Four Issues in Tonight’s DriveTime
·
Is the NHS
improving or getting worse?
·
YCYF – FEB 28
·
Surgery
online systems
·
Did not
attend
1. The
NHS: for better for worse!
– it’s a supply and demand issue; the NHS has increased supply, but we as
patients have significantly increased demand!
Supply: Watford General Hospital has significantly
increased its staff
· 580 new nurses and midwives since SEP
2015;
· 43 new consultant grade doctors (net,
up 10%) since SEP 2015
· Virtually zero consultant vacancies.
Demand: partly down to people living longer, partly to
population increase. But also down to people going to A&E who should be
going to pharmacies, GPs or Minor Injuries. NB Urgent Care now on reduced hours
due to lack of demand!
But the critical
issue – what is NHS doing to fix it?
2. Feb 28
Meeting – Roundwood Park School
Sustainability and Transformation
Plans should be the way forward; but they have opened pandora’s box! The 44
plans around the country require £9.5bn of investment to generate £26bn in
savings by 2020/21. In Hertfordshire we’re looking for over £600m. Demand
£9.5bn – available, around £1.6bn! The annual capital budget should have been
£4.5bn but almost £3bn has been assigned to cover immediate needs!
So come along on FEB 28 and hear
how the plans are likely to evolve!
3. Book,
View and Renew
Do you use Your Surgery’s online system to book
appointments, order prescriptions, or see your records? It’s easy and fast to
use and so convenient. On average in our area 21% of patients use the system –
more than in other areas (Watford – 11%, Hemel – 17%, and Potters Bar – 19%)
but still very low. In St Albans/ Harpenden the best surgery has 48% and the
worst is on zero!
4. Surgery “DNAs”
DNA = did not attend; at the Maltings last
week our DNA rate was 4.5% but it varies between over 5 and under 3! Some surgeries
are way over 10%. So whatever you do, Don't be a DNA!