'Minister's break-even order to health boards' - Western Mail 31st December 2012
It's a case of 'All stick and no carrot', with the patients having ( once again ) to bear the pain of the Health Minister's lash.
First, we heard that the health boards would break even, then we're told by the Auditor General that losses could range from £30m to as high as £131m ! Next day, 'Leslie the Lash' produces a contingency fund of £82m, that will only become a bailout out if the A.G's prediction is only half right. So, now, the Dear Minister decides to order the health boards to break-even ( again ). If I wasn't a chronically sick pensioner, I could imagine myself sitting at the Mad Hatters' Tea Party, Oops, another tip of the slongue as Dr Spooner would say - is it possible that we have our own Republican Tea Party that is determined to widen the gap between the rich and the poor, or the sick and the healthy ??? Perhaps, even, the use of the word General after the innocuous word 'Auditor' is a further clue to our enforced Orwellian lifestyle ? Maybe we're being ruled by a Junta, as in some banana republics ?
The fact that the Minister and her followers are revealing the full extent of their corporate stupidity by overlooking the fact that the cost of the health service is the true cost of meeting the health needs of the country, regardless of targets or unsupportable budgets. If you haven't assessed the health needs of the growing population, in the first place, how the blazes can you convince - even other idiots - that the cost of meeting those needs must fall within some budget-by-pipe-dream that no one else has seen ?? The nurses and the doctors rightly say that they are not about to become the 'whipping boys' for the government's incompetence, but the poor short-changed patient has no say in the matter at all ! He/she/we are right at the bottom of the stairs, being slowly choked to death by the increasing weight of dust, falling from above, as the government lamely beats about the bush seeking solutions to their own self-made problems.
For some reason the words of Sir Walter Scott, "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive", keep ringinging in my ears. Isn't it about time that we demand that our government - particularly NHS Wales - starts telling the truth ? R. W.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Friday, 21 December 2012
Black Friday, Christmas Maladies and New Year's Eve
May we take this opportunity to wish all readers, friends and ALL NHS staff
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from Magpie and Robin ( eagerly awaiting the post- New Year's day excuses for another faling of A& E and the Ambulance Trust - as predictable as the weather )
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from Magpie and Robin ( eagerly awaiting the post- New Year's day excuses for another faling of A& E and the Ambulance Trust - as predictable as the weather )
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Cardiff & Vale Universally Inept Health Board
NHS counts cost of OAP 'binge-drinkers' - Echo 17.12.2012
Olivia Goldhill must have had a chuckle writing this story. We've heard NHS Wales and the Cardiff & Vale Universally Inept Health Board bleating on about how they haven't got any money, and that it's all OUR fault, but this latest revelation is a beaut - "it's the under 16s and over 60s binge-drinking that's to blame for poor health services." Finally, we are getting to the bottom of our health service problems.
They trot out excuses like a Gatling gun firing bullets; "We have an unusually high flu rate this year", " More and more people go to A & E Instead of their doctors", "Resources are stretched to the limit due to an abnormally high number of inpatients", "It's the bed-blocking that's ruining us ( Delayed Transfer of Care )", "We can't recruit the right numbers of doctors/nurses/technicians" in order to meet the unexpectedly high number of patients requiring our services", "Patients are bringing sickness and diarhorea into the wards, as well as M.R S A. and c-deficile and athletes foot" etc etc ad nauseum. Every year we hear the same load of crap that is supposed to explain why the Health Board and NHS Wales couldn't organise a gang-bang in a brothel, and why no one in the Welsh Government knows what a 'Budget' or a 'Plan' is, let alone how to set one and then control the damn thing.
It's past being a farce, especially when you see the huge salaries of Directors, Board members, Managers ( well, that's what they're called, anyway ) that are nearly all in six figures. Yet, WE are told that services have to be cut back because it's our bleedin' fault ! The result being that all services have ( or are ) rationalised and centralised, in order that we shall be bestowed with a health service that is 'Fit for purpose' ( whatever that means ). More people will die at home, or in an ambulance during the four hours it takes to reach a hospital.
We been told people are too obese, people eat too much or the wrong foods, we all drink too much - which brings me ( neatly ) to this article that, says that it's the oldies - that are going out to the Pole dance clubs and getting 'elephant's trunk' - that are costing the NHS much money and affecting services.
So then, let's put all the under 16's and over 60s in Angelsey ( sorry butt - Ynus Mon ) and make it an alcohol-free zone. They'll be so busy trying to learn the Welsh language that they probably will lose the will to live by the time they learn the national anthem and the names of all the bilingual signs and notices.
If I wasn't crying, I'd be laughing, but the incompetence of our health services managers is well beyond a joke, by now. R. W.
Olivia Goldhill must have had a chuckle writing this story. We've heard NHS Wales and the Cardiff & Vale Universally Inept Health Board bleating on about how they haven't got any money, and that it's all OUR fault, but this latest revelation is a beaut - "it's the under 16s and over 60s binge-drinking that's to blame for poor health services." Finally, we are getting to the bottom of our health service problems.
They trot out excuses like a Gatling gun firing bullets; "We have an unusually high flu rate this year", " More and more people go to A & E Instead of their doctors", "Resources are stretched to the limit due to an abnormally high number of inpatients", "It's the bed-blocking that's ruining us ( Delayed Transfer of Care )", "We can't recruit the right numbers of doctors/nurses/technicians" in order to meet the unexpectedly high number of patients requiring our services", "Patients are bringing sickness and diarhorea into the wards, as well as M.R S A. and c-deficile and athletes foot" etc etc ad nauseum. Every year we hear the same load of crap that is supposed to explain why the Health Board and NHS Wales couldn't organise a gang-bang in a brothel, and why no one in the Welsh Government knows what a 'Budget' or a 'Plan' is, let alone how to set one and then control the damn thing.
It's past being a farce, especially when you see the huge salaries of Directors, Board members, Managers ( well, that's what they're called, anyway ) that are nearly all in six figures. Yet, WE are told that services have to be cut back because it's our bleedin' fault ! The result being that all services have ( or are ) rationalised and centralised, in order that we shall be bestowed with a health service that is 'Fit for purpose' ( whatever that means ). More people will die at home, or in an ambulance during the four hours it takes to reach a hospital.
We been told people are too obese, people eat too much or the wrong foods, we all drink too much - which brings me ( neatly ) to this article that, says that it's the oldies - that are going out to the Pole dance clubs and getting 'elephant's trunk' - that are costing the NHS much money and affecting services.
So then, let's put all the under 16's and over 60s in Angelsey ( sorry butt - Ynus Mon ) and make it an alcohol-free zone. They'll be so busy trying to learn the Welsh language that they probably will lose the will to live by the time they learn the national anthem and the names of all the bilingual signs and notices.
If I wasn't crying, I'd be laughing, but the incompetence of our health services managers is well beyond a joke, by now. R. W.
Friday, 14 December 2012
Uncaring nurses - two words that should never go together
MP Ann Clwyd condemned "indifference and contempt" of some NHS nursing staff, in an article for the BBC News after treatment received by her late husband at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
The article is very much aimed at nursing staff and how they can be uncaring and disrespectful, especially when treating older patients', however I think this is somewhat unfair, since we are all aware that nurses are overworked and often in charge of up to 5 (daytime) highly demanding patients and up to 7 at night.
I do believe that the fault lies with 'those in power', who changed the nursing profession from a compassion and 'work your way up' system, to one of University entry only. You cannot teach compassion. You also cannot teach respect.
The current degree route for nursing requires placement, hands on - on the ward, as well as theory, that is classroom based lectures. The percentage of each seems to change frequently, I believe it is currently only 1 week of theory to 8 weeks hands on.
Nursing students are provided with a mentor who oversees their learning and ensures they get to tick every box necessary to continue on to the following years' education. If a student is not competent at a certain task, they can receive further training, either on ward or in a classroom environment with use of dummies, in order to pass.
There is no denying that nursing students will receive all the necessary training and be skilled with the content of the degree course, however, how do you ensure the students have the appropriate personal skills, and then teach them if they're lacking? Can you really expect a grade A student to be a good nurse even if they refer to all patients as 'mate' or have no bedside manner?
Is it a package deal?
I think so. I do not think a nurse can be fully competant unless he/she is able to put patients at ease and offer support and compassion to their family and/or friends.
Being in hospital can be very lonely, and can leave you feeling hopeless, isolated, institutionalised. The only people around you are the other patients, who may or may not be compos mentis, or the nursing staff. We all need a friendly face, especially when we're not feeling at our best.
Do you have any personal experiences of nurses? Good or bad? Please share.
The article is very much aimed at nursing staff and how they can be uncaring and disrespectful, especially when treating older patients', however I think this is somewhat unfair, since we are all aware that nurses are overworked and often in charge of up to 5 (daytime) highly demanding patients and up to 7 at night.
I do believe that the fault lies with 'those in power', who changed the nursing profession from a compassion and 'work your way up' system, to one of University entry only. You cannot teach compassion. You also cannot teach respect.
The current degree route for nursing requires placement, hands on - on the ward, as well as theory, that is classroom based lectures. The percentage of each seems to change frequently, I believe it is currently only 1 week of theory to 8 weeks hands on.
Nursing students are provided with a mentor who oversees their learning and ensures they get to tick every box necessary to continue on to the following years' education. If a student is not competent at a certain task, they can receive further training, either on ward or in a classroom environment with use of dummies, in order to pass.
There is no denying that nursing students will receive all the necessary training and be skilled with the content of the degree course, however, how do you ensure the students have the appropriate personal skills, and then teach them if they're lacking? Can you really expect a grade A student to be a good nurse even if they refer to all patients as 'mate' or have no bedside manner?
Is it a package deal?
I think so. I do not think a nurse can be fully competant unless he/she is able to put patients at ease and offer support and compassion to their family and/or friends.
Being in hospital can be very lonely, and can leave you feeling hopeless, isolated, institutionalised. The only people around you are the other patients, who may or may not be compos mentis, or the nursing staff. We all need a friendly face, especially when we're not feeling at our best.
Do you have any personal experiences of nurses? Good or bad? Please share.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
The Welsh Government wouldn't do this - would they ???
What a plethora of health stories this week - it seems that nothing stays static in NHS Wales ( except the patients who are left in ambulances, or on trolleys, or patients - languishing on waiting lists - awaiting surgery, or some vital diagnostic test - for very long. No waiting at this blog, anyway.
Cameron and Hunt rebuked over NHS spending claims ( 'I' 5th December )
David Cameron and the Health Secretary have been publicly rebuked by the government's own statistics watchdog for misleadingly claiming that spending on health had risen since 2010. Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, concluded that spending on the NHS was actually lower in real terms than it was in 2010. Mr C's pledge that to protect health spending from public sector cuts has been central to the government's strategy of proving it can be trusted on the NHS. But in a damning letter to Mr Hunt, after a complaint by the Labour party, Mr Dilnot concluded that the claim was untrue. UNTRUE ? - you mean they lied to make themselves look good ?? Oh deary me, whatever next ? If you can't trust the government, who can you believe ?
Although the UK-wide figures included Wales, surely this can't mean that the Welsh government are doing the same or, at the vety least, contributing to this deliberate misrepresentation - surely not ????
Hospital Care Scandal
In an excellent letter to the Echo last week - commenting on the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Ann Clwyd MP's husband at UHW - Nurse Alison Spurrier gives a very balanced view of the likely cause in the lack of care received by husband Owen Roberts. After carefully stating the proper approach to such palliative care, Alison gives good reason as to why the fault lies in "A lack of leadership". Indeed her plausible explanations are eloquently stated, bravely showing that her words should be taken seriously from her, as she is is a senior nurse of some standing. There is no doubt about the sincerity and truthfulness of her letter, but I also see that 'leadership' is not fully defined.
In my opinion, this lack of leadership is a fault running all the way up to Board level, revealing a lamentable lack of manergerial control, from the top and down through the subordinate layers of management. Thank goodness for the fact that, in her position as an MP, she will ensure that the proper corrective measures will be taken at every level of the hierarchy of the Cardiff and Vale Health Board, including NHS Wales.
Well done, Alison, for standing up and speaking out ! Sadly, there are too many cases where patients and/or their families complain about being badly let down by the NHS.
Health Bosses 'must ensure enough staff on wards' - Echo December 11th 2012
In a pathetic display of 'Stating the obvious' and ' Mixed messages confusing everyone ', our Dear Leader, Leslie Griffiths, Minister for Health and Social services, tells us that "Health chiefs must make sure they have enough nurses on their wards to ensure dignity, care and compassion for patients.". Nurses say that they are under tremendous pressure due to short staffing levels causing poor morale. But, the Dear Lady responds that "It's really important that nurses do not feel like that. Dignity is so important in care and it is not nice to read stories where this is not happening." Shock, Horror, Probe !!!! Is she serious, or at least a tad insincere in what she says, or does she think that we ( the public ) and the Health Boards are so monumentally stupid that we forget about her insistence that Health Boards MUST be wthin budget by the end of the year ???
So, exactly how many nurses are we short, and who the blazes is going to pick up the tab for hiring all the extra nurses needed to ensure that that these so-called standards of care and compassion are met ??? If she had half a brain or ANY meaningful experience of running a health board ( or even a ruddy clinic ), she might just twig that you can't have the penny and the bun - i.e. you can't cut costs to the bone and still run an organisation that's fully staffed. Ergo, I'm guessing that a short-term fix will be muted ( more agency nurses, again ), before we are returned to the status quo of expecting our nurses to do more with inadequate resources, again. Really, you couldn't run a kid's party with that mentality, much less a £1bn plus, complex organisation like a hospital the size of UHW.
Personally speaking, I'm fed up to the armpits with all this insincerity, and intolerable B.S. ( business statistics, of course ). R.W.
