A Brighton accident and emergency (A&E) consultant accused the Prime Minister David Cameron of lying about the NHS in an open letter.
Rob Galloway, a doctor at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, also said that A&E was in crisis rather than just busy.
He published his open letter to Mr Cameron and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Facebook.
In it, he invited them to take him on in a debate in which he said he would offer solutions to the current crisis.
He prefaced his letter by saying: “After some persuasion, my full letter. Please link, tweet, send on to politicians and the press. The reality needs to get out.”
The letter, published today (Wednesday 7 January) is published in full below.
Dear Mr Cameron and Mr Hunt
As someone who works in A&E, I hear with interest that you have said that things in A&E are just busy and we are performing well and not in a crisis.
I though, would disagree. Maybe it is just your sense of reality which has made you say this or perhaps a lack of comprehension of the words busy v crisis.
Is it not a crisis that up and down the country thousands and thousands of patients are being looked after in corridors because there are no free cubicles for them to be seen in?
Is it not a crisis that many hospitals are declaring major incidents (to just cope with normal winter pressures) and some are having tents built in their car parks?
Is it not a crisis that patients who need discharging from the hospital can’t because social services can’t cope with demand? This means there are no free beds for the patients to go to and so they stay in A&E for hours upon hours.
Is it not a crisis when thousands of patients are having their operations cancelled because there are no beds for them to get into?
Is it not a crisis when every department in the county cannot recruit A&E doctors and nurses because they are emigrating or changing specialty because of the relentless pressure?
Is it not a crisis when everyday A&E staff up and down the country thinks it is a good shift, if we get a cup of tea, no member of staff is in tears and no one dies in the corridor on our watch? (As opposed to deliver the standard and dignity of care we wish.)
Or are you saying it is not a crisis because you don’t want to admit the real problem and are a tad embarrassed by your mistakes? Because when you came to power you promised to invest in the NHS and not reorganise it. But actually you lied.
Health and social care are inextricably linked and you stripped money away from social care while still finding the money for tax cuts for millionaires. But worse still, instead of trying to modernise and improve the NHS (which it needs) and working to prevent an absolutely predictable crisis, you spent the time and billions of wasted pounds on an ideological drive to increase the role of the private sector into the NHS, which has just put profits before patients.
The reality is that the crisis (yes it is a crisis not just busy) in the NHS, is shown up in the corridors of the A&E departments.
And if you don’t believe me, please join any of the thousands of A&E staff up and down the country whom are all going through the same problems. Then reality might kick in; seeing people in their 90s lying in a corridor as there is no bed to go to, patients who need to go to intensive care staying for hours upon hours in A&E while their condition deteriorates, ambulance staff not being able to get to 999 calls as they are waiting to get their current patients into A&E, nurses not having time to care for patients – just provide treatment, and for the consultants on the shop floor trying to create order and safety in a chaotic environment.
We are so lucky to have the training and skills to do the jobs we do – but we just need you to make it possible for us to perform the job we love to appropriate standards.
It may be hard for all of us who work in A&E but it is nothing compared to what our patients have to endure. But amazingly it is them that keep us going – with humour, goodwill and not complaining about us despite everything going on, along with a diabetic-inducing amount of chocolate being bought for us.
Mr Hunt and Cameron, I also want to ask you why you think we are performing well? You say it is because around 85 to 95 per cent of patients get seen and discharged or admitted with four hours. (Still the worst figures since we started recording this data.)
But that hides the reality. It is easy to boost this percentage with easy patients with cuts and colds and minor injuries – but what about the care for the patients who are genuinely sick – the ones who need admission. How quickly do they get seen and admitted? That is the figure that should be made available but isn’t. I don’t know what the numbers are, but from recent experience from up and down the country, I doubt that at the moment half of patients who get admitted do so within four hours from when they arrive; remember delayed admission leads to worse outcomes. Please start releasing this important figure as it will give a much better barometer for how the NHS is doing.
So Mr Hunt and Mr Cameron, come down to any A&E and see the crisis/“just busy” and when you do so, listen to the staff who can explain what needs to be done as opposed to listen to your political advisers.
In A&Es throughout the country, we are buckling under the strain and it is only because of everyone’s hard work and dedication that patient care is being maintained to the extent it is and morale hasn’t yet cracked.
It feels that we in the NHS (from porters, to managers, to nurses, to support staff, to paramedics, to hospitals doctor and GPs) are lions being led by donkeys. We are facing 1930s public sector cuts driven by politicians with the mentality of World War I generals.
So in summary – please Cameron and Hunt, stop thinking about your political ideology and start thinking about our patients. Remember the NHS was set up after World War II during a period of unprecedented austerity – stop destroying it under the name of austerity.
Rob Galloway
(A&E Consultant)
PS, it must be quite easy going on Question Time and the like, debating (with) fellow politicians and public figures who everyone knows have their own agenda. But the shop floor workers in the NHS have only one agenda – our patient care; so the debate may not be so easy with us. I would love to debate with you about the NHS crisis and offer some solutions. Are you up for it?
I bet Cameron just goes “tl;dr” and steps out for trebles all round.
It would help if most rich people (like Consultants) didn’t vote Tory.
Most people working in social Care knew this would happen as their services were stripped bare. Social Care needed investment and there is no way of bypassing this fact. Cameron ought to spend time with all the social care services that are left and learn how the cutbacks have affected them doing their jobs!!!
It was always so obvious that cutting the services would lead to this crisis and it has arrived sooner rather than later.
feline1
Rich people have more to gain from voting Tory, always have and probably always will.
The shocking truth is that if everybody who didn’t vote in the last election had a single party they could actually believe in and trust; and that New party (because lets face it, it doesn’t exist at the moment) could afford to promote a Prospective Party Candidate in every one of the 650 constituencies (that is a cost of £325,000 right there) then that New party would win by a huge majority, without requiring any previous voters to change their preference. I guess it is time for SomethingNew
This is the most sence I have yet heard regarding the current crisis and the truth not political whitewash.
Unless the current government intended this situation to drive in private enterprise to break up the health service????
If people have to wait a month to see their doctor of course they will opt for A&E.
If there are no social services funds to prepare older patients to go home there will be bed blocking and if fewer beds are available due to reorganisation there will be less patients able to be admitted and more in corridors.
It Dose’nt take a genius.
Is Cameron so out of touch?
This is a crisis.
Bloody well said Robert Galloway, I have shared it. NOW POLITICIANS ITS WAKE UP TIME………..I have paid into this NHS all my life and you should have managed the business professionally, you should have maintained the good standard we once had, you have allowed Surgeons, Doctors and Nurses to slip through your fingers by not maintaining the pay structure they are entitled to. STOP PAYING 50 MIL A DAY TO THE EU….WE NEED THE MONEY HERE, IN THE UK, IN THE NHS AND WE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW IT
It’s nothing to do with the EU, of course – this crisis is solely down to deliberate NHS destruction by the Tea Party Tories.
Feline 1
Rob is a down to earth man who cares about his patients. The fact that he has spoken out like this proves he is a person who is not afraid to voice what others are thinking. It takes a lot to publicly and openly do what he has done. I have the pleasure of working alongside rob who is extremely good at his job and a good leader in critical situations. I wish cam would take him up on his offer to a question time with mr Galloway it will be worth watching and very truthfull.
Mr Galloway gets my and many others backing.
Mine too. My support 100%. Wish I worked with him!
Wellsaidrob,
We need more people in our society speaking out and exposing the reality of our current systems. I think most people would agree that our current system is broken, I see many of the same views in these comments as I see in other discussion groups about better, more direct and representative democratic systems. As I started reading the comments I wondered what has happened in the 2 weeks that have passed now since the letter was published. If you work alongside Rob could you tell me if he got a reply and if so is anything happening as a result of the letter. Please rest assured that I will retweet the link that brought me here and post the information in other discussion groups too.
