Doctors anger at news crew

From what I have seen in the US they are probably as concerned as anyone about infection but they don't let doctors run the hospital. Maybe it may be different in an orthopedic ward and I can't say I've not been in one. I have seen visitors laying on the same bed as the patient which I though was a no no. Again I have limited exposure to hospitals and hope to keep it that way but I find them to be very sensitive to peoples impression of them. We can go on forever on this incident and again I think that would have made headlines here if a staff member would have insulted a visitor much less a high profile visitor. Lets see, if President Obama had visited a hospital the Secret Service would have taken the man down me thinks.

Cheers, I am not sure what angle you are coming at this from... is it a "They do things better in the US" type of thing? or a "NHS = socialized medicine = bad" angle? Or were you just curious to read what people think?

From what I have seen in the US ... don't let doctors run the hospital.

I'd rather the doctor be in charge than the PR/marketing guy.   

I'd rather the doctor be in charge than the PR/marketing guy.   

Agreed!  Half the problem with the U.S. medical system is that hospitals aren't run by doctors, but by business people.

I'd love to know who should be running hospitals if not medical professionals.

EDIT: not that I'm saying doctors should do all the admin.  I'm employed with the NHS in a non-clinical capacity, and I see the great work that non-clinical staff do, but in terms of direct patient care and how that care is administered, if you don't have professional leads at the front, you're pretty much screwed.

What happened even a few years ago in hospitals is different than what happens now because of the super bug crisis.  Second of all, this was a surgical floor.  What happens in surgical wards or in ICUs is bound to be different than A&E or general medical floors.  Lamuella showed that being that strict about contact is the policy in this country.  If the US isn't taking the crisis as seriously, that is a huge concern.

The last time I had to visit a hospital in the US was an ICU to see my dad in 2007.  It was a huge change from visiting him in an ICU in 1998.  There were no curtains (there were blinds inside glass partitions.  There was a lot more hand sanitiser.  I am sure things have changed even since then.

I know that some countries don't allow the temperature to go above a certain level in the hospitals, so it feels like you're in very intense air conditioning.  Where there are curtains in places like A&E here, they are disposable and dated, and changed regularly.  We visited Chelsea and Westminster yesterday for some testing, and there was literally automatic hand sanitiser stations every 15 feet or so.  That's a change from the same hospital in 2008 where there were just little pump hand sanitisers at the entrance of every unit and at every patient door.

Agreed!  Half the problem with the U.S. medical system is that hospitals aren't run by doctors, but by business people.

Surely not.....one of the complaints about "Obamacare" was that decisions would be taken away from the doctors and into the hands of bureaucrats! 

My mum was a ward sister, and in her day she was in complete charge of the ward.

Cheers, I am not sure what angle you are coming at this from... is it a "They do things better in the US" type of thing? or a "NHS = socialized medicine = bad" angle? Or were you just curious to read what people think?

I'm in trouble because you are on to me!
I think it is the later.
I do think that I can count on a lot of liberals on this forum coming out in force when I post. Nothing wrong with liberals and I maybe a closet liberal who knows?
The US angle was just to give my only comparable observation.
NHS is not perfect but much better for the population than the medicine for profit that exists in the US.

Agreed!  Half the problem with the U.S. medical system is that hospitals aren't run by doctors, but by business people.

News bulletin here: Doctors are businessmen

OK I learned that infection control is in place in both countries but I still have an issue with a pompass ass making a scene in front of the Prime Minister. I would of liked to have knocked his block off!

I think there are people who don't like Mr David Cameron and that's the basis for some of the comments.

Politics can bring out the worst in some people.

Sorry, no. My opinion of the matter is strictly based on the doctor's completely appropriate (and not at all pompous) reaction to people on his ward endangering his patients. Some people just believe standard of care should be a higher priority than photo ops, regardless of who is in the photo.

OK I learned that infection control is in place in both countries but I still have an issue with a pompass ass making a scene in front of the Prime Minister. I would of liked to have knocked his block off!

I think there are people who don't like Mr David Cameron and that's the basis for some of the comments.

Politics can bring out the worst in some people.

I'm vaguely insulted by someone telling me I support this guy because of not liking David Cameron.  It's nothing to do with Cameron, and in fact Cameron comes off quite well in the story as he is a) dressed appropriately and b) immediately willing to accede to the doctor's authority.  I support this guy because he was putting the interests of patients ahead of the interests of photo ops, and that's what every good doctor should be doing.

I think you're trying to find a reason for people disagreeing with you that goes beyond simply them not agreeing with your position.  I can understand why you would want to, but I think it's unnecessary.

News bulletin here: Doctors are businessmen

that's by no means always true, or not any more true of doctors than it is of nurses, librarians, or other skilled professionals.  Certainly, you do get doctors who set up practices as businesses, but many more of them are simply NHS employees over here.  Those that are in business for themselves usually have the business as a secondary element to the giving of care.

I think that more than one person (including me) said that it wasn't Cameron or Clegg's fault.  Personally, I don't think people's reaction was about your politics, but how you broached the subject assuming that it was something to do with the system here (and it would be inappropriate for a doctor/surgeon to react that way that way in the US), and how you painted the doctor.  At least mine was.