We hope that the Government gives parliamentary time to convert its good intentions into legislation
Posted in General on 14. Aug, 2010
We hope that the Government gives parliamentary time to convert its good intentions into legislation.PAMELA DIXVice-ChairmanDisaster ActionWoking, Surrey. Sir: That the editor of a broadsheet newspaper such as The Independent feels it necessary to print a letter (29 September) explaining Archimedes’ principle says more about the state of education in the UK than any number of Ofsted reports
DAVID SMITH
Tatsfield, Kent. The detail of the proposals is still being reviewed; we would additionally like to see consideration given to the powers and actions of the investigative teams and to sentencing policy.
We look forward to a time when a corporation’s actions are tempered by the knowledge that it will be held fully responsible for the consequences, a situation society already expects of individuals. Sir: We were delighted to read The Independent’s front page report about disasters and corporate killing (2 October). The present situation, which treats corporate financial crime more seriously than corporate negligence, is intolerable. The Law Commission’s proposals for new offences of corporate killing are an important step forward in our campaign for greater corporate responsibility. Many of our members have been directly affected by these terrible tragedies and others.
Twenty thousand people have been killed in workplace accidents and disasters in the 30 years since the Aberfan tragedy and there has been only one successful prosecution for corporate manslaughter. But at the end of the day creating additional capacity in the evenings or weekends costs extra money.Is the Government equal to the task of reversing unnecessary consumption in managerial terms, halting the exodus of cash into the private sector and as a result giving all our NHS hospitals what they need to provide an effective, sustainable capacity to meet the growing long-term need?Dr PETER KNAPPETTDirector of Critical CareBradford Royal Infirmary. Vast numbers of patients can be processed, with all grades of staff being remunerated reasonably for use of their spare time. While some of these health prevention measures may take 30 years to take effect, people still need their hernias and gall-bladders operated on.The Rapid Response Unit in Bradford last year showed the way forward.
While some trusts may indeed be behind on contract, the real root of the problem is the failure to provide adequate resources to enable NHS hospitals to meet their local needs. While the new government is keen to cut “red tape”, it will not achieve this by amalgamating trusts if it does not first amalgamate purchasing authorities and rationalise the waste of resources there.
A disproportionate number of staff appear to have been channelled into primary care. The problem arose because the previous government chose to expend millions supporting an internal pseudo-market with all the attendant management costs, rather than spend it on direct patient care. This is because most purchasing authorities are themselves cash-strapped and many first wave GP fund-holders seem intent on diverting NHS resources away from NHS hospitals and into the private sector. The book for which I had been prepared to pay pounds 20 – now mine for a fiver!”No, thanks,” I said “I’ve already read it.”. Sir: Your report “Night shift surgeons will cut the wait”, (29 September) implies that it is the trust hospitals that are struggling to meet waiting lists. “Pity you couldn’t find a taker.”He took it down and looked at it.