Interesting question.
I'd start with putting more of the budget into funding for mental health care so that it's more in line with physical health care. More places for treatment so that waiting lists can be shorter. And I'd put some money into creating an eating disorder unit in Sussex (something which I know there are already initial considerations for, but whether that is accepted who knows...) because there are no specialist eating disorder units covering Sussex at all (I'd also do the same for other areas of the country where that was needed).
That would be a basic starting point for me. I know funding has just been cut for certain cancer drugs too, so I would also put that back if the money was available. And I would make Cyberknife radiotherapy available in more NHS hospitals. It's a new treatment so there's not too much awareness yet of just how effective it can be, but there are some positive statistics and I think it has benefits.
I'd start with putting more of the budget into funding for mental health care so that it's more in line with physical health care. More places for treatment so that waiting lists can be shorter. And I'd put some money into creating an eating disorder unit in Sussex (something which I know there are already initial considerations for, but whether that is accepted who knows...) because there are no specialist eating disorder units covering Sussex at all (I'd also do the same for other areas of the country where that was needed).
That would be a basic starting point for me. I know funding has just been cut for certain cancer drugs too, so I would also put that back if the money was available. And I would make Cyberknife radiotherapy available in more NHS hospitals. It's a new treatment so there's not too much awareness yet of just how effective it can be, but there are some positive statistics and I think it has benefits.
Original post by quirksy
The BMJ do a section with this title and I was intrigued to hear TSR's responses!
So let's hear it, if you ruled the NHS, or were given £10million to spend on it, what would you do?
So let's hear it, if you ruled the NHS, or were given £10million to spend on it, what would you do?
£10 million is nothing to the NHS - I used to work at a major hospital in the South West hospital and our payroll was about £10 million... a month.
There is an endless list of things you could use the money for. £10m will not go far.
Rolling out e-prescribing more widely, probably. It seems to be one of the few computer-based systems that actually works well, saving doctor's time, reducing errors and enabling far easier audits and research.
More coherent record keeping that will actually allow useful data to come out of the thousands of clinical coding staff the NHS already employs. Denmark has a good system - copy that.
More reliable phlebotomists/on call phlebotomists/nurse practitioners at every hospital. Doctor should not have to go through 6 years of med school to then spend their time doing menial tasks like getting blood and putting in catheters. No other country does that.
Reform the current counter-productive audit culture. Currently doctors are rewarded for adding a new form to fill in then doing a study finding that it works. There is less reward if you find it doesn't work i.e. its all totally biased, and there is no reward for coming back 6 months, 1 year later and finding that after the initial introduction it stopped working. Result: endlessly increasing paperwork.
Or just hire more doctors and nurses so we can stop shelling out on agency staff that are generally rubbish, occupy as much time as they give and yet get paid 4, 5x the normal rate.
etc etc etc i'll be here for hours if I don't stop now.
Rolling out e-prescribing more widely, probably. It seems to be one of the few computer-based systems that actually works well, saving doctor's time, reducing errors and enabling far easier audits and research.
More coherent record keeping that will actually allow useful data to come out of the thousands of clinical coding staff the NHS already employs. Denmark has a good system - copy that.
More reliable phlebotomists/on call phlebotomists/nurse practitioners at every hospital. Doctor should not have to go through 6 years of med school to then spend their time doing menial tasks like getting blood and putting in catheters. No other country does that.
Reform the current counter-productive audit culture. Currently doctors are rewarded for adding a new form to fill in then doing a study finding that it works. There is less reward if you find it doesn't work i.e. its all totally biased, and there is no reward for coming back 6 months, 1 year later and finding that after the initial introduction it stopped working. Result: endlessly increasing paperwork.
Or just hire more doctors and nurses so we can stop shelling out on agency staff that are generally rubbish, occupy as much time as they give and yet get paid 4, 5x the normal rate.
etc etc etc i'll be here for hours if I don't stop now.
(edited 9 years ago)
No more privatization 
Complete review of every little service/operation the NHS offers with the goal of no longer offering anything that is not necessary (transgender operations, hymen replacements, gastric bands).
Higher rate taxpayers would no longer be eligible for outpatient services on the NHS, they would have to take out private insurance for outpatient services.
Fund more British nurses training rather than hiring cheap immigrants.
Higher rate taxpayers would no longer be eligible for outpatient services on the NHS, they would have to take out private insurance for outpatient services.
Fund more British nurses training rather than hiring cheap immigrants.
There would certainly be less money spent on people that cause themselves health problems through refusing to give up unhealthy lifestyles. Much more money would be put into conditions that affect lives dramatically, such as mental health problems, chronic illnesses and so on.
Quick Reply
Latest
Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 2 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 2 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 2 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 2 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?