Cameron and Hunt rebuked over NHS spending claims ( 'I' 5th December )
David Cameron and the Health Secretary have been publicly rebuked by the government's own statistics watchdog for misleadingly claiming that spending on health had risen since 2010. Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, concluded that spending on the NHS was actually lower in real terms than it was in 2010. Mr C's pledge that to protect health spending from public sector cuts has been central to the government's strategy of proving it can be trusted on the NHS. But in a damning letter to Mr Hunt, after a complaint by the Labour party, Mr Dilnot concluded that the claim was untrue. UNTRUE ? - you mean they lied to make themselves look good ?? Oh deary me, whatever next ? If you can't trust the government, who can you believe ?
Although the UK-wide figures included Wales, surely this can't mean that the Welsh government are doing the same or, at the vety least, contributing to this deliberate misrepresentation - surely not ????
Hospital Care Scandal
In an excellent letter to the Echo last week - commenting on the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Ann Clwyd MP's husband at UHW - Nurse Alison Spurrier gives a very balanced view of the likely cause in the lack of care received by husband Owen Roberts. After carefully stating the proper approach to such palliative care, Alison gives good reason as to why the fault lies in "A lack of leadership". Indeed her plausible explanations are eloquently stated, bravely showing that her words should be taken seriously from her, as she is is a senior nurse of some standing. There is no doubt about the sincerity and truthfulness of her letter, but I also see that 'leadership' is not fully defined.
In my opinion, this lack of leadership is a fault running all the way up to Board level, revealing a lamentable lack of manergerial control, from the top and down through the subordinate layers of management. Thank goodness for the fact that, in her position as an MP, she will ensure that the proper corrective measures will be taken at every level of the hierarchy of the Cardiff and Vale Health Board, including NHS Wales.
Well done, Alison, for standing up and speaking out ! Sadly, there are too many cases where patients and/or their families complain about being badly let down by the NHS.
Health Bosses 'must ensure enough staff on wards' - Echo December 11th 2012
In a pathetic display of 'Stating the obvious' and ' Mixed messages confusing everyone ', our Dear Leader, Leslie Griffiths, Minister for Health and Social services, tells us that "Health chiefs must make sure they have enough nurses on their wards to ensure dignity, care and compassion for patients.". Nurses say that they are under tremendous pressure due to short staffing levels causing poor morale. But, the Dear Lady responds that "It's really important that nurses do not feel like that. Dignity is so important in care and it is not nice to read stories where this is not happening." Shock, Horror, Probe !!!! Is she serious, or at least a tad insincere in what she says, or does she think that we ( the public ) and the Health Boards are so monumentally stupid that we forget about her insistence that Health Boards MUST be wthin budget by the end of the year ???
So, exactly how many nurses are we short, and who the blazes is going to pick up the tab for hiring all the extra nurses needed to ensure that that these so-called standards of care and compassion are met ??? If she had half a brain or ANY meaningful experience of running a health board ( or even a ruddy clinic ), she might just twig that you can't have the penny and the bun - i.e. you can't cut costs to the bone and still run an organisation that's fully staffed. Ergo, I'm guessing that a short-term fix will be muted ( more agency nurses, again ), before we are returned to the status quo of expecting our nurses to do more with inadequate resources, again. Really, you couldn't run a kid's party with that mentality, much less a £1bn plus, complex organisation like a hospital the size of UHW.
Personally speaking, I'm fed up to the armpits with all this insincerity, and intolerable B.S. ( business statistics, of course ). R.W.
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Minister explains that Bailout and Contingency funding are totally different
The Echo faithfully reports anything that puts our Health Minister in a good light,without a feministic bias.
In her article 'Extra Cash for Health boards Not a Bailout,' Julia Watt allows our dear health Minister to demonstrate the meaning of Semantics. Quite simply ( to the dear lady), the extra £82m that has been set aside for the end of the year - when the health boards fail to meet their break-even target that the Minister assured us ( only last week ) that they would not be in defecit - is a 'Contingency' "to allow the NHS to manage and maintain quality of care". Huh ? Now, I may be a tad slow on the uptake at times but isn't she saying that she knows the health Boards won't break even ( as promised ), so this Contingency Fund will save the NHS the embarrassment of failing to meet their targets - in other words a Bailout for budget failures isn't a actual bailout, as such, it's simply a means of money to ensure that the boards break-even. Confused ?
Ok - it's a ruddy bailout by another name ( semantics, isn't it , see Butty ? ). Of course, it's much easier to understand the dear lady when we have Kirsty Williams AM translating this B.S. by stating, The Minister is predictably denying that this is a bailout", adding that " The Minister has plugged a hole in the the NHS' finances by raiding the Capital Budget". Other AMs agreed but the dear lady insists that "I have made changes to the NHS finance regime, including a review of how we provide flexibility as recommended by the Auditor General" Huh ? Isn't this more semantics to pretend that the extra £82m isn't a 'bailout' ? Why can't politicians speak the truth, instead of persistently being guilty of a 'Terminalogical Inexactitude' ????
And - if the NHS is supposed to "manage and maintain quality of care", how can they achieve this within continually tightening financial constraints.
Incidentally, In case anyone has missed the main point, the NHS is NOT - repeat NOT a Profit and Loss commercial enterprise. On the contrary, the NHS is a PUBLIC SERVICE, established to meet the needs of the tax and N.I. paying public ! Therefore, they are supposed to meet the growing health needs of the increasing population, and NOT to 'cut the patients to fit the service' by reducing services and making them more inaccessible than they already are ! R.W.
In her article 'Extra Cash for Health boards Not a Bailout,' Julia Watt allows our dear health Minister to demonstrate the meaning of Semantics. Quite simply ( to the dear lady), the extra £82m that has been set aside for the end of the year - when the health boards fail to meet their break-even target that the Minister assured us ( only last week ) that they would not be in defecit - is a 'Contingency' "to allow the NHS to manage and maintain quality of care". Huh ? Now, I may be a tad slow on the uptake at times but isn't she saying that she knows the health Boards won't break even ( as promised ), so this Contingency Fund will save the NHS the embarrassment of failing to meet their targets - in other words a Bailout for budget failures isn't a actual bailout, as such, it's simply a means of money to ensure that the boards break-even. Confused ?
Ok - it's a ruddy bailout by another name ( semantics, isn't it , see Butty ? ). Of course, it's much easier to understand the dear lady when we have Kirsty Williams AM translating this B.S. by stating, The Minister is predictably denying that this is a bailout", adding that " The Minister has plugged a hole in the the NHS' finances by raiding the Capital Budget". Other AMs agreed but the dear lady insists that "I have made changes to the NHS finance regime, including a review of how we provide flexibility as recommended by the Auditor General" Huh ? Isn't this more semantics to pretend that the extra £82m isn't a 'bailout' ? Why can't politicians speak the truth, instead of persistently being guilty of a 'Terminalogical Inexactitude' ????
And - if the NHS is supposed to "manage and maintain quality of care", how can they achieve this within continually tightening financial constraints.
Incidentally, In case anyone has missed the main point, the NHS is NOT - repeat NOT a Profit and Loss commercial enterprise. On the contrary, the NHS is a PUBLIC SERVICE, established to meet the needs of the tax and N.I. paying public ! Therefore, they are supposed to meet the growing health needs of the increasing population, and NOT to 'cut the patients to fit the service' by reducing services and making them more inaccessible than they already are ! R.W.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Live Healthier lifestyles - OR ELSE !
Satirically reporting, word has reached the 'Royal Ears' that The Welsh Government is going to attempt to introduce legislation to force us to become healthier. Yes, I know, 1984 was nearly three decades ago, but Orwell's predictions don't seem far off the mark if this unconfirmed intelligence is true. Today, we have heard that the 'Opt out' scheme of Organ Donations, is approved and will take immediate effect. Hardly surpising really, as the NHS thinks we'll all be forced to give up our organs, simply because we are ( collectively ) too stupid to realise that we will be able to opt out by saying 'NO !' Rumours abound that the highest rated person, ideally suited for organ donations is........our beloved Health Minister Leslie Griffiths, whom it is further rumoured is to be part of a Cabinet reshuffle that will include the creation of a new Ministry [ Nope, nothing to do with the Richard recommendations, more to do with necessity ].
One scurrilous rumour-monger was heard to say that, in future, the only time that Leslie Griffiths will open her mouth will be to change feet ! Hence ( so the rumour continues ), the dear lady has reached her political summit by being appointed to this new Ministry, to be called The Ministry for Population Reduction, or simply the MPR. This bold move comes after reports are apparently received from every conceivable consultee ( including Marcus 'I didn't do it, Guv' Longley ) - all concluding that cuts to vital health services over the past decade, have failed to achieve their target of minimal citizen usage !
The inevitable result of this inexcusable failure, is that some citizens in our growing population seem to be hell-bent on keeping the health service working, thus burdening our 'Tea Party' with continuing healthcare costs, albeit greatly reduced already. These right-wing-neocons have, therefore, chosen to utilise their supreme powers by introducing legislation ( in Welsh only ) to force us to; eat much less, excercise by order, and to reduce breeding as a result of unlicensed, unprotected sexual copulations.
Weekly targets of achievement are to be set by MPR and enforced by the underemployed Welsh Language Fascists. If - after a period of public consultation by the Community Health Prevention Councils - plans are approved, rumour has it that check-posts and screening centres will be established in every town hall throughout Wales. Families of the future will consist of a maximum of three persons ( two adults and one licensed child ) who will reside in studio apartments, to be built in the new Centres of Excellence which, we are assured will be 'Fit for Purpose'. Satirically, R. W.
One scurrilous rumour-monger was heard to say that, in future, the only time that Leslie Griffiths will open her mouth will be to change feet ! Hence ( so the rumour continues ), the dear lady has reached her political summit by being appointed to this new Ministry, to be called The Ministry for Population Reduction, or simply the MPR. This bold move comes after reports are apparently received from every conceivable consultee ( including Marcus 'I didn't do it, Guv' Longley ) - all concluding that cuts to vital health services over the past decade, have failed to achieve their target of minimal citizen usage !
The inevitable result of this inexcusable failure, is that some citizens in our growing population seem to be hell-bent on keeping the health service working, thus burdening our 'Tea Party' with continuing healthcare costs, albeit greatly reduced already. These right-wing-neocons have, therefore, chosen to utilise their supreme powers by introducing legislation ( in Welsh only ) to force us to; eat much less, excercise by order, and to reduce breeding as a result of unlicensed, unprotected sexual copulations.
Weekly targets of achievement are to be set by MPR and enforced by the underemployed Welsh Language Fascists. If - after a period of public consultation by the Community Health Prevention Councils - plans are approved, rumour has it that check-posts and screening centres will be established in every town hall throughout Wales. Families of the future will consist of a maximum of three persons ( two adults and one licensed child ) who will reside in studio apartments, to be built in the new Centres of Excellence which, we are assured will be 'Fit for Purpose'. Satirically, R. W.
Monday, 3 December 2012
More Shifts in Clinical Services - less accessible but less costly
'Matching the Best in the World' - Well, that was what the title of the Slide Show Summary was called, but I think that 'Side Show to Deception' would have been more apt. I attended this public meeting at Llandough hospital last week ( with only six members of the public present ) to be treated to a talk by Dr Graham Shortland, Medical Director NHS Wales, that was subtitled 'What is the South Wales Programme all about ?' The four items were just the usual empty rhetoric that precedes a document of problems in five specific services as discussed and agreed by 300 clinicians ( we are reliably informed ). These are :
Obstetrics
Neonatal Care
Paediatrics
Accident and Emergency
Major Trauma
Apparently, all of these services cannot continue as they are and consequently they are to be based at 4/5 specialist centres - most of these are currently being delivered from 'seven or so' sites. Now "they need to be concentrated on fewer sites, if we are to ensure that everyone has the best care and the best possible outcomes, whatever time of day or year". Where have I heard that silly and insincere crap before ? Oh - I remember - it was on every occasion over the past decade that the NHS and Local Health Boards wanted to centralise services in order to cut costs. Needless to say, consultations resulting in public opinion opposing these changes, were completely ignored by every organisation ( led by the ridiculously incoherent Community Health Councils, who hadn't read any of the proposals or understood the implications of their unfathomable reason for supporting the proposals as put forward by the LHBs ).
The same farce continues today with Dr Shortland announcing that the 'Engagement' phase ends December the 19th with 12 week ( not the statutory 16 weeks ) 'Consultations' scheduled to commence end January 2013. The CHC pantomime will pretend that that they give a toss about public opinion, before they vote the Preferred Option through, in support of th LHB,s proposal, as-per-bloody-usual. ( Lord, doesn't this completely false and meaningless process make even a Billy goat puke ? ). Yet, the Health Autocrat of the Decade - Lesley Griffiths - still says that "we don't need public forums as the Community Health Councils are the voice of the people". What an arrogant, ignorant declaration ! No hope then that any democratic process will enter the NHS protocol, then.
Anyway, the talk ended with we ( the public ) making the obvious comments that Access to centralised services would be a problem, as would implementation ( a logistical nightmare ), to say nothing about the consequences to us of being able to access yet further reduced services. Given the impossible timescale, intelligent reasoning will be inconceivable, with the inevitable result being as I have indicated, above. Try not to have nightmares about the 'Front Door' to the NHS i.e. A & E being log-jammed by queueing ambulances and a critical shortage of beds. And God help those Major Trauma patients. At least there will be a bountiful future for all Funeral Parlours ! R.W.
Obstetrics
Neonatal Care
Paediatrics
Accident and Emergency
Major Trauma
Apparently, all of these services cannot continue as they are and consequently they are to be based at 4/5 specialist centres - most of these are currently being delivered from 'seven or so' sites. Now "they need to be concentrated on fewer sites, if we are to ensure that everyone has the best care and the best possible outcomes, whatever time of day or year". Where have I heard that silly and insincere crap before ? Oh - I remember - it was on every occasion over the past decade that the NHS and Local Health Boards wanted to centralise services in order to cut costs. Needless to say, consultations resulting in public opinion opposing these changes, were completely ignored by every organisation ( led by the ridiculously incoherent Community Health Councils, who hadn't read any of the proposals or understood the implications of their unfathomable reason for supporting the proposals as put forward by the LHBs ).
