No wonder the NHS is struggling - can't quite believe this!

[outpatient]

Today I went to the hospital. On the from door entrance there was a member of staff whose job it was to say "do you have an appointment, so you have any covid symptoms"

That's it. She's was being paid to do that. She was there all morning, just to say that. This is in addition to the receptionist that checks you in when you actually arrive,

Is this not bonkers? NHS is screwed if someone thinks this is entirely reasonable to pay someone to do this.

It is beyond saving, and likely not running out of money just making really shit decisions WITH the money

The nhs don't prescribe paracetamol in my area and havent done for years.

Granted but all I was adding in defence to OP and people swearing blind 100% that it MUST be a volunteer. Okay? As I personally work for a NHS Trust.

It might be best to take any article referring to ‘illicit cocaine’ and ‘party drug ketamine’ in the way it does with a massive pinch of salt. It’s quite obviously an incredibly biased and inaccurate article designed to lead the reader to a conclusion that the NHS is wasteful whether it’s true or not rather than leaving the reader better informed.

I'm thinking why volunteer, big organisations like NHS if they need a job done why not hire someone.

You just saved me a lot of typing. Came on to say all of this.

Diversity Managers are the latest people to be singled out by The Daily Mail and it’s readers as the enemy of the people but especially in the NHS which has such a breadth of cultures, nationalities, disabled staff and of course, women as well as LGBT staff it’s important to make sure that there is recognition of difference across the piece - not least because it helps it to understand the patient base better which will of course will represent that mix too

Also, OP, funding for the diversity manager in the Trust I work in doesn’t come out of the tax payer pot, so you can wipe your fevered brow there - you’re not paying for it.

@853ax saves money doesn't it? It's like the band 4 job role. It's cheaper than paying the band 5 post yet the band 4 almost does what a band 5 does for less money.

@853ax There used to be an idea of public service. That included people volunteering for public services and fundraising for extras. It happens in various public services. Look at schools as a prime example. Without volunteers, public services would either cost more or be far more basic.

Quite. I don't really see the problem here.

Apparently MNHQ( having deleted my post ) think its ok someone who has probably never worked a day in the NHS to make sweeping negative judgements about the staff who do , but not ok for me to tell the OP where I suggest they go " off " to . Ok OP, come back to us when you tell us where YOU work .

Oh what a darling you are… so why do you reckon those staff are off sick then? Since you seem to have some insight.

DM volunteers to do this. It's amazing how many people realise they might actually have some symptoms after, when asked.

10% of the entire NHS budget is spent on diabetes. Treatment and care and complications due to. 90% of which is type 2, which is strongly linked to lifestyle choices.

If you want one of the many reasons the NHS is struggling.

Prevention is better than a cure

After having worked for a summer with the NHS I was genuinely shocked by the crap from patients.

Many, most, were fantastic

Some however would argue about masks, about symptoms, about their human rights being abused...to hell with anyone internally who maybe immunocompromised

The real drain on the NHS?

The patients who would push and push the system making up illnesses and reasons to see a particular doctor/nurse.

A patient who wasn't happy waiting so came on daily until his appointment got bumped.

The patients who missed appointments repeatedly.

The hero's?

The doctor who stayed on a call for over an hour with a patient's parent whose child was at risk of ending their life and they were terrified.

The doctor who planned their appointments in such a way that the elderly patient who needed extra reassure was their last patient so the only time pressure was that of the doctor wanting to go home.

The team running a covid and flu clinic at a weekend in insufficient buildings resulting in team members stood in the rain for hours reassuring patients.

The staff who were terrified of covid themselves yet still turned up.

Every.

Single.

Day.

The NHS is far from perfect, but I'll defend it and the people there until the ends of the earth after seeing first hand just how hard their job is. How pitiful the pay is in comparison. How crap the feeling is from posts like the OP

@WelshyWelsh i don’t doubt some people are on long term sick for valid reasons and mental health of staff is at an all time low but I will say that in my department we do also seem to have a perpetual number of staff who are on long term sick/gone awol but can’t fill these posts because it takes such a long time to go through proper policy to be able to dismiss them. Not in any way referring to those staff who are on long term sickness who we should be supporting and looking after but it is frustrating when there are undoubtedly people who would be fantastic we can’t recruit because of people who just don’t turn up for weeks at a time. Don’t know if this happens elsewhere!

I am one of those people who get paracetamol prescribed. Not because of cost, but because I need to take 8 a day. Given the restrictions on purchase, I can get boxes of 200 prescribed. The majority of people having paracetamol prescribed get it for chronic conditions, and because of the amount needed.
Happy to pay, however....

You really believe that this is why the NHS is struggling? 🤨

Ok OP you can save the NHS £billions! Well done you.

fucks sake. The NHS has problems because it’s been starved of funds, staff have fucked off due to low pay and Brexit and social care has been criminally neglected. Criminally.

The NHS is not safe under the Tories because they simply do not need it. Most of them are rich enough to go private and want that to be the model across the board. They like the idea of a gold plated system for them.

Another Op, drop and run.

That’s a shocking statistic. And I quickly googled to check it was true!

It isn’t all self inflicted though. Our society is set up to encourage sedentary lifestyles so it’s no wonder. And I dread to think the impact of covid which increases the risk of diabetes.

If they can’t be trusted not to attend then they can’t be trusted to tell the truth about whether they have symptoms. Someone standing at the door asking is a waste of time (and money if they are paid).

I was in hospital with my ds for an operation and there was no greeter. So I call bullshit.

@Bluekerfuffle That is not what happens.

I found in one place where i worked that the fact no one got paid for being off sick until they'd been off at least 2 weeks completely stopped people taking the piss. Funny that.

Also not strange how self employed people are very very rarely sick. Kind of motivating to get to work when you know you won't get paid otherwise! I haven't had a day off sick in 9 years. Not saying I haven't felt like shit, but if I don't work, my bills don't get paid. Sick pay whether people like it or not, does encourage people to abuse the system particularly when they can get up to year off on full pay no questions really asked!

Because there are a lot of people, particularly post retirement, who like to give something back. Many retired staff members volunteer at the hospital where they worked. Turn it round - why pay for a role when there’s a willing volunteer?