Dr Paul Worthington
Cwm Taf CHC
Recent activity
Comments (119)
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Comment on: Our duty to comment and criticise
...or even 'to' their elbow !
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Comment on: Our duty to comment and criticise
This is good news ! The HSJ already does a very sterling job of analysing/informing/testing/critiqiong health issues, but I've long been a reader and admirer of Andy's work in Health Policy Insight. More power of their elbow.
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Comment on: Patients can stop trusts playing the ratings system
I'll give a cautious welcome to this. It is crucial that patients have a much more active, supported and transparent role in assessing the quality of services and also in decision-making. I think their views and opinions are vital in assessing how well - or poorrly - care is delivered. I'm a CHC Chief Officer in Wales, so if anything can help us in strngthening the patients arm and supporting better assessment of services, I'm listening. But I have a few caveats: - if a soultion appears simple, it's often because it isn't. On the subject of moving targets, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sometimes targets make good clinical and patient care sense. I think we want to get patients on waiting lists into care in a reasonable time; equally we want make sure that suspected cancers are seen and treated (where necessary) swiftly; quick diagnosis and thromolysis of stroke is key to improved receovery. Some targets make sense and setting up systems to work to those targets makes sense. - There is a danger in producing a culture where all we do is respond to the immediate. I know planning is becoming a dirty word in health, but done properly ot's how we can make sure services will be right for what's happening in 5 years toime and beyond. part of good practice should be about patients and communities are part of that process, rather than focusing all our listening on shuffling around here and now issues - ignore the voice of staff at your peril. Yes, patients views are criticla, but surely one clear lesson of Francis is that we shopuld be making sure we hear front-line views about services. Sometimes clinical staff and patient views aren't the same, but it's daft to pretend that staff views should always be ignored, even if they differ from what we're hearing elsewhere. They might recognise clinically poor or excellent practice when indivifual patients don't
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Comment on: Nicholson does not deserve the Mail's vilification
Anon 10.51 What a silly post. Alistair made the very sensible point that sweeping generalisations are not especially helpful; nor are insults. As a very long-serving NHS Manager, I certainly found it insulting.I don't think it was accurate either. Alistair made a plea for informed, adult discussion. Let's do it. Also, I think the anonymity issue is a bit of a red herring. We can easily dissect and discuss the arguments and their validity (or otherwise) without knowing who wrote them. If there are inaccuracies, point out what they are; if you disagree, then say so and argue your case.
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Comment on: Francis report: sensible, verbose, impractical
anon 10.39 No it hasn't come out of the blue. But you missed my point; the report is detailed and wide-ranging. Just saying 'culture problem' doesn't reaslly move us forward much. That's why a closer and in-depth look at what Francis says is important.
