Thursday 23 December 2010

10 treats for Andrew Lansley’s Christmas stocking.

If I was the Christmas fairy – these are the 10 wishes I would grant Andrew Lansley (UK Secretary of State for Health) – whether he wanted them or not!


1.   A super-set of ears that really listen. Listen to Hospital doctors, nurses, therapists, GPs, administrators, independent management consultants, patients, and the endless list of healthcare stakeholders.
2.   The gift of patience. I appreciate the desire to implement change and improvements, but being trigger happy means that bullets don’t always hit the right target.
3.   A crash course in Human Resource management. So he can teach the NHS managers how to initiate performance management processes and advise PCTs that sending out notices to staff advising them that their job is at risk just a week before Christmas is not the best way forward.
4.   A year’s subscription to Employee Benefits and Health Insurance magazines so he can see what the private sector is doing about health and wellbeing.
5.   A gag for Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat Minister of State for Health. No special reason but he makes me nervous every time I hear him speak!
6.   A set of gift experience vouchers– to be magically transported into the life of a hospital consultant for a day, a GP for a day, an NHS administrator for a day and a patient for a day.
7.   A big box of realism – to counteract his Pollyanna tendencies on public health
8.   Some good luck – a magical reverse of the awful weather we are experiencing at the moment which will of course stretch resources as the freezing conditions take their toll on the elderly and vulnerable.
9.   A set of scales and a calculator – to help him achieve the right balance in budget allocation.
10.A good Christmas break with some rest and relaxation. There is a lot of
     work to be done next year and he will need all the energy he can muster.

Wishing you all a happy, and most importantly, a healthy Christmas.


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