bhaexpress
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That's the theory of it but I rather doubt it.
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Public service spending cuts.
- Thread starter Leekbrookgull
- Start date
That's the theory of it but I rather doubt it.
Here, here !
I worked on a project for the NHS to install a new network infrastructure. Two solutions were put forward both of which covered off all the requirements equally - one Cisco and one HP. The IT Programme Manager insisted that the Cisco one be used because, in his words, "he liked Cisco". No technical or performance reason at all. So instead of using an HP solution costing just over £4m he purchased a Cisco solution costing over £10m !!!!
bhaexpress
New member
What would save a lot of money is some serious culling within the Civil Service. Having worked on contract in various Civil Service departments (as I am right now) it's astonishing how much money they waste. A lot of Civil Servants have no concept of cost. A couple of years ago I spent a few weeks with DEFRA in Whitehall. Some bright spark had decided that all users would have a laptop even if they were deskbound permamently (more than half were and had no need of a laptop). That's just one example, they have a lot of deadbeats who are OIPs, (Only Interested in Pension). I wish there was a way of making Civil Servants have performance related pay reviews like those in commerce. The list goes on and on. The problem is that the people at the top have the most to lose so where is their incentive to streamline things ?
bhaexpress
New member
Yes, and to add to that I bet BT are involved too.
In this instance no - even worse - Cable and Clueless !
User removed 4
New member
A few years ago , the NHS trust my ex-sister in law worked for replaced all their 1 year old computer monitors with brand new flat screen ones because they were ' more in keeping with a modern , forward thinking trust' absolutely crazy, i think the practice of making sure the budget is spent or we will get less next year has a lot to answer for.
Hatterlovesbrighton
something clever
I'm a civil servant and would love there to be real performance related pay. The management would do it in an instant but the unions are dead set against.
Giving everyone laptops can be a cost saving measure. We moved to everyone having laptops and it has now meant we are hotdesking and have halved our office space.
Leekbrookgull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #28
This is something i have noticed over the years,look how Ambulances covered in green & yellow,multi fancy lights etc. Just how much does that put on the cost of an Ambulance the times it U/K. What was wrong with Bell/Two-tone/blue light and local authority user on its side.
bhaexpress
New member
Oh my God !!!
Ooo, ooo, I actually know a bit about this one - it is to make them more visible and therefore reduce accidents involving ambulances - I believe it was originally more of an issue with Fire Englines, which, being red, can be difficult to see at night. That is why West Sussex ran a fleet of bright yellow fire engines in the Seventies before the Home Office banned it (they passed a law that Fire Engines must be red).
I'm not sure if they have actually reduced accidents, but anything making the lives of the Police/Fire/Ambulance services safer is good by me.
I agree with Bushy's point about budgets having to be used by the end of the year. When I worked in a council leisure centre, we used to get loads of new stuff at the end of every financial year. This practice stopped when a leisure trust took over the operation, resulting in things getting replaced when needed, not loads of money being unnessarily spent once a year.
Nice Yellow West Sussex Fire engine
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Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
Ring Fence what Public Sector Employees have earnt/accrued in Pension earnings/rights over their working lifetimes.
Then abolish Public Sector Pensions, and make Public Sector Workers take out Private Pensions like in the Private Sector.
(This is from someone whose wife works in the Public Sector BTW.)
Then abolish Public Sector Pensions, and make Public Sector Workers take out Private Pensions like in the Private Sector.
(This is from someone whose wife works in the Public Sector BTW.)
- Aug 7, 2003
- 8,010
Currently, there is one civilian for every two armed forces personnel in the Ministry of Defence. In other words the total of civilians in the MoD is larger than the Royal Navy and the RAF combined.
Room for cuts?
Room for cuts?
Storer68
New member
My civil service pay is performance related!
And my department is just about to embark on yet another round of "efficiency savings" looking to 'save' around £39 millions in the next three years.
