I am disturbed to read in the latest issue of Private Eye of the problems being encountered by St Bartholemews hospital in London.

The particular issue surrounding Barts is the roof above the Grand Staircase which houses murals by Hogarth. Water has been reported coming through the roof and, as such, is placing the murals at risk.

Barts has the honour of being Londons oldest hospital, having been founded in 1123 as a hospital Augustine priory and refounded by Henry VIII in 1546 after the dissolution of monastries.

Persistent reports coming from London have reported on the various failings of the NHS including problems with the delivery of its new IT systems.

The changing of management and the incoming PFI arrangement, frankly, do little to boost confidence that anything will be done.

Donors were, it was reported, willing to help raise the £10 million required but managers were reluctant to divert money away from treating patients. While treating patients is a noble pursuit, the donated money would have been over and above that which Barts was allocated from Westminster. Such box-ticking in order to meet Whitehall targets is the order of the day with most public bodies rather than preserving what might be easily construed art in the national interest.

Bookmark this page

[ Delicious ] [ Digg ] [ reddit ] [ Facebook ] [ StumbleUpon ]