Unfortunately, you have a now, almost exclusively, public schooled political class. Hardly a surprise they have no understanding of hardship, or the constant enending grind of financial hardship (every penny counts).
A millionaire public schoolboy, then political intern (usually for low pay so only the rich can afford to support their offspring) then a safe seat somewhere…..Hardly a shock when they’re out of touch…
Bob Carmody,
I agree, but unfortunately this is unlikely to change en masse until genuine alternatives can be presented, promoted and gain the votes required to gain any traction. There are several candidates standing this year who do want to address this political imbalance, one who even promises to refund his salary if he does not deliver his pre-election promises. These people are not from Eton or Oxbridge and currently have real jobs, real experience and a desire for change. PS – Look for SomethingNew and help change the future of British politics.
Disgraceful state of affairs.
So pleased to see someone has the the guts to speak out and tell it how it is!
The nhs is treating more people than it has ever done due to the increase in knowledge and technology and the ever increasing population due mainly to people arriving on our shores which the government do not know about. So why does the government still insit on cutting down on nhs staff and pay instead of taxing the billionaires who have more money than they can spend.
How can the lower paid workers ever improve their lot when many are put out of work because the government what to make savings.
Yes some may find new jobs but will be on less money and poorer conditions of pay.
And when are the likes of Cameron going to pay back their university fees which we all payed for.
Absolutly 100% correct, but you are talking to two rich boys who deep down couldnt give a flying toss, they will never have to que to be seen to in a NHS hospital, their children will not struggle to get into a decent school in the area their big houses are in, They wont struggle to survive on a pittance of a pension as millions of us do,
They think they are decent men doing a great job, but deep down they also know that when they retire from the shithole they have left us with they will both become Lords of the realm with all the privileges that goes with it, they will never feel the embarrasment of having to que at a food bank for the basic food to survive, they will never have the problem of heat or eat !!!
We all know that polticians are accomplished in the art of distorting facts to suit themselves, so we all accept that politicians tell lies, or as Thatcher actually had the disgust to say ” I didnt lie, I was economical with rhe truth ”
What we have here is not politicians who tell lies,in these two we have “Lying politicians” and there is a difference.
You have no chance of having either of them coming down to your A&E to see that what the truth really is !! They would be to afraid to see the truth, but well done on your open letter, good luck for your future because like many before you, you may find yourself victimised from the higher echelons of power because you were honest enough to tell the truth !!
Roy Holden ( Mr )
but what we have in these two privilaged rich boys are Lying politcians
extremely well said. They will never have to use the nhs as they will have private healthcare to goto. Even in an emergency a previous PM had a whole department closed for him to get seen leaving numerous others to wait even longer.
Wonder how long before they try to discredit him or dig up some dirt well done for speaking up in Bristol its really bad opened up a new hospital shut 2 said there are 100 more single beds forgot to say 300 less beds all round also people cannot get there no proper bus service from outside the area and the roads have not been upgraded Cameron and his cronies only think about their future Thank you Rob hope they listen
rob Galloway is so right, I worked over Christmas in the NHS on the front line and did MANY of these shifts he’s talking about. no drinks from leaving home to getting back home, unable to hand over to the next shift because your toung is sticking to the roof of your mouth its that dry, no staff to assist you , not even enough time to finish the never ending paperwork he keeps putting on to us ( just to take more time away from the patient) , you feel lucky if you have a full complement of staff , then some managers come along and say someone has to move and help elsewhere putting more pressure on the staff left behind and your told GET On With IT. Midwives having to look after 5 women in labour at one time, no wonder young nurse are taking our training and going elsewhere. It’s no good him coming round the hospital with all his onterage to ask pointless questions because staff will be told to find time to talk to him and told what to say, that’s why so many on the shop floor won’t speak out they need the job. I’m sure when his sick child was in hospital he did get fantastic care it would have been insisted on, but not all these elderly people have anyone like Cameron to be a voice for them. I’m so glad his family were well treated but I’m sad that he’s so narrow minded that he thinks everyone’s treatment is the same.
I would be interested to see if David Cameron has the guts to meet the people in the know, people who WANT to save the NHS for generations to come . I’m not one who would normally speak out like this because I need my job but since I was one of those who ended up going home crying this Christmas I’m desperate that things should be done.
I agree with all what Rob Galloway has said,but the NHS isn’t safe in any politicians hands,they all tell lies and only work to their own agenda.I also agree with Les Nicholls (January 8th) 50 million a day to the EU,or is it the gravey train,think what that money could do for the NHS,and for putting our country back on it’s feet,maybe then we would be proud to call ourselves Great Britain.Our NHS is in crisis.
Maternity services aren’t much better; no beds, women labouring in the corridors, worsening outcomes for both mums and babies due to delayed care the list could go on….
As a committed Midwife I have elected not to strike for better pay unlike many of my colleagues as I think this just detracts from the real issues within the NHS and the unions seem to fuel this distraction! The real issues are the conditions that we and our patients are in, someone once described it as third world, in my opinion they are not wrong!
I too would welcome a debate between politicians and the ‘shop floor workers’ of the NHS but to fully prepare the politicians for what they are to face may I also invite them come and spend a week with us on the shop floor to get a real feel of this “Busy Period”!
It all went pear-shaped when someone decided that people were “products” and that profit-led “business models” could be applied to public sector services.
Our hospitals, surgeries and schools are not “factories” with input and output.
Listen to our doctors and nurses and to the people as Aneurin Bevan did. Then ACT upon what you are told as he did.
This Christmas, I had two cards which made me cry. One from a doctor friend who announced he could not cope with the hours and the stress any longer. Another from a brilliant teacher who after 38 years in the job had finally had enough of spending more time filling in forms and number crunching than helping the children to learn.
From a patient perspective, I see the frustration. When my appointment time is whittled down to just a few minutes because the doctor has to fill in computer details yet again because some bright spark in the higher towers of management has decided the last three systems they tried could be improved (I must remember to do some number-crunching and find out just who has shares/interest in the various IT systems that get imposed…) I have seen nurses putting on a brave face, holding back tears because they simply do not have the time to sit and hold an elderly patient’s hand. I heard the young registrar begging a senior consultant not to discharge me and having to be told “you think I want to? I have no choice. This lady, right now, at this moment in time, is stable. Yes, I know that in 24 hours time she may well be back here. If she isn’t we will simply have to pray that it’s because she got better. My hands are tied. We have NO CHOICE.” I was back in 24 hours. (Not Brighton but a different hospital) I often wonder which poor soul was sent home to let me in and if they made it.
Don’t, Mr Cameron, tell me there is no crisis.
Dr. Galloway and team.. I love you.
When I am well, I intend to join up to be a volunteer and do what I can to help my local hospital. If the ivory tower mob will let me…
The lesson should have been learned from the last time the Tories were in government under Thatcher and Major remember leaking roofs run down buildings ,Wards full of beds closed due to not having the staff to operate them, My mother waited 2 years for a hip operation that only took place when my father took out a bank loan to have it done privately, the years under Tony Blair was like a breath of fresh air when Labour saved the NHS built new hospitals and increased nursing staff.I dread to think what will become of our beloved NHS if the public are stupid enough to put the Tories back in power with their Long road to ruin and long term plan to disaster for the working class and ordinary people while the rich and wealthy get even richer .
The time for austerity is when the economy is genuinely growing not during a recession , When the Tories formed the government the economy was growing at 2% and the following 5 years of austerity have all been for nothing we are worse off now than we were before
Alison, surely you can grasp the basic concept that if wages were better, then staffing levels would be better?
At the moment recruitment levels are woeful, staff rentention levels are worse and we have to poach about 20% of staff from developing nations just to get by (which is deeply unethical).
Feline1:
No I don’t grasp that concept, sorry!
In England the average full time salary is £26500.
A newly qualified nurse earns £25k, a newly qualified midwife after preceptorship £30k (with unsociable hour payments). As a band 7 I take home around £40-£47k per year.
The recruitment and retention problem as I see it, is our working conditions as detailed very boldly throughout this thread.
We train and ‘adequate’ amount of home grown nurses, midwives and doctors .
I believe the real problem behind recruitment and retention is attrition rates of students and ‘burnout’ of staff.
The attrition rate of student nurses/midwives is about 20% and ‘burnout’ accounting for up to 10% of nurses/midwives leaving the profession, most of them newly qualified.
Also add to that NHS trusts unwillingness to creat permanent posts,when they clearly have evidence that they need more staff.
These are , I believe, the main issues responsible for recruitment and retention problems.
I’d like to thank many of my overseas colleagues for coming and helping us with our staffing issues and keeping the NHS going. Unfortunately not many of them stay again becoming ‘burned out’.
A 1% pay rise will not fix our problems and the unions need to start helping us to address these real issues especially as of the July we all have to be a member of one!
All I can say is bloody well said!!! Hope this Dr is not victimised by the NHS for speaking out ( which usually happens)
Well said, Rob Galloway. As someone whose daughter’s much anticpated operation for an operation, requiring 2 surgeons, was cancelled yesterday as there was no bed for her post-operatively, I agree with you unreservedly. This government has wasted millions of taxpayers’ money on failed IT projects, reorganisations and commissions. Managers seem to proliferate. PFI has pushed more money into shareholders’ pockets while saddling Hospitals with great debt. Local Councils have farmed out areas their adult social services into ‘traded services’: in Essex the umbrella traded service Essex Cares included ‘HomeSafe’- a service which offered good care packages for 6 weeks to frail elderly people to enable them to leave hospital. After a few profitable years it began to run at a loss and was subsequently cut THIS year. Nothing to do with the drop in money allocated for these services by National Government, you understand. I cannot imagine the frustration of those at the frontline in A&E services and yet how many of them are asked for input into what needs to be done? The NHS came into being when we were broke. It is still the cheapest example in healthcare in the developed world. All I can say is, “Thank you all, and please hang on in there for all our sakes.” Why Oh Why are our valued public services being cut to service the debt that huge private investment banks got our economy into?
This honest and courageous article from Robert Galloway to politicians surely should elicit comments in response from all hospital staff, amplifying his facts. Or has the politicians big black boot plan really kicked us into silence.
Collated unfilled trained nurse / midwife shifts reported by Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust since the ‘hard truths’ reporting requirements came into effect. Figures do not include HCA shifts. The trust has not released staffing data for non-ward areas such as A&E, delivery suites, theatres, or for any ‘temporary’ overspill areas.
NOVEMBER Total reported hours unfilled: 10,756.
ROYAL SUSSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL (November 2014):
Trevor Mann Baby Unit: 1679 hours unfilled
Acute medical Unit: 816.5 hours unfilled
Maternity: 636 hours unfilled
Cardiac surgery: 629.5 hours unfilled
Chichester: 529 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 469.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Care Unit: 421 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont: 410 hours unfilled
Level 8A West: 392 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 328 hours unfilled
Intensive Care Unit: 257 hours unfilled
Emerald Unit: 253 hours unfilled
Baily: 222.5 hours unfilled
level 8A East: 202 hours unfilled
Cardiac level 10: 189 hours unfilled
Renal: 156 hours unfilled
Bristol: 145.5 hours unfilled
Solomon / Donald Hall: 120.5 hours unfilled
Vallance: 50.6 hours unfilled
Howard 1: 46 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant: 46 hours unfilled
Cardiac Day surgery: 26.5 hours unfilled
Total RSCH: 8,025 hours unfilled
ROYAL ALEXANDRA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (November 2014):
High Dependency Unit: 153.5 hours unfilled
Surgical: 42.5 hours unfilled
Medical: 10.6 hours unfilled
Total Royal Alex: 206.5 hours unfilled
PRINCESS ROYAL HOSPITAL, HAYWARDS HEATH (November 2014):
Newtimber: 451.5 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Intensive Care: 414 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Surgical: 359.5 hours unfilled
Maternity (Bolney): 276 hours unfilled
PRH Intensive Care: 202 hours unfilled
Lindfield: 181 hours unfilled
Twineham: 130 hours unfilled
Balcombe: 128 hours unfilled
Ansty: 94.5 hours unfilled
Clayton: 89.5 hours unfilled
Pyecombe: 82.5 hours unfilled
Ardingly: 67 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint: 49.5 hours unfilled
Total PRH: 2,525 hours unfilled
OCTOBER Grand Total: 11,725 hours unfilled
Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton (Oct 2014):
Trevor Mann Baby Unit: 1334 hours unfilled
AMU: 655 hours unfilled
Maternity: 756 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 593 hours unfilled
Intensive Care: 572 hours unfilled
CCU: 452.5 hours unfilled
Level 8A West: 452.5 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont: 424.5 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 386.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac surgery: 374 hours unfilled
Cardiac Level 10: 343.5 hours unfilled
Chichester: 257 hours unfilled
Baily 238.5 hours unfilled
Valance: 230 hours unfilled
Renal: 207 hours unfilled
Level 8A East: 194 hours unfilled
Bristol: 183 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant: 80 hours unfilled
Emerald: 69 hours unfilled
Cardiac Day: 53 hours unfilled
Solomon / Donald Hall: 46 hours unfilled
Howard 1: 34.5 hours unfilled
Level 11 Gynae: 11.5
Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath (Oct 2014):
Hurstwood Park Intensive Care: 671 hours unfilled
Newtimber: 445.5 hours unfilled
Maternity: 437 hours unfilled
Twineham: 371.5 hours unfilled
Lindfield: 249 hours unfilled
Balcombe: 135.5 hours unfilled
Ardingly: 130 hours unfilled
Pyecombe: 117.5 hours unfilled
Intensive Care PRH: 70.5 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Surgical: 23 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint: 13 hours unfilled
Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital (Oct 2014):
High Dependency Unit: 287.5 hours unfilled
Medical ward: 65.5 hours unfilled
Surgical ward: 54 hours unfilled
Total RSCH: 8,631.5 hours unfilled
Total PRH: 2,686.5 hours unfilled
Total Royal Alex: 407 hours unfilled
Grand total: 11,725 hours unfilled
SEPT 2014 grand total: 13,439.5 hours unfilled
ROYAL SUSSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL, BRIGHTON (Sep 2014):
Trevor Mann Baby Unit: 1541 hours unfilled
Cardiac Surgery: 1028.5 hours unfilled
Intensive Care: 810 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 776.5 hours unfilled
Maternity: 757.5 hours unfilled
Level 8A West: 617.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Care Unit: 542.5 hours unfilled
AMU: 540.45 hours unfilled
Chichester: 437 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 425.5 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont: 396 hours unfilled
Renal: 332.5 hours unfilled
Bristol: 217 hours unfilled
Cardiac level 10: 205.5 hours unfilled
Baily: 200 hours unfilled
Vallance: 145.5 hours unfilled
Emerald: 126.5 hours unfilled
Solomon / Donald Hall: 104.5 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant: 92 hours unfilled
Level 8A East: 92 hours unfilled
Cardiac Day surgery: 49.5 hours unfilled
Haematology / Oncology: 34.5
Howard 1: 30.5 hours unfilled
Total: 9502.5 hours unfilled
PRINCESS ROYAL HOSPITAL, HAYWARDS HEATH (Sept 2014):
Hurstwood Park Intensive Care: 742 hours unfilled
Newtimber: 488 hours unfilled
Maternity: 437 hours unfilled
Lindfield: 257 hours unfilled
Ardingly: 228.5 hours unfilled
Twineham: 224 hours unfilled
Pyecombe: 189.5 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Surgical: 143 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Medical: 121.5 hours unfilled
Balcombe: 117 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint: 42.5 hours unfilled
PRH Intensive Care: 39 hours unfilled
Horsted Keynes: 23 hours unfilled
SCBU: 16.5 hours unfilled
SOTC: 12 hours unfilled
Ansty*: 11 hours unfilled
Total: 3091.5 hours unfilled
ROYAL ALEXANDRA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, BRIGHTON (Sept 2014):
High Dependency Unit: 648 hours unfilled
Medical ward: 197.5 hours unfilled
Total: 845.5 hours unfilled
AUGUST 2014: Grand total 12,145 hours unfilled
RSCH (August 2014)
Trevor Mann baby Unit: 1805.5 hours unfilled
Maternity: 1302 hours unfilled
Level 8A West: 747.5 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 698.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Care Unit: 345.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Surgery: 339 hours unfilled
Bristol: 299 hours unfilled
Vallance: 299.5 hours unfilled
AMU: 282 hours unfilled
Cardiac Level 10: 250.5 hours unfilled
Baily: 239 hours unfilled
Renal: 232 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont: 229 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 218.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Surgery Day: 73 hours unfilled
Emerald Unit: 69 hours unfilled
Soloman / Donald Hall: 62.5 hours unfilled
Level 8A East: 57 hours unfilled
Intensive Care: 50 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant: 45.5 hours unfilled
Howard 1: 23 hours unfilled
Level 11 Gynae; 23 hours unfilled
Chichester: 0 hours unfilled
Jowers: 0 hours unfilled
Total: 7690 hours
PRH (August 2014)
Hurstwood Park Intensive Care: 747 hours unfilled
Maternity: 483 hours unfilled
Newtimber: 482.5 hours unfilled
Balcombe: 354.5 hours unfilled
Lindfield: 244 hours unfilled
Twineham: 238 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint: 191.5 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park Medical: 224 hours unfilled
Intensive Care PRH: 87 hours unfilled
Albourne: 52.5 hours unfilled
Sussex orthopaedic Centre: 19 hours unfilled
Pyecombe: 15 hours unfilled
Horsted Keynes: 11.5 hours unfilled
SCBU: 0 hours unfilled.
Total: 3511 hours
Royal Alex (August 2014):
High Dependency Unit: 680 hours unfilled
Medical ward: 229.5 hours unfilled
Surgical ward: 34.5 hours unfilled
Total: 944 hours unfilled.
JULY 2014: 10,059 grand total.
Princess Royal (July 2014):
Hurstwood Park Intensive Care: 621 hours unfilled
Newtimber: 520 hours unfilled
Maternity: 345 hours unfilled
Lindfield: 282 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park surgical: 253 hours unfilled
Pyecombe: 227 hours unfilled
Ardingly: 152 hours unfilled
Intensive Care Unit, PRH: 116 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park medical: 103.5 hours unfilled
Balcombe: 90 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint: 81.5 hours unfilled
SOTC: 50 hours unfilled
Twineham: 37 hours unfilled
Albourne: 26.5 hours unfilled
Ansty: 23 hours unfilled
Horsted Keynes: 0 hours unfilled
SCBU: 0 hours unfilled
Total: 2927.5 hours.
RSCH (July 2014):
Trevor Mann baby unit: 1897.5 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 633 hours unfilled
Maternity: 512 hours unfilled
Acute Medical Unit: 455 hours unfilled
Level 8A West: 452.5 hours unfilled
Chichester: 445 hours unfilled
Cardiac Care Unit 6A: 428 hours unfilled
Vallance: 345.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Surgery: 328.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac L10: 325 hours unfilled
Bristol: 297 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont: 231.5 hours unfilled
Emerald Unit: 184 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 184 hours unfilled
Renal: 123 hours unfilled
Level 8A East: 104 hours unfilled
Cardiac Surgery Day Unit: 62 hours unfilled
Soloman / Donald Hall: 58 hours unfilled
Intensive Care Unit: 50 hours unfilled
Haematology / Oncology: 11.5 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant: 5 hours unfilled
Howard 1: 0 hours unfilled
Jowers: 0 hours unfilled
Level 11 Gynae: 0 hours unfilled
Total: 7132 hours.
JUNE 2014. Grand total : 12,672 hours unfilled
PRH (June 2014):
Total: 3552 hours unfilled
Equivalent to 23 whole time staff or 296 long day or night shifts.
Hurstwood Park intensive care: 823 hours unfilled
Newtimber ward: 623.5 hours unfilled
Maternity: 334 hours unfilled
Balcombe ward: 312 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park surgical: 294.5 hours unfilled
Ardingly ward: 236.5 hours unfilled
Lindfield ward: 218.5 hours unfilled
Pyecombe ward: 205.5 hours unfilled
Twineham ward: 168.7 hours unfilled
Albourne ward: 109 hours unfilled
PRH intensive care: 78.5 hours unfilled
Hurstpierpoint ward: 54.5 hours unfilled
SOTC: 37 hours unfilled
Hurstwood Park medical: 34 hours unfilled
SCBU: 19 hours unfilled
Horsted Keynes ward: 4 hours unfilled
Ansty ward : classified as ‘zero beds’
RSCH (June 2014):
9120.5 hours unfilled
Level 9A: 2442.5 hours unfilled
Trevor Mann Baby Unit 1989.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac surgery: 680.5 hours unfilled
AMU: 502.5 hours unfilled
Chichester ward: 474.5 hours unfilled
Level 8A West 459 hours unfilled
Level 8 Tower: 357 hours unfilled
Maternity: 320 hours unfilled
Cardiac 6A: 259 hours unfilled
Bristol ward: 276 hours unfilled
Renal ward: 256 hours unfilled
Vallance ward: 223 hours unfilled
Emerald ward: 179 hours unfilled
Intensive Care: 136.5 hours unfilled
Catherine James / Egremont wards: 131.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac Level 10: 121.5 hours unfilled
Level 8A East: 87.5 hours unfilled
Soloman / Donald Hall wards: 72.5 hours unfilled
Cardiac surgery day: 66.5 hours unfilled
Howard 2 & Grant wards: 57.5 hours unfilled
Howard 1 ward: 17 hours unfilled
Haematology / Oncology: 11.5 hours unfilled
I don’t follow just what is being shown here, if these hours are wasted hours then its no wonder that we have problems.
Viv, as I understand it, those are the numbers of shift-hours for which no nurse was available to do the shift. In other words, it’s a measure of how understaffed they are.
Say there’s a 12 hour shift, where to provide proper safe care, they need 3 nurses on the ward, but they only have two – so that goes does as “12 hours unfilled”.
Every party when in power has been critised for the running of the NHS,why is this any different? It may be the governments fault, or even the fault of the heads of each hospital, or an aging population, or may be there is a percentage of the population that needs to take more responsibility for their own health and stop wasting public money!
Certainly a small percentage need to take more responsibility and stop wasting public money. Not just Cameron and Hunt but also the private companies cherry-picking profitable bits of NHS care, the lawyers and accountants lapping up the transaction costs and, last but not least, the corporations flogging the cheap alcohol which fuels so many trips to A&E.
