How I know ‘our’ NHS will waste our billions

Tuesday-Wednesday blog

Well, that didn’t take long. No sooner had the NHS learnt that it was getting another £22 billion of our money, than the job vacancies for ever more DIE (Diversity, Inclusion and Equality) staff and other such non-jobs started appearing.

Here are just a few from the most recent list of NHS vacancies I received:

The Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are looking for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Co-ordinator on £46,148 – £52,809 a year.

The duties of this undoubtedly essential individual include: ‘Supporting the Associate Director of Patient and Carer Experience in conceptualising, developing and delivering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives across all areas of the organisation in relation to both staff members and people accessing services.’

‘Contribute to the development / review of the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) objectives, ensuring compliance with the requirements of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion duties in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and associated standards in order to meet contract compliance requirements, CQC standards and in accordance with best practice.’

Or if you want to be at the centre of DIE action, the British Medical Association are looking for a Senior Policy Advisor – Equality Inclusion and Culture Team salary £53,032.08 a year. ‘The successful candidate will have a portfolio that would cover the protected characteristic of disability but also extend to discrete projects on other characteristics/themes including (but not limited to): race, religion and belief, bullying and harassment. They will take forward projects including conducting extensive research, developing policy positions and recommendations, writing briefings, conducting FOIs, consultation responses.’

Also in London, the Central and North-West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is hiring an Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner (whatever that is) at £42,939 – £50,697 a year. This important person will be repsonsible for: ‘Working across all of our community and inpatient mental health service sites in the local areas of Hillingdon, the role of the Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner will support the development and ongoing delivery of CNWL’s Peer Support and Lived Experience Practice provision within Hillingdon.’

And in the West of England, the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust apparently needs a Sustainability Officer on £29,970 – £36,483 a year. Applicants are informed that: ‘The Trust runs a proactive programme to manage its sustainability performance. The post holder will be responsible for supporting the delivery of the sustainability strategy for the Trust. This will include supporting the tasks required to ensure compliance with related legislation, regulations, codes of practices and technical guidance; developing the relevant policies and performance targets for the Trust. They will also be required to support the development of the Trust’s Sustainability Strategy, including the annual completion of the Sustainable Development Assessment Tool (or relevant NHSi/E tool), and the maintenance of the Sustainable Development Management Plan.’

When it comes to wasting our money, you can rely on ‘our’ NHS to continually find new and imaginative ways of inventing non-jobs to squander our taxes. Obviously I realise that a few hundred more similar non-jobs are not going to waste all the extra £22 billion ‘our’ NHS will be getting. But I worry that the proliferation of this non-job nonsense suggests that NHS management simply do not understand what their priorities should be and will carry on wasting hundreds of millions more on woke and bureaucratic garbage which has absolutely nothing to do with reducing waiting lists and improving patient care.