KUATB Chumps

[d000hg]

You don't need league tables to grade schools, a simple metric how good each school is is reasonable.
The government is keen to push failing schools (maybe all schools?) to become academies since it changes how they are accounted for/managed (I forget the details) in a way they find beneficial... more to it than meets the eye.

A way to similarly ensure your local GP is up to scratch is entirely sensible - all public finance spending should have performance metrics. But this should be in the interests of improving things not shaming people.

[vetran]

You don't need league tables to grade schools, a simple metric how good each school is is reasonable.
The government is keen to push failing schools (maybe all schools?) to become academies since it changes how they are accounted for/managed (I forget the details) in a way they find beneficial... more to it than meets the eye.

A way to similarly ensure your local GP is up to scratch is entirely sensible - all public finance spending should have performance metrics. But this should be in the interests of improving things not shaming people.

I agree about the shaming being unpleasant, however shame is a great motivator. If you do become a failing school frequently Ofsted and neighbouring schools arrive and assist. Many of the best teachers in the flagship academies go to rebuild failing schools.

Whilst there might be some advantage to the government of converting to academies the schools that have converted locally have been mediocre at best previously and are now highly regarded.

My children have lived through the change. The first one's secondary school, converted from a school so bad it was spoken of in whispers and no one aspired to send their kids there, to an Academy having met the new management we took the chance and have not regretted it. Having got great results, She is now studying a medical subject in a well respected UNI. the catchment area is now less than a kilometre radius.

Previously you couldn't give away a place. at that school.

[WTFH]

You don't need league tables to grade schools, a simple metric how good each school is is reasonable.
The government is keen to push failing schools (maybe all schools?) to become academies since it changes how they are accounted for/managed (I forget the details) in a way they find beneficial... more to it than meets the eye.

A way to similarly ensure your local GP is up to scratch is entirely sensible - all public finance spending should have performance metrics. But this should be in the interests of improving things not shaming people.

If you read the celebratory front page of the Wail, it's all about shaming...

[d000hg]

Well it would be, that's what they do. I will say that some doctors have been shameful. In our village we have a word-of-mouth league table... Surgery A flat out refuses to see patients even after lockdown and forces them to visit A&E, prescribes on a trial & error basis and misdiagnoses seemingly obvious things; Surgery B will let you phone and make an appointment to speak on the phone and then they bring you in if they (or you) think it's needed, has nurses available for blood testing, etc.
The benefit of a small community is the whole village pretty much is on a FB group and word of mouth works well.

[vetran]

If you read the celebratory front page of the Wail, it's all about shaming...

I agree shaming is not the right word but it seems something needs to be done.

Intelligent people don't have to always agree with their source or even pick a source they disagree with. Maybe instead of trying to pick a fight you try having a discussion.

As explained above it works well in education.

Why do you think its a bad idea?

Should we not have consequences for underperforming?

[WTFH]

Should we not have consequences for underperforming?

How do you suggest we deal with GPs that are "underperforming"?
What is the metric that makes them "
underperforming"?

[vetran]

Well it would be, that's what they do. I will say that some doctors have been shameful. In our village we have a word-of-mouth league table... Surgery A flat out refuses to see patients even after lockdown and forces them to visit A&E, prescribes on a trial & error basis and misdiagnoses seemingly obvious things; Surgery B will let you phone and make an appointment to speak on the phone and then they bring you in if they (or you) think it's needed, has nurses available for blood testing, etc.
The benefit of a small community is the whole village pretty much is on a FB group and word of mouth works well.

Indeed, I think there is a massive opportunity to restructure healthcare practices in the UK. Most of the time people don't need a face to face appointment if its a repeat.

Telephone triage by a nurse or similar (not the receptionist) seems an excellent first step. Maybe allow 111 to schedule appointments?

Online partial diagnosis leading to a more directed consultation.

Telephone consultation with basic tests done at Pharmacies also makes sense.

Uniform Pharmacy & testing service. Pop into a Pharmacy and have blood tests taken.

Zoom etc for more difficult stuff.

A&E having a GP on staff and charging the doctors practices for redirects and again being able to book appointments.

AI to analyse symptoms and indicate pathways based on expert knowledge providing validated documentation to the patient an guidance to the health professional e.g. If they have symptoms XYZ - have you tested for this? This can be written by world experts and reviewed.

[vetran]

How do you suggest we deal with GPs that are "underperforming"?
What is the metric that makes them "
underperforming"?

ah at least you are trying.

Underperforming is a difficult set of criteria to define and took a while to establish in education & childcare.

We can start with asking the performing what they do to deliver exceptional care on the same budget and then make those pre-requisites maybe?

There are stats available, number of successful diagnoses and cures, speed to get an appointment?

etc.

To be fair though as the rest of healthcare is a bit of a mess we probably need a proper unified grading system like with kids. Many GPs are probably desperately trying to get elderly & mental health care for their customers, dragging that out will help.

[BlasterBates]

Once the Mail wins its campaign for GP's to have to face to face consultations so forcing GP's to waste 80% of their time listening to trivial ailments, they will be able to get outraged at the ensuing waste of resources, and the cycle will continue.

[vetran]

Once the Mail wins its campaign for GP's to have to face to face consultations so forcing GP's to waste 80% of their time listening to trivial ailments, they will be able to get outraged at the ensuing waste of resources, and the cycle will continue.

That seems to be what WTFH is excited about, not sure I agree with the wail on that. Things do need to change though.