The same farce continues today with Dr Shortland announcing that the 'Engagement' phase ends December the 19th with 12 week ( not the statutory 16 weeks ) 'Consultations' scheduled to commence end January 2013. The CHC pantomime will pretend that that they give a toss about public opinion, before they vote the Preferred Option through, in support of th LHB,s proposal, as-per-bloody-usual. ( Lord, doesn't this completely false and meaningless process make even a Billy goat puke ? ). Yet, the Health Autocrat of the Decade - Lesley Griffiths - still says that "we don't need public forums as the Community Health Councils are the voice of the people". What an arrogant, ignorant declaration ! No hope then that any democratic process will enter the NHS protocol, then.
Anyway, the talk ended with we ( the public ) making the obvious comments that Access to centralised services would be a problem, as would implementation ( a logistical nightmare ), to say nothing about the consequences to us of being able to access yet further reduced services. Given the impossible timescale, intelligent reasoning will be inconceivable, with the inevitable result being as I have indicated, above. Try not to have nightmares about the 'Front Door' to the NHS i.e. A & E being log-jammed by queueing ambulances and a critical shortage of beds. And God help those Major Trauma patients. At least there will be a bountiful future for all Funeral Parlours ! R.W.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Hospital Campaigners in Libel Action Threat
The Western Mail reports that the 'Save Withybush Action Team' ( SWAT ) had received a solicitor's letter, dated November 8th referring to a campaign leaflet and web publications which allegedly defamed three named Hywell Dda Health Board bosses. The group's Chairman and Obstetrician sent a reply stating that they were happy to refrain from using the three names on any future publications, BUT... "We will continue to tell the truth about health service provision in our area and will not allow our Freedom of Speech to be undermined." Now there's a man I could business with - bully for you, old boy !!
However, I confess to feeling somewhat aggreived, as I have named lying directors of at least three health boards and their solicitors, Morgan Cole ( who just happen to be acting for the Welsh goverment and ALL of their subordinate orginisations, including NHS Wales, Health Boards and Local Authorities ). So, why haven't the buggers tthreatened to sue me, for all my damning letters, magazine articles, and everything I've written in this truthful Blog ??? The answer is simple; SWAT and our Two Flew Over have only written the truth.
I have even begged Morgan and Cole to sue me , on behalf of any of the Health Boards, about the people I have named and their fraudulent actions, but in the 15 + years during which I have been a Better Health Service campaigner, not one threatening letter have I received, much less been summonsed to answer an action of Defamation by Slander or Libel. You have only to read some ( if not all ) of my posts and you will see that I have exposed many deceptions, misrepresentations, bogus consultations, lies, and outright fraud with complete impunity. Where's the justice in this absence of action and why am I being deliberately discriminated against in this outrageous manner ?
Why, even my detailed exposure of the fraudulent sale of Sully Hospital buildings plus 147 acres of land and seafront was covered up by a 'circling of the waggons'. I had the Trust dead-to-rights on the crooked wheeling and dealing that went on over the sale that went for the cheapest bid offered. For years I exposed the truth, from the Trust's own documents - and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that 104 potential buyers were deliberately NOT offered the same terms as the eventual 'Preferred Bidder'. No one disputed my facts - not even the Auditor General or the First Minister himself - and their solicitors contrived to withhold the Final Contract of sale that would prove to be the ultimate proof that the Trust lied and offered preferential terms to the other signatory of the contract. Yet, incredibly, the bastards all got away with it because Morgan and Cole falsely declared that a copy of the Final Contract "could not be found". Most galling, I'm sure you will agree - and I still have every printed word of the truth in correspondence supplied by the Trust under the Freedom of Information Act - an absolutely useless piece of legislation that , as with the Auditor General, serves only to protect the government and all of its' undemocratic, clandestine organisations from any challenge that seeks to show them seriously at fault in any of their dealings with public funds.
So, Mr Chris Overton, Sir, please continue to campaign as strongly as you like because the Health Board and the government's crooked solicitors, will do ANYTHING to conceal the facts and certainly won't risk a public expose in the courts by suing you ! Millions of pounds of public money - OUR money - is being mispent or misused every day and there isn't a damn thing either you or I can do about it ! R.W.
However, I confess to feeling somewhat aggreived, as I have named lying directors of at least three health boards and their solicitors, Morgan Cole ( who just happen to be acting for the Welsh goverment and ALL of their subordinate orginisations, including NHS Wales, Health Boards and Local Authorities ). So, why haven't the buggers tthreatened to sue me, for all my damning letters, magazine articles, and everything I've written in this truthful Blog ??? The answer is simple; SWAT and our Two Flew Over have only written the truth.
I have even begged Morgan and Cole to sue me , on behalf of any of the Health Boards, about the people I have named and their fraudulent actions, but in the 15 + years during which I have been a Better Health Service campaigner, not one threatening letter have I received, much less been summonsed to answer an action of Defamation by Slander or Libel. You have only to read some ( if not all ) of my posts and you will see that I have exposed many deceptions, misrepresentations, bogus consultations, lies, and outright fraud with complete impunity. Where's the justice in this absence of action and why am I being deliberately discriminated against in this outrageous manner ?
Why, even my detailed exposure of the fraudulent sale of Sully Hospital buildings plus 147 acres of land and seafront was covered up by a 'circling of the waggons'. I had the Trust dead-to-rights on the crooked wheeling and dealing that went on over the sale that went for the cheapest bid offered. For years I exposed the truth, from the Trust's own documents - and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that 104 potential buyers were deliberately NOT offered the same terms as the eventual 'Preferred Bidder'. No one disputed my facts - not even the Auditor General or the First Minister himself - and their solicitors contrived to withhold the Final Contract of sale that would prove to be the ultimate proof that the Trust lied and offered preferential terms to the other signatory of the contract. Yet, incredibly, the bastards all got away with it because Morgan and Cole falsely declared that a copy of the Final Contract "could not be found". Most galling, I'm sure you will agree - and I still have every printed word of the truth in correspondence supplied by the Trust under the Freedom of Information Act - an absolutely useless piece of legislation that , as with the Auditor General, serves only to protect the government and all of its' undemocratic, clandestine organisations from any challenge that seeks to show them seriously at fault in any of their dealings with public funds.
So, Mr Chris Overton, Sir, please continue to campaign as strongly as you like because the Health Board and the government's crooked solicitors, will do ANYTHING to conceal the facts and certainly won't risk a public expose in the courts by suing you ! Millions of pounds of public money - OUR money - is being mispent or misused every day and there isn't a damn thing either you or I can do about it ! R.W.
Friday, 23 November 2012
Health Board in Very Poorly State ???
"Somebody
get a grip on the truth, Please'
It has always been crystal clear that NHS Wales and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board think that all citizens of Wales are morons. I've lost count of the number of times we have had our collective intelligence insulted on health budgets and ( alleged ) deficits.
N.B. I.V.S. is
short for Iosef Visarrianovich Stalin
It has always been crystal clear that NHS Wales and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board think that all citizens of Wales are morons. I've lost count of the number of times we have had our collective intelligence insulted on health budgets and ( alleged ) deficits.
Two Days ago,
David Sissling, Director General, Chief Executive Officer NHS Wales announced that "all health Boards in Wales would meet their targets by the end of the year." Today, we are told that by April 2013 the Cardiff and Vale
Health board will be at a deficit of £69m or - according to Hugh Vaughan
Thomas, Auditor General - as high as £131m.
How can this
possibly be, with the health board supposedly having saved over £220m this year
already ?
Isn't it about
time that the people in Wales were told the exact figures for the budget at the
start of 2010, 2011 and 2012, followed by a breakdown of exactly how much
higher the spending will be ( was ) at the end of these years ? You won't need
to be a chartered accountant to work out that we are being panicked by fright
management, through the use of figures that are pure B.S. ( Business Statistics
- what else ? ). Having been a keen
follower of the various spurious reports - about how we need to keep cutting
services in Cardiff & the Vale ( and the rest of Wales, of course )- it is
easy to see that running at an ever-increasing defecit is impossible ( even if you
are dull enough to believe NHS/Government rhetoric.)
Also, what do the Needs Assessments of each of these years reveal that the annual budget should be,
please ? Please believe that these
figures ( from previously published budget figures ) will show just how
incapable the Health Boards or NHS Wales are of telling us the truth. Why, if we are to believe these
carpetbaggers, we'll soon be arriving at a state where it will be claimed that
NHS Wales can only deal with 1000 patients a month (at a cost well below the
wage bill for the mandarins of the NHS and their subordinate health board
officials ).
It's extremely
worrying to see that democracy in Wales died 11 years ago, and that we are
entering the Stalinist stage of I.V.S' declaration that "People are the
problem - so, no people no
problem." ( please insert 'patients for 'people' ). In simple terms, the budget is worked out by
using the health budget funds to boost other funds, and keep the fat-cats even
fatter.
It doesn't matter
a damn what services are needed to keep us all in a reasonable state of good
health and well-being, it only matters that we ( the poor, apathetic or dumb,
public/patients ) are expected to pay for the incompetence of the bureaucrats,
who couldn't manage an ice cream van and make it break even. R.W.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
"Did we really do that to our A and & E services ?"
Following on from my post 'Emergency - What Emergency', where I patiently explained why the NHS Wales' decision to close 7 more Accident and Emergency units was totally beyond any reasonable, acceptable logic, I now learn that there has been a 300% rise in waiting times in some areas with a total ( UK wide ) of 500,000 patients having been forced to wait 30 minutes on trolleys before admission to A&E. Add to that the knock-on effect of ambulances being immobilised because they are unable to get their patients delivered and accepted - as the emergencies they were supposed to be - and you get a pretty horrific picture of what will happen to our emergency services in future.
Whilst being stuck at A&E units, ambulances are unable to answer other emergency calls, making the 'pain to assessment' time even longer than before. The ambulance service is often criticised for failing to respond to calls quickly enough and, once they collect their patient, it takes even longer to get them treated because of the gridlock at A&E. Make no mistake about it - this sometimes fatal delay is due entirely to the Local health Boards cutting services in line with NHS/Government's insistence on meeting ridiculous budgets. With no budget figures being announced year on year, it is impossible to say whether hospitals will have sufficient resources to meet the existing requirement of need, never mind the ever-growing need as the population has expanded over the past decade
Effectively, this 'cost-cutting-by-imposed-lower-annual-budgets' has already made our health services unable to meet the health needs in our communities, whilst being constantly criticised for failing to meet targets that have never been agreed and, consequently are impossible to meet in the first place. So what does this mean in practice ? It means that the patient is being cut to fit the service, instead of the service being adequate to meet current and future need. Even more shocking is the fact that no Needs Assessment or epidemiology study has been conducted in over a decade.
So, David Sissling's statement that "All health boards and hospitals should be operating within their budgets by the end of the current year" will mean that a huge number of us will not get the treatment we need or deserve. I wouldn't be surprised if the NHS will eventually say that " This service ( whichever ) will only be able to deal with X number of patients this year ( X being well below the amount of need ). It's galling to realise that these over-paid, incompetent 'fat-cats' are takingn salaries of around £200,000 a year, whilst they are deliberately denying us life-saving health services. The Minister, Leslie Griffiths, Dr Shortland, Tony Jewell ( incarnate ), Joanna Jordan, the Local Health Boards, and the entire Welsh Government should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for lying to us about service cuts that will inevitably lead to a greater number of patient deaths, before they reach hospital. Make no mistake about this situation, patients are already receiving inadequate treatment whilst in hospital, as less staff are urged to do more work in processing patients quicker in order to discharge them.
Why then is 'the tail wagging the dog' by allowing these so-called Public Servants to fail in their duty to us as our elected representatives ?????? I could offer my opinions, but I'd rather hear yours, please. R. W.
P.S. Our Dear Lady, Leslie Griffiths is now more concerned about providing welsh-speaking staff to wlesh-speaking patients. If that isn't getting your priorities screwed up, I don't know what is !
Whilst being stuck at A&E units, ambulances are unable to answer other emergency calls, making the 'pain to assessment' time even longer than before. The ambulance service is often criticised for failing to respond to calls quickly enough and, once they collect their patient, it takes even longer to get them treated because of the gridlock at A&E. Make no mistake about it - this sometimes fatal delay is due entirely to the Local health Boards cutting services in line with NHS/Government's insistence on meeting ridiculous budgets. With no budget figures being announced year on year, it is impossible to say whether hospitals will have sufficient resources to meet the existing requirement of need, never mind the ever-growing need as the population has expanded over the past decade
Effectively, this 'cost-cutting-by-imposed-lower-annual-budgets' has already made our health services unable to meet the health needs in our communities, whilst being constantly criticised for failing to meet targets that have never been agreed and, consequently are impossible to meet in the first place. So what does this mean in practice ? It means that the patient is being cut to fit the service, instead of the service being adequate to meet current and future need. Even more shocking is the fact that no Needs Assessment or epidemiology study has been conducted in over a decade.
So, David Sissling's statement that "All health boards and hospitals should be operating within their budgets by the end of the current year" will mean that a huge number of us will not get the treatment we need or deserve. I wouldn't be surprised if the NHS will eventually say that " This service ( whichever ) will only be able to deal with X number of patients this year ( X being well below the amount of need ). It's galling to realise that these over-paid, incompetent 'fat-cats' are takingn salaries of around £200,000 a year, whilst they are deliberately denying us life-saving health services. The Minister, Leslie Griffiths, Dr Shortland, Tony Jewell ( incarnate ), Joanna Jordan, the Local Health Boards, and the entire Welsh Government should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for lying to us about service cuts that will inevitably lead to a greater number of patient deaths, before they reach hospital. Make no mistake about this situation, patients are already receiving inadequate treatment whilst in hospital, as less staff are urged to do more work in processing patients quicker in order to discharge them.
