Tell us what you think about the impending changes to the NHS...

[BLTHollyDawson]

The new NHS ''architecture'' goes live on 1st April 2013. What changes do you feel are needed to our current health and social care system? What barriers have you faced in your treatment journey?

[findasolution]

What is this new NHS "architecture"? Are the details or a summary contained in some form of documention that can be accessed on line? Personally I may want to make a meaningful response to the substance of the question but without knowing what the new "architecture" envisages there is no way of knowing what impact ,if any, it may have on services currently offered and or to make any realistic comparison.

[witchiegirl]

Is this 'new architecture' the changes to NHS in England? As health services are devolved and not all of us are in England (I am in Scotland), then not all of us will be affected, I think.

Further, the word 'journey' can raise hackles (with me at any rate!) - I've always thought a 'journey' suggested choice regarding destination and mode of transport. A diagnosis of liver disease doesn't really provide for that, in my experience!!

Off top of head, these points have struck me in recent times, but it's so hard to know where to start - such a lot is wrong already in the system, in my opinion. But .... I think there can be a lot of slowness in diagnosis/getting investigations, I think because liver disease is often chronic - quite rightly people with acute illness will be seen more quickly;

poor information - unless health professionals are specialists, there is a huge ignorance amongst others eg GPs, nursing staff. There can be a huge stigma in having liver disease, sometimes the ignorance of medical/nuring staff deosn't help in this. So better professional and public education, also that not all liver disease is due to alchohol use (though I hesitate to say on this forum bec I don't want it to seem judgmental - but, let's face it, so little is known 'out there' about liver disease that I think there can be judgement regardless of cause though, personally, I don't think cause matters in the need for support). I've certainly encountered lack of understanding and ignorance.

I notice, for example, that there are no BLT leaflets at my hospital - but other charities and conditions are covered. But hte first hospital i attended when this began for me, a larger tertiary u it with transplant unit etc, they did ? I think have leaflets. I'm not sure where i first heard of BLT but I know nobody in this health board has mentioned it to me, in over 10 years.

More help with issues around loss of earnings due to illness.

Without knowing the detail of the changes (I do know some of it though - I read the Guardian!!) i can't believe the Westminster govt is making changes that will actually help any of us .... <cynical Guardian reader>

[grace111 in reply to witchiegirl]

excellent reply 

[Bolly]

Bumping this up. I guess this link to this NHS Commissioning document outlines the changes

commissioningboard.nhs.uk/n...

Can't say I fancy reading or it, or guarantee I would understand it if I did read it!

Since this blog was posted we've had news of new proposals re nurses training, Nurses will have to spend time working in healthcare assistant type roles before their degree. They will learn how to provide basic care, undertaking tasks such as washing and dressing patients. (Hang on, isnt that what they 'used' to do, before the advent of degrees and in the days of 'Matron')

[art4949]

This is just one opinion based on observation. The NHS needs to invest time and money training its managers who oversee the staff. No manager should be put in charge within a trust by promotion alone. Before that position is assumed that person should be properly trained in Managerial Skills... So they get the most out of each team member..Bullying and bad management goes on where there is a strong hierarchal structure within certain areas...Standard of care should be very clear and consistent across the NHS. The only way this can be done is through training (which is not variable depending on where in the country the trust is) Also, the NHS should be keeping staff numbers at a level so that stress levels are not increased through excessive pressure on individual team members. The efficiency and quality of patient care is being seriously eroded in NHS where cut backs are hitting the number of staff working at patient care levels rather than at managerial level. By training all managers before they take up their positions, they will be more efficient, stay in their jobs longer without being off sick more often due to stress(same for their staff) Poor managers at all levels cost the NHS a fortune and you are loosing loads of good experienced staff due to poor management throughout...