Originally Posted by Osem

I also think there's a big problem with unnecessary testing. Both myself and a near neighbour were treated at the same hospital and after having been assessed for surgery were told at the last minute that we needed to have MRI scans. There'd been no change to our conditions and neither scan revealed anything the quacks didn't already know but would have cost the NHS hundreds no doubt. Were they done for the sake of it or to avoid missing targets or was it just a case of excessive caution? I think we're getting to the point of overkill when it comes to certain tests and whatever the reason for it, unnecessary and duplicated tests cost a lot of money.

Yes of course clinical judgement is a factor and qualified people are required to make judgements but I have a feeling fear of litigation is a factor in this also and is imposing huge direct and indirect costs on the NHS.

What needs to happen is not spending more money all the time, it's ensuring we get value for the money we spend and avoiding the situation in which costly hospital beds are blocked up because a form filler somewhere didn't get around to ordering a basic household aid in good time. Saving pennies but costing pounds comes to mind in NHS land.

Reforming social care would go a long way to easing the NHS's problems but unless the fundamentals change that problem will just be replaced by another.