I’be been working in the nhs for ten years, five in a&e. Never seen anything like last two years. Really. This is major, the decine is immense. The NHS is gone already. We are just waiting on the vultures.
Well said Rob. Of course Cameron won’t debate with you – it’s looking unlikely he’ll debate with anyone in the run up to the election. But it’s really important we listen to people like Rob, they hold the truth. And remember, Cameron isn’t just in denial about the A&E crisis he’s in denial about it all. How else could he possibly put it to the country that he will deliver the same amount of cuts again if re-elected?
People should think hard, the NHS will not survive that.
Hoorah!!! At last, someone saying it as it is. Of course Cameron lied, like all of his party will. The hidden agenda (which isn’t very well hidden) is to break up the NHS ready for privatisation, which a lot of tories, have their grubby little fingers stuck in the privatisation pies. They’ve almost succeeded now. The strain brought about by massive cuts, bad management and colossal strain from far too many people using the service( some of which are immigrants, although we’re not allowed to say that) who have been told by untrained staff manning the 111 phone service, brought in by the politicians, to go there for conditions not necessary for A&E.
Shortly before Xmas I accompanied my girlfriend to Brighton A&E after she cut her hand badly (and yes we had called NHS direct to decide whether the cut was bad enough to warrant A&E). It was a Friday night around 9pm and already the waiting room was full. On duty was one triage nurse and one doctor. The nurse, mid dash, stopped to explain the situation, apologised and asked for everyone’s patience under such trying conditions. We actually felt guilty about taking this one doctor’s time away from those more obviously and severely injured around us and left to comeback at a less busy time. We pay our N.I. and taxes for the privilege of a national health service, a service we as british should and do feel proud of, but what is it we are getting in return? A service we feel guilty of using because of the stress we see the staff being put under?? The doctors and nurses clearly want to do a good job but seemingly are only able to do so at the expense of their sanity. I have never been inclined to vote in the 28 years I’ve had the privilege but I think this squeezing of the NHS may be enough for me to make a stand!
Brilliant letter. I work for the NHS and it should be the people who see the patients who should be organising hospitals and clinics , not the managers who are only interested in implementing useless government targets, I’ve been needing to move one of my clinics to a different room in an NHS building and even though the room is free, 3 managers are involved in the organisation of this and they can’t manage it.!!!!! The NHS is sinking in too many rules and regulations and when things go wrong they assign more managers and targets which just sinks it further. What the NHS needs to spend its money on is buildings, equipment, front line staff and let nurses and doctors make the decisions on how to run hospitals. Too many managers are ruining the NHS.
Why oh why does it take all our nurses doctors etc to be wore down so much and get no help from govermant whatso ever we are fed up of promises get ya suits off put some scrubs on and join in and see how good a&e s are and wot a state the wards are in good nurses are leaving with depression and doctors are pulling over in their cars on the way home due to lack of sleep david cameron hunt all of you have no idea !
I had to go to A&E in an ambulance in Worthing, I had to wait on a bed by the outer doors sitting in blood, in a que waiting for an available bed in the A&E department, all the staff were brilliant, they have so much to contend with going back & forth between patients, they have to act fast, work fast & make fast decisions in the seconds between life & death so everyday for them is a crisis, busy is a que in a supermarket!!!
My nan died because she was left in a corridor for ages at Brighton.
How sad that the once proud NHS has been reduced to this shambles. Politicians, stay out of running the show and allow Professionals to do the job. Pay the money promised if nothing else. Politicians have targets for targets! Thank you NHS staff for all you have done and for what you continue to to.
Cameron is as much use as a chocolate fire guard.
I think this is very brave of Rob Galloway and we should be very grateful and I sincerely hope there are no repercussions for telling the truth. These front line dedicated professionals are only trying to do their job of giving the best care possible to their patients and have every right to to voice their concerns on our behalf. They are overworked overstretched and demoralised and all the rhetoric and sound bites in the world simply pay lip service to the major issues.
When Ed Miliband asked what Cameron was going to do about it in PMQT he responded with an accusation saying Labour were using it as a political football, Cameron was unable to admit his government’s accountability as usual and did the usual and tried to divert attention and blame elsewhere.
People like me and many other passionate campaigners to save our NHS, along with medical professionals have been opposing the NHS reforms introduced in 2010 predicting the outcomes of such unnecessary, unwieldy and extremely costly top down re-organsiation, but they did not listen and still as far as I know have not produced the risk register that has been asked for on many occasions.
So sadly all of this chaos and crisis was inevitable and those responsible need to face the consequences before more lives are put at risk, through closures of A+E, downgrading of services, lack of resources and funds, loss of staff due to exhaustion and stress. Or as other have suggested is it all part of the grand plan to destroy our NHS that actually under Labour was lauded as the best health service compared to other countries, waiting times at their lowest and patient satisfaction at their highest.
The present government are enabling huge private corporations to take over large swathes of our NHS putting profit before patients, thus removing the core principles of our NHS, that of equitable and fair treatment for all regardless of status and background, fought for by the champions of social justice and this is a dreadful tragedy.
I am from a third world country and have never in my 35 years worked in such unadulterated chaos as that which ŕeigns in the A and E departments. It is like a war zone! The staff are exhausted and unfulfilled by delivering an incomplete service and daily putting their registration on the line due to increased pressures. Its time the words ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY were used seriously instead of clogging the departments with minor ailments and downright ridiculously pathetic illnesses. Why do you need to see a Dr for a headache our sore throat? That is neither an accident or emergency!!!
Well said Rob. The Tories won’t debate it with you. They were against the NHS from its inception and voted against it then. They are hellbent on privatizing it and the only way to stop them is to vote them out. I have shared your letter and will vote Labour at the election but people are so apathetic.
I have a report of my grans care she recieved in hospital for 3 months after breaking her hip on a ward when she should have only been in there for a weekend i think Mr Cameron should see. At every turn in her care there was mistake after mistake. They have decided that the majority of mistakes were made because of lack of training and staff shortages. My gran is 86 and has served her country well and because of the way she was not cared for in hospital she is unable to go home and is now in a nursing home,stuck in her bed and wont eat.
I too think Rob Galloway is brave to put his name to this. I would love to see him debate on TV – he’d be great. I will watch to see if he is victimised in any way, and try to support him if so.
Well said and we the public back you and honour the work you do all the way. These politicians in their ivory towers have absolutely no conscience and knew exactly what they were doing when they set out on the road to privatise the NHS so we get them OUT. Roll on May and all the very best. I for one salute you xxx
Bring back matrons to do all administration and let the Dr’s and nurses do what their trained at STOP putting so much pressure on our Dr’s and nurses
Well said Rob.
The days of GP surgeries being closed all over the festive period should be stopped – we need access to GP’s to be available 24/7 or a new model of minor injury or ailment surgeries so people can get the right treatment from the right people at the right time. To back all of this up we need a proper social services support – health & social care have been trying to integrate for years but it’s taking too long – the wheels of change need to speed up to meet the growing complex needs of the people needing our care & support.
Pauline
Well said I have been a nurse for 48 years and the last few years it has been like working in a third world country with patients lying on trollies and dying in trollies I said this to the chairman of the hospital and from that day on he never spoke to me it’s about time they opened they’re eyes and spoke up, I work in a hospital in Wales so it’s the same in England and wales
Well done Rob. That took guts.
It is not just the underfunding and disastrous reforms of the NHS that causes this problem.
Social care for adults and children is the other half of the welfare state and is provided by local authorities. Social care is what Rob talks about when he says people aren’t discharged because social services can’t cope. Shortage of social care is another factor which pushes people into A&E when they’re desperate. Social care costs far more than libraries or parks or public loos or the other things most people associate with local councils. And with government funding of local authorities already cut by 40% and set to be cut by 90% by 2019/20 (in 4 years time), social care is also in crisis. It is on its knees.
