This week I wanted to share what I see as the direct link between the short term, vote-grabbing politics personified by the likes of Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock, and the dire need the NHS has for some long term investment from politicians.
The need for planning that goes beyond the electoral cycles is no better demonstrated than by the state of the buildings in which we are expected to provide and receive care.
Yet more horrifying news came to light this week about thousands of pest infestations in NHS hospitals in England. The information was discovered by the Liberal Democrats who had submitted freedom of information requests, and, as The Metro reported:
āRats, cockroaches, wasps and lice ā these are just some of the pests plaguing NHS hospitals across England. Official data shows A&E departments, childrenās wards, maternity units and staff kitchens have been affected by infestations. Meanwhile, maggots were discovered in a mortuary and rat droppings in a body bag. Some insects even bit workers in another sign of the failings of the government in the health service.ā
The scale of the problem is staggering, with ā18000 reports of pestsā in hospitals over the past 3 years alone. But the problems in NHS buildings are not isolated to rodents and insects; there is something much bigger going wrong here, and for the past couple of years there have been growing warnings about the worsening state of NHS hospitals.