Who’s To Blame For The Nhs’s Blame Culture? | Letters

Jeremy Hunt’s article (Here’s nan nonstop effect of our NHS blasted culture: babies die. Tragedy aft tragedy, it can’t spell on, 9 October) will beryllium invited to many, particularly those healthcare professionals who person had to strengthen nan intimidating mistrust and adversarial moving civilization he describes.

What is missing from his relationship is nan seminal domiciled of government’s NHS reforms successful creating these problems. In particular, nan creation, past proliferation, of commercialised and competing autarkic NHS trusts and extracurricular providers complete galore years. This has generated a increasing civilization of firm defensiveness and estimation anxiety. Within specified conditions, practitioners past accommodate to behave overmuch for illustration labor successful ample commercialized organisations – they must show compliance, “loyalty”, conformity and seamless performance, albeit speciously.

This inclination has accrued pinch each betterment complete nan past 40 years; each has carried guardant a neoliberal schedule – some Labour and Conservative governments person devised policies and managements to guarantee this. The presently vaunted 10-year scheme will simply entrench nan problems Jeremy Hunt has different truthful adroitly observed and understood.
Dr David Zigmond
Executive committee, Doctors for the NHS

Jeremy Hunt rightly points to the reluctance of healthcare workers to admit errors person been made, and praises nan illustration of a nurse gathering nan begetter of a babe who died wherever she expressed remorse and wished she had acted differently. This honesty led to forgiveness and improved assurance that lessons had been learned.

It strikes maine that successful wide politicians are likewise reluctant to admit erstwhile they get it wrong. Jeremy Hunt’s imposition successful 2015 of a new contract connected inferior doctors (now called resident doctors) was connected nan mendacious premise that if they could beryllium forced to activity much astatine weekends this would trim delayed treatments and discharges.

He grounded to recognise that this simplistic solution would besides require ancillary services – investigations, physiotherapy, societal activity – to beryllium afloat funded and operational 7 days a week. The resulting doctors’ onslaught and consequent imposition of nan statement caused immense resentment. Perhaps it is simply a lawsuit of “politician, heal thyself”?
Dr Richard Sloan
Retired palliative medicine consultant, Dorchester, Dorset

Jeremy Hunt’s comments are good meaning but not original, and he had capable opportunity to alteration nan system.

The astir important telephone to extremity nan blasted civilization was by Prof Donald Berwick 25 years agone successful his seminal publication To Err Is Human. The Department of Health past published An Organisation With a Memory, which spelled retired constructive correction management, but successful nan NHS Patient Safety Strategy of 2019 (after Hunt had been wellness caput for six years), it was stated that we request to do much to alteration nan culture.

Let’s dream nan 10-year scheme will thief to present that alteration through making it easier for patients and nationalist to speak up.
Dr Eric Watts
Former chair, Doctors for nan NHS

While I work together pinch Jeremy Hunt’s position connected promoting a no-blame culture, implementing that is easier said than done. It is not conscionable litigation that acts an impediment to learning. Other factors specified arsenic complaints processes, coroners’ inquests (which person go progressively adversarial) and moreover nan threat of referral to master bodies each enactment arsenic a deterrent to a civilization of openness and self-reflection.
Dr Ian Freeman
Consultant paediatrician, Manchester