The NHS needs to be rescued. But so does the government’s funding for local authority provision of social care.
Well done Rob, proud to say yeah stand up for what you know is right.
Well said its about time someone stood up and told the true story of what is going on. I had experience of this when my elderly mum of 87 waited 3hours for an ambulance, when we arrived at hospital we found the reason, the ambulance crews were having to look after the patients in the corridor. We called an ambulance at 2 pm it was midday the following day before she got a bed 22 hours!!
I’m so glad someone has actually stuck up for nhs and told them the truth, it’s easy just to blame it on there really busy to hide the real truth in what’s going on, this bloke who done the letter deserves a medal sticking up for he’s country and nhs where not that many care about theses days, I really do hope that now the government starts taking these issues seriously and start spending the money on things that are actually needed and more important, we need more people like Robert to open up the governments eyes and see what’s happening around them, well said Robert
The whole NHS is only going one way, have a look at how many politicians have high stakes in private health care companies, you will be surprised, some are obvious some are slightly more/better hidden.
They have been able to convince the media to blame the doctors mainly the GPs. Just now there is a shortage of GP’s and good hospital doctors, this is due to media pressure (including embarrassment to say to strangers what you actually do as a job) and the amount of work outside of patient care that is needed, the amount of paperwork is crazy!!!
Doctors went and spent 5 years at university then a further 5-12 years training to care for people, unfortunately the system is broken and they are not being allowed to do this.
This is why doctors are either leaving the country like me or leaving the profession as it is only going to get worse both in working conditions/pressures for the doctors and in actual care for the patients.
The choice is try and save the NHS, which will be hard or let what its being set up for happen go through the bad years and come out with a possible better paid for system at the end of it, hopefully without lining the politicians pockets too much.
As a paramedic my work mates and I have seen this coming for a long time. We have had cuts to our services that beggar belief. Attrition of staff that for any other company would raise serious questions and recruitment that doesn’t happen. The UK is over 3000 Paramedics short with less than 5% being recruited each year of which over 60% leave within a few months. I would happily take any government minister out with us for a shift of non stop running around playing catch up and then days off where you are too tired to do anything but still under pressure to go to work. I am leaving soon because this job is killing me. Most of my workmates are leaving soon for the same reason.
Oh well. It’ll be privatised soon and we know how well that always works
i blame consultants and other managers like rob Galloway for not speaking up sooner instead no doubt they were busy kissing the CEOs butt and protecting there over inflated egos
Totally agree with this. As a result of this CRISIS my 91 year old dad was left for 20 Hours in A&E IN WORTHING waiting for a bed. He was suffering from a very serious bladder problem which has resulted in him being extremely poorly with an infection. He was admitted to a ward at 2 am to be discharged at 3pm readmitted at 4pm having deteriorated. Discharged at 7pm being told to go home and carry on taking paracetamol and antibiotics that made him sick. In the midst of the 20 hours in A&e a young girl was left to help her friend who started fitting without any help,not because the staff were not interested but were so busy attending all the other ill people in corridors etc . I had to assist the girl and her friend until a member of staff could take over. Maybe that’s what Mr Cameron’s idea of the NHS is that they can leave patients and their families to fill the gap instead of having enough front line staff and resources to let them do a proper job for the sick. Hope he never has to rely on the NHS and find himself stuck in a corridor awaiting medical attention.(oh I forgot half of this government and Mr Cameron are millionaires and can afford to go private) I and my family have been caring for my father as best as we can trying to get him well enough for an urgent operation which is scheduled for Monday 12th. We have been told it more than likely to be cancelled due to no beds being available which could result in him deteriorating and not being strong enough to have his operation. My father is a WW2 veteran who fought for his country and is now being left to suffer due to the way this government is destroying the NHS.. Mr Cameron should start listening to the real people on the front line.
Our Hospitals is trying to stop services being privatised and being destroyed by BUPA . We could soon not have an A&E if this goes ahead. Another lie by this government.
How I admire this young man. Well said. Thank you to all who work in the nhs. You do us proud xx
Lets have Gps open longer hours including weekends and allow no drunk mates in with drunk patients. Bur the real issue in my opinion is a lack of places for people to go on leaving hospital because of the crisis social care.
Also A and E is a dumping ground for the more vulnerable sections of our society, including the poor, the frail elderly, the homeless including homeless families, addicts i could go on and that’s why the Tories couldn’t care less.
How about a link to his actual letter on twitter or facebook so we can share it directly? Ready to share…
Doh! Double posted. Did some digging.. it’s here.
https://www.facebook.com/robert.galloway.92/posts/10152553456066892
Here is a link to the original letter, which Rob has made public so please share.
https://www.facebook.com/robert.galloway.92/posts/10152553456066892
To the moron above who complained that some of the high waiting times at A&E are due to “immigrants” –
at least 20% of the NHS’ *staff* are “immigrants” – if they weren’t here, the NHS would collapse over night.
Most of the patients in A&E are either drunken native chavs,
or elderly people who have to go into hospital because their own relatives won’t care for them at home: our native culture of kicking our grannies off into carehomes cos we can’t be bothered with them is quite shocking to many “immigrants”, I can tell you, who come from societies where the elderly are respected and looked after by their children.
My blood was boiling yesterday ,when on the news they were saying the state of the hospitals is down to all the old and infirm,no no no they have paid into the system,it’s all the foreingners the goverment let in Britain to use our hospitals with out paying in to any thing I mean what do they expect …..
Well said Rob and Louise Brown…absolutely agree! I work for the NHS and see daily the awful decisions/non decisions of management. Most businesses run with fewer managers and more people on the shop floor. The NHS does not run like this, it’s an upside down pyramid, top heavy with management. My daughter us a doctor and I watched her almost melt down last week, saying everything that Rob is saying. We spend all this money on training our clinicians just to watch them crack under the strain. Come on Cameron, rise to the challenge. I know where my money is placed.
December 2013, I tripped in a park in Barcelona and broke tib/fib at ankle. X rayed and put on bed in corridor to wait for an operating slot. After 6 hours, with new patients every few minutes they told me there had been a serious car crash and it would be the next morning. I spent the entire night on my own in a corridor. This was one of Spain’s top teaching hospitals. Brilliant care from staff.
I live in France.Superb health service,but we pay up front to see our GP and then get two thirds refunded.
I have worked in the NHS for 50 years in many roles, trained as nurse and many years later became a manager!
As Far back as 1999 we were seeing huge pressures on A &E departments over the winter months which caused chaos and led to patient nets suffering so called. ‘Trolley waits’ so this phenomena is not new! Over the years many things have influenced the pressures not least the ageing population, the 2004 Gp contract which means there is no out of hours GP service .
Also PFI builds which meant downsizing hospital projects to make them affordable which resulted in less beds and them more financial pressures on Trusts because the the ‘ mortgage costs,’ of PFI!! ( we cannot blame this on the Tories as this proliferated in the time that we had a Labour government!)
Also we have seen over the years reduction in funding for community care.
So what is the answer, certainly point scoring by all political parties and blaming by all sides is not helping and in fact is hyping up and exacerbating the situation!
If David Cameron, Ed Milliband et al really cared about the NHS they would say come on guys let’s put aside our political ambitions and work together for once for the good of our nation to try to assess the reasons for the severe current pressures and come up with a joint plan to improve the situation!
The current situation cannot be blamed on the past 4 and half years of Tory rule all parties have equal responsibility including the Lib Dems who seem to forget that they are in this as well as part of the coalition!
So come on you lot get out there , lister to people , see what the size of the problem really is and come up with a cohesive plan to sort it!
I for one am fed up with all the blaming and no real action!
I don’t believe that it is just about money either,
I would respectfully suggest that if you’re having difficulty taking the heat Mr Galloway, that you might consider leaving the kitchen to those who can. “Tax cuts for millionaires” has nothing to do with it. Nothing whatsoever. The fact that you’re part of an organisation that is suffers from self inflicted financial dysentry at every single level from the top to the bottom may have something more to do with it than what you’re prepared to admit.
Its very easy to lash out at the politicians for your own employers failings. Especially as you’re starting to believe your own publicity that everyone who works in the NHS is an untouchable angel who is beyond any form of reproach. Be very careful not to bite the hand that feeds you and feeds you well at that.
Very well said, My wife can’t walk because of Shirehill Hospital Glossop failed due to staff storage. So Camerom, Hunt listen to what you are told by these People who know better than you, or pay the price at the election.
Thank you Rob,
Possibly the best comment I have heard so far on this busy period. You wont get your debate but we need to make these facts public so the real debate moves forward.
If you’re looking for the cause of the cuts then look back to what tony blair and his coneys did, Robbed the country of everything of value, borrowed insane amounts of money, started up insane programs most of which are unfunded liabilities, Started a never ending war to further drain the country.
I’m not sticking for Cameron, he’s obviously has his own self interest but the cause of all these problems stretches back to labor when the promised the world and sent the bill to our children 20 years down the line, and this is the route of the problem, with all the budget problems the country has because of labour looting the country and running off, the Tories will be blamed and labour will get a second chance to loot us again. They will promise you everything and everything but at the end of the day you’re the ones that are being sold to foreign interests, you and your children and the promise of tax down the road are the collateral for the money borrowed to give you what you want, and if you’re happy that your children and your children children should pick up the bill for your needs now. then who is really the selfish ones,
This country voted for the people who robbed us blind, it is us not our decedents that need to pay for that mistake
I hope no-one is duped into thinking things will be better under Miliband and Labour. Let’s, once and for all, address the elephant in the room. The NHS needs scrapping and rebuilding from the foundations up. Once people accept we no longer have nor can afford a health service ‘free at the point of delivery’, we might make some progress.
I read Rob Galloway’s remarks with great interest. My daughter is a nurse in an NHS Hospital. She does her shift whatever it is and comes home to look after her family (no husband) she has a house to run and her family to care for. It is nothing unusual for her to get text messages and calls to go into work on her days off because they have not enough staff to run the ward. Quite often she is asked to stay longer on a shift because on of the other nurses has ben sent home from exhaustion. I my self live alone about 2.5 miles distance away, my daughter tries to visit me at least twice a week to see how I am coping. luckily I am able to get around and doing my own shopping I am a fairly healthy 80 years old. When she does manage to get over to see me it is nothing unusual for her to fall asleep in mid conversation where she is so tired and run down. I would like to point out that she is not an A&E nurse just a nurse on a ward in the Hospital. If it is that bad for a ward nurse I can imagine what the A&E nurses are up against. WHEN ARE THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO WAKE UP TO THE PROBLEMS THE NHS HOSPITALS ARE FACING. HOW MANY UNECCESSARY DEATHS IS IT GOING TO TAKE BEFORE CAMERON AND THE LIKE TAKE NOTICE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. STOP GIVING OUR MONEY AWAY AND DO SOMETHING NOW.
I understand the frustrations and difficulties that the NHS and in particular A&E are facing however I would like to say that I think you are kidding yourselves if you think Labour would be any better. All politicians, irrespective of their party have only their own agendas at heart. Believe me, were Ed the Duck and his sidekick, Balls been in Downing Street (Heaven forbid), the country would be in just as bad a situation, if not worse and lest we forget, it was Labour that brought us to this in the first place. Blair and Brown’s light touch banking regulation, to keep the City sweet whilst decimating the Manufacturing sector, gave them Carte Blanche for bankers to do as they wished, the crisis ensued. So whilst I wholeheartedly agree with the points in this letter, the country and the NHS would be no better under Labour.
Please read Rob Galloway’s letter and do not confuse this with a Labour V Tory agenda. Rob has started, quite rightly, that the cuts in social services provision has a large part to play in the current crisis. Also the GP’s are working hard but due to the constraints they face patients are waiting over long for appointment therfore end up in A & E with ailments that would be best treated at a GP surgery.
Hospitals are being put under further stress by the watchdog Monitor and being pushed to find any method possible to reduce the wait times. This crisis is country wide and it is time this was acknowledged by the government. The staff from porters, cleaners, nurses, doctors and all support services such as radiographers and ambulance crews are on their knees so listen up. Do something drastic now to support our NHS.
shame on you D.Scott.the politicians real names should be used infantile rants are only worthy of politicians I hope that you are not one. anything constructive would be appreciated.I believe we will all have to pay more cuts are unacceptable.
I was treated a little while about when admitted to A&E by Rob Galloway.
He raises some very valid points as I had to wait almost 5 hours for a doctor to put my shoulder back in place, which I had badly dislocated ( if anyone has done this they will know how painful it is until it is back in place).
I was given pain relief whilst waiting in the form of Gas and Air and morphine, so spent a lot of time in and out of consciousness where I was on a bed outside the x-ray area for nearly 4 hours.
After they x-rayed my shoulder they confirmed it was dislocated which was obvious I then had to wait almost another hour to be seen.
Mr Galloway treated me and I must say was extremely rude and aggressive I his nature towards a patient who was in a lot of pain for hours. Maybe this highlights the pressure he works under but am also concerned that he goes on about patient care when the way he spoke to me made me feel like a dog he wanted to have put down.
After briefly putting me to sleep to put the shoulder back in, I never heard from him again I was given a sling and told to go and I would be written to about further treatment.
Although I understand how much pressure these Doctors are under I feel that maybe some should look at how they treat a patient as well as how the system is run.
Absolutely fantastic letter, I agree with every word, Cameron and Hunt you need to sit up take notice and then hang your heads in shame. You are so, so ignorant to how your policies are damaging this country, either that or you don’t give a damn.
Well said Rob, I have worked in the NHS for the last 20 years and never seen it this bad in all of that time. No system is without its problems, but currently the impact on our NHS doesn’t only surround our A&E’s, though they take a large brunt of immediate work 24/7. The whole of our hospitals are perishing from A&E to the wards. Reduced funded beds, an overall reduction in nursing staff (despite what they tell you) and a social welfare system that can’t cope with the number of social care cases elderly and thosde whoneed support on the community, added to this are many so called targets (not just A&E)….the focus has become targets, budgets, efficiencies and a whole wealth of matters…that where I stand pre-occupy senior managers with anything but the ‘real issue’. Even governance mechanisms are fudged to prevent the openess and honesty we keep on being told are upheld. There is an exodus of NHS employees many of whom are the more experienced clinicians from our beloved NHS…from medics, to nurses to even health care assistants who have had enough across the board. I keep on thinking what will happen to me when I am old….who will care for me….perhaps Mr Camerons children may be the next generation NHS workers???
Mr Cameron will say, UKIP made this Doc to write this letter, he is such a ……..?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBumQHPAeU
I work for the ambulance service. Last week I stood in hospital corridors for 8hrs waiting to for A&E trolly beds to off load my patients.
One patient I looked after was from a different crew. She arrived in A&E at 01:46 I took over te care to allow the crew to go home at 4am at 6:30 am my manager came to take over from me so I could go home and he off loaded the patient at 8:30am. How can this not be a crisis? This is becoming a daily issue now and winter pressures are not yet fully kicking in.
