I do sometimes wonder what planet Nanny comes from, I certainly don't think that it is earth!Given the major issues that currently face our overstretched health service, eg lack of doctors and nurses, the super bug, unsanitary conditions, appalling care for the elderly, costs spiraling out of control etc, you would have thought that Nanny would focus her attention on these matters.
How wrong you are!
Instead Nanny is addressing a matter of serious concern to her, that of what socks people wear.
Yes, I said socks!
Nanny's chums on East Lancashire Hospital Trust have issued a uniform policy, which prohibits the wearing of novelty socks by doctors, nurses and other health staff.
Those front line staff who break the ruling and wear, for example, socks with Donald Duck, Wallace and Gromit and Homer Simpson will face disciplinary action.
The logic of this rather strange ruling is that, in Nanny's mind at least, staff wearing comical socks could put people off going to local hospitals for surgery.
Errmm??
I don't think so, do you?
The uniform policy also covers matters such as tight clothing, see-through clothing, extreme hairstyles, large bows and hair bands and excessive tattoos.Fair enough to worry about tight uniforms and the like. However, how many patients look up the trouser legs of their medical professional and pass judgement on their skills based on the colour of their socks?
Needless to say, people with their feet firmly planted in reality are calling this policy bollocks.
Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said:
"I am hoping to get some for Christmas and I will wear them when I meet the Trust!
I wouldn't have any problem wearing them in Parliament either.
I know some MPs do."
Sharron Parker, Lancashire spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing, said:
"We must not forget that staff also have a human side
and often like to express their individuality
in a way that does not detract from the professionalism."
Ribble Valley MP, Nigel Evans, said the move was "absolutely stupid."
"It is completely superfluous.
It sounds as if somebody has too much time on their hands.
It is such a non-issue for somebody to dream up.
Where does it stop?"
One long-standing member of staff said:
"It's just daft.
The managers treat us like children
and then they wonder why people say they are fed up.
They should be spending more time on trying to get red of the Trust's debt.
They say they want to involve staff
but they never sit down with you and talk about anything,
they just tell you what to do."
How very typical of Nanny, to not listen and just tell people what to do!
Now here is the really funny thing, the clothing policy does not address the issue of veils for Muslim women.
Seemingly, staff who want to wear the veil would have their case looked at "on its individual merits".
Double standards or what?
Hmm.
ReplyDeleteYes it is ludicrous in many ways, but then when nurses (and police personnel and so on) wore proper uniforms I feel they attracted greater respect and social standing than they do now.
And the attitudes carry through the entire service in many ways.
Is it not strange that people in our allegedly financially challenged and understaffed NHS seem to have time both to come up with such rulings (and indeed feel the need to come up with such rulings) on the management side and on the production side have enough time to be concerned about them.
This week we had yet another battle (successful so far in this case) with the NHS when the wanted to cancel a pre-booked operation for my youngest for the third time having already spent money on pre-op assessments and all the other things they have to do within 6 weeks of the operation (apparently).
This was a day case procedure to remove some metalwork from her arm and elbow which had been holding her bones together following an accident on a stone floor which shattered her arm. She has been in some pain and difficulty with it (compounded by other problems since a very young age - they have a very large file for her) but although by now they should know that when she says something is painful there is certainly something wrong, they still felt this was mereely an elective tidy-up operation and therefore could be shuffled out of the queue for a while.
That some of the wires were trapping a major nerve and therefore causing the pain and other difficulties was not considered - until the operation was under way and they saw what was going on. Some of the metal is now so embedded in the bone they had to leave it in place. Had they done it a year ago when the matter first came up, or six months ago when the operation was first scheduled it might have been easier for everyone.
I just hope the earlier operations were put off for valid surgical reasons and not because of management procedures. I most definitely hope that discussing what the staff wore to work has no influence over when operations are carried out.