Why then is 'the tail wagging the dog' by allowing these so-called Public Servants to fail in their duty to us as our elected representatives ?????? I could offer my opinions, but I'd rather hear yours, please. R. W.
P.S. Our Dear Lady, Leslie Griffiths is now more concerned about providing welsh-speaking staff to wlesh-speaking patients. If that isn't getting your priorities screwed up, I don't know what is !
Friday, 16 November 2012
Knocking at Heaven's Door - 05.04.2011
The headline in The Independent 4/04 following the undercover BBC Panorama Report on Winterbourne View 'care' home read; "The care home that could have been mistaken for Abu Ghraib".
Finally it seems the Elephant has burst out of the Room with members of the staff working there having been arrested . Now Wayne and Alli and Charlotte and Graham have finally realised that there is such a thing as accountability even for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged of us. It is not good enough for the profession to dismiss this case as, 'a few bad apples' as cameras proved this to be otherwise when even the managers stood by and watched - all caught on camera like the scene from a horror movie. Appoo - a senior nurse with 35 years' experience stood by and watched a young woman Simone with the mental age of five been hit by her 'carers' as he smiled! I wanted to cry and had to force myself to look.
the whistle had been blown by a senior nurse Terry Bryan complained to the manager of the home who did not reply so then to Care Quality Commission neither did they reply.It was up to a reporter from BBc to uncover this shocking & degrading behaviour by staff or it would be still going on as it is endemic within the present culture of the NHS. metal health professional all the way from top to bottom where bullying of patients as well as some staff who do not 'conform' is commonplace.As the Panorama showed such remarks as - "Don't push it or I'll push your head down the toilet." an everyday reality.
In my experience service users give up complaining as even those organisations meant to give us a voice are also complicit. If one complains - as I was by a senior manager at Whitchurch Hospital we are dismissed with such remarks as, "it was your state of mind that you perceived things as you did" - that final put down: case closed.But not at Winterbourne thankfully.
As the philosopher Edmund Burke has said,"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
The case rests here I think.
Finally it seems the Elephant has burst out of the Room with members of the staff working there having been arrested . Now Wayne and Alli and Charlotte and Graham have finally realised that there is such a thing as accountability even for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged of us. It is not good enough for the profession to dismiss this case as, 'a few bad apples' as cameras proved this to be otherwise when even the managers stood by and watched - all caught on camera like the scene from a horror movie. Appoo - a senior nurse with 35 years' experience stood by and watched a young woman Simone with the mental age of five been hit by her 'carers' as he smiled! I wanted to cry and had to force myself to look.
the whistle had been blown by a senior nurse Terry Bryan complained to the manager of the home who did not reply so then to Care Quality Commission neither did they reply.It was up to a reporter from BBc to uncover this shocking & degrading behaviour by staff or it would be still going on as it is endemic within the present culture of the NHS. metal health professional all the way from top to bottom where bullying of patients as well as some staff who do not 'conform' is commonplace.As the Panorama showed such remarks as - "Don't push it or I'll push your head down the toilet." an everyday reality.
In my experience service users give up complaining as even those organisations meant to give us a voice are also complicit. If one complains - as I was by a senior manager at Whitchurch Hospital we are dismissed with such remarks as, "it was your state of mind that you perceived things as you did" - that final put down: case closed.But not at Winterbourne thankfully.
As the philosopher Edmund Burke has said,"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
The case rests here I think.
Breastfeeding - it's only natural!
You may have your own opinions on breastfeeding, as I have mine.
Many new mothers' decide to try to breastfeed, equally, many decide to formula feed from day one. The evidence is clear that breastfeeding is by far the best choice for an infant, however, the support for breastfeeding mothers is sadly lacking in today's NHS.
A recent article on the BBC News site by UNICEF suggested that the NHS could save up to £40m by encouraging mothers to breastfeed. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19992410) which is an enormous amount of money.
'The charity says a moderate increase would reduce the number of women who get breast cancer and also cut gastroenteritis and respiratory problems in babies.'
Amazing isn't it?
There are a number of charities in the UK which support breastfeeding, and are on hand to help mothers should they need help with latch, confidence, knowledge etc. These include La Leche League, NCT and many Flying Start initiatives. Having using the La Leche League myself when trying to get a diagnosis of tongue tie for my son, I am confident they are helping many mothers across the UK to continue breastfeeding.
My Health Visitor, on the other hand, is sadly misinformed.
My son, Samuel, has been slow to gain weight. The immediate response from my Health Visitor is to switch him to formula. There was no support offered other than to offer him a different source of milk and that would, miraculously, solve our problem.
Luckily, I did not follow her 'advice' and sought further medical help.
Samuel has now been diagnosed with a milk protein intolerance, which means I have had to cut dairy out of my diet. Had I switched to formula he would have lost weight and been much more poorly, much more quickly. Mum knows best right? Sadly, medical professionals will not accept that mum knows best and still insist on doing these things 'by the book' until we go round in circles, waste countless weeks, and eventually end up at the very point mum suggested. More wasted money...
Some things you may not know about breastfeeding:
On that note I mus go and feed my son. More soon!
Many new mothers' decide to try to breastfeed, equally, many decide to formula feed from day one. The evidence is clear that breastfeeding is by far the best choice for an infant, however, the support for breastfeeding mothers is sadly lacking in today's NHS.
A recent article on the BBC News site by UNICEF suggested that the NHS could save up to £40m by encouraging mothers to breastfeed. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19992410) which is an enormous amount of money.
'The charity says a moderate increase would reduce the number of women who get breast cancer and also cut gastroenteritis and respiratory problems in babies.'
Amazing isn't it?
There are a number of charities in the UK which support breastfeeding, and are on hand to help mothers should they need help with latch, confidence, knowledge etc. These include La Leche League, NCT and many Flying Start initiatives. Having using the La Leche League myself when trying to get a diagnosis of tongue tie for my son, I am confident they are helping many mothers across the UK to continue breastfeeding.
My Health Visitor, on the other hand, is sadly misinformed.
My son, Samuel, has been slow to gain weight. The immediate response from my Health Visitor is to switch him to formula. There was no support offered other than to offer him a different source of milk and that would, miraculously, solve our problem.
Luckily, I did not follow her 'advice' and sought further medical help.
Samuel has now been diagnosed with a milk protein intolerance, which means I have had to cut dairy out of my diet. Had I switched to formula he would have lost weight and been much more poorly, much more quickly. Mum knows best right? Sadly, medical professionals will not accept that mum knows best and still insist on doing these things 'by the book' until we go round in circles, waste countless weeks, and eventually end up at the very point mum suggested. More wasted money...
Some things you may not know about breastfeeding:
- More recently, breast milk has been found to kill cancer cells (http://www.naturalnews.com/028662_breast_milk_cancer.html) - they don't call it 'liquid gold' for nothing.
- Breast milk can be bought from milk banks to be given to premature babies. The milk has essential immune cells to help babies ward off infection (http://www.preemie-l.org/bfaq.html)
- Breast milk is tailored to your individual baby's needs (http://attachmentparenting.org/blog/2010/07/22/keeping-your-breast-milk-healthy/)
On that note I mus go and feed my son. More soon!
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Health Minister Shoots Herself in the other Foot
'Health Board at Centre of row over NHS report'.
It seems like only a month ago that Leslie Griffiths shot herself in the foot over the contrived Marcus Longley report that nearly told the truth, and now - before the wound has healed - she's blasted the other foot when The National Clinical Forum, that she set up, failed to follow orders.
The report was requested to support the changes proposed for North Wales, currently under consultation ( contrived, of course ), yet some honest pillock on the NCF ventured to tell the truth by saying that the changes were 'unsustainable'. Fortunately this contravention of the Minister's instructions was quickly spotted by the Welsh Conservatives. UNfortunately - following a brief exchange of e-mails between the Chair of the NCF and the Minister's office - the report was hastily retracted and altered to support the proposals, causing further accusations of collusion and downright contrived alterations, to be hurled across the floor of the Sennydd. In a glaring piece of understatement, the Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar, said, "These revelations will further undermine the low level of public confidence which exists in the reconfiguration process in the Welsh NHS ( surely not - how do you undermine 'rock bottom' - RW ). Rubbing salt in the wound, Mr Millar added, "The National Clinical Forum is supposed to offer independent advice to health boards on service reorganisation in their areas. The Whole thing Stinks !" Even the pantomime King of ministers, Carwyn Jones couldn't be heard above the hoots of laughter, as he told AMs" ministers had not been involved in changes to the report", adding that there had "been no interference of any kind" by the Welsh Government and that the government "had complete confidence" in the NCF (to do as they were told in future - RW ). A bit later, the Betsy Cadwalader Chief Executive lamely added that "The NCF was asked to "clarify" specific proposals", and the forum's Chairman said "Amendments were needed to remove any "ambiguity" from the report. ( Yeah Right, and I'm the Queen of the Fairies - RW ).
Well, if that isn't enough to send readers into paroxysms of hysterical laughter - nothing will ! R.W.
It seems like only a month ago that Leslie Griffiths shot herself in the foot over the contrived Marcus Longley report that nearly told the truth, and now - before the wound has healed - she's blasted the other foot when The National Clinical Forum, that she set up, failed to follow orders.
The report was requested to support the changes proposed for North Wales, currently under consultation ( contrived, of course ), yet some honest pillock on the NCF ventured to tell the truth by saying that the changes were 'unsustainable'. Fortunately this contravention of the Minister's instructions was quickly spotted by the Welsh Conservatives. UNfortunately - following a brief exchange of e-mails between the Chair of the NCF and the Minister's office - the report was hastily retracted and altered to support the proposals, causing further accusations of collusion and downright contrived alterations, to be hurled across the floor of the Sennydd. In a glaring piece of understatement, the Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar, said, "These revelations will further undermine the low level of public confidence which exists in the reconfiguration process in the Welsh NHS ( surely not - how do you undermine 'rock bottom' - RW ). Rubbing salt in the wound, Mr Millar added, "The National Clinical Forum is supposed to offer independent advice to health boards on service reorganisation in their areas. The Whole thing Stinks !" Even the pantomime King of ministers, Carwyn Jones couldn't be heard above the hoots of laughter, as he told AMs" ministers had not been involved in changes to the report", adding that there had "been no interference of any kind" by the Welsh Government and that the government "had complete confidence" in the NCF (to do as they were told in future - RW ). A bit later, the Betsy Cadwalader Chief Executive lamely added that "The NCF was asked to "clarify" specific proposals", and the forum's Chairman said "Amendments were needed to remove any "ambiguity" from the report. ( Yeah Right, and I'm the Queen of the Fairies - RW ).
Well, if that isn't enough to send readers into paroxysms of hysterical laughter - nothing will ! R.W.
Friday, 9 November 2012
'Sexy' Newspaper Stories - ( no, it's mental health ! )
The Echo is a mediocre newspaper at best. Few of the really experienced 'hacks' are left, and a good editor - like a good woman - is hard to find. Today the front page highlights the potential ( i.e. (99% certain ) loss of 160 jobs at the company I used to know as Fram Filters. This is the tragic result of our failure to recognise the importance of the rapid decline in manufacturing jobs, and my heart goes out to the poor souls who will have to find new jobs in today's stagnant market. But, let me get to the main point of this post.
Yesterday, we had the front page screamimg " 'Disgrace' - Dad's anger as UHW denies hydrotherapy treatment to his son with Dystonic Cerebral Palsy ." Without doubt, another tragedy, especially when the Echo reporter reveals that this therapeutic facility is only available to private patients. Is this
UHW or Holby City ?
For me the piece de resistance is the truly tragic story in tonight's edition 'MEN'S Suicide Shock'. And what priority does our popular 'rag' give this story ????? Answer - Page 25, four small columns at the top of the page. The Samaritans delivered the news to their conference that the numbers of middle-aged men taking their own lives is on the increase. As a result, they are the the most at-risk group and up to three times more likely than women to commit suicide. In 2010, 225 men took their own lives in Wales, compared to 63 women and, for the UK as a whole men in the age groups 35-44 and 45-5 were more than doublefor those aged 15-24. Although focus has been primarily on mental health, they believed social factors - including the recession - had a big impact on these rates. Men strongly think that they they should be able to cope, whatever the crisis. Instead of visiting their G.P., they tend to 'self-medicate', using drink and drugs where the connection between these two social remedies and suicide is very strong.
Being typically incapable of giving any detail, Minister Lesalie Griffiths said "much work has been done in Wales to prevent suicide", adding rhetorically " As the effects of the economic downturn continue, it is crucial we remain alert to the effect this has on mental health". ( Yeah Right - and is she kidding when she says 'remain alert' ? When did this start, considering the indifference shown to the Bridgend suicides ? ...R.W. )
Yesterday, we had the front page screamimg " 'Disgrace' - Dad's anger as UHW denies hydrotherapy treatment to his son with Dystonic Cerebral Palsy ." Without doubt, another tragedy, especially when the Echo reporter reveals that this therapeutic facility is only available to private patients. Is this
UHW or Holby City ?
For me the piece de resistance is the truly tragic story in tonight's edition 'MEN'S Suicide Shock'. And what priority does our popular 'rag' give this story ????? Answer - Page 25, four small columns at the top of the page. The Samaritans delivered the news to their conference that the numbers of middle-aged men taking their own lives is on the increase. As a result, they are the the most at-risk group and up to three times more likely than women to commit suicide. In 2010, 225 men took their own lives in Wales, compared to 63 women and, for the UK as a whole men in the age groups 35-44 and 45-5 were more than doublefor those aged 15-24. Although focus has been primarily on mental health, they believed social factors - including the recession - had a big impact on these rates. Men strongly think that they they should be able to cope, whatever the crisis. Instead of visiting their G.P., they tend to 'self-medicate', using drink and drugs where the connection between these two social remedies and suicide is very strong.
