FINING HOSPITALS RISKS PUNISHING THE SYMPTOM WITHOUT TACKLING THE CAUSE - LAMB

Commenting on the Chief Medical Officer’s call for hospitals to face fines for harming patients through infections or medical errors, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP said:

 
“It’s right that hospitals should be held to account for serious breaches that harm patients. The only danger to this approach with things like infections is that you risk punishing hospitals for a symptom without tackling the cause.

“Fines will not help reduce the high levels of bed occupancy which make it impossible for patients to be isolated.
 
“Many hospitals with high infection rates are also carrying heavy debt, worsening their financial problems may result in patient care suffering.

“The focus must be on creating a culture of good hygiene and reducing overcrowding if we are to win the war against superbugs.”

I will be a little more blunt than Norman Lamb MP.

Only a bunch of thickoes like this Labour government and, in particular, one led by a Stalinist with Bean tendencies could dream up a suggestion such as this.   For once, the LibDems are right.  Mind you, the NHS has never recovered from the nasty idiocies of that fool Milburn, one of the early newLabour Health Secretaries.  He was a great one for offering the stick followed by the rod before leaving to spend more time with his family and a useful job which, it is alleged, did no harm to his pocket.

This latest back-of-a-fag-packet wheeze would be hilarious, akin to the insane running the asylum, if it weren't true.

It is, of course, beyond Brown's comprehension that fining a nationalised industry which is short of cash because of his own policies, will do nothing to help it to recover and improve its performance.  

It should be obvious even to today's primary school pupils let alone a government minister (and that says a lot after 10 years of Labour  education failures) that if a business, already near bankrupt, is fined, it either won't be able to pay the fine or, if it manages to do so, it will be at the cost of another of its services.   In other words, standards will drop even further.

Either the CMO, Liam Donaldson, has taken leave of his intelligence or he is doing what he is told.  I rather fancy it is the second because, being an eminent medic he has been blessed with above average sense.   In any case, the measure has all the hallmarks of a Brown government.  Someday, Donaldson may admit he has been used and he may then resign in protest.

A more reasonable way forward would be to encourage hospitals to improve through, as the late, unlamented Prime Minister Bliar would say, "Education, education, education".  However, we are stuck with Brown, fool though he is, for the next several years.   

Before doing that, of course, the government would have to admit the folly of its own policies.  Anyone want a ride on my flying pig?

David Roberts

14/12/07