Posted on 12/30/2006 2:02:44 PM PST by grundle
A hospital has lost nearly £2.5m worth of funding because it treated too many patients.
Nurses and doctors at Ipswich Hospital had done so well in meeting their waiting lists targets they breached an agreement on how soon people saw consultants.
Some patients were seen with a week rather than the agreed minimum 122 days.
Funding body East Suffolk Primary Care Trusts had introduced the limit to manage demand.
It decided the extra work was too costly and refused to pay the £2.5m bill - Ipswich Hospital is already £16m in the red.
A hospital spokeswoman described the episode as a "local glitch" and said it had no significant implications for hospitals nationally or for NHS funding.
She explained the arrangement was thought to be the best way to ensure no one jumped queues and everyone was waiting a similar length of time.
The spokeswoman said: "We made the agreement on the waiting times since it was thought to be the best way of ensuring that patients were seen on a first come, first served basis and that waiting times were equalised.
"In a number of cases we had breached the agreement - for understandable reasons, because we had spare capacity - and treated patients too quickly."
She said the hospital was working to ensure there are no further mistakes, adding: "The money will still come from the taxpayer - but from one purse not another."
Trust chief executive Carole Taylor-Brown told The Daily Telegraph: "It would be great if we were fully resourced to do everything. But we are given a certain amount for the year."
The Government wants patients to wait no longer than six months before seeing a consultant.
"Hillary Care" coming to a hospital near you!
What's in store for our horse-piddles if we ever get Hellery Health Care.
Ill continue to pay for my own healthcare..
The UK is even more screwed up than us.
I would imagine Ipswich Hospital is in the red because of indigent Muslims (as opposed to indigent illegals).
The American health care system is far from perfect, but at least we haven't sunk to this level.
My point is that it WILL get this bad in the U.S. if Hillary has her way.
Some patients were seen with a week rather than the agreed minimum 122 days.No, you idiots. That's managing/limiting the supply. The demand is still there; it's just not being met. (And undoubtedly, patients are suffering, probably dying, because of that.)Funding body East Suffolk Primary Care Trusts had introduced the limit to manage demand.
122 days that's 4 months!!!!!!!!
"What's in store for our horse-piddles if we ever get Hellery Health Care."
Yes, indeed and the Dems are working on that.
Children Take Forefront of Health-Care Plan. (Democrats push towareds universal healthcare)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1760375/posts
For Democrats, covering these youngsters has obvious appeal. It would allow lawmakers to champion solutions to problems of people who they say have been a low priority for Republicans. It also would be a step toward universal health coverage, an old and elusive goal of many in the party.
I tell people that if you like the service you get at the DMV, you're going to love socialized medicine.
Vermont's socialized medicine works much the same way. My sister in law had to wait nine months for a back operation (while being kept on morphine) and three months for hip replacement, after falling off her horse again. For three months she was given a walker and more drugs until they could get around to fixing the broken hip. She is only 48 and should have had pins put in the hip, instead of a whole replacement because she is too young to be given a replacement that only lasts ten to fifteen years.
122 days that's 4 months!!!!!!!!
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And that's the minimum!
Reads like a story from The Onion.
Orwell lives.
Mark Stein mentions a case in British Columbia of a woman who was expecting twins and went to the hospital when her contractions were four minutes apart, only to be told that they had no bed for her. They did a bed search on their computer and found that there were no hospital beds available any where in British Columbia, but they could fly her to Edmonton to have her babies, which they did.
Instead of ensuring British-quality medicine for all, they have ensured Pakistani-quality medicine for all. Albion akbar!
This is incorrect. If someone wants to pay for private healthcare, or for health insurance to cover it, then they are free to do so. Contrary to what you may believe the UK is actually not a Soviet state....
Lest we forget
Bookmarked - great post!
thegreatprion: this is a must read!
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