Look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves. The old adage could just as well apply to the NHS, where if small inefficiencies were addressed, maybe the big ones would be too.
It’s a state of mind, where if the whole organisation is focused on tackling waste, then it becomes a culture which goes from top to bottom, which should benefit patients and staff. Just now it feels as if doesn’t matter enough, so the overall impact is an organisation in which tackling inefficiency is not a priority.
Earlier this month I was sitting outside vaccine centre at The Gyle, having been told the vaccine delivery hadn’t arrived in time for my appointment, so I’d need to wait. I did so, for some time, sitting outside the unit because staff all take their lunch at the same time. But if they could text me an appointment reminder, why not a cancellation?
Then I was in the Chalmers Centre in Lauriston, and very impressive it is too. But it was as quiet as the convent next door; plenty of staff but very few patients. Maybe I was there on a very slow day, but when staff are under so much pressure in other parts of the service, with long delays for treatment and some mental health services facing the axe to cut costs?
I know from my time working with the NHS that it’s not as simple as re-allocating personnel when specialist knowledge and skills are needed, but something seems badly amiss.
