If NHS deficit is due to bad management - why isn't it random ?

Just heard Patricia Hewitt on Radio 4 news this lunch time. She has a real nerve - as I believe a member of the RCN conference pointed out to her recently.

She goes on about the deficiet, that is about 300% of the one she predicted, being due to poor local management. OK Ms Hewitt if thats true why did you go on to say that most of the 'failing' trusts are in the South ? ( Poor managemnt you would expect to be randomly distributed ).

HOSPITAL TRUSTS WITH WORST DEFICITS (AS % OF TURNOVER)

Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust - 25.5% (£40.8m in cash terms)

Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust (London) - 22% (£19.7m)

South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust - 16.3% (£13.8m)

Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust (London) - 14.4% (£19.2m)

The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust - 13.6% (£13.4m)

The truth is that this is a movement of resources from the South of England to the North. The NHS banking arrangements to punish Southern (ie Tory/Lib Dem voting areas ) of the South are proof of this. The failure is thus being created by Ms Hewitt ( who is an ex-management consultant ) for reasons of naked politics.

Will she be happy when people in the South start dieing faster so as to close the gap with the areas of the North that Labour has failed for so long ?

This is going to cost jobs and lives. Patricia Hewitt is a national disgrace as a Health secretary.


Also see
Don't forget the one that tops the list did so because of Government interference just before the general election when they wanted to save a marginal seat. Watch the whole disgrace again ( thanks BBC - and I don't say that too often ).

Panorama investigates whether a record level of spending in the NHS is really providing value for money.

27 Mar 2006