Yet another health secretary looks to technology to save the NHS
sir – Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, pins his hopes on technology solving the problems of the NHS (Comment, January 30). In 1990, before his disastrous reorganisation of the health service, Kenneth Clarke said much the same thing. On that occasion computers were the solution.
Technology has its place but, having worked in the NHS for more than 40 years, I can say that by far the greatest priority for politicians and senior administrators alike is staffing. We need adequate numbers of highquality staff in the NHS and, having attracted them, we must retain them. Dr Tim Cantor
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
sir – Another NHS IT project. Surely it can’t fail.
Michael Baker
Nawton, North Yorkshire
sir – An elderly neighbour had a stroke on Sunday. Her son sought the help of neighbours, my daughter and son-inlaw, who are both GPS. An ambulance had already been called and, despite my son-in-law being able to give the call handler medical details, the handler could not say when the ambulance would turn up. Eventually, they wrapped the frail 92-year-old in a blanket and, with great difficulty, got her into a car and drove her to the nearest hospital, 17 miles away.
I lived in Naples in the 1990s when cars were often used to ferry people to hospital and a white handkerchief was waved out of the window to alert other drivers. Is this really what it has come to in this country in the 21st century? Kate Watson
Moreton-in-marsh, Gloucestershire
sir – I know of one NHS Trust that trialled a “hospitals at home” scheme (report, January 29) in 2014-2015. It was contracted out to a company that was not primarily a health care provider, and was an abject failure.
My mother, aged 88 and unsteady on her feet, was sent home from hospital with a backpack of equipment and cheerful assurances that her care would be of hospital standard. Alone one night after a family member had settled her into bed (when the scheduled nursing assistant visit failed to take place), she suffered a fall.
She was found the next morning, having lain for hours with her foot trapped against a hot radiator, by the same family member. Her red button alarm was on her bedside table. There was no response from the dedicated and supposedly 24-hour helpline, nor was there ever a response from the company concerned. My mother died a few days later.
If the “hospitals at home” plan is to be implemented, it must be rigorously supervised and not contracted out at the lowest cost. Resources adequate to ensure goodquality, reliable care must be guaranteed and not subject to the whims of politicians. The cost saving to the NHS could be considerable but this must not be at the expense of the elderly and vulnerable.
Penelope Sizeland Plymouth, Devon