Being typically incapable of giving any detail, Minister Lesalie Griffiths said "much work has been done in Wales to prevent suicide", adding rhetorically " As the effects of the economic downturn continue, it is crucial we remain alert to the effect this has on mental health". ( Yeah Right - and is she kidding when she says 'remain alert' ? When did this start, considering the indifference shown to the Bridgend suicides ? ...R.W. )
Thursday, 8 November 2012
"More than ever, it is vital to invest in Mental Health" - Ed Milliband
As part of the Sunday Express's Crusade for Better Mental Health, Labour leader ED
d Milliband has called for the constitution of the NHS to be rewritten so that Mental Health is treated as seriously as Physical Health. he said that the last Labour government had failed to realise the scale of the challenge and that Patients should now be given new rights to "Talking Therapies". He went on to say, "It is very troubling that, for the first time in a decade we have seen a cut in total mental health, a reduction of £150m including costs and outreach services. The current constitution gives patients the rights to drugs and medical treatments for mental health problems but it does not give them the right to therapies We should create a new right to psychological therapies that help people recover from conditions like anxiety and depression.
He added that " We have already put the nation's mental health and wellbeing at the very heart of our policy. That is why for the first time we have required the NHS to give equal status to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of both physical and mental illness - something made law this year.
Ted Jeory, Whitehall Editor said that he was present when Ed Milliband gave a groundbreaking speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He committed to put attitudes to mental health on a par to physical health. In his speech, he pledged to help break one of Britain's biggest taboos, the stigma still attached to mental health. " I want to get to a point where it is not "brave" to talk openly about mental illness but where it is a case of 'so what' ", he said. In doind so, he joined Nick Clegg to make this issue a political priority. ***
In the meantime, the poor service users go on hoping for these bold words to be turned into action and, as usual, they remain pessimissitic about their menatl illness being used as other than a political football. All we can do is pray for leadership into positive change and improvements to our 'Cinderella' service. R. W.
d Milliband has called for the constitution of the NHS to be rewritten so that Mental Health is treated as seriously as Physical Health. he said that the last Labour government had failed to realise the scale of the challenge and that Patients should now be given new rights to "Talking Therapies". He went on to say, "It is very troubling that, for the first time in a decade we have seen a cut in total mental health, a reduction of £150m including costs and outreach services. The current constitution gives patients the rights to drugs and medical treatments for mental health problems but it does not give them the right to therapies We should create a new right to psychological therapies that help people recover from conditions like anxiety and depression.
He added that " We have already put the nation's mental health and wellbeing at the very heart of our policy. That is why for the first time we have required the NHS to give equal status to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of both physical and mental illness - something made law this year.
Ted Jeory, Whitehall Editor said that he was present when Ed Milliband gave a groundbreaking speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He committed to put attitudes to mental health on a par to physical health. In his speech, he pledged to help break one of Britain's biggest taboos, the stigma still attached to mental health. " I want to get to a point where it is not "brave" to talk openly about mental illness but where it is a case of 'so what' ", he said. In doind so, he joined Nick Clegg to make this issue a political priority. ***
In the meantime, the poor service users go on hoping for these bold words to be turned into action and, as usual, they remain pessimissitic about their menatl illness being used as other than a political football. All we can do is pray for leadership into positive change and improvements to our 'Cinderella' service. R. W.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Emergency - What Emergency ????
Accident and Emergency Departments are defined as being the Front Door to the NHS - easily accessible, always open, where you won't be turned away. Now - as I see it - there appear to be many facets to the current argument that we have too many A & E Departments and they are 'not providing the best possible care to all patients all of the time.' Seriously - what service does ??? The ambulance, Fire Services, public services ( buses, rubbish collections, roads in good repair and, of course, the police are constantly been scrutinised ), with every failed target being given the maximum publicity. Consequently, if it's not possible to provide a good service to all of the people, all of the time - what's the point in using it as an excuse to close seven A & E Departments in South Wales, leaving only inaccessible, centralised services ( miles from the point of need ) ????? Clearly, there is no logic to the NHS' argument because fewer, hard-to-reach A&E depatments couldn't possibly provide the best possible care to ALL of the patients ALL of the time. So why say it, and then act as if it's the most obvious solution to 'whatever the problem is that they're trying to address' ????? Their arguments simply are not credible, yet here we are being told that they cannot recruit enough doctors and nurses to staff all of the A&E services, as though Recruitment Services had suddenly become useless, or, no qualified medical person wants to work in Wales because the conditions have become so intolerable, under an NHS that sees only reducing services as cutting cost.
I mean to say - let's be serious for a moment. For decades these A&E departments have functioned adequately or there would have been a public outcry long ago - right ? So that being the case, why have the NHS premeditadely reduced resourses to these units at a time when the population - and, therefore the need - have been ( and are ) growing exponentially. It just doesn't make any sense at all - except as a cost-cutting procedure. Now, of course, there IS a public outcry - to keep these A&E units open - that is falling on the government's / NHS' deaf ears.
So, if there are really some problems e.g. trivial injuries or ailments that could easily await the GP, long waits, because A&E does not have a dedicated medical team, and those that are there are constantly being called to other hospital duties, then let's face these head-on by triageing patients at the ever-open-door, and having dedicated A&E teams in place permanently. I cannot help repeating myself by saying that the continued incompetence of NHS and Local Health Board officials is an impediment to progress that must be eliminated - permanently !
Enough said ! If you have any thoughts, please let me know........... R.W.
I mean to say - let's be serious for a moment. For decades these A&E departments have functioned adequately or there would have been a public outcry long ago - right ? So that being the case, why have the NHS premeditadely reduced resourses to these units at a time when the population - and, therefore the need - have been ( and are ) growing exponentially. It just doesn't make any sense at all - except as a cost-cutting procedure. Now, of course, there IS a public outcry - to keep these A&E units open - that is falling on the government's / NHS' deaf ears.
So, if there are really some problems e.g. trivial injuries or ailments that could easily await the GP, long waits, because A&E does not have a dedicated medical team, and those that are there are constantly being called to other hospital duties, then let's face these head-on by triageing patients at the ever-open-door, and having dedicated A&E teams in place permanently. I cannot help repeating myself by saying that the continued incompetence of NHS and Local Health Board officials is an impediment to progress that must be eliminated - permanently !
Enough said ! If you have any thoughts, please let me know........... R.W.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Q: "When is a Contract NOT a Contract ?"
A: "When it's signed by NHS Wales"
You have only to read about the recent 'negotiations' between the Government/NHS and the BMA Wales ( representing all GPs in Wales ), to realise that the suggested changes - made for the Minister, Leslie Griffiths - exceed the terms of the existing agreed contract. These changes, want more hours, a greater workload that would have the GPs ticking boxes relating to whether they have met the targets of performance for these patients who are chronically ill. eg, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and "Are they still breathing etc". The BMA argue that taking on board these new changes would inevitably detract from the time they are able to spend with the majority of their patients and, inevitably the health of these patients. Of course, adding a few hours to their working day, ensuring appointments are given within a reasonable time, and opening for short periods at the weekend, may not seem much to the government/NHS, but the GPs see them as getting them to do much more work for very little extra money - regional variations applicable, naturalich, mein herren.
Some reckless GPs have even dared to point out that these changes would require an entirely new contract put to them, via the BMA, for consideration and acceptance. Simply put " if you want us to do more work, we must be compensated by proportionately higher salaries. After all....." they would argue, "you agreed the ruddy contract in the first place therefore stick to it !"
Such logical reasoning means nothing, however, to the dictatorial Mrs Griffiths, who tells the BMA that - "if you do not agree to my terms, I will impose them on you anyway". Atta girl, Les, that's telling 'em, innit - the tail wags (W.A.G.s - get it ? ) the dog.......... and who told you we lived in a democracy anyway - eh ????? As a result, the BMA and their GPs will, of course, put their collective 'tail' between their legs and agree, albeit reluctantly ( Yeah Right, of course they will ).
Hopefully, the dear Lady will be told to 'urinate up a rope' or - at the very least - to go back and read up on what constitutes a Contract ( Ho Ho ! ). Personally speaking, I cannot see any resolution to this rather obvious problem as a contract is a contract, binding both sides to the terms contained therein. Even though the Minister will dig her 3 inch heels into the BMAs lawn ( as it were ), she cannot possibly win the ensuing battle, because she is being totally unreasonable and ( apparently ) has lost sight of the purpose of the Health Service as defined by dear old Nye Bevan. Hopefully the First Minister will have a word in her shell-like ear and remind her that she is a functionary, meaning that she should leave her prissy ego at home ! I'm fantasising, of course, but someone with some common sense must intervene in order to end this ridiculous impasse. R.W.
You have only to read about the recent 'negotiations' between the Government/NHS and the BMA Wales ( representing all GPs in Wales ), to realise that the suggested changes - made for the Minister, Leslie Griffiths - exceed the terms of the existing agreed contract. These changes, want more hours, a greater workload that would have the GPs ticking boxes relating to whether they have met the targets of performance for these patients who are chronically ill. eg, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and "Are they still breathing etc". The BMA argue that taking on board these new changes would inevitably detract from the time they are able to spend with the majority of their patients and, inevitably the health of these patients. Of course, adding a few hours to their working day, ensuring appointments are given within a reasonable time, and opening for short periods at the weekend, may not seem much to the government/NHS, but the GPs see them as getting them to do much more work for very little extra money - regional variations applicable, naturalich, mein herren.
Some reckless GPs have even dared to point out that these changes would require an entirely new contract put to them, via the BMA, for consideration and acceptance. Simply put " if you want us to do more work, we must be compensated by proportionately higher salaries. After all....." they would argue, "you agreed the ruddy contract in the first place therefore stick to it !"
Such logical reasoning means nothing, however, to the dictatorial Mrs Griffiths, who tells the BMA that - "if you do not agree to my terms, I will impose them on you anyway". Atta girl, Les, that's telling 'em, innit - the tail wags (W.A.G.s - get it ? ) the dog.......... and who told you we lived in a democracy anyway - eh ????? As a result, the BMA and their GPs will, of course, put their collective 'tail' between their legs and agree, albeit reluctantly ( Yeah Right, of course they will ).
Hopefully, the dear Lady will be told to 'urinate up a rope' or - at the very least - to go back and read up on what constitutes a Contract ( Ho Ho ! ). Personally speaking, I cannot see any resolution to this rather obvious problem as a contract is a contract, binding both sides to the terms contained therein. Even though the Minister will dig her 3 inch heels into the BMAs lawn ( as it were ), she cannot possibly win the ensuing battle, because she is being totally unreasonable and ( apparently ) has lost sight of the purpose of the Health Service as defined by dear old Nye Bevan. Hopefully the First Minister will have a word in her shell-like ear and remind her that she is a functionary, meaning that she should leave her prissy ego at home ! I'm fantasising, of course, but someone with some common sense must intervene in order to end this ridiculous impasse. R.W.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
An Editor's take on Mental Health Services
In recent Sunday Express, I was captivated by 'A word from the Editor' - Martin Townsend.
As I wouldn't dare to relate this marvellous article, ' I'll quote the salient points, verbatim because this is 'must reading' for anyone wanting the truth about the current state of Mental Health Services.
"I received a letter last week from reader Jean Devenish alerting me to the fact that one in five front-line jobsin her county's Trust are to be axed, despite a visit from Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, a few days earlier, singing the praises of mental health workers. I suppose we should have known that the NHS wouldn't be safe in Tory hands because it has never been safe ANY government's hands especially when it comes to mental health provision. Now, we have an even worse situation: mental health workers are removed and nobody is replacing them. The axing of mental health services, which seems to have gathered pace recently, proves to me that government still views it as a 'Cinderella' sector of the NHS; always first to suffer cutbacks because, you know, 'mental health is all in the mind, innit ?'
Yet there was a five percent increase in the number of people being sectioned under the Mental Health Act last year with a total of 48,000 people detained "for their own health or safety, or for the protection of other people". That is an expensive business, not just in terms of the emotional cost to the people who have reached that stage of desperation, but also in pounds and pence. Simon Lawton-Smith, head of policy for the Mental Health Foundation, said"We have for years beeen pumping resources into better community care for people with mental illness yet we are not addressing everyone's needs. Recent cuts to services will only make the situation worse. We need commissioners to to be bold in investing more in prevention and early intervention."
Often, thisswift action can be enough to stop depression getting worse. It is ceratainly what GPs and mental-health professionals prefer but if you don't have an understanding management, or are unemployed, to whom can you turn if local mental health services have been cut ?
The government is doing its' darndest to get folk off benefits and into work, recognising the cost to the country of a non-productive adult.
Why, then, is it so keen to destroy the services that help the mentally ill back on their feet ? It makes no sense." Martin Townsend.
Critics of mine will undoubtedly point out that this article refers specifically to mental health services in England. However, if the situation is any better in Wales, I'll eat my laptop ! R.W.
As I wouldn't dare to relate this marvellous article, ' I'll quote the salient points, verbatim because this is 'must reading' for anyone wanting the truth about the current state of Mental Health Services.
"I received a letter last week from reader Jean Devenish alerting me to the fact that one in five front-line jobsin her county's Trust are to be axed, despite a visit from Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, a few days earlier, singing the praises of mental health workers. I suppose we should have known that the NHS wouldn't be safe in Tory hands because it has never been safe ANY government's hands especially when it comes to mental health provision. Now, we have an even worse situation: mental health workers are removed and nobody is replacing them. The axing of mental health services, which seems to have gathered pace recently, proves to me that government still views it as a 'Cinderella' sector of the NHS; always first to suffer cutbacks because, you know, 'mental health is all in the mind, innit ?'
