Firstly, I think it's most important to emphasize that the expertise and treatment delivered by all staff members from consultant surgeon - through nursing staff - to ward orderly is absolute superb.
The problem, I believe, is rooted in the fact that so many of the NHS' problems are shielded by the increasingly over-worked and unrewarded staff; fronting the 'institution' with consummate care, professionalism and often a smile. During this past week I've drawn my own conclusions (from first hand experience) of some of the NHS' failings or frailties.
- There are lots of immigrant workers on the ward in nursing capacities. This, of itself, I have no problem with. Cultural diversity is largely* a good thing but in this case I frequently noticed language issues arising between staff members or conversing with patients. Because the ward my father is on is neurological, many patients are suffering from associated speech impediments and can not express themselves to un-fluent foreign staff members nor can they understand the broken English spoken back to them.
- The knock-on effect of the above means that, invariably, the Ward Staff nurses or Senior nurses are having to chase up the work of the immigrant workers and - all too often - do it themselves. I frequently witnessed attendant family members exhaust their patience with immigrant staff before resolving their query with the (already over-stretched) Staff nurse or Sister.
- I personally watched-on as a 'stray' patient wandered into every sideroom and ward room (including those reserved for barrier nursing) without so much as a raised eyebrow from seemingly aimless immigrant staff shuffling around in the corridor. Eventually, when the man emerged from a sideroom naked from the waist down, I trundled down to the Nurse's station where a frantic Staff nurse was desperately trying to accommodate the unrelenting influx of incoming patients to inform him of the unfortunate goings-on. He had to explain three times to a loitering immigrant healthcare assistant that they needed to act in the circumstances and - after 15 minutes and further intervention by him (the staff nurse) the man was assisted back to his room and re-trousered.
There were numerous other examples which echo much of the above but it did scream to me that, while a globalized** workforce can work in many areas of business, the NHS is not one of them. In my - albeit minimal - experience of the NHS, it seems immigrant Doctors can integrate themselves because of sufficient expertise as well as lingual familiarity. The same, I suggest, cannot be said for the swathes of Eastern European or Far-Eastern Point of Care staff.
The solution? Well, surely more has to be done to make the profession appealing to English-speaking nationals. The status quo reputation of the NHS is over-worked, underpaid, un-appreciated and often abused staff who barely cling on to their profession purely because of their passion to help those in need.
The Government has got to accept that an increasingly immigrant-populated workforce is not the answer to diminished staffing numbers. Nursing staff need to be properly remunerated for reasonable working hours with dependable and fully-trained team members who share the common employment terms as them. Recruitment drives should be rolled out nationwide to advertise what 'should be' an attractive and rewarding profession rather than simply buying up cheap labour from overseas.
I realise I'm ranting and have applied the brakes accordingly! Suffice to say, I admire the NHS enormously and am indebted to their brilliance but I fear it's demise. The Government need to stop hiding behind the incredible - but ever-decreasing - staff who are desperately trying to keep the plates spinning while they surreptitiously add more and more sticks to the show.
* I say 'largely' as it can sometimes homogenize or dilute culture.
** Ugh, American conformity!
I haven't actually finished this entry, but bed calls and I don't know how to save it!
