Doctors’ union in warning over ‘blame’ culture
A DOCTORS’ union has warned the target-driven “blame” culture in Scotland’s NHS must end.
Peter Bennie, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish Council, said many healthcare targets do not focus on the patient’s best interests and create a culture of blame when they are missed.
He called for a “fundamental shift” in the use of data in the health service towards enabling staff to use their skills and judgment.
He added: “The current culture of using crude measures, often taken in isolation, to judge the complexities of the whole healthcare system, and to apportion blame, must end. I believe that there will always be a need to set standards for patient care, and for these to be monitored.
“However, saying that a patient moved out of A&E, perhaps to an inappropriate ward, simply to meet the four hour target, is somehow a success, when it may well have been better for the patient to stay in the emergency
Health Secretary Shona Robison said she agreed with the BMA there should be a balanced approach.
She said: “Targets and indicators form part of this balanced approach and have an important role in giving people clarity on what to expect from health and social care services, and in monitoring performance across the country.
“But they can never be an end in themselves.”