Friday, July 23, 2010

More on Britain's National Death Service

From the UK's Telegraph, on the state of Britain's National Health Service. 

Women in labour have been forced to wait while epidural equipment was borrowed from other hospitals, while other patients have been denied chest drains and radiology supplies, according to doctors at South London Healthcare Trust.




Minutes of a meeting between medical staff and the trust’s chief executive say “cash flow” problems at the trust which has a £50 million deficit, mean vital equipment is regularly not ordered.

But wait, there's more !

The document records: “The trust in different areas had run out of under water sealed chest drains, epidural packs, gynaecological disposables, radiological disposables, and the response to this was 'this was a cash flow issue’”.


Doctors told managers “again and again” that consultants were unable to know that equipment was missing until the last item had been used, when their patient was already lying on the table, according to the minutes of June 16 meeting.

And then....

It says doctors fear that the trust’s hospitals will be left “in the same situation as Mid Staffs” where hundreds of patients died amid failings in basic care.



James Brokenshire, Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, contacted the CQC after eight clinicians told him they feared patients were being put at risk, but were afraid of the repercussions if they were named.

Socialized medicine.  All of the "civilized" nations have it. 
Here's Donald Berwick, Obama's choice to lead the upcoming Obamacare disaster, explaining to a group of British M.D.'s why their system is so freakin' awesome. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is all this taking place after regular business hours?

Omnibabe said...

Have fun at Camp Blownstar. Sorry I'll miss you this year!

Hot Sam said...

Congress should be forced to get their health care in Cuba, a prison, or a VA hospital.

The Whited Sepulchre said...

Stephen,
I was born before a long fourth of July weekend, and therefore I feel lucky to have made it. Oh....they only have that problem in the humane, civilized countries, right?

Leslie,
Wish you could be here. We're having a great time.

TarrantLibertyGuy said...

I always ask Canadians I meet about their healthcare system. And to a person the reviews are all negative. One guys said this, "They just want to make sure that everyone is reduced to the same level of suffering."