Live chat with Lord Darzi about the NHS - June 10th 1-2pm

[carriemumsnet]

Hi All

Lord Darzi will be joining us on Monday June 9th to talk about the NHS and its future, and to hear your views on how you think it could be improved. Lord Darzi is a Professor of Surgery who joined the Department of Health in 2007. Since last July he has been working on a review of the NHS, talking to NHS staff and patients about how they think it should be reformed. He's already set out plans for new health centres to be open 7 days a week, which will complement GP practices and offer an extra way to see a doctor.

His final report will be published at the end of June.

Lord Darzi still works in the NHS as a consultant surgeon two days a week and is married with two children.

As always, if you can't make it on the day, please post your advance questions here and we'll try and get as many as possible answered. Otherwise, we'll see you Monday lunchtime.

Flexibility around what patients actually need is the whole point of my Review. The new GP-led health centres will provide over 2.5 million extra GP appointments a year for a start, and my final report will say more on how we will make services more flexible.

My concern is about the proposed polyclinic at Ashford Hospital. Call me cynical, but I find the fact that there is to be a super duper new pharmacy in the adjacent Tesco store rather mutually beneficial to Tesco and the PCT. I hardly think that Tesco need any help in boosting their customer levels - if the mobile public in the North Surrey PCT mainly switch to using a polyclinic at Ashford AND pop next door for prescriptions, then surely in time this will have a knock on effect on chemists locally to the smaller GP's. Meaning those of us who choose / need / are reliant on staying put have to put up with reduced service from chemists aswell (driven out of business by Tesco).

I appreciate convenience when it truly is, but suspect that once the polyclinic reaches a certain level of patient enrolment, pressure will mount for local GP's, who have to cut budgets, hours even. And the choice of local GP and / or polyclinic will go - meaning everyone is stuck for hours queueing for anonymous care.

The suggestion that there will be a parallel system will surely be a temporary situation - moving to a two tier system and then just the one option - polyclinic.

There is some transparent reporting already and it is possible to see the information on the NHS Choices website. But we need much more transparent information about the quality of care in its various aspects and I am looking at how we can get that and then get it onto the Choices site so that everyone can see it.

I agree with BigEmma. The receptionists at my local gps act like we are ruining their day by coming in. Like we are giant flies that need swatting away.

What about the medical records, can the usual GP access records from the polyclinic? For example, if I get a prescription filled at the polyclininc, will my GP know about it?

When I was pregnant with my second child in 2004, I tried to get my medical records from Epsom Hopsital of my emergency caesarean in 2003. They asked my to send them £50, and then they would let me know if I needed to send them more money. I was astounded that I had to pay anything for MY records and amazed at the price they thought was reasonable. I said forget it and just told Queen Charlotte my version of the events. I find it unbelievable that this information is not readilty available to all across the nation (although I work in Information Management so perhaps my standards are higher than the average patient).

I am looking at the possibility of enabling patients to access their own records in a secure way perhaps online. Would this be of interest to you?

Agree BigEmma. Having experienced NHS receptionists and having been a receptionist in a private hospital, the gap between service provision is HUGE in my opinion.

The hospital was cleaner (and the cleaning staff weren't better paid or had better hours and there never seemed to be enough staff on duty), but, the service provided was better.

Do you think there is a malaise in the NHS and it's workers?

I live in France where women hold their own maternity records - from first booking through to delivery and discharge. Brilliant.

But still sulking that my question has been forgotten.)

Part of me is very tempted by the idea of access to my medical records online. That ease of access would be great. I would have concerns about teh security of my inforamtion though. The Goveernmetn does not have a great record at keeping electronic personal data safe! If safety could be guaranteed then free electronic access to records would be desirable.

Veni - I don't know about a malaise but I do know that the way you are welcomed in the health service is very important and could often be improved and I'm working on this.

I'm not sure online access would be secure!

I know that a vast amount of money was spent investing in the new computerized systems for the NHS - far more than ought to have in the circumstances. I don't think I'd like to see more money wasted trying to find a way for patients to access details online.

I must say, the last 2 years it has been vastly easier to get an appointment at my local GP clinic. Can't fault them at all actually. They are brilliant.

Well, except for the locums....and the people who regularly seem to lose specimen samples......I digress

Yes, Lord Darzi, I would love to be able to access my records online. Did I mention I work in Information Management? I can help you (for a price).

Online access would have to be very secure indeed.

Delighted to hear of your good experience with your local GP clinic.

I think it would be great to have just one medical record that the patient could view - when I saw my maternity notes just before discharge they were factually incorrect (in that at one point they stated that my baby had been transferred to SCBU from the ward in midafternoon, when in fact he had never been to the ward and was transferred at 6am immediatly after birth). I couldn't be bothered to get a copy to complain, partly as I'd already complained at that hospital after my recurrent miscarriage fiasco, and not got much joy.

But if the patient had access to their full notes they'd know exactly where they stood with everyone.

Lord Darzi

re the IT project, wouldn't this be dependent upon a successful NHS computer database for the doctors first? my understanding is that this is something not yet achieved, and certainly not without faults and security issues..? Definitely well over budget.

Good idea in principle, but even the EBIS repeat prescription thing / appointment booking system offered by some GP's is problematic. Patients health records online is not an easy hit and I don't think you should imply that this would go hand in hand with a polyclinic system, certainly not immediately.

That's a kind offer

I'm glad to hear it.

I hate visits to the hospital that you'd rather not have to make, only to be greeted by a miserable old trout, or someone who makes you feel like you are an utter pain in the arse/incredibly stupid because you don't know what you are supposed to do/where to go.

I've experienced better service in all Paediatric clinics though.

What is it about paediatric clinics that you find good? We need to learn.

And I too agree about GP receptions who think I am a fly to be swatted away. In fact the receptionist doesn't like me because I live in Sunbury (North Surrrey PCT) but managed to register at the GP in Hampton (Richmond and Twickenham Trust). She thinks I should leave the practice. I told her I didn't want to because I get a better service in HAmpton, and she said "We can always have it the way we want" in a terribly condescending snooty sort of manner.

But, I'm still there, and she still treats me like a fly. The Gp, however, is lovely.

Yes dearbeatrice, that's exactly what I'd heard to when working in the private sector a year and a half ago.

Sometimes I feel that the NHS instigates new systems for its own benefit and not the benefit of patients. Some may seem like small internal administrative changes but they really impact on the patient experience. For example my materniy hospital has just speerated the antenatal department and the sonography department for admisntrative reasons. As a result your 12 week booking appt and your scan are not donw together anymore and instead they are arranged about three days apart. This means two mronings off work, two mornings of waiting around, two mornings of car park fees.

Could there be a requirement that all administraive changes are put to a patient representative body before they are approved?

Lord Darzi,
I appreciate you have lots of questions and not much time, but it would be great to find out your thoughts on the issue of raising awareness of plagiocephaly.
Is it something which could be talked about to every new mum (in order to address current situation of around half of all newborns having some degree of skull deformity). I appreciate babies need to be slept on their backs, but I do think the 'tummy time' message is being missed and little awareness of the condition generally.
Many thanks for reading,
Dawn.

Thats a good point actually - why is it that paeds generally is in pretty good shape - food is better, enviroment better (ok, thats prob because its easier to get money for the little kiddies from charitys), generally nicer place.

It is all just the 'sexy' cash flow issue ? Or is it that people think that children deserve to be treated well