Yet there was a five percent increase in the number of people being sectioned under the Mental Health Act last year with a total of 48,000 people detained "for their own health or safety, or for the protection of other people". That is an expensive business, not just in terms of the emotional cost to the people who have reached that stage of desperation, but also in pounds and pence. Simon Lawton-Smith, head of policy for the Mental Health Foundation, said"We have for years beeen pumping resources into better community care for people with mental illness yet we are not addressing everyone's needs. Recent cuts to services will only make the situation worse. We need commissioners to to be bold in investing more in prevention and early intervention."
Often, thisswift action can be enough to stop depression getting worse. It is ceratainly what GPs and mental-health professionals prefer but if you don't have an understanding management, or are unemployed, to whom can you turn if local mental health services have been cut ?
The government is doing its' darndest to get folk off benefits and into work, recognising the cost to the country of a non-productive adult.
Why, then, is it so keen to destroy the services that help the mentally ill back on their feet ? It makes no sense." Martin Townsend.
Critics of mine will undoubtedly point out that this article refers specifically to mental health services in England. However, if the situation is any better in Wales, I'll eat my laptop ! R.W.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Spaghetti Junction to Llandough
I don't know if you saw the 'Health Unit Plan Set for Approval' in last weeks ( 23rd ) Echo, but the junction ( that nobody likes ) is set to be established as the main way into the Llandough site. I visited Llanfair last week and noticed that the lower car park is now closed and 'construction work ?' is going on at a rate of knots, on the road way that ( I suppose ) will enter opposite the Harriers, dog-leg right, dog-leg left, then up the steep hill to Lord-knows-where. The foundations for the new hospital ( or the car park ) have already taken over the staff car park, meaning that the staff will have nowhere to park, except in the 150 space multi-storey car park, to be built somewhere on the site.
The new hospital will include the concourse and shops and will be built on 'the existing car park' The brillianrt planners at the Vale, - working with Paul Hollard, Planning director for the Universally Inept Cardiff & Vale Health Board.
In conclusion it appears that 90% of the 4/500 car spaces will be replaced by 150 space car park - BUT - at least the new junction will rush staff and visitors to the over-conjested site, where they will have insufficient room to park. Fortunately, the traffic will be slow entering the hospital as these changes will create gridlock from Dinas Powis, Barry Road and along Penlan Road !
One stupid planner was enough, but two idiots working together is a recipe for disaster. I've already Christened the new junction, Spaghetti Bollocknaise Junction, which is impossible to translate into Welsh - hooray. Of course, it MIGHT work for incoming traffic ( to the site ) but - ask yourself - how will any vehicle be able to leave the site in order to gain use of the Dinas Powis Road, Barry Road, and even Redlands Road.
Fortunately Rob Thomas, The Vales Council's Director of Development, says "It is considered that with the improvements set for the junction with Penlan Road the traffic generationby the development would not be of any level that would be a significant detriment to the local highway infrastructure in terms of congestion." ( yeah right ). He goes on to conclude, "But the junction improvements at the access and the travel plan need to be fully implemented prior to the first beneficial use of the prosed new units"
Now that it's been made perfectly clear to the plebs, there is no need for further concern.
( make that THREE idiots ). Oh.....and no one has mentioned how the access to the newly transferred Rookwood facility will be achieved. Perhaps it's been cancelled as the Health Board are not allowed to profit from the sale of land at Rookwood in order to finance the new Llandough Units. As for the Llanfair unit - Lord knows what's to happen to this as the geniuses ( geneii ?) at the Board haven't mentioned anything else. [watch this space] R.W.
P.S. The article was written by tha famous ass-kisser, Pater Collins ( say no more )
The new hospital will include the concourse and shops and will be built on 'the existing car park' The brillianrt planners at the Vale, - working with Paul Hollard, Planning director for the Universally Inept Cardiff & Vale Health Board.
In conclusion it appears that 90% of the 4/500 car spaces will be replaced by 150 space car park - BUT - at least the new junction will rush staff and visitors to the over-conjested site, where they will have insufficient room to park. Fortunately, the traffic will be slow entering the hospital as these changes will create gridlock from Dinas Powis, Barry Road and along Penlan Road !
One stupid planner was enough, but two idiots working together is a recipe for disaster. I've already Christened the new junction, Spaghetti Bollocknaise Junction, which is impossible to translate into Welsh - hooray. Of course, it MIGHT work for incoming traffic ( to the site ) but - ask yourself - how will any vehicle be able to leave the site in order to gain use of the Dinas Powis Road, Barry Road, and even Redlands Road.
Fortunately Rob Thomas, The Vales Council's Director of Development, says "It is considered that with the improvements set for the junction with Penlan Road the traffic generationby the development would not be of any level that would be a significant detriment to the local highway infrastructure in terms of congestion." ( yeah right ). He goes on to conclude, "But the junction improvements at the access and the travel plan need to be fully implemented prior to the first beneficial use of the prosed new units"
Now that it's been made perfectly clear to the plebs, there is no need for further concern.
( make that THREE idiots ). Oh.....and no one has mentioned how the access to the newly transferred Rookwood facility will be achieved. Perhaps it's been cancelled as the Health Board are not allowed to profit from the sale of land at Rookwood in order to finance the new Llandough Units. As for the Llanfair unit - Lord knows what's to happen to this as the geniuses ( geneii ?) at the Board haven't mentioned anything else. [watch this space] R.W.
P.S. The article was written by tha famous ass-kisser, Pater Collins ( say no more )
Saturday, 20 October 2012
A & E Closures - Utter Madness......and just to prove the point....
Fridayday, October 19th 2012
Yesterday, I joined the slow procession of traffic attempting to go from Culverhouse Cross to Western Avenue. My ex-wife thought the BBC were filming an excerpt from Casualty, whilst I thought a major accident had occurred on Cowbridge Road West. I was shocked by the numbers of ambulances and police cars that were racing along both sides of the Road - I can only liken the sound of their sirens to the sound of the Air Raid Sirens that had terrified me so much as a child.
Slowly we passed bodies lying on both sides of the road, none moving except for the paramedics that scmpered around the bodies like worker ants in a frenzy. We watched people being carefully placed in the rear of ambulances, whilst other bodies on the pavement awaited their turn. The lower down the slope we travelled the worse the carnage appeared to be, with at least a dozen ambulance men and even more police crowding the ribboned off area of Ely Fire station.
Later we learned - to our horror - that 14 people had been brutally run over by a large white van. Tragically, news of the death of Karina Menzies reached us as we arrived home, and that at least five of the remaining injured were children, as young as three. Fortunately, in this busy urban area, the emergency services performed way above any reasonable expectation, rushing the injured to the University Hospital, which had immediately switched to disaster mode, where the A & E staff became the life-saving angels that they are so well trained to become at such times.
Saturday's Echo revealed the tragic horror of the 'hit-and-run' locations that had become the scenes of human carnage.Rarely, since Aberfan and the 9/11 disasters, have I felt more sorrow and pity at the same time. How could this have happened, such utter madness, perpetrated by an individual whose mind and body is clearly beyond any hope of salvation ? We pray for the families of poor Karina and the other victims of this act of complete incomprehensible madness.
Sadly, these tragic events highlight a greater act of madness perpetrated by the Universally Inept Health Board and the incompetent planners in NHS Wales and all levels of our develved government. Just days earlier, they had confirmed the closure of seven A & E units throughout rural and urban areas of Wales. How the hell can any sane person justify such unjustifiable cost-slashing, when 80 % of GPs, and all the evidence from research fail to support such changes. From yesterday's evidence, Accident and Emergency services in future will be totally unstustainable, completely inadequate, and inaccessible to the majority of the population of our once-great country.
Already, we have had to watch these unscrupullous and self-serving Carpetbaggers decimate our health services over the past decade. And why ? - because our health services are not 'fit for purpose' - whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, over a decade of population expansion that requires more, and better, health services than ever before ( particularly, the elderly whose numbers have increased more than any other group. Nye Bevan's achievements in providing 'health care at the point of need' have been irrevocably reversed by the incompetent Mandarins and Bureaucrats ( talking Bureaucrap ) - and we have stood by, dumbly allowing this desecration to occur.
Recent days have shown how excellent our Emergency services are, and how incompetent is our Government. R. W.
Yesterday, I joined the slow procession of traffic attempting to go from Culverhouse Cross to Western Avenue. My ex-wife thought the BBC were filming an excerpt from Casualty, whilst I thought a major accident had occurred on Cowbridge Road West. I was shocked by the numbers of ambulances and police cars that were racing along both sides of the Road - I can only liken the sound of their sirens to the sound of the Air Raid Sirens that had terrified me so much as a child.
Slowly we passed bodies lying on both sides of the road, none moving except for the paramedics that scmpered around the bodies like worker ants in a frenzy. We watched people being carefully placed in the rear of ambulances, whilst other bodies on the pavement awaited their turn. The lower down the slope we travelled the worse the carnage appeared to be, with at least a dozen ambulance men and even more police crowding the ribboned off area of Ely Fire station.
Later we learned - to our horror - that 14 people had been brutally run over by a large white van. Tragically, news of the death of Karina Menzies reached us as we arrived home, and that at least five of the remaining injured were children, as young as three. Fortunately, in this busy urban area, the emergency services performed way above any reasonable expectation, rushing the injured to the University Hospital, which had immediately switched to disaster mode, where the A & E staff became the life-saving angels that they are so well trained to become at such times.
Saturday's Echo revealed the tragic horror of the 'hit-and-run' locations that had become the scenes of human carnage.Rarely, since Aberfan and the 9/11 disasters, have I felt more sorrow and pity at the same time. How could this have happened, such utter madness, perpetrated by an individual whose mind and body is clearly beyond any hope of salvation ? We pray for the families of poor Karina and the other victims of this act of complete incomprehensible madness.
Sadly, these tragic events highlight a greater act of madness perpetrated by the Universally Inept Health Board and the incompetent planners in NHS Wales and all levels of our develved government. Just days earlier, they had confirmed the closure of seven A & E units throughout rural and urban areas of Wales. How the hell can any sane person justify such unjustifiable cost-slashing, when 80 % of GPs, and all the evidence from research fail to support such changes. From yesterday's evidence, Accident and Emergency services in future will be totally unstustainable, completely inadequate, and inaccessible to the majority of the population of our once-great country.
Already, we have had to watch these unscrupullous and self-serving Carpetbaggers decimate our health services over the past decade. And why ? - because our health services are not 'fit for purpose' - whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, over a decade of population expansion that requires more, and better, health services than ever before ( particularly, the elderly whose numbers have increased more than any other group. Nye Bevan's achievements in providing 'health care at the point of need' have been irrevocably reversed by the incompetent Mandarins and Bureaucrats ( talking Bureaucrap ) - and we have stood by, dumbly allowing this desecration to occur.
Recent days have shown how excellent our Emergency services are, and how incompetent is our Government. R. W.
Friday, 12 October 2012
Too Many Clots in NHS Wales
The Welsh Government's Health and Social Care committee have reported that over 100 patients are dying per day from undetected blood clots. The Assembly Members found that this was due to medical staff not following basic procedures. This cause of death exceeds those of patients who die from Cancer or M.R.S.A. ( Methacylin Resistant Staff. Aurius ) - a staggering total. In 2010 this was 900+ patients in Wales. Even more worrying is that medical experts have confirmed that 70% of these were preventable IF the basic procedures had been followed by medical staff.
This raises two obvious questions a) How could management scrutiny have failed to notice these deaths ? and b) Why were anticoagulants , such as Heperin or Warfarin not prescribed in these cases ? These are standard preventive measures in Cardiac, Post Operative and in suspected deep Vein Thrombosis cases. Blood clots are known to cause pulmonary emblems and fatal heart attacks, known as Miocardial Infarctions ( heart explosions ).
Why aren't all deaths of inpatient and recently discharged patients subject to closer scrutiny ?. In my opinion the only explanation can be gross incompetence of NHS staff at Local Health Board and National levels. What is the point of all these Directors, Directorate Managers, Consultants, Ward Managers and nursing supervisors if they cannot even follow basic life saving procedures ? R. W.
This raises two obvious questions a) How could management scrutiny have failed to notice these deaths ? and b) Why were anticoagulants , such as Heperin or Warfarin not prescribed in these cases ? These are standard preventive measures in Cardiac, Post Operative and in suspected deep Vein Thrombosis cases. Blood clots are known to cause pulmonary emblems and fatal heart attacks, known as Miocardial Infarctions ( heart explosions ).
Why aren't all deaths of inpatient and recently discharged patients subject to closer scrutiny ?. In my opinion the only explanation can be gross incompetence of NHS staff at Local Health Board and National levels. What is the point of all these Directors, Directorate Managers, Consultants, Ward Managers and nursing supervisors if they cannot even follow basic life saving procedures ? R. W.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Another day and £2m less for Mental Health
Mental Illness gets £12m lift - Echo Saturday 6th October
Is it any wonder why I'm such a lousy fan of Leslie Griffiths ? With her undaunted enthusiasm for announcing 'good news ' ( yeah right ), she welcomes the a £12m investment in mental health ? So, what's the problem - she's only confirming the Finance MInister's figures........ isn't she ????? Well,damn them all to hell for their cruel deceptions, because, she adds 'This figure INCLUDES £10m - that's TEN MIllion for the acute mental health hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan'. So, either the silly cow hasn't read her script properly or - since Jane Hutt's announcement ( £12m for new unit at Llandough ) - she's reduced the money by £2m already. Of course, the other obvious alternative is that ( unsurprisingly ) she doesn't know what she's talking about ( my personal preference, always ).
So, whichever you believe, it looks as though Mental Health has been screwed again by our incompetent and uncaring government.
Meanwhile, I hope they've all been watching Homeland to appreciate how well Claire Danes portrays the agonies of Bi - Polar sufferers. I hated the E.C.T. ( Electro Convulsive Treatment ) near the end but it showed two facts - a) How awful the suffering must be for those patients, and - b) How brilliant they are capable of being when stabilised by their medication. We must all try to raise awareness of those who suffer mental health problems and we MUST reduce the continuing, irrational stigmatisation that is rife within our society. We should start with Leslie Griffiths, but she's probably too busy seeking out more 'good news' rubbish, and more KIm Jong IL photo opportunities that show her to be the 'Dear Leader' of our Health Servives in Wales. R.W.
