Closed shops

[Allen]

If Mary Harney is to sort out the health services she is going to have to take on the various overpaid health professions who are the main cause of the over-expensive and under-performing health service. There were two items on the news this morning, which highlighted this. A successful public orthodontist system was set up and running in the west of the country a few years ago but then the Dental Council came along and imposed unnecessary training requirements on it which effectively closed it down. The suggestion was it was so successful at treating public patients that private dental practices were suffering!



Unfortunately some people may need a doctor at any time of the day or night so obviously hospital doctors should be on a shift system to cater for this. But the Medical Council is insisting that hospital doctors are in a 9am to 5pm job and must get paid overtime for work outside this.



Nurses are just as bad. They won’t allow auxiliaries to do simple things like take a patient’s temperature or blood pressure. I knew that they were overpaid but if they think taking someone’s temperature is a highly specialised nursing skill then I considerably underestimated how excessive their pay is.



The trades unions have a lot to learn from the success of the health professions’ closed shops!

 

[Purple]

. Unions will always seek to protect their members, that's their function and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is that the unions call the shots, not the government. The result of this is that the health sector is primarily run for the benefit of those who work in it, not those who consume its services

 

[daltonr]

They won’t allow auxiliaries to do simple things like take a patient’s temperature or blood pressure.

I spent a bit of time in hospital when I was a kid. I learned (in about 10 minutes) to take my own temperature and blood pressure, and fill in the chart. If it will improve the quality of care to the patient to remove these jobs from Nurses then it should be done. Taking temperature/blood pressure is about as specialised a skill as vacuuming a floor.

-Rd

 

[Gordanus]

taking temp and B/P - simple (used to be the doctors job years ago!) Interpreting the results, taking into consideration the existing medical condition - not so simple.

 

[Purple]

taking temp and B/P - simple (used to be the doctors job years ago!) Interpreting the results, taking into consideration the existing medical condition - not so simple.

The nurse does not interpret the results. If BP or temp is not within a defined range the doctor is called or in this situation the nurse can be called and he/she can make the decision to call the doctor.