Mark Drakeford
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Posts
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https://www.olddailypostlink.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/mark-drakeford-calls-more-powers-19920057
Mark Drakeford sees Wales a world leader in recycling, an achievement, but at what cost? Here in our local hospital we still have vacant consultants post that have remained unfilled for years not months.A world leading , well managed , well funded and efficient NHS Wales would truly be something to be proud of, unfortunately that was not the chosen path of the Labour Government in Cardiff. The NHS staff have achieved the almost impossible , it’s etched on their faces. The next Welsh Government need to concentrate on funding the basics first before anything else.
If it’s a vacant post there must be funding in place for it. You can’t force people to move to a particular location. I think you will find there are areas of the UK where there have been vacancies for decades, in some posts.
I believe some GP vacancies have, at best, been covered by locums for years as they can’t find anyone to move to the locations permanently.
We now have the problem of a reduced work pool as well.BCHB failing and being in Special Measures for over five years doesn’t help , but as an area to live and bring up a family North Wales has plenty to offer. As for funding, departments should be able to recruit the correct number of consultants to fully man departments. Offering one or two posts to cover the work of three is not good enough!
“but as an area to live and bring up a family North Wales has plenty to offer.”
But not necessarily what everyone with a family, looking for a job, is looking for.
We have a problem with recruiting to the NHS. There are many causes for this
a) the UK and Welsh Government aren’t very good at planning ahead when it comes to deciding on the number of new doctors and nurses to train. nor is the sector good at offering multiple routes in to working in the NHS
b) Society has some conflicting attitudes towards the NHS – we praise them as heroes as now, but we don’t appear to value, encourage or support people to make the effort it takes to train to be a doctor or nurse. We are also quick to criticize the profession despite having little knowledge.
c) It is hard to know how much pay is an issue since working terms and conditions, management attitudes, career progression, lack of investment in facilities and society attitudes are very important factors in staff morale. Everyone would like to be paid more and at least in the NHS jobs are usually secure, unlike elsewhere in the economy. Social care is a different matter, where pay is poor and working conditions are exploitative because we as a society refuse to pay the taxes or the fees that could fund social care properly. This is our choice – we vote for such an approach repeatedly and we must take the blame.
d) The NHS has always relied on recruiting from outside the UK and we decided to turn off part of the supply by leaving the European Union. Also many other countries are now recruiting so it is a competitive market.We have millions of people working in insecure work, which is low paid, often unproductive, much of which could be automated; meanwhile the medical and caring professions have so many vacancies. The Government needs to be far more proactive and strategic. Is it too much to hope?
e) Are our schools encouraging and enabling pupils and students to make their careers in the medical profession? Too many people leave school scientifically illiterate. Too many people are leaving education overall with few skills or irrelevant skills to following a career in medicine. There needs to be routes into retraining for those who have the right aptitudes and attitudes so they can gain the skills and knowledge required.
f) The media must take some responsibility – they organize massive competitive TV shows to recruit people into singing careers, the vast majority of which will fail. How about organizing a show that encouraged people to get a career in medicine, most of which would result in success.
Fortunately during the pandemic society has final paid attention to science and medicine, and the amazing people who work in those sectors, which is such a welcome change from the usual dominance of entertainment and sporting celebrities. I hope it continues because actors and sports people are not that interesting and it has been great to see other people in the limelight for a change – people who really make the world a better place for all for the long term.
Iona really good summary of the issues. The point over leaving the EU is a massive issue for the free flow of workforce. Considering training for Drs is 6 – 10 years we are heading for a massive skills shortage if many of our EU Health workers decide to go back to home countries. This is a massive void that will see far more pressures on our Health Service than what we have seen during Covid. There are 1000’s of people who owe their lives to all of the international health care workers that have looked after them at a time when they were staring death in the face.
Seems strange that we recruit EU health workers when a morning TV programme regularly shows British nurses emigrating to Australia.
When they are trained in the UK, shouldn’t they have a contract that they will stay in the UK for X number years or pay back monies spent on their training.
Today’s Daily Mail: “The NHS doesn’t have enough nurses, nor are enough being trained to meet future demand.
And yet the government has confirmed that it is scrapping nursing bursaries, which cover the cost of tuition fees.
Instead, prospective student nurses, midwives and allied health professionals will have to apply for a student loan”That being said, nurses etc must have the right to choose where they practice their skills, at home or abroad considering that they have gained their degree at their own expense.
Nurses have been undervalued in this country for years in terms of financial reward and kudos. It is only when major catastrophes arise, like the current pandemic that their contribution is recognised by society. They have my full support in doing what is right for themselves and their families and if that means making a decision to practice their trade or calling overseas, so be it.
The ball is firmly in the government’s court.You mention the leaving of the EU for the free flow of the workforce but if we did not have migration of 25,000 people from europe since 2004 our local hospital might not need the extra doctors and nurses.
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