You may find these costs unbelievable but here is a little story, from me, that might convince you. I was in hospital as I have been all too often. Beginning to sit up and get better, ready for my escape, I was reading one night and the overhead reading light blew, as they do. There were vacant beds, but I could not walk to get to them. So I say to an auxiliary nurse, 'have you got a stock of bulbs?' She says no, they must contact maintenance, to replace the bulb. ' I ask, well could you change my dud, for a working one and order a new one for the empty bed position next to me?? Quite logical, no??? ' oh dear,' she says, ' I am not supposed to do that, as it is their job and not mine.' So, I turn on the charm and beg!!! She then checks, in the corridor, honestly, like James Bond on a mission, runs back and changes the bulb! I ask her ,what was all that about?
She replies that if she had been seen doing so, it could have caused a walk out and a strike!!! What, I laughingly reply? 'Oh yes,' she says, 'this is how it should be done'.........................
She is required to report the light thingy out of order, to the ward sister. The sister then fills out a form, not for a bulb, but for maintenance to check a non working fitting!!! That form goes into internal mail and arrives at maintenance, as a non urgent request. If they are busy, then the request gets bumped down the list. So, TWO days later, Pat and Mick Spark arrive, suitably attired in boiler suits, with neither tools nor a bulb, whatever. They are not here to do the job, they are here to see what might be involved!!!!!! They fart about at the other empty space and decide that the bulb blew. I had been warned, on pain of a double rectal enema, followed by testicle removal, both of them, not to say a word!!!
So Pat and Mick trot off to report. I found out, that they request, on a form, a bulb, from stores. More internal mail. Stores then deliver the bulb. When the bulb arrives, the job goes on a 'to do' list of non urgent things to be done inbetween tea breaks!!! Another two, Fred and Dick Spark, arrive, take out the dud and replace it. Job done. It took FOUR days to change a light bulb!!!! Just count up the cost of that one!
The £466 cost,mentioned in this article, seem quite cheap to me!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment