The NHS in Scotland has spent thousands on drawing up a 64 page leaflet called ‘Spiritual Care Matters’. Amongst other things it teaches hospital staff how to treat druids.
If you thought that was amusing have a look at some of the weird and wonderful illustrations contained within this publication:
This barmy piece of literature can be read in full here.
It’s not just thinking about how much time and money was spent putting this together that made me want to both cry and laugh at the same time, it’s the fact that I’m pretty sure that very few NHSScotland staff are going to read it (is the advice different for those working in the NHS in England and Wales? Do they need their own tailor-made publication?). A leaflet is unlikely to make people change long held views; and this particular one is so long and dense that most staff probably won’t have time to read it.
We must protect the services people rely on the most from the coming spending cuts, to do that, wasteful spending on patronising literature like this has to stop. Just because I am criticising the leaflet, it doesn’t mean that I don’t support the role of spirituality in the healthcare service, but a pamphlet can’t bring a change in culture.
Despite spending billions on the NHS each year there are still patients languishing on waiting lists for operations or appointments, and there are cancer patients being denied drugs that could prolong or save their lives (often on the basis that they cost too much). Let’s think about where we need to spend the money and stop wasting cash, and wasting lives.
UPDATE: Apparently there is a DVD too. I am speechless.