tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post5160585446253994341..comments2024-03-24T07:19:28.136+00:00Comments on Lake Cocytus: No workThe Shrinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10009039342346247138noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-47895175765377619332007-12-12T21:23:00.000+00:002007-12-12T21:23:00.000+00:00I think I need to make it clear that sick leave ha...I think I need to make it clear that sick leave has never meant a total cancellation of service- rather the opposite, when it has occurred meetings have gone ahead as scheduled, but with alternative professionals attending. There IS cover available, and resources have been put into our case. It is just that with a seemingly constant change of personnel it has been hard for both service user and professionals to have to catch up with the history, repeat what is already in the notes etc. The knowledge that there is a team who would be available and have had the same constant (over worked and under pressure but constant) membership and purpose but who we for complex reasons choose not to see just makes the guilt worse!Fiona Marcellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07985022521354870620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-42395935042965699162007-12-12T21:22:00.000+00:002007-12-12T21:22:00.000+00:00Elaine, my own Trust in recent Board minutes made ...Elaine, my own Trust in recent Board minutes made reference to the fact that savings on the budget had been made by "not covering maternity leave".<BR/>Made me sit and ponder...Disillusionedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03250678226289036634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-82671416528968013712007-12-12T11:02:00.000+00:002007-12-12T11:02:00.000+00:00Marcella, I've little sympathy for that school of ...Marcella, I've little sympathy for that school of thought.<BR/><BR/>At the end of the day the service fits around the patients, not the patients fitting in to the service.<BR/><BR/>The "reconfiguration" you mention has happened in my corner. I had 29 inpatient beds two years ago, with ward closures I now have 9. I had a busy CMHT, now I have 1.8 qualified CPNs. Even with massive reconfiguration and reduction of resources you can still have a great service that sees everyone in a week or so and always follows folk up appropriately.The Shrinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009039342346247138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-86848851287188642992007-12-11T22:16:00.000+00:002007-12-11T22:16:00.000+00:00Even short term absences can cause problems in a s...Even short term absences can cause problems in a service which is already understaffed and which has gone through a major "reconfiguration" the trauma of which seems to be still being felt some 11 months on. If the majority of care is being provided by short term locum services anyway then someone having just one day off sick can leave service users who are already confused and unhappy even worse off - not that this should stop staff taking sick leave if they really have to of course.Fiona Marcellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07985022521354870620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-78366688438388887452007-12-11T07:48:00.000+00:002007-12-11T07:48:00.000+00:00Another interesting post, Shrink. I have a suspic...Another interesting post, Shrink. I have a suspicion that the lack of cover is down to a deliberate management policy to save mooney - in the same manner as vacancies are not filled, often for six months.Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06847149482684623481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-5823802960433280982007-12-10T22:22:00.000+00:002007-12-10T22:22:00.000+00:00Ah... complaints... no, I really shouldn't get sta...Ah... complaints... no, I really shouldn't get started on that... But complaining to a Trust where the complaints staff can't / don't follow their own complaints policy seems rather more pointless than not. See my blog for the gory details - I won't clog up yours with them! The lowest point was (possibly) having my complaint investigated by the member of staff the complaint was about - but there is competition for that dubious honour. Suffice it to say I am gathering strength, after 5 months battling, to move on to the HCC.<BR/>I repeat what I keep saying - can I come and be a patient in your area, please?Disillusionedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03250678226289036634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-20510891242355985672007-12-10T22:02:00.000+00:002007-12-10T22:02:00.000+00:00Jan, I give 6 weeks notice for all leave. Most c...Jan, I give 6 weeks notice for all leave. Most clinic appointments aren't booked that far in advance for me so often it doesn't cause inconvenience (pulling off my clinic lists for the last 12 months shows I've cancelled 7 clinics, but no patients at all). Our Trust requires a minimum of 4 weeks notice (a neighbouring Trust I also work in needs 6 weeks, hence my habit), most Trusts don't let medics skip off at short notice without good reason.<BR/><BR/>Disillusioned, you've said it as it is. Holiday and short term sickness should have minimal impact on the service but may result in the odd shuffling of support. Long term sickness really shouldn't affect services at all.<BR/><BR/>And my whole point of the post was precisely what you're getting at - doing no work for our patients and providing no support for our patients because our service is down a team member seems inexcusable.<BR/><BR/>Resource limitations mean we can't give everyone everything they want all the time but it isn't <I><B>ever</I></B> an excuse for not providing what someone needs.<BR/><BR/>AS such it's unacceptable, so can't be accepted, so complaints should be made.The Shrinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009039342346247138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-15701849470863196192007-12-10T18:20:00.000+00:002007-12-10T18:20:00.000+00:00Thank you for this. I have actually had appalling...Thank you for this. I have actually had appalling experiences of lack of provision due to long term sickness. Long term absence of my Care coordinator meant, on two occasions, no support. The second time coincided with my return to work after long term sickness (incidentally, I am a teacher, and yes, I was covered!) my GP's absence on holiday (it's OK, he's allowed to be on holiday, no complaints there) and the ending of psychotherapy sessions. Yet requests for the "telephone and email support" and the "monthly visits" outlined in my care plan were refused. Various reasons have since been given, all contradictory. I have no idea any more which are true, and don't really care - what matters to me is that I was left without support when I was in serious need of it and then went into crisis.<BR/>Where's the service there?<BR/><BR/>I have no issue with holidays; no issue with short term sickness not being covered - but absences of 8+ weeks (as was the case for me twice) should surely be provided for, with no questions asked. Shouldn't they? Or is it just that the Trust by which I am "served" operates on a different set of guidelines?Disillusionedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03250678226289036634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489009971732520747.post-37152442447246620622007-12-10T13:20:00.000+00:002007-12-10T13:20:00.000+00:00Interesting that you mentioning longer term absenc...Interesting that you mentioning longer term absences and the concept of PLANNING. I've had a number of consultant appointments cancelled at short notice due to (as the letters said) "holiday". I thought holidays were planned in advance, or is there some secret contractual condition that allows a consultant to head for Ayia Napa as soon as the mood takes?Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00112062444476595895noreply@blogger.com