We can not respond so we get fined for missing targets. The hole system is going down. If the wards don’t have the beds A&E can’t move patients on. If they can’t move people the ambulances arriving can’t of load. And we can’t leave patients in the corridor as nurses are not trained to use our stretchers and because the numbers keep buildin and they say this becomes unsafe for nurses to deal with. So the crew get tied up.
We all love out jobs but can’t do them.
Yes some of the public need to learn to take more care of them selfs and stop turning to the health service for every minor thing. But on the other hand we have issues of ageing population who need more card but can’t as social care is cut. This then makes social issues back into the nhs as they can not discharge or leave people at home if they can not cope and care for them self.
Well written Rob. I do hope Mr Hunt and Mr Cameron take you up on your offer of a debate. They surely have to take note that the NHS is in crisis and needs the support of Government to survive. The NHS was established to give free health care to all. The greater good so you have to ask the questions why are we not standing by these initial values. I expect because it does not win them votes! Why oh why are we wasting valuable money by decreasing taxes from those who can afford to pay them! Why are we also wasting money sending it overseas when should be ensuring that our country safe and secure which means that we are looking after the people who require health care and treating them with privacy and dignity.
I do not work in A&E however see and have to deal with the ramifications from delayed admissions to critical care. We should not be delivering suboptimal care however in these times of crises we have no choice and this is mainly due to the Policiticains not having insight into the real problems of the NHS. There are solutions all we require is for someone like Mr Hunt and Mr Cameron to listen.
Cameron always uses a distraction story to hide a cock up by the tories and say it was,nt my my fault
Shame on me Philip Owen? Give it a rest, the two Ed’s are called far worse in the media so please step down from your school teacher esque soapbox. I can only assume you are a staunch Labour supporter to be so offended by my ‘rant’ which feel was perfectly well worded. All those blaming the Tories for the current mess seem to be conveniently forgetting that a lot of the current financial strain on the NHS is as a direct result of the PFI deals brokered by Labour which have saddled the Government and NHS with huge debts for years.
Most of our MP’s all party’s don’t live in the real world when it comes to health care they will pick up the phone to bupa and go straight to private health care .if Mr Cameron and co actually experienced a visit to any a and e ward maybe just maybe MP’s would step out of the bubble there all live in and pump some time effort and money into the NHS instead of making rich people richer .shame on them all
Well said,trouble is Cameron won’t hold his hands up now will he,damage is done. I myself work in a hospital environment and I must say morale is getting low as staff can’t give the patient care they deserve and its a shame. People pay there taxes and for what,to be told that staff are too busy to help them at the time,it’s just not right. Too much paperwork and not enough staff = low morale,so many patients saying were brilliant and its sad we don’t get recognised for it. Reality check Cameron,come work on a ward and see what you think then,ask patient questions maybe you’ll listen to them
They A&E were brilliant with my Mother just before Christmas. I could see how busy they were but the care was excellent. Not because of the government changes but in spite of them. My daughter who has a first class degree in Nursing is leaving her job and is going to.live abroad when she marries. She will not be able to work in Portugal. Why can they work here? Not against it , but where is that fair?
British citizens can work in Portugal, Lesley. Perhaps you mean your daughter would be required to convert her nursing qualification to one recognised in Portugal, if she wanted to work as a nurse there? That’s completely standard and sensible, pretty much every country in the world has similar requirements.
Well said indeed. I doubt Mr Cameron will take you up on your invitation….I wonder if others would though…..have you sent an email to Mr Millibands office? I think I will….if others did the same, you might draw Mr Cameron into a debate or show him up through his yellow bellied avoidance….result either way?
Having worked in the NHS for 35 years I find it refreshing to see something that smacks of the truth.The career politicians have no idea of what is happening at the sharp end, relying entirely on “civil servants “( who are equally ill informed) to keep them informed of the current situation.When will someone in a position to make effectual changes actually consult with the people who know what is wrong , and what needs to be done to sort out the problems within the NHS.Get down to the shop floor and ask the people at the sharp end what the problems are .Get rid of some of the management levels and bring back more of the hands on techniques that have proved affective .Get back to patient care priority not targets , and we might start heading in the right direction.
Well said Dr Galloway
The doctors and nurses are doing a brilliant job but can only do so much
You should listen David Cameron to what is being said and ACT upon it
Very very well said. Note there is not one single comment defending the current situation – because it is indefensible. I will be writing to Jeremy Hunt and my local MP today.
Totally and utterly accurate, the NHS is on it’s knees and gradually sinking further and further into a total meltdown.
Cutting Social Care in the form of Old People’s care homes, DIsabled Day Care centres, Disabled benefits has a holistic effect on the whole population.
Surely basic stuff? But all you hear is targets not being met for waiting times? That is of little importance when patients are on corridors, without privacy or dignity, ambulance staff unable to be freed up to attend other patients as they are unable to handover care. Patients having their ops cancelled because of the beds being taken up by emergency patients. Why? Older patients can’t get GP appointments in a timely way, that cough turns into a chest infection, pneumonia, ITU? Then the patient waiting for major cancer surgery is cancelled as their bed is now taken by little old lady with pneumonia, and their are no beds, not enough staff, hospital recovery units for recovering patients post surgery are turned into mini intensive care units, with staff stretched to the limits?! Hospital recovery units being used as preop admission areas as these areas are now overfill for wards. Privacy and dignity an issue, as staff try to protect patients from witnessing distressing sights and sounds! Staff struggling to make do, unable to access equipment as it is in use, in repair, or simply this is the NHS, we don’t have funds!
Well done Cameron, you have no bloody clue at all, you officious and deluded individual, and yes I know from first hand what is going on being an experienced Healthcare professional and being the patient on a trolley in a bloody corridor!
I fully agree with Dr Galloway and I really appreciate his courage to speak so openly. But the crisis is not limited to just the A&E departments. Crisis exists in almost every sector of healthcare. I work in Psychiatry and due to severe shortage of beds, we are forced to contain significantly mentally ill patients in the community which can prove to be a real challenge. Then to top it all, bureaucracy it at its peak with filling of countless forms after forms after forms to prove to the commissioners that we are doing our jobs. The time spent in filling forms and attending pointless meetings could well be used for face to face patient contacts. Last but not the least, the discrimination and bullying that the overseas junior doctors face in unbelievable. Overseas doctors (especially from the Indian sub continent and Africa) are assumed to have low competencies unless proved otherwise. In a climate with dwindling work force, the gulf (perceived competencies) between the local British doctors and the above group has only widened. Is it any surprise then that with these doctors immigration back to home countries/ other countries is on the rise ?
Thank you Rob Galloway! We all need to get brave and let people know how it really feels. People need to be prepared to pay for improvements and politicians need to commit to support services. Who wants to work in services when we can’t care for people properly? No wonder recruitment is difficult.
It’s a shame we have to feel ‘brave’ to say it, but we do.
Social Care funding also seems in crisis. How can we cut back any more from people who need our services?!!
Maybe Cameron should give all the staff a hug………but not in Manchester.
We shouldnt be surprised at the attacks on OUR NHS after all its a PUBLIC ASSETT. After all britain has sold off all its other Public Services, Water, Gas,Electricity, Post Office steel works.
Its a shame we cant sell Camerons Crew off.
Why do we have people sitting on their backsides rather than getting to the polling stations or even failing to use the postal ballott where we could have seen fit to ditch this Vile Mob.
What everyone is missing is the fact that the Tories don’t care about any of the social problems. Their agenda is not our agenda. We are still living in a feudal system, oh call it oligarchy if you will, where the kings and lords (of globalized industry) keep us, the serfs, down at heal. If you want the equality and social balance we all call for then embrace and elect true socialist government.