Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article7039285.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...9285.ece</a> >>Patients were routinely neglected or left “sobbing and humiliated” by staff at an NHS trust where at least 400 deaths have been linked to appalling care. An independent inquiry found that managers at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust stopped providing safe care because they were preoccupied with government targets and cutting costs. The inquiry report, published yesterday by Robert Francis, QC, included proposals for tough new regulations that could lead to managers at failing NHS trusts being struck off. Staff shortages at Stafford Hospital meant that patients went unwashed for weeks, were left without food or drink and were even unable to get to the lavatory. Some lay in soiled sheets that relatives had to take home to wash, others developed infections or had falls, occasionally fatal. Many staff did their best but the attitude of some nurses “left a lot to be desired”. << <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1253438/Mid-Staffordshire-NHS-hospital-routinely-neglected-patients.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...nts.html</a> >>Not a single official has been disciplined over the worst-ever NHS hospital scandal, it emerged last night. Up to 1,200 people lost their lives needlessly because Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust put government targets and cost-cutting ahead of patient care. But none of the doctors, nurses and managers who failed them has suffered any formal sanction. Indeed, some have either retired on lucrative pensions or have swiftly found new jobs. Former chief executive Martin Yeates, who has since left with a £1million pension pot, six months' salary and a reported £400,000 payoff, did not even give evidence to the inquiry which detailed the scale of the scandal yesterday. He was said to be medically unfit to do so, though he sent some information to chairman Robert Francis through his solicitor. The devastating-report into the Stafford Hospital-shambles' laid waste to Labour's decade-long obsession with box-ticking and league tables. The independent inquiry headed by Robert Francis QC found the safety of sick and dying patients was 'routinely neglected' The shocking estimated death toll, three times the previous figure of 400, has prompted calls for a full public inquiry. Bosses at the Trust - officially an 'elite' NHS institution - were condemned for their fixation with cutting waiting times to hit Labour targets and leaving neglected patients to die. But after a probe that was controversially held in secret, not a single individual has been publicly blamed. The inquiry found that: • Patients were left unwashed in their own filth for up to a month as nurses ignored their requests to use the toilet or change their sheets; • Four members of one family. including a new-born baby girl. died within 18 months after of blunders at the hospital; • Medics discharged patients hastily out of fear they risked being sacked for delaying; • Wards were left filthy with blood, discarded needles and used dressings while bullying managers made whistleblowers too frightened to come forward.<< <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-real-lessons-of-this-nhs-disaster-1909596.html" target="_blank">http://www.independent.co.uk/o...596.html</a> >>The Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, yesterday described the appalling treatment of patients at Stafford hospital as "ultimately a local failure". This misses the point. For one thing, Stafford is not the only NHS hospital that has put patients' lives at risk in recent years. Basildon and Colchester hospitals were also discovered to have jeopardised safety in 2009. What is more, Mr Burnham's efforts to quarantine this disaster suggest an unwillingness to face up to the scale of the problem that has been revealed. The failure in Stafford is not just the tale of one badly run hospital, but the failure of a regulatory system that did little to sound the alarm until very late in the day. From 2005 to 2008 Stafford hospital was judged by regulators and the Government to be performing well. It passed many inspections and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust even achieved foundation status, supposedly the benchmark of excellence.<< I am sorry, but this is just WRONG, plain WRONG!!!!!!
