...Andrew Foster, the Department of Health's outgoing director of workforce, compared the crisis-ridden NHS to a ship with a 'burning deck'.Mr Foster also revealed that a report by the management consultants McKinsey, which was ordered by Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and presented to ministers earlier this year, concluded that the department was 'dysfunctional'.
In an interview with the British Journal of Health Care Management, Mr Foster said: 'The word is it was deeply critical of a Department of Health which had lost control of its relationship with the NHS, of finances, and of the system reform agenda. The report found that the Department of Health board had basically shot itself in the foot. It was very critical a dysfunctional department and board.'
And later,
Mr Foster, who is rumoured to have been pushed out of the department after six years in the job, warned that there was a 'corrosive' culture of blame with the NHS. He highlighted massive failings in the system, saying managers were 'concentrating madly on activity planning to hit waiting list targets'.
The above extracts are from a Daily Mail article on Wednesday 3rd May. It would, of course, be fascinating to see the actual report by McKinsey. It is, of course, of critical importance that the 'payment by results' system should have been well designed and should be well administered. What is the situation there?
If any reader can obtain more of the article by Mr Foster in the British Journal of Healthcare Management, please do post it as a comment. If anyone can get hold of the actual McKinsey report, please let me know.
Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in NHS
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Of course we all know that the Department of Health has shot itself in the foot but it would be nice to have sight of the expert report that says so. As tax payers and users of the NHS haven't we a right to see it. Dr Grumble agrees with Bishop Hill, use the Freedom of Information Act.
Posted by: Dr Grumble at May 6, 2006 09:49 PM
Former health minister Jane Kennedy has resigned because she feared NHS reform was going too fast. It seems the thought police were out and silenced her.
When those at the top won't hear constructive criticism that's a sure sign of dysfunction.
http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200605/6d168c9f-6896-4029-8f6f-7f01252b6c08.htm
Posted by: Dr Grumble at May 7, 2006 04:27 PM
It seems politically incorrect these days to refer to the NHS as a crisis ridden instituiton. I prefer to liken it to Thames Water. Huge amounts of resources, both human & financial go in at one end, but along the way the leakage factor is very high.
What can be done to fix the system? OurPetition's prescription for healthcare reform starts with obtaining a demonstrable commitment from those at the top....from the policy-maker's. By way of petition, our lobbying organisation is asking that MP's always use the NHS themselves and not seek private medicne. If policy-makers were to commit to using the NHS without opt out, then the one million NHS workers might just come to back the painful reforms necessary to build a world-class health service. Such an open demonstrable commitment from policy-makers would also place health care reform squarely on the political agenda so that citizens could vote for a leadership in the next general election genuinely dedicated to reform.
OurPetition invites every UK citizen, member of Parliament to sign the petition by visiting www.ourpetition.org. 19 foward thinking MP's have already signed the Petition. They are truly leading by example. But now it is up to the public to take responsibility for their own health by asking their own MP if they too will put the health of the nation before their own, by signing the health petition as well.
Posted by: Richard Solomon at May 8, 2006 10:02 PM
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Could a request under the Freedom of Information act get it for you?
Posted by: Bishop Hill at May 5, 2006 07:40 PM