I have worked in the NHS and been a supplier to the NHS since 1991.
The cost of drugs is the biggest spend in the NHS outside of salary's and also the biggest waste. Split packs are dumped etc.
Hate to say this, but if you have had a close loved pass away, they had enough drugs stashed to supply a small community pharmacy ?
Targets, new ones are introduced each year, they are called CQUIN's. The Trust will get £££ if they reach it, they are mainly put in place to improve patient care, ie discharge letter to your GP within 24 hours.
Not enought docs, nurses and staff in general. Put yourself in the shoes of the staff, example i earn £100 a day doing x, but i see bank staff earning £250, what would you do ? Also, a number retire at minimum age, then go back and 'consult' at a higher rate.
On the flip side of not enough staff in general, i visit a different hospital, on average, once a week, across the UK, i am alone, and on their side can be at minimum 3 staff, and upwards to about 9. Do they really need all those people, wasting time ?
Risk is a major factor now, they are frightened of being sued, so their has been a huge increase in diagnostic testing, so the docs protect themselves. What do you see in hospital foyer's now ? Solicitors, quite a large one in Royal Liverpool Hospital.
I could go on and on... (its amazing the number of hospitals that have Burger King or MacDonalds inside them, Rotherham and Southampton to name 2), I have thought it for years, throwing more money at it wont fix it, it needs to be managed, and its just too big.