Hospital Rules, OK?

treeve

New Member
I am hearing an increasing and alarming series of 'hospital rules' that a hospital is banning x,y and z for health or 'HSE' reasons.
For example,
1] a hospital did not allow Christmas Decoratations, tree or lights for reasons of HSE dominant rulings, whereby the staff who would be necessary to place these were not qualified under 'Regulations' for such work on ladders, or in electrical work.
2] Christmas Carollers (a nominated choir) were not allowed to give performances to patients due to health risks posed by so many people entering, and for reasons of insurance on the occupants of the buildings.
3] The rulings on staff car parking (and I do not refer to pen pushers and seat warmers, I refer to nurses and doctors) are archaic, insane and draconian.
4] I have just been informed of another insane and unreasoned vague directive that has ruled that ties are a health hazard and are not to be worn by doctors. In the same breath, it has been decreed that as a security measure, lanyards with identity cards should be worn. This is all quite insane, as the reasons for health problems in hospitals are clear to me as it all began when the cleaning contracts became private and what with maniacal pressure for Trusts to be self reliant and for a hospital top be shown to produce results agains the respective performance requirments, cleaning has become a minority event; recent highlighting though has now brought in the attention of another spotlight, and so all manner of wild sources are being quoted as the 'source'. The fact of the matter IS that hospitals used to be a Real National Health building and staff, and they were, whatever anyone pontificates now, run by those wonderful people, MATRONS. Authority, discipline, cleanliness, order, smartness...... Bring back REAL Matrons and bring back REAL hospitals. Drop the conveyor belt process and kick out the accountants, with those managers who delight in their power but without conscious medical knowledge. Why is it that managers are allowed to wear ties, when doctors are not?

I have a friend in an extremely high position in The National Health, I may be pressed to write to her on this, but it rather offends the nature of our friendship. Can anyone offer any pointers as to the justification and 'chapter and verse' of such demoralising actions and petty mindedness?
 
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treeve

New Member
For that matter ... is there anything that has puzzled you about claims or rulings, that beggars belief?
 

missp

Senior Member
NHS hospitals are being hit with outbreaks of novovirus, it has been reported, putting a strain on facilities and resources.

Over 140 wards have been closed down as the health service attempts to contain the outbreak.

Additionally, scheduled operations and visitations have been cancelled amid predictions that the virus could cause even more illnesses over the coming weeks.

Chairman of the Royal College of GPs Dr Steve Field told the Daily Mail that the situation is an "incredibly serious" one.

He added: "We know it peaks twice a year and it looks like we are in the middle of a second serious peak in a few months that could [affect] up to half a million people."

Try telling that to a 19 month old little boy whose Mummy is a staff nurse at WCH and has contracted the novovirus after Treliske has transferred patients with the virus to Penzance, or has had to work at Treliske because of being short staffed there because of it, tell him why his Mummy was in bed all day (and probably for the next 72 hours)and couldnt see him for fear of passing on to him, that beggars my belief.
 

treeve

New Member
Thank you for that news and an insight into the effects of what I see as a mismanaged containment 'system'. I have reluctantly written to my friend with a full schedule of my concerns, asking for details of specific contacts to be made as to which rules are genuine, which relate to novovirus and which relate to MRSA, which ones she regards as effective and why other more serious gaps in control are not implemented, whilst petty squabbles and power controls continue over other matters. I am very doubtful as to official figures, being published as to control and effectiveness, as a strange 'fact' is shown that the same statistics apply to more than one hospital. Coincidence?
 

treeve

New Member
Important Advice

Member Rodway-Barnes, as an ex -member of the Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery, suggests that anyone with the many unanswered questions re "Hospital Infection Control" and "containment"
should e-mail: rose.gallagher AT rcn.org.uk with their concerns.

Rose is an active member of the "Infection Prevention Society"
and was North London Branch Co-ordinator from 2004-2007.

She is also currently involved with work supporting EC "Recommendation on Patient Safety and Infection Control" and represented the "European Federation of Nurses" in development of the document.

Recent events and milestones include the launch of the revised 10 minimum standards for infection control, the development of the RCN "Infection Control Network" and a national conference on health care associated infections for RCN members, held in January 2009.

My sincere thanks for that piece of vital information. I have written to her, and I urge anyone else to do the same. Clarity and Correctness are needed, not myth and misunderstanding. Once I have whatever information and advice is available, both from Rose Gallagher and from Goodwin Hannah, I can then proceed with writing to Government Departments and Hospital Trusts, to enquire as to official policy that has or has not been adopted and applied.

Please note, to prevent Harvesting Software gaining the above email address, I have edited it ... remove the spaces and AT, replace with @.
 
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