Leekbrookgull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #34
Strings,still dont think Ambulances need to look and sound like a mobile disco. 
Good point on the penpushers in the M-o-Defence.
Good point on the penpushers in the M-o-Defence.bhaexpress
New member
Actually, that is exactly the case. My cousin has a firm that supplies disposable hospital curtains for many NHS trusts. They work out cheaper than taking the old ones away and boiling them then refitting them. The boiling process also destroys the fire retardent properties. His brand also have a chemical impregnanted into them to greatly reduce the chances of MRSA and related viruses which earned his firm a Queen's award to Industy. Anyway, one large London NHS trust did their annual budget based on buying his product but then decided to buy a cheaper (and not impregnanted) curtain from another supplier. The difference financialy wasn't that significant but the chances of disease have been greatly increased. Where did the rest of that money go ? The NHS seems to have too many chiefs and not enough indians as well. Far too many overpaid 'managerial' staff who are just a waste of space.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,826
the bureaucracy is the problem though, with everything having to be tracked and measured in order to provide for perfomance related metrics to prove x or y. im sure this could all be done simply, but no one has found a way yet, and i fear that largly because too many vested interests.
some think the private sector is the model to follow, but i dont think so. many companies have exactly the problem with layers of managers and assistants tracking what each other and the business as a whole is doing. The only answer i can see is smaller scale, where there isnt anywhere for people to hide and senior managers can see near on first hand whats going on "in the trenches". the business world seems to be fixed on economies of scale though, ignoring that comes at a cost of increased administration. In IT this comes though as lots of project managers, account managers and service delivery managers at different points when one of each and decent people doing the work would work better.
to be fair Cisco is the standard and usually worth its extra cost in better quality and performance. 3x more? probably not, i suspect that would be over speced in some way. in my experience, the problem here is consultants and sales people convincing semi technical IT managers of the benefits of "future proofing" when any one know in practice IT kit is out of date 2-3 years later anyway. Theres a massive amount of over specing in areas that dont move forward very fast (like desktops) while shortage of funds where it really matters and can make a difference. IT budgets could be slashed if organisations asked the troops what they needed to do the job rather than listen to consultants tell them what what the business needed (wtf do they know?).
as above, too many chiefs not enough indians sums it up pretty well.
Publius Ovidius
Well-known member
Instead of printing money, put the unemployed, assylum seekers and black people to work in a massive public works initiative.
Build more motorways linking the country, build new fast rail links between cities in the UK, build 10 new generation nuclear power stations ( in Liverpool), ban the importation of cars and goods from outside the EEC and start building British cars in the UK again. Build new steel makers and stop buying from India at inflated prices. Build ships again in teh UK Cruise Liners, Cargo Vessels ( sod the f***ing Koreans and Chinese - we can make the things) Build more sports stadiums, revamp the public parks, knock down all these 60's shite housing estates and build new modern estates. Public swimming baths, more cinemas, ........
Build more motorways linking the country, build new fast rail links between cities in the UK, build 10 new generation nuclear power stations ( in Liverpool), ban the importation of cars and goods from outside the EEC and start building British cars in the UK again. Build new steel makers and stop buying from India at inflated prices. Build ships again in teh UK Cruise Liners, Cargo Vessels ( sod the f***ing Koreans and Chinese - we can make the things) Build more sports stadiums, revamp the public parks, knock down all these 60's shite housing estates and build new modern estates. Public swimming baths, more cinemas, ........
Storer68
New member
just as well it wasn't Fujitsu, or that might have impaired their ability to reun their 25 year
contract to supply IT to my department
withdeanwombat
Well-known member
Stop having elections and let Labour rule forever.
I worked for the supplier rather than the NHS. We only spec'ed HP to start with and everyone was happy until this NHS IT Programme Manager stuck his nose in. As a business we actually made more margin from the Cisco kit and more in professional services. As a tax payer it stank as we were able to prove that the HP solution easily performed just as well but for a much lower level of investment.