Opinion

NHS must put patients first

WITH Edwin Poots insisting that the health service needs more than £100 million in additional funding, questions are being asked about how money is currently being spent and whether or not savings could be made in non-front-line roles.

It is up to the health minister to satisfy himself that present levels of expenditure are essential to the delivery of patient services and that wasteful practices are identified and addressed.

Certainly, the public would wish to see sufficient numbers of nurses, doctors and healthcare staff directly involved in the care, treatment and support of patients.

What they are concerned about is that too much money is going towards maintaining too many highly paid administrators and managers.

Of course, it has to be acknowledged that it is important to have people in key roles ensuring this vast, complex service is properly run.

But it is also crucial that the level of administration is appropriate, especially when we are told that money is so short that vital services may be cut.

With this in mind it is a matter of concern that the body set up to run the health service has increased its staffing levels by 20 per cent at the same time as district nursing budgets have been reduced by 12 per cent.

The Health and Social Care Board has in excess of 550 employees - the precise number is not readily available - and spends more than £25 million on wages.

This is a commissioning body set up as part of a reorganisation plan aimed at cutting bureaucracy and streamlining the health service in Northern Ireland.

However, some clinicians have asked why the Department of Health, with its 600 administrative staff, cannot take on the functions of the social care board.

Mr Poots has not ruled out such a move and in fairness he would not be doing his job if he failed to consider all his options in terms of cost cutting.

Questions are also being asked about the future of the ambitious reform programme, Transforming Your Care.

A central plank of this multi-million pound initiative is moving the focus of care back into the community, which is a laudable objective provided there is proper resourcing of community nurses.

The news that budgets for district nurses, health visitors and treatment centre nurses have been cut will fuel speculation that the programme as set out by former social care board chief executive John Compton, cannot be achieved in the present funding crisis.

The health service must be run in an efficient, cost-effective manner that puts the needs of patients first and foremost.

If asked to choose between more nurses and more administrators, the public will give only one answer.