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Until you offer up similar horror stories about PRIVATE hospitals in this country -- and there are thousands of such stories, trust me -- I won't care one wit about this post of yours. Hospital horror stories exist in every nation on the planet. The bigger question you should be asking, is what is the PER CAPITA PERCENTAGE of citizens suffering from lack of regulation and adequately managed clinics and hospitals? That's the more important question to address, which your linked articles fail to do. Fact: More Americans die every year from LACK of ANY health care than Brits. Fact: More Americans go into MEDICAL BANKRUPTCY because they cannot afford to pay for treatment in a FOR PROFIT medical system. Brits do NOT go into MEDICAL BANKRUPTCY for lack of adequate funds. What's the point of curing your cancer if you cannot afford to live above the poverty line for the REST OF YOUR LIFE in order to have that cure? Medical competency has ZERO correlation with the overall concept of universal health care. America does not have universal health care, and we have some of the MOST INCOMPETENT hospitals and clinics on the planet. Go and do your research homework if you doubt me.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer If this was a Private Program, how many people would be upset about this... (From the prioe quotes).... >>But none of the doctors, nurses and managers who failed them has suffered any formal sanction. Indeed, some have either retired on lucrative pensions or have swiftly found new jobs. Former chief executive Martin Yeates, who has since left with a £1million pension pot, six months' salary and a reported £400,000 payoff, did not even give evidence to the inquiry which detailed the scale of the scandal yesterday. << So run a private business, get the 10th degree for your salery and making a bonus.... And of course, these comments.... >>An independent inquiry found that managers at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust stopped providing safe care because they were preoccupied with government targets and cutting costs. << >>Up to 1,200 people lost their lives needlessly because Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust put government targets and cost-cutting ahead of patient care.<< >> From 2005 to 2008 Stafford hospital was judged by regulators and the Government to be performing well. It passed many inspections and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust even achieved foundation status, supposedly the benchmark of excellence.<< YIKES!
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Since Darkbeer likes metrics: The United States is ranked 35th in the world for health care system outcomes. The United Kingdom ranks 18th. (That would be 17 spots better than the United States). We spend nearly 3 times more per capita to provide health care to 80% of our population than the U.K. spends to provide health care to everyone. Some deal we're getting! At least the health insurance executives can get their bonuses!
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Anthem Blue Cross is raising rates by as much as 39% in California to policy holders not covered by an employer. Anthem's owner, Wellpoint, earned over $2B in profits in the most recent quarter. Wellpoint spent $27M on executive retreats last year.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Again, nothing there that doesn't happen in our private system. In fact, there's probably less oversight here, making such abuses less likely to be found.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy ^^ Nothing there except that our private system charges us 3 times more for worse outcomes! If you were in an automotive market that forced you to pay $60K for a Toyota Corolla, would you say the system was working well for you?
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones King Drew Medical Center in South LA. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-kingdrew-gallery,0,5651209.storygallery" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/news/lo...ygallery</a>
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Um, Darkbeer, this is kind of pointless. No one in the US is pushing for the same kind of healthcare system that the UK has. No one. You're just fearmongering here. There's no National Health Service, and even the most liberal ideal of single payer health care is still run through insurance companies and hospitals just like it is today. The only difference is who the payer is. Medicare makes a TON of money for the insurance companies that run it under contract to the government. Your post has chipped paint and your arguments are pretty run down.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Careful, he'll report you all to the mods for making him answer a question.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>even the most liberal ideal of single payer health care is still run through insurance companies and hospitals just like it is today.<< I hate to disagree with you and spook poor Darkbeer even more, but I sez it should NOT be run through the insurance companies. Outsourcing of government services to "more efficient" (har) private companies caused this massive corruption problem we have now, one of the many left to us by the Reagan Revolution.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Darkbeer (who has admitted to having government-subsidized health care) should stick to taking countless pictures of theme parks rather than lecture ANYONE on government-run health care. A camera don't make ya smart bro.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>Again, nothing there that doesn't happen in our private system. In fact, there's probably less oversight here, making such abuses less likely to be found. <<< And that's the kicker. At least in the UK there is full transparency and accountability. I do not condone Staffordshire (there are known issues being dealt with as we speak, it is a problem area). But out of 70m people, this is a small number. It's not right, but at least we know something about and can deal with it. I have seen similar problems with Kaiser Care in the Bay Area, and that was much more expensive. It's funny though that you do not mention all the fantastic work taking place, the fact that mortality rates are lower overall, or the cost of care is lower and available to all. How convenient. I will never forget our last trip to DL where 2 LPers who needed medical attention did not seek it due to economic issues. That to me is frankly immoral.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>I will never forget our last trip to DL where 2 LPers who needed medical attention did not seek it due to economic issues. That to me is frankly immoral.<< And is a fairly common occurance in the US.
