Emergency department bottlenecks, public health failures and unforgivable mistakes are not just signs of an organisation running under pressure, they’re signs of dysfunction that threaten to make the whole machine break down
Voice of the Mirror has its say…
Shocking new figures today reveal the crisis threatening to unravel our NHS. We learned overcrowded A&E departments may be causing more than 1,000 deaths every week. Meanwhile, thousands of women suffered due to NHS failures in breast cancer care in County Durham. And in one of the most startling statistics uncovered today, children as young as five are being admitted to hospital with rotten teeth. And in a mammoth organisation like the NHS, each of these failings has a knock on effect. If one part breaks down, it piles impossible amounts of pressure on the others. Emergency department bottlenecks, public health failures and unforgivable mistakes are not just signs of an organisation running under pressure, they’re signs of dysfunction that threaten to make the whole machine break down. Yvette Cooper is only a few weeks into her new job as health secretary – but she mustn’t underestimate the scale of the task ahead of her. The NHS needs tuning like an engine before it’s too late – and Britain needs it now more than ever.
It’s time for water fatcats to pay for their mistakes
Andy Burnham promised that when he took over as PM, he’d make water companies pay properly for their mistakes – and that would be a nice change.
Today we learned water firms were let off with warnings over thousands of failures last year – including blunders that put lives at risk.
And lo and behold, figures show sewage pollution is going up. We can’t imagine what gave water fat cats the idea they could pollute with impunity, but it’s time someone told them otherwise.
The best staff make good pubs great
Congratulations to all the staff at the Tamworth Tap, today named Britain’s best pub. Nice buildings and top notch beer can make a pub good – but it’s the people behind the bar that make one great.
