Goals & Policy Detail - Hospital & Health

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This is what you say:

We want fast treatment and the best care before, during and after.

What's wrong with things as they are?

Waiting times are too long for most in- and out-patient treatment.
There are not enough nurses, doctors and surgeons and too many bureaucrats.
Other areas like cleanliness, food quality and patient dignity need to be improved.
People in need at home, and their carers, require more help and support.
Children's health, particularly, needs protecting.

UKpopdems will make sure that people receive treatment based on medical advice rather than cost, so we'll:

Reduce waiting times for life-threatening, chronic pain, crippling and debilitating illnesses to a maximum period of three months. One month to initial consultation, one month for diagnosis and one month to treatment or operation.
Invest in smaller, local cottage and convalescent hospitals to reduce bed blocking. This will allow patients to be properly monitored and cared for pre-op and post-op.
Make physicians and surgeons responsible for treatment and measure them on successful outcomes.
Make nurses responsible for patient care and measure them on improving health on the wards, at discharge and during convalescence.
Expand front-line social and health services to support people in need who are living at home. Value family carers highly and ensure they get the support they need also.
Directly employ public health support workers such as porters, cleaners, catering staff and home support and ensure they are managed by the nursing profession.
Expand support for psychiatric and behavioural disorders and strictly monitor the quality of care and treatment. Where there is a risk of violence, ensure care is under a secure regime.
Give those suffering disability the support they need to participate fully in society, contribute to it and get the most out it.
Take the health service out of local authority control and put it firmly back in the hands of physicians, surgeons and nurses.
Step up independent checks on quality and canvass patient opinion.
Where resources are employed from developing nations, train double that number for the local community.
Label food clearly to give improved health choices, and limit advertising to children.
Make dietary expertise and support readily available, especially to improve children's health

What will this do for the British People?

You will have confidence that serious illnesses will be treated quickly and you will get the best care in hospital and at home.
If you are caring for relatives or friends at home and need help, you will get support and be valued.
If you are disabled, you will get help to participate and contribute as fully to society as you can, and get the most out of it.
Children's health, particularly, will gradually improve

Companion notes to the policy

Waiting time reductions will come by undertaking diagnostic tests in parallel with consultation, rather than serially as now. Foreign and private hospitals may be used, but only with the recommendation and control or the managing surgeon/physician.
Pre and post op hospitals may be separate or physically connected to full service hospitals
Patient health and treatment outcomes will be monitored by an independent inspectorate and by patient feedback
Home support services will be managed by the nursing profession, who will call in the support needed for proper care
Expect direct employment of support staff to lead to apparent overstaffing. We consider improvements in delivery more important than outright efficiency.
Full independence of hospitals and trusts will come only after treatment, patient care, financial and staffing conditions are met. This will be an independent audit decision. Freedom from Local Authority control will come as soon as financial conditions are met.

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