The article warns that the UK's health service risks failing to adapt to modern needs, comparing it to the demise of Woolworths. It criticizes outdated practices like postal appointment reminders and highlights the need for greater patient choice and technological advancements. The piece also raises concerns about the ethical implications of a City Minister accepting gifts from individuals potentially linked to corruption.
Unless the health service urgently improves its performance, it risks stagnation like Woolworths, another beloved national institution that failed to adapt to changing times. It is illogical that millions of patients still await appointment letters via postal mail, often missing them and requiring another to be sent, incurring unnecessary delays.
Offering patients more choice regarding treatment location and timing, coupled with updating them via a phone app with results, seems a positive step. However, even enhanced technology may not cater to many older patients, and it should not serve as an excuse to neglect addressing deeply embedded inefficiencies elsewhere. Otherwise, patients could be burdened with a costly technological burden requiring billions of pounds in further funding. Ms. Siddiq, already under investigation by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission for alleged embezzlement, which she denies, is now revealed to have received a flat in central London from someone linked to a previous ousted Bangladeshi government. This raises concerns as she, as City Minister, oversees the fight against money laundering and corruption. The article concludes with an unrelated anecdote about the author performing CPR on their 8-week-old baby
Politics Technology Health Service Stagnation Technology Patient Choice Corruption
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