Filthy Patricia

Tracey Emin's bed

When I am on holiday, particularly if I am walking in the Lake District, the cares of the world really do lift. I did not think of Patricia Hewitt for a fleeting second. The failings of the NHS and the education system normally, as a doctor with four children ever on my mind were, for a moment, forgotten.

Back to earth with a jolt this morning.

A glass of orange juice and The Times. The former was delicious, the latter was disturbing. First, on page 12 of the news

School helpers ‘are taking A-level classes as head teachers exploit cheap labour’
Unqualified school helpers are being used as cheap labour to teach A-level and GCSE classes in subjects about which they know nothing when specialist subject teachers are on leave, a union claims.

In the very worst cases, an untrained assistant was required to teach A-level English for an entire term, while another was put in charge of a GCSE maths group.
Other instances include former dinner ladies and prison officers replacing qualified supply teachers.

Government reforms to teachers’ working conditions in 2003, supported by the NASUWT, brought about a reduction in teachers’ hours and specified that teachers would not have to cover each others’ classes for longer than 38 hours a year — or an hour a week.

Instead, classroom assistants and cover supervisors, who are not teachers and who are paid about £13,000 a year, would be given a far greater role.

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said that official guidance made it absolutely clear that cover supervisors do not teach.

“We have record numbers of teachers in our schools with over 35,000 more than in 1997. We have also removed many administrative tasks from teachers and overseen a doubling in the number of support staff to help free up teachers’ time to do what they do best — teach,” he said. (The Times)

We are used to this in the NHS. Doctors replaced by nurses, Consultants replaced by GPs, midwives replaced by “maternity care assistants. And when the government is challenged, they lie. They duck the question. Compare the final paragraph above with Hewitt’s response in the Guardian when she was asked to explain the lack of obstetric care:

Huge progress has been made since Labour was elected - there have been almost 2,500 more midwives and 44% more students entering midwifery training since 1997, and an additional 1,000 midwives will be qualifying over the next few years. Under Labour, the budget for maternity services has increased from £1bn to £1.7bn. As the chancellor announced in the budget, an additional £8bn is being invested in the NHS this year alone.

In the NHS we call these cheap substitutes "health care assistants". In education they are "teaching assistants". We are moving towards a generic job description of the UPA, the Universal Professional Assistant, who will be tasked to take over any professional job. The only condition of employment will be complete ignorance of the job to be undertaken. The pay will be commensurately low.

This is why Dr Crippen educates his children in the private sector, which does not use teaching assistants. He also has private health insurance so that he can be treated doctors rather than by nurses and ambulance drivers. And also, he now realises, so that he may avoid certain hospitals.

I made a cup of coffee, tried to put teaching assistants out of my mind, and turned the page. All was well until I reached page 31. Come with me now to Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham.

Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham

Hospital ‘orders’ reuse of sheets
Cleaners at an NHS hospital have been told to turn over dirty bed sheets rather than use clean linen. Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham advised its staff to “top and tail” used sheets to cut the £500,000 annual laundry bill.

Posters instructing staff that this procedure would save 0.275 pence for every sheet re-used were pinned on cupboards and doors leading to the A&E and maternity departments. A health worker said that new patients were being given the same sheets as the previous occupant. (The Times)

When questioned about this policy, a anonymous “hospital spokesman” confirmed that it had been the policy, but that it had now been stopped. Good Hope hospital had 36 cases of MRSA in the last ten months of 2006.

There are so many things that could be said. "Ms Emin has finished with her bed now", for example. Dr Crippen thinks that it is one of the most filthy and unforgivable practices of which he has ever heard.

And all to save 0.275 pence a sheet.