HEALTH SECRETARY TO GET TASTE OF HOSPITAL LIFE
BY CATHY BUSS
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT LEICESTER MERCURY
[in flagrant disregard of the copyright of Northcliffe Newspapers]

10:30 - 07 March 2007
From cabinet minister to clinic co-ordinator - Patricia Hewitt is to find out what it is like at the coal face of the health service.


The Health Secretary is to spend a day with Mandy Marsden, who deals with 30 patients a day at her clinic at Glenfield Hospital.

Mandy, who organises the orthopaedic clinic, said: "I'm not sure whether the minister would be able to cope with the pressure."

Mandy has to organise appointments for about 30 patients a day.

At the same time, eight phones are ringing, registrations have to be organised and operations and follow-up appointments have to be sorted.

She also has to make sure medical notes, test results, X-rays and other relevant information is to hand when the consultant sees the patient.

Mandy, who has worked at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust for 10 years, said: "It is a real eye-opener working in this environment. Most people just do not realise what goes on behind the scenes of an appointment or treatment.

"Sometimes there can be as many as five different results coming from different places, which need to be in the patient notes before their appointment."

Mandy, who is also Unison's Leicestershire branch secretary, threw down the gauntlet to Ms Hewitt this weekend.

She was among demonstrators who confronted the Leicester West MP over plans to cut 900 jobs from the trust under NHS moves to treat more people at home.

The former nursing auxiliary said: "I want Ms Hewitt to see how short-staffed we are and how the NHS cutbacks are affecting us.

"There should be about eight co-ordinators, but at the moment there are only five, which really adds to the pressure.

"I love the patient contact and dealing with people, but I want to explain to Ms Hewitt exactly what I do and how her reforms are affecting front-line workers."

After Ms Hewitt's stint at the hospital's orthopaedic clinic, Mandy will get the chance to spend a day as Health Secretary.

She said: "I am looking forward to seeing what she does all day and what she reads.

"I think I could do her job, but I am not sure she could do mine."

Ms Hewitt said she was looking forward to the experience.

She said: "It won't be the first time I have taken part in a job swap, but it will be the first time I have done it at Glenfield Hospital.

"I am very much looking forward to it and will be making the necessary arrangements as soon as possible."

She will be coming into the office I work in and I can tell you, I will NOT be doing anything different. If I get stressed out, I will continue to do so. If I need to let off steam, I will do so. I will not put on any act for her, I will let her see what it is REALLY like doing the job we do. She can even take her turn to make the coffee!
Clinic Co-ordinator, Glenfield Hospital

 http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132935&command=displayContent&sourceNode=132702&contentPK=16815310&folderPk=77465&pNodeId=132393

[Acknowledegement is due to the the Ngunnawal people as the traditional owners and ancient custodians of the land where "Petsie the graveDigger" Hewitt was born, played with her nanny and went to posh school. Will they please take the coiffured Bogong moth back.]

Glenfield Hospital,

is in

Groby Road, Leicester,
Leicestershire LE3 9QP
Tel: 0116 287 1471
www.uhl-tr.nhs.uk

directions:
 http://www.uhl-tr.nhs.uk/patients/getting-to-hospital

To contact the Booking Centre:

Phone: 0116 256 3178
Email:  bookingcentre@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

Acknowledegement is due to the the Ngunnawal people as the traditional owners and ancientcustodians of the land where "Petsie the graveDigger" Hewitt was born, played with her nanny and went to posh school.

They can have the coiffured Bogong moth back.

Bogong moth  http://www.thesalmons.org/lynn/moths.html