated and infectious and politically poisonous as they are, they're always going to come back to bite.
Really, what do you think the chances are that no one throughout the whole of the NHS system in England in the next few weeks will contract MRSA or CDiff and the media won't pounce on it and pound him so hard with editorials and personalised sob stories that he needs hospitalisation?
As a result, Gordo now has two problems. One, his credibility over yet another big, bold, stupid statement is shafted because the perception he gave, that he was going to rid the NHS of disease, was never possible. While never exactly saying it, he dawned the emperor's new matron's outfit and made it seem like he was going to save the day and eradicate them, but what he's effectively done is taken out a massive loan to pay off his massive debts, on an even bigger interest rate.
Unfortunately, Monday, two weeks, a month from now is payday! (and there's no new loan to take out to put off paying the devil).
As a result, Gordon Brown who took the lead role on this policy, is in for a ruddy good kicking for failure. This is reason #1 why he has played bad politics on this front.
The other is that when this 'new outbreak' breaks, public confidence in the NHS and NHS safety is also shot. The last thing this country and this government needs is another NHS crisis story all over the papers, with the PM now having no clue, no credibility and no frsh ideas that anyone will trust (because he f*cked up his last big play).
It worries me that no one around him thought this through when it should've neen so simple to foresee. It worries me that we can't get all the hospitals cleaned, even when there's easily enough time and the money in place. It worries me that yet again, Gordon Brown, in his attempt to look like he's leading the country, has painted over the cracks when we need pollyfilla, not paint.
It worries me that this policy won't get rid of MRSA and CDiff, we're out a fair few £millions and we're no closer to the end goal.
1 comment:
I wish I can be as blunt and direct as you are. I've been writing to these politicians and spoke to some and explained why and how they could reduce spreading infections. Some people are gifted with a vision of the future. It’s hard to explain but its true, I can see things others won't. Initially I used to dismiss it off as nothing important but later saw how my vision becomes a reality.
In 1989, I saw the first MRSA patient (boy aged 14) in the hospital die. This frightened me. So I did some observation and came out with a hypothesis “we need to clean our act”. When doctors and nurses perform any practical procedure, the chances of that patient getting MRSA is higher. The association is linear and more severe.
The commonest procedure is giving injection, taking blood for tests, inserting IV Cannula and Urinary catheters. We use plastic disposable products to perform these procedures. I felt we could reduce the incidence by reducing use of these plastic disposables in the hospitals. I was scared this infection will spread rapidly in the hospital if we continue to nurses them by introducing these bacteria in patients and later spread in the community.
My first mission was to develop alternative technique and devices. So far I have been successful in developing alternative techniques and device and protecting the concept from prying eyes of unscrupulous manufacturers from other continents. Major manufacturers are still happy with the returns they get from selling products that have contributed to these spreading infections. Doctors from all over the world have published their finding and claimed the increase incidence of these infections have grown in tandem with use of these devices.
I wrote to these politicians explaining how my work will help them reduce wasted expenses and reduce spreading hospital infections. They did not want to know, nor were they interested in the savings funds or life. When I read about the compensation payments, wasted expenses on cleaning and now blowing another £59 million on deep cleaning and £45 million on universal screening, I feel sad and disappointed.
You mentioned, these politicians have mastered the art of initiating projects that fail. How can they expect my small project with hard earned money benefit them?
What if one third of British people disappear from this planet in the near future? Does it matter, when its not their family? Or can any one you & I do anything about it?
I think we must start thinking of forming an independent organization that has the power to prosecute failed politicians. “Do the job right or else, stay locked up all your life.” Let us see if any one comes forward to take part in elections.
The best job at present is to be a politician, even if you fail you win because there are companies who reward you with Directorship, pay you to talk about your failures and have a great time till you die. I am shocked to see WHO & UN seem to honor failed politician. Where is the world heading to? We are all helpless and suffering but it looks as if the politicians don’t care.
Post a Comment