The Health and Social Care Committee inquiry on leadership, performance and patient safety - an opportunity for us all to promote real change.

Summary

"Our #health system in the UK is in a mess. It has failed to modernise (by this I mean to become fully accountable to #patients and the public, and truly patient-led).

Instead, the system has become more and more hierarchical, bureaucratic and crony ridden, mostly as a result of constant meddling and pointless reorganisations instigated by politicians. All political parties in government for the past 30 years have had a hand in this decline."

This is my view? What is yours? A new Inquiry gives us all an opportunity to have our say.

I am proud to have worked in and for the NHS for most of my working life; proud to have been trained in the #NHS and proud of the work being carried out by clinical teams today. Great work which has benefited patients, often not because of the leadership but despite of the leadership.

I'm retired so I can say what I like. If I were working and said anything even vaguely like criticism, however constructive it was, I would be out of a job and my career would be blighted for life. I'm speaking from experience here, unfortunately.

• I urge everyone to respond to the consultation (link below).
• In your response think forensically and write it as a statement of truth.
• Acknowledge the successes and areas that have delivered safe and effective services.
• If you are being critical give examples and say if it is an opinion or back up what you say with evidence.

If we work together across boundaries we can develop a truly patient-led NHS.

About the author

Steve Turner is a registered nurse (retired) with a background including community mental health practice, governance, NHS management, clinical education, healthcare consultancy & clinical information technology.