LATEST MOAN FROM YOU AND ME - 2022

They should bring in some retired scablifters, that would probably shock a few people in to health!

 

Our Integrated Care Board (a group of unelected people) who appear to be in control of all the local hospitals and doctor's surgeries around here have decided to amalgamate our local surgery with another, it's a mad cap money saving scheme where they can close our site and build another in a cheaper part of town (it won't save money and certainly won't improve care). It's across the other side of town and not easy to get to without a car. All local people are opposed, even the doctors. They (the 'Care' Board) have called a public meeting to 'discuss' the options, actually we know they have decided what will be done regardless of patients feelings, so it's just a box ticking exercise. Well at the last minute they have withdrawn from the meeting "due to govt guidance following the death of the Queen". I very much doubt any of the Royals would condone public servants avoiding doing their jobs at a time like this, we pay their wages so why do they think they are allowed a few days off to mourn? Disgraceful.

 

That's not good @JWK and I've never heard of an ICB. Our surgery (actually two of them in different villages) are owned by the doctors and run as a business.

 

I've just come back from the meeting, even though the accountants didn't show up the village residents society gave a presentation of what is being proposed. Our surgery is run as a business and owned by the doctors, as most are. It's not a normal business in that they only have one customer i.e. the NHS who pay them to provide the services. It's a strange set up. Anyway it seems these ICBs have only recently been formed, they cover every gp surgery countrywide, it seems they have been given carte blanche to reorganize and 'improve '. We are going to have a fight on our hands.

 

I expect they all think they're the doctor so it's someone else's job!

 

There does seem to be a lot of admin staff at my surgery, the two times since covid I've managed to be let inside after going through the window tapping secret initiation there is no one else inside. No other patients but half a dozen or so receptionists/admin. I might be unfair as I don't recognize any or understand what they do. Pre covid it was alway the same one or two receptionists. They must have a high turnover. Anyway once inside I hear the phone constantly ringing and no one picking it up. Perhaps they think everyone should be using the online appointment system, which doesn't work.

The thing is you can't say anything to them about their perceived inefficiency because they take immediate offence and shut you down.

At last night's presentation we found out that our surgery had half the square floor area per patient compared to the average. This is being touted as one reason why they want to relocate to a bigger super surgery. Someone pointed out that all the proposals were based on pre covid studies and now that our surgery is practically deserted due to telephone appointments then less space is needed now than before.

Lots of money is being wasted on studies, surveys and business consultants meanwhile. The whole system isn't fit for purpose.

 

As long as the surgeries act in isolation then the system cannot be improved

 

And I understand that's why these new ICB quangos have been set up to look at the wider picture. It makes some sense in avoiding overlaps, but all we want is access to a gp for common medical complaints. Anything above that we go to hospital, I don't see the need for something inbetween. Maybe I'm old fashioned brought up in times when we had home visits from doctors and midwives had bicycles.