Performing a pre-spring clean of old computer files, Courier health reporter Marjory Inglis finds one that takes her back to the future.
There’s nothing like a clear-out of old papers and files to remind us there’s nothing new under the sun.
In fact, I’m beginning to think I could copy and print old stories and see if anybody notices.
As we are all well aware, the public sector is facing a period of austerity and money is tight. NHS Tayside, like health boards across the country, is looking to make savings. The organisation is well on the way to achieving budget cuts of £30 million in the current financial year and will have to slash £25 million next year.
But was it ever any different?
Well, my computer was running slow and I decided to ditch files I don’t need. But you know what it’s like when you decide to clear out a cupboard you get diverted by the objects you find. Clearing out a computer is no different and I ended up “sitting” on the virtual floor thumbing through past articles.
In the virtual world there’s no stour gathering on the files and it’s not always immediately obvious when they were created.
So, you would be forgiven for assuming the following tirade from a local consultant was current:
“What is making people very angry is not so much the cuts themselves but the facade being maintained that the (budget) shortfall will be made up without affecting clinical services to patients,” he said.
“A two-year-old could see you cannot introduce cuts of this level on top of all the other cuts over the last few years, without affecting patient care.
“This is widely viewed by clinicians as absolute nonsense. People really object to the wool being pulled over the public’s eyes.”
Those comments are dated June 2001 but are echoed in medical staff rooms today.
As they say, plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. Or, more bluntly, the health service will always be able to spend more money than it’s given.