Cloud cuckoo land

Sometimes Dr Grumble gets the sensation that he is in an unreal world where everybody with influence seems to be on a different wavelength. Take for example the latest initiative from Sir Liam Donaldson. This is what he says:

"Why should the health service, funded by the taxpayer, pay for the care of a patient that's had bad care?

Is this just intended as a soundbite for those with nothing between the ears or has Dr Grumble gone round the bend?

Sir Liam with a former civil servant.

Sir Liam's idea is that if something goes wrong (and he uses the rather bad example of MRSA) hospitals should not only not be paid to try and put the patient right but that they should be fined. He is going to recommend this idea to the noble Lord Darzi. But, really, how can this make sense? When things go wrong it's already enormously expensive for hospitals. If managers do not already realise this (and maybe they don't) will a fine really make them pay attention? And if you fail to pay a hospital for 'bad care' to spare the taxpayer the expense where does the money come from to look after the poor patient? Could it be from another taxpayer? Who else pays for care in an NHS hospital? Does Sir Liam understand how the NHS works or does he live in cloud cuckoo land? Or is he looking ahead to privatisation?

Dr Grumble is bewildered.


This post was first published on 17th December 2007. It has been republished it now because Dr Grumble was amused by this article about how much effort the civil servants in the Department of Health spend doing political spinning for their masters. One of the things they have been working on is Sir Liam Donaldson's wikepedia entry. You can see why. By the way it seems that the patients are beginning to understand what is happening to their health service. For Channel 4 clip click here.