sjburnell@focused-on.com
Steven's early career was in some of the UK's best managed factories, and he has led successful finance operations and sales teams in the software industry. Steven is Commercial Director of Focused_On Ltd (www.focused-on.com) & leads simulation modelling teams in our clients & our partner organisation, Mental Health Strategies. Steven's email address is: sjburnell@focused-on.com
Recent activity
Comments (132)
-
Comment on: Hunt: Unsafe staffing 'totally unacceptable'
Of course, nobody will argue for unsafe staffing levels and everyone knows that the NHS needs to transform on so many different levels, yet everyone defends their status quo including local MP's! The Government tried to bring about the required Culture Change with Competition + Reform via GP Power, but this has already failed + Sir DN is reported as telling MP's that the NHS lacks quality leaders in depth. Perhaps we are simply faced with too many conflicting & overly powerful forces which cannot be reconciled until the collective sole thought is "The Patient is King". Only then will the people, processes, & culture running our NHS realign themselves full-square behind every Patient's best interests & wholeheartedly seek new ways to improve quality of care & thereby reduce unit costs?
-
Comment on: Trust found to have altered waiting times figures
Dear Insideperspective, I'm familiar with Vanguard & Lean Thinking. Your "hook or by crook" comment points to a big cultural flaw in the NHS plus a clear lack of 'ownership' of the required 'care standard' & no deep understanding of how best to pursue & sustain improved care above & beyond a reasonable minimum quantified standard (a 'target' by any other name), especially in the face of changing conditions. The issue arises if a culture demands instant universal success at any cost, except the actual cost of doing the hard thinking, putting in the required time & effort, and delivering evidence-based changes needed to hit target performance levels systematically instead of by applying only localised sheer brute force which can't be sustained, especially when a new / extra standard / goal/ target / KPI / objective / aspiration is introduced e.g. 18-Weeks or PbR Penalties. Agreed, gaming or worse achieves nothing for the Patient & ultimately reduces our trust in the service.
-
Comment on: Commissioners have rationed cataract surgery on inferior evidence, Keogh admits
Words of Wisdom from Sir Bruce. Let's hope this kind of powerful clinician/commissioner teamwork grows rapidly & becomes widespread.
-
Comment on: Trust found to have altered waiting times figures
Nothing wrong with "Targets" per se, especially if they quantify an agreed level of performance that can be achieved & sustained and if their 'owners' are properly motivated to achieve them. Problems are likely without wholehearted 'ownership' & failure is inevitable if Targets are simply achieved by brute pressure & sheer dint of effort rather than by evidence-based intelligent design & optimum resourcing. Pure effort cannot be sustained & can't flex with demand. A&E performance relies on many complex, inter-dependent, system-wide factors, both in & outwith the Hospital. An NHS culture of Bullying & Quick-fixing is corrosive & must be replaced by one of Care & Responsibility.
-
Comment on: Commissioning board's funding formula move was not 'political', says Dalton
Hi Sheena - thanks for your further thoughts, which I do follow. Totally agree with Equal Need=Equal Care (rich or poor / thick or clever). But not clear if you are saying: £12K per Cancer Patient is wastefully excessive & £6k woefully inadequate & both Patients need ~£9K or that £12K should be reduced to £6K & the Saving spent more intelligently by someone else doing something else or just Saved by UK PLC? Although not your example, I still imagine (say) high Obesity will end up with high incidence of premature Diabetes = high prevalence of very expensive (albeit avoidable) LTC's. I have absolutely no idea, but, very broadly, how many £Bn's WASTE should move from NHS & be SAVED or given to (say) LA to ACTUALLY remove Health Inequalities? Or are you arguing +£100Bn NHS is OK but just not allocated fairly + £BN needed for other LA stuff too?
