Hospital League Tables Will Harm, Not Heal, The Nhs | Letters

Wes Streeting does not look to understand nan complexity of healthcare funding. League tables will exacerbate location differences alternatively than abolish them (Norfolk infirmary worst successful state arsenic NHS convention tables reintroduced, 9 September). The problems are not chartless but, sadly for this government, will not beryllium solved successful nan adjacent 4 years. It should not beryllium a surprise, particularly for Mr Streeting, that nan NHS cannot usability efficiently until societal attraction is fixed.

There is simply a monolithic shortage of unit successful each specialities, which return 10 to 15 years to get from assemblage to skilled professional. This leads to a reliance connected locum and agency staff. The hospitals astatine nan bottommost of nan tables will person nan highest usage of them, reducing value of attraction astatine a higher cost. Increasing nan usage of backstage clinics simply loses unit from nan NHS.

The solutions are neither quick nor easy. Prevention, which is the champion measurement to reside request successful nan agelong term, needs practice betwixt authorities departments, thing that has not been seen for decades.
Dr Michael Peel
London

The caller scoring strategy of NHS trusts, particularly regarding intelligence wellness care, whitethorn beryllium excessively simplistic. Within nan past year, I’ve had a intelligence wellness admittance involving a transportation of attraction from 1 spot to different – nan attraction astatine 1 ward was overmuch amended and good rounded, contempt this spot having a little standing by 2 points. While this standing whitethorn beryllium based connected nan trusts’ finances, I interest that it could create fearfulness for group coming nether nan attraction of a intelligence wellness service, thing that is already specified a difficult process.

The attraction wrong nan aforesaid spot but successful different services and wards is truthful varied. When a wellness spot provides truthful galore different services, is it really adjacent to harvester it each nether 1 number?
Name and reside supplied

I person publication astir nan caller convention tables for section hospitals and really they will beryllium accountable for their capacity connected a scope of metrics specified arsenic assignment waiting times. Has this had an effect connected my care? As a sufferer of tegument crab for much than 30 years, I person had six-monthly checkups and curen for each of that clip until now, erstwhile my advisor told maine that, owed to a increasing waiting database of caller cases, my early checkups would beryllium extended to 9 months alternatively of six.

Over nan past 30 years my curen has comprised cutting aliases freezing lesions connected a regular basis. Now I americium being exposed to nan consequence of missing retired connected a captious test successful clip for treatment. Is this an illustration of hospitals concentrating connected really to boost their rankings alternatively of connected existing patients?
Bill Mason (100 years old)
Beckenham, Kent

A standing for an full infirmary based connected 30 metrics is nary usage to maine if I request elective surgery. There tin beryllium 5 to 20 surgical departments successful a ample hospital. Outcomes for elective room will alteration betwixt them and betwixt individual surgeons. The waiting times may vary by information if immoderate surgeons thin to specialise. Overall, it’s nan incorrect standing for a complicated choice.
Peter West
Health economist, London

Our section Medway NHS spot was 5th from bottommost successful nan acute spot convention table, but caller experiences of myself and friends astatine nan infirmary person been excellent. Indeed, I received a missive offering a follow-up assignment day wrong 2 weeks of returning a self-test kit.
Ralph Jones
Rochester, Kent