State of the NHS

This has been prompted by this recent article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5275932.stm

Anyone living in the UK knows that the National Health Service isn't in the best of shape. Too many years of under investment, followed by grand plans from various politicians that involve pumping money into middle management have left the system creaking like arthritic joints.

This article is just the latest in many to point out some of the failing in our beloved NHS. Where , I feel, this article fails is that it doesn't look at some of the even more serious problems. I was in the the unenviable position of visiting a relative in hospital a year ago. This person was moved from ward to ward depending on what treatment was required and the level of nursing varied greatly. However, the point I wish to make regards another, elderly, patient who was on the same ward for a time. The patient was very seriously ill. The attitude of the nurses on duty on this particular occasion is an example of all that is wrong. As the patient was asleep they had left their medication on the tray near their bed. It was only when relatives arrived and questioned the nurses over what the tablets were and why they were sat on the tray near the patient's bed that the truth came out. The nurses had left them there while the patient slept and made no attempt to ensure that the medication had been taken. At this point there were approx. five (or more) nurses on duty on that ward, most of them could be found chatting idly at the front desk.

In this same ward as the week-end progressed most of the nurses went off duty, a solitary nurse came in to the ward and introduced herself to the six patients in that bay. On her own for some 24 hours she ensure that all the patients were well treated and even cleaned the bay. During the week with five times more nurses on duty they were unable to deal with the daily problems.
The point I am making is that it is not simply a lack of staff it is a lack of able and willing staff. A single nurse was able to do more than five nurses indicates that the five lack the ability of willingness to do their jobs. In this age this is not "politically correct" to say that someone is inept or incapable. The truth of the matter remains the same.