Social Services and the NHS behaving badly

It`s not often someone from Social Services admits that their management can be corrupt, and it is refreshing to hear it, rather than the same old excuse that they`re `damned if they do, and damned if they don`t.`  Blair McPherson, formerly director of community services in Lancashire council, in the first article below believes corruption occurs because departments are being run more like businesses.  It is probably true that Social Services have become more corrupt for this reason and government policy is encouraging it. It`s also the case that social workers in the know can make a `killing` by providing the outsourced services that local authorities must commission from providers. But once the culture is established how is it to be eradicated when so few are open about it?

OK, those who are open about it won`t tend to be the front-line staff who will be worried about their mortgages.

The NHS has been hit with horrifying scandals and the worst example is the loss of 1,200 patients in Mid Staffordshire Hospital due to a failure of care. In the extract from the Scotsman below it is reported that `in an editorial for the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,` three senior officials at the organisation said that the same problems could occur in any hospital in Scotland where medical staff are under pressure particularly from their bosses.

How is the public expected to trust these two huge public institutions these days? With great difficulty I think. So it is very worrying to hear that these two public bodies are collaborating in Scotland in the Early Years Collaborative towards a shared vision for Scottish children.    

We need checks and balances in the NHS and SS and less collaborating I say.

From CommunityCare website HERE

From the Scotsman   HERE