Is it any wonder why I'm such a lousy fan of Leslie Griffiths ? With her undaunted enthusiasm for announcing 'good news ' ( yeah right ), she welcomes the a £12m investment in mental health ? So, what's the problem - she's only confirming the Finance MInister's figures........ isn't she ????? Well,damn them all to hell for their cruel deceptions, because, she adds 'This figure INCLUDES £10m - that's TEN MIllion for the acute mental health hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan'. So, either the silly cow hasn't read her script properly or - since Jane Hutt's announcement ( £12m for new unit at Llandough ) - she's reduced the money by £2m already. Of course, the other obvious alternative is that ( unsurprisingly ) she doesn't know what she's talking about ( my personal preference, always ).
So, whichever you believe, it looks as though Mental Health has been screwed again by our incompetent and uncaring government.
Meanwhile, I hope they've all been watching Homeland to appreciate how well Claire Danes portrays the agonies of Bi - Polar sufferers. I hated the E.C.T. ( Electro Convulsive Treatment ) near the end but it showed two facts - a) How awful the suffering must be for those patients, and - b) How brilliant they are capable of being when stabilised by their medication. We must all try to raise awareness of those who suffer mental health problems and we MUST reduce the continuing, irrational stigmatisation that is rife within our society. We should start with Leslie Griffiths, but she's probably too busy seeking out more 'good news' rubbish, and more KIm Jong IL photo opportunities that show her to be the 'Dear Leader' of our Health Servives in Wales. R.W.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Finance Minister's Budget Exposes NHS Lies
Dear Jane Hutt has finally proved that for over two years the Health Ministers - The Queen of Harts and Lesley Griffiths have lied about the Making a Difference plan that was put out for consultation and given the seal of approval by the equally dishonest, and totally useless, Community Health Council. For over two years, Deputy Director Paul Hollard - aided and abetted by fellow Director Katie Norton - stated theat the new mental health hospital proposed for Llandough site was guaranteed to be built for £80m. As has become the norm, the consultation was a complete farce that completely ignored the views of the public and the self-evident facts that me and my colleagues had brought to the attention of The entire Universally Inept Health Board, the Directors/ Mandarins of NHS Wales and, of course both inept Ministers. Firstly, the somnambulent, dictatorial Edwina, Queen of Harts and then the inept novice, Lesley Griffiths changed the consultation guidelines, arbitarily, and subsequently refused to ignore our list of points in the guidelines that had been totally ignored by the U.I.H.B.and the NHS Lapdogs, the Community Health Council. All the written responses from the NHS and our Government said that the consultation was fair and that the guidelines were followed to the letter by the UHIB and the C.H.C. - all blatant lies that sought to bully their critics ( me and my colleagues ) into submission, without success.
Now we find that 'Making a Difference' was a deceitful ruse to dupe the ( supposedly ) ignorant and uncaring patients and the public - thanks to the first Health Minister, now promoted to Finance Minister. Her budget reveals that there is £30m set aside for hospitals, specifically, the new Mental Health hospital at Llandough AND including £18m for the redevelopment of Morriston hospital. This leaves a mere £12m for new mental; health units at Llandough hospital and Glanfryd hospital at Bridgend. Great, isn't it ? A phoney consultation with phoney lies, created by the Planning Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the Cardiff and Vale Universally Inept Health Board, Paul Hollard ( £180,000pa min ). When the change was made from a 104 bed unit at Whitchurch at £80m ( £769,000 per bed ), I wrote a report that pointed out the the Llanfair unit - 57 beds - cost only £7.155m ( £125,000 per bed ), highlighting how ridiculous the £80m figure was, in fact. Despite this observation, both Hollard and Norton stated at every consultation meeting, and presentation to the 'Duffers' of the CHC, that the cost of the Mental Hospital at Llandough, alone, would cost £80 which they assured everybody had been ring-fenced by the ( then ) Welsh Assembly Government and the Queen of Harts. Then, only yesterday, the General Manager of Llandough stated ( in the Echo ) that the new mental health inpatient unit would have 135 beds ( that's £88,000 per bed ).
Wheras this all may be rather boring to you, it does prove - beyond any doubt - the complete dishonesty of our government, NHS Wales, the U.I.H.B, and the CHCs. Therefore, we may appear to be ignorant Plebians, those in authority are all even more incompetent than we could imagine. I must just add that I sent a copy of my report to 35 senior officials referred to above, without a single, solitary acknowledgement or intelligent reply. Everyone of these incompetent and over-paid bureaucrats ( including Health Economist, Professor Marcus Longley ) are perfect examples of the Peter Principal or, as a dear friend put it, "The higher up the tree the monkey climbs, the more it shows its arse". With no apologies, R.W.
Monday, 24 September 2012
"An over-simplistic and distorted view of the facts" - Lesley Griffiths. Minister for Health and Social Services"
Isn't it incredible how politicians manage to weedle their way out of taking any responsibility for anything bad that happens during their tenure in office. Lesley Griffiths probably obtained a Masters Degree in "Manipulation and deception" at Hogwarts, as I can't imagine any 'red-brick' university admitting to having her as even a short-term student. What's it about ? I'm glad you asked.
The Western Mail reports that 54,627 operations were cancelled in Wales over the past two years.
This figure is a fact, as Martin Shipton would never report a figure of such importance unless he was 100% certain of his facts. Of course, The Health Boards and our Government claim - with no proof being offered, as is their custom - that 9,127 operations were cancelled by the patients, for assorted unbelievable reasons. They further claim, in similar fashion, that the balance of the 54,627 operations were cancelled 'for justifiable and professional reasons'. ( Yeah Right ). Shocking as my next revellation might seem - I don't believe them, because of some very factual reasons that the Minister appears to have overlooked i.e - the availability of beds and the resulting reorganisation of procedures as a result !
Where I live, there are 29 residents, of whom some 7 have been scheduled for surgery at Llandough Hospital or U.H.W., without having their appointed dates met. "Ring us at 6.00am on the day to make sure a bed is available", which ( after 20 or so attempts ) earns them the response, "Sorry, there isn't a bed currently available". They then have to wait weeks or months before another date is offered ( but not guaranteed ). Any complaint is usually met with some pre-packed response such as, "this time of year is exceptionally busy because of the current weather, or an outbreak of Ebola, Bovine Tuberculosis, Foot and Mouth Disease, Swine Flu etc, etc. ad nauseum. I have even known of Cardiac in patients being told that their Coronary Artery by-pass, or valve replacement operation, has been cancelled due to a " high influx of emergencies". So, as the song goes, "Nelly the Elephant packed her trunk and said 'Goodbye' to the circus....... these patients being sent home to await another possible ( but not guaranteed ) appointment, and if you die in the meantime, thanks for helping us shorten the waiting list.
So, can anyone out there in sick people land offer any other reasons, or is Lesley Griffiths correct to say that I, the Western Mail, Plaid Cymru (and now you ? ) are "taking an over-simplistic and deliberately disto ?rted view of the facts to make a cheap point". Comments, please ? R.W.
PS You may recall a post/article dated 7th August, in which the 'Health board bids to save money by rise in operations. What happened to this plan ?
Remember, the main reason we have this pro blem is because the Universall Inept Health Board has consistently and systematically cut the number of hospitals and hospital beds in order to reduce costs. This inexplicable behaviour has also included the rationalisation of all services, plus the centralisation of services, which make them more inaccessible to urban and rural patieents. Also, the Discharge Proceduire has changed so that nurses have the authority to discharge patients as soon as possible, regardless of the fact that treatment is shortcut and re-admissions have increased as a direct result of Incompetent Management by the U.I.H.B. and NHS Wales - all with government approval. RW Edit
The Western Mail reports that 54,627 operations were cancelled in Wales over the past two years.
This figure is a fact, as Martin Shipton would never report a figure of such importance unless he was 100% certain of his facts. Of course, The Health Boards and our Government claim - with no proof being offered, as is their custom - that 9,127 operations were cancelled by the patients, for assorted unbelievable reasons. They further claim, in similar fashion, that the balance of the 54,627 operations were cancelled 'for justifiable and professional reasons'. ( Yeah Right ). Shocking as my next revellation might seem - I don't believe them, because of some very factual reasons that the Minister appears to have overlooked i.e - the availability of beds and the resulting reorganisation of procedures as a result !
Where I live, there are 29 residents, of whom some 7 have been scheduled for surgery at Llandough Hospital or U.H.W., without having their appointed dates met. "Ring us at 6.00am on the day to make sure a bed is available", which ( after 20 or so attempts ) earns them the response, "Sorry, there isn't a bed currently available". They then have to wait weeks or months before another date is offered ( but not guaranteed ). Any complaint is usually met with some pre-packed response such as, "this time of year is exceptionally busy because of the current weather, or an outbreak of Ebola, Bovine Tuberculosis, Foot and Mouth Disease, Swine Flu etc, etc. ad nauseum. I have even known of Cardiac in patients being told that their Coronary Artery by-pass, or valve replacement operation, has been cancelled due to a " high influx of emergencies". So, as the song goes, "Nelly the Elephant packed her trunk and said 'Goodbye' to the circus....... these patients being sent home to await another possible ( but not guaranteed ) appointment, and if you die in the meantime, thanks for helping us shorten the waiting list.
So, can anyone out there in sick people land offer any other reasons, or is Lesley Griffiths correct to say that I, the Western Mail, Plaid Cymru (and now you ? ) are "taking an over-simplistic and deliberately disto ?rted view of the facts to make a cheap point". Comments, please ? R.W.
PS You may recall a post/article dated 7th August, in which the 'Health board bids to save money by rise in operations. What happened to this plan ?
Remember, the main reason we have this pro blem is because the Universall Inept Health Board has consistently and systematically cut the number of hospitals and hospital beds in order to reduce costs. This inexplicable behaviour has also included the rationalisation of all services, plus the centralisation of services, which make them more inaccessible to urban and rural patieents. Also, the Discharge Proceduire has changed so that nurses have the authority to discharge patients as soon as possible, regardless of the fact that treatment is shortcut and re-admissions have increased as a direct result of Incompetent Management by the U.I.H.B. and NHS Wales - all with government approval. RW Edit
Staff Procedures at Whitchurch Unclear....so a Patient Dies
Staff Actions on Choking Man Questioned ( !9th September 2012, Echo )
[ This is compulsory reading, otherwise you wouldn't believe it happened ]
A Jury has returned a narrative verdict on a man who died from choking at Whitchurch Hospital. Georj Sahan died in March during lunch after swallowing a piece of meat. Cardiff & Vale Coroner Mary Hassell ( Yes, it's her again ) stated that procedures undertaken by staff to save Mr Sahan were 'unclear'. She noted that staff were either not given the right training on administering suction before oxygen on a choking patient, with regar to which action came first - or they did not follow the traning correctly. She added "procedures Did contain such guidance but this procedure was not followed in this case"
Despite the consultant psychiatrist telling the court there was no link between prescribed anti-biotic medication and a difficulty with swallowing, the Pathologist who performed the post mortem claimed there was evidence to the contrary, the coroner noted (Well, one of the buggers was wrong so why wasn't this followed up ??). "The pathologist.... stated that the consumption of this type of medicine was well known, in some cases, to impact on a patient's ability to swallo" she said.
The 62 year old Mr Sahan suffered with schizophrenia and had been receiving treatment for the condition since his early 20s. He was pronounced dead in the dining hall of the secure ubit, where he had been living on and off for the past 4 years. [ nobody even said "sorry", and the narrative verdict means that the family cannot have a full independent investigation into his untimely death ].
Ruddy marvellous - eh ??? R.W.
[ This is compulsory reading, otherwise you wouldn't believe it happened ]
A Jury has returned a narrative verdict on a man who died from choking at Whitchurch Hospital. Georj Sahan died in March during lunch after swallowing a piece of meat. Cardiff & Vale Coroner Mary Hassell ( Yes, it's her again ) stated that procedures undertaken by staff to save Mr Sahan were 'unclear'. She noted that staff were either not given the right training on administering suction before oxygen on a choking patient, with regar to which action came first - or they did not follow the traning correctly. She added "procedures Did contain such guidance but this procedure was not followed in this case"
Despite the consultant psychiatrist telling the court there was no link between prescribed anti-biotic medication and a difficulty with swallowing, the Pathologist who performed the post mortem claimed there was evidence to the contrary, the coroner noted (Well, one of the buggers was wrong so why wasn't this followed up ??). "The pathologist.... stated that the consumption of this type of medicine was well known, in some cases, to impact on a patient's ability to swallo" she said.
The 62 year old Mr Sahan suffered with schizophrenia and had been receiving treatment for the condition since his early 20s. He was pronounced dead in the dining hall of the secure ubit, where he had been living on and off for the past 4 years. [ nobody even said "sorry", and the narrative verdict means that the family cannot have a full independent investigation into his untimely death ].
Ruddy marvellous - eh ??? R.W.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
N,I.C.E approved drugs denied to patients by Health Boards
'Scorecards' to force NHS hospitals to use recommended drugs for patients
By next year every hospital will be rated using an 'Innovation Scorecard'. Health authorities that are found to be denying approved treatments will face censure by the Department of Health. N.I.C.E have approved many drugs for administration, such as Xarleto ( rivaroxaban ) and Pradaxa ( dabigatran etexilate ), which would replace Warfarin and end the need for the onerous I N R blood tests, but our Universally Inept Health Board will not allow GPs in Cardiff and the Vale to prescribe them. Why not ? Cost - these new drugs are deemed to be too expensive to be used when huge cuts are supposed to be made to their budget. But, what is their budget ? How is it set, and by whom ? What are the specific factors that determine which service has to bear the cuts, and which communitiees are given lower priority ?
As usual, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Leslie Griffiths, refuses to provide this essential information ( except that the C & V UHB have STILL to cut £76m in service costs this year. ) With other reports showing massive cuts already made, it begs the question - "Why are these figures constantly increasing, despite cuts already made ?" Still, the Minister refuses to justify any of these continually increasing figures, or to provide ANY details of the specific specialities that are ( supposed ) to have irresponsibly caused by the alleged overspending - all committed under the close scrutiny of our inept government and the ( supposedly ) independent Wales Audit Office. [You may recall that two years ago, this Universally Inept Health Board were said to have to save only (?) £20m for that fiscal year. Yet, massive savings are made but the figure of budget cuts still goes on rising. Nothing that the UHB, the Minister, or the Welsh Government reoprts provide any explanation for these spurious cuts. We can only remain completley bemused and ignorant by these spurious, farcical figures, whilst suffering continual insults to our intelligence, made by people not competent to do their jobs. We are constantly facing changes of bureaucrats, with promoted supporters providing living proof of the Peter Principle. So, people barely qualified in their existing jobs are promoted to jobs they have no experience of and not a clue how to make function, proving that billions of our public money are in the hands of incompetent politicians and bureaucrats ( talking bureauCRAP ), with public opinion completely ignored. The list of essential drugs being deliberately withheld is huge, denying patients of the relief that they offer.
The statements from 'hospital managers are even more perverse. i.e "We can only afford to providenew drugs or treatments where they are cost-effective and demonstrably add real patient benefits." Strange - isn't it that this is the remit of N.I.C.E. Therefore, their approval is all that is needed to provide drugs that are cost-effective and add real patient benefits. Consequently, it begs the question " Do they know their own remit, and why not just obey N.I.C.E. ??
At the risk of sounding cynical, it makes me wonder why Herceptin was handed out like Smarties, at enormous cost when the maximum only likely benefit was estimated to be to 1 in 18 women only. Why are we not told the results of this huge expenditure, or does the answer fall in the same question, why were millions committed to changing privately made breast implants, that conflicted with the essential restructuring of the poor women who have had to endure mastectomy ??? R.W.
By next year every hospital will be rated using an 'Innovation Scorecard'. Health authorities that are found to be denying approved treatments will face censure by the Department of Health. N.I.C.E have approved many drugs for administration, such as Xarleto ( rivaroxaban ) and Pradaxa ( dabigatran etexilate ), which would replace Warfarin and end the need for the onerous I N R blood tests, but our Universally Inept Health Board will not allow GPs in Cardiff and the Vale to prescribe them. Why not ? Cost - these new drugs are deemed to be too expensive to be used when huge cuts are supposed to be made to their budget. But, what is their budget ? How is it set, and by whom ? What are the specific factors that determine which service has to bear the cuts, and which communitiees are given lower priority ?
As usual, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Leslie Griffiths, refuses to provide this essential information ( except that the C & V UHB have STILL to cut £76m in service costs this year. ) With other reports showing massive cuts already made, it begs the question - "Why are these figures constantly increasing, despite cuts already made ?" Still, the Minister refuses to justify any of these continually increasing figures, or to provide ANY details of the specific specialities that are ( supposed ) to have irresponsibly caused by the alleged overspending - all committed under the close scrutiny of our inept government and the ( supposedly ) independent Wales Audit Office. [You may recall that two years ago, this Universally Inept Health Board were said to have to save only (?) £20m for that fiscal year. Yet, massive savings are made but the figure of budget cuts still goes on rising. Nothing that the UHB, the Minister, or the Welsh Government reoprts provide any explanation for these spurious cuts. We can only remain completley bemused and ignorant by these spurious, farcical figures, whilst suffering continual insults to our intelligence, made by people not competent to do their jobs. We are constantly facing changes of bureaucrats, with promoted supporters providing living proof of the Peter Principle. So, people barely qualified in their existing jobs are promoted to jobs they have no experience of and not a clue how to make function, proving that billions of our public money are in the hands of incompetent politicians and bureaucrats ( talking bureauCRAP ), with public opinion completely ignored. The list of essential drugs being deliberately withheld is huge, denying patients of the relief that they offer.
The statements from 'hospital managers are even more perverse. i.e "We can only afford to providenew drugs or treatments where they are cost-effective and demonstrably add real patient benefits." Strange - isn't it that this is the remit of N.I.C.E. Therefore, their approval is all that is needed to provide drugs that are cost-effective and add real patient benefits. Consequently, it begs the question " Do they know their own remit, and why not just obey N.I.C.E. ??
At the risk of sounding cynical, it makes me wonder why Herceptin was handed out like Smarties, at enormous cost when the maximum only likely benefit was estimated to be to 1 in 18 women only. Why are we not told the results of this huge expenditure, or does the answer fall in the same question, why were millions committed to changing privately made breast implants, that conflicted with the essential restructuring of the poor women who have had to endure mastectomy ??? R.W.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Autocratic Government Ingnores Public Opinion
Auditor General probes £20m South Wales Land Developments deal
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19496009
5 September 2012 Last updated at 21:39 Help<http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/7277283.stm>
The Wales Audit Office is investigating the sale of more than £20m worth of publicly-owned land to a company based in a Channel Islands tax haven.
An investigation by BBC Wales has revealed that 16 sites across Wales were sold in a single deal without an open tendering process.
The Welsh government has defended the sale, saying the land was sold above its market rate.
BBC Wales business correspondent Nick Servini reports.
Read More
* <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19480925> Watchdog probes£20m land deal
Isn't it staggering, that our Government is hell bent on making Wales a Banana Republic, or a Cockle Republic, as that's all we'll end up having to export - unless we can sell welks also ? As with the Atos debacle, is it possible that there is NO British company who could tender for this work ?
Thank goodness that we have a bold Auditor General who will deal firmly with this land-rape and put the government in its'place ! ( Yeah Right ). R.W.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19496009
5 September 2012 Last updated at 21:39 Help<http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/7277283.stm>
The Wales Audit Office is investigating the sale of more than £20m worth of publicly-owned land to a company based in a Channel Islands tax haven.
An investigation by BBC Wales has revealed that 16 sites across Wales were sold in a single deal without an open tendering process.
The Welsh government has defended the sale, saying the land was sold above its market rate.
BBC Wales business correspondent Nick Servini reports.
Read More
* <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19480925> Watchdog probes£20m land deal
Isn't it staggering, that our Government is hell bent on making Wales a Banana Republic, or a Cockle Republic, as that's all we'll end up having to export - unless we can sell welks also ? As with the Atos debacle, is it possible that there is NO British company who could tender for this work ?
Thank goodness that we have a bold Auditor General who will deal firmly with this land-rape and put the government in its'place ! ( Yeah Right ). R.W.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Euthanasia - a step closer with government henchmen Atos
For the attention of Pat English - 'You Say' Editor
Dear Madam,
I applaud David Simpson for his excellent letter, in defence of the vulnerable and disabled ( mentally and physically ). I just wish to add a fact not made in this letter. All of the DWP Centers, and their staff, were taken over by Atos completely. Therefore, none of them work for the DWP any more, nor were they consulted on this change. All this was done following the instructions of the UK and Welsh governments, setting a new low for the betrayal of the most vulnerable and disabled in our society.
No one gets past an Atos Assessment because, even if they pass the first assessment, all previous medical evidence is ignored, making it impossible to score any points. Our governments have bought a French company of henchmen to guillotine any applicant's assessment. What an irony to cowardly ignore their duty of care to the vulnerable, by selling out to a duplicitous - and crooked - foreign company. We are betrayed by the evil coalition in London and the iniquitous Labour government in Wales. This will inevitably increase the chances of UKIP, the Greens, or even the BNP to form the next government ( well.....not the BNP, of course ). Shame on the three 'main' parties for approving this wicked and cruel deception of 'assessment'.
Yours faithfully
Robin Williams - Patient Advocate
Dear Madam,
I applaud David Simpson for his excellent letter, in defence of the vulnerable and disabled ( mentally and physically ). I just wish to add a fact not made in this letter. All of the DWP Centers, and their staff, were taken over by Atos completely. Therefore, none of them work for the DWP any more, nor were they consulted on this change. All this was done following the instructions of the UK and Welsh governments, setting a new low for the betrayal of the most vulnerable and disabled in our society.
No one gets past an Atos Assessment because, even if they pass the first assessment, all previous medical evidence is ignored, making it impossible to score any points. Our governments have bought a French company of henchmen to guillotine any applicant's assessment. What an irony to cowardly ignore their duty of care to the vulnerable, by selling out to a duplicitous - and crooked - foreign company. We are betrayed by the evil coalition in London and the iniquitous Labour government in Wales. This will inevitably increase the chances of UKIP, the Greens, or even the BNP to form the next government ( well.....not the BNP, of course ). Shame on the three 'main' parties for approving this wicked and cruel deception of 'assessment'.
Yours faithfully
Robin Williams - Patient Advocate
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
The Ultimate Stigmatisation - Free on the NHS !
These are MUST READ articles, as they show that stigmatisation of the mentally ill is used ( and approved ) at the highest levels of the NHS, in England and Wales. The first link gives the entire story of Kay Sheldon's disgraaceful stigmatisation, while the shorter article following shows that MPs are not about to condone such outrageous behavior. R.W.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/exclusive-nhs-watchdog-claimed-that-whistleblower-kay-sheldon-was-mentally-ill-8046640.html
#MPs to grill NHS CQC watchdog over whistleblower Kay Sheldon's story
Regulator's future in doubt as claims of secret psychiatric assessment are greeted with outrage
Nina Lakhani
Thursday, 16 August 2012
The head of the health regulator, Dame Jo Williams, will be forced to explain to MPs damning allegations that she tried to discredit a board member who blew the whistle by casting doubts about her mental health.
Her position hangs in the balance after members of the influential Health Select Committee (HSC) expressed “outrage†about reports in The Independent that Dame Williams commissioned an occupational health doctor to psychiatrically assess Kay Sheldon without her knowledge.
The report, which Dame Williams appears to have shared with the rest of the Care Quality Commission Board and Health Secretary, concluded that she was suffering from a paranoid illness, most probably schizophrenia. The doctor, who is not a psychiatrist, never met Mrs Sheldon and spoke with her only briefly over the telephone.
Dr Sarah Woolastan, Tory MP for Totnes and member of the HSC, revealed her own experience of suffering depression during a Parliamentary debate earlier this year. She said: “These are very serious allegations, and if they are true, then it is of grave concern that this could happen within a government organisation just as we in Parliament are trying to encourage people to have the confidence to tell their employers about their mental health problems.â€
Rosie Cooper, Labour MP for west Lancashire, said Mrs Sheldon’s treatment was “outrageousâ€. “Dame Jo’s action are ill advised and do not display the right values in this kind of confidential, responsible role.â€
Dame Williams wrote to Andrew Lansley on the same day that Mrs Sheldon’s gave evidence under oath last November to the Mid Staffs public inquiry asking for her to be removed immediately.
Mrs Sheldon told the inquiry, which is specifically investigating regulatory failures around Mid Staffs, about serious shortcomings in the CQC’s leadership, board, inspection regime and accountability.
Her concerns, which she had repeatedly raised within the organisation beforehand, were later endorsed by the Public Accounts Committee and the department of health’s own review published in February. Several patient safety scandals have been exposed at hospitals and care by patients and clinicians after the CQC declared them safe.
It was only last month, after she started legal proceedings that Mr Lansley decided that Mrs Sheldon should remain on the board.
Andrew George, Lib Deb MP for St Ives, said Dame Williams would be in front of the Committee as soon as possible after the summer recess. “Genuine whistleblowers are crucial to the CQC so that it can direct its investigations and limited resources using the best intelligence available. In this case, if Dame Williams wanted to seek some sort of retribution against the whistleblower, it would be really very worrying from the regulator.â€
The charity Mind has long campaigned to highlight the way peoples’ mental health problems are unfairly used to discredit them in courts.
Mind's Director of External Relations Sophie Corlett said: "Living with a mental health problem does not make your opinion less valid or relevant when whistleblowing. Nor should people with mental health problems face discrimination when they are lifting the lid in the public interest." Stephen Dorrell, former Tory health secretary and chairman of the HSC, last night said: “This is clearly an issue that needs to be further examined and it will be by the Committee in September.â€
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/exclusive-nhs-watchdog-claimed-that-whistleblower-kay-sheldon-was-mentally-ill-8046640.html
#MPs to grill NHS CQC watchdog over whistleblower Kay Sheldon's story
Regulator's future in doubt as claims of secret psychiatric assessment are greeted with outrage
Nina Lakhani
Thursday, 16 August 2012
The head of the health regulator, Dame Jo Williams, will be forced to explain to MPs damning allegations that she tried to discredit a board member who blew the whistle by casting doubts about her mental health.
Her position hangs in the balance after members of the influential Health Select Committee (HSC) expressed “outrage†about reports in The Independent that Dame Williams commissioned an occupational health doctor to psychiatrically assess Kay Sheldon without her knowledge.
The report, which Dame Williams appears to have shared with the rest of the Care Quality Commission Board and Health Secretary, concluded that she was suffering from a paranoid illness, most probably schizophrenia. The doctor, who is not a psychiatrist, never met Mrs Sheldon and spoke with her only briefly over the telephone.
Dr Sarah Woolastan, Tory MP for Totnes and member of the HSC, revealed her own experience of suffering depression during a Parliamentary debate earlier this year. She said: “These are very serious allegations, and if they are true, then it is of grave concern that this could happen within a government organisation just as we in Parliament are trying to encourage people to have the confidence to tell their employers about their mental health problems.â€
Rosie Cooper, Labour MP for west Lancashire, said Mrs Sheldon’s treatment was “outrageousâ€. “Dame Jo’s action are ill advised and do not display the right values in this kind of confidential, responsible role.â€
Dame Williams wrote to Andrew Lansley on the same day that Mrs Sheldon’s gave evidence under oