I was recently inspired by the delegates who came to London for the ‘BARNA Talks Shop’ regarding staffing ratios in PACU during November and was excited by how far some of you had travelled to be there with us. As we worked through the morning, it became apparent that no matter which department you work in, whether your hospital is in the National Health Service or in the independent sector, we are all suffering from the same problems – no beds, constant pressure to meet targets and to increase utilisation, not enough staff to meet requirements and no margin for recruitment. Even though there was an air of recognition and exasperation forming these issues, the overall atmosphere was that of teamwork and generally pulling together to find ideas and innovations to make the situation better for our staff, and most of all, for the patients. If you missed out this time, we are going to be in Manchester on Saturday 20 March 2010 at the Manchester Conference Centre to hold another ‘BARNA Talks Shop’. Please think about joining us, as it is always so good to meet you and such fun to have the opportunity to extend our networking.
It is not easy when you watch the news, and are faced with a list of the worst performing hospitals in the United Kingdom, only to find that when you take a peek, yours is included! You know you have worked hard and cared for your patients the best you can, stayed behind to finish the list and missed your coffee break so that nothing slows down. So, what can have gone wrong? We seem to be facing troubled times ahead in the Health Service, the constant need to save money, but, of course, deliver the same service to the highest possible standard, not to mention the uncertainty of threatened job cuts and the imposing general election next year, which may change everything again!
However, I continue to be inspired by the people I work with who do care about the individuals they care for; so, I take heart in that and believe that you must stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, it’s when things seem worst that you must not quit!
