Hundreds of thousands of pounds are being spent on teaching NHS personnel how to be more courteous to each other, as waiting lists reach an all-time high.
A newspaper outlet revealed that doctors and nurses are being sent on ‘civility courses’ to learn how to sidestep personality conflicts and have a better working relationship with coworkers.
It’s aimed at lowering the cost resulting from workplace bullying and harassment in the NHS, which a study by Middlesex University London Business School has put at £2.3 billion a year.
However, some staff question whether public money should be spent on politeness classes at a time when waiting lists for routine treatment have struck a record 7.77 million.
NHS England (NHSE) said that the training by management consultants thought to cost thousands of pounds a day, was necessary for ‘complex culture change’.
One NHS worker who attended a course said that the training was telling them basic stuff, such as the importance of being polite and patient with colleagues. The NHS worker said that they weren’t sure if this was a good use of taxpayer’s money and that training was given by consultants in their 20s and 30s who had probably never worked in the NHS and that it could sound a bit patronising if a younger person is telling older staff how to behave.
One of the hospitals piloting the project, St George’s in Tooting, London, has spent £20,000 on external management consultants. The hospital trust’s management says this was a one-off cost so that it could train its staff to run in-house courses.
A spokesman said that while they expect their staff to always be respectful, whether they receive training or not, this would give them the skills to cope with pressured situations, ensuring they can continue to provide the best possible care for their patients.
A national programme to reduce staff bullying and harassment has cost £660,000 to date, according to figures provided by NHSE. From 2021 to 2023, it financed 440 places on a course titled Principles and Practice of Restorative Just Culture.
Plans for further national training are on hold during a consultation period, but NHSE says individual trusts can book training directly with Northumbria University. Yet Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he wants to see far less taxpayers’ money being paid to outside consultants.
NHSE said that there’s considerable evidence that promoting civility and respect improves patient outcomes by ensuring staff can freely share views regarding a patient’s care.
This type of expenditure is why the NHS is an abysmal crater, with more non-contributors arriving every day.
Perhaps if we weren’t treating the entire world and its extended family this wouldn’t have happened, and they should also get rid of the managers who manage managers who are all overpaid.
The problem is as long as the elite and politicians can afford to go private nothing will change, because they just don’t care, and it’s mind-boggling what they spend our money on. It’s also a blatant theft of public funds and there should be a full and transparent inquiry into this while there are people that are sick and can’t get any support.
Politeness costs nothing and should be part of everyday life, but unfortunately, there are too many self-entitled people who think nothing of being disrespectful and offensive with no repercussions. One should put their brain into gear before opening their mouth, something that is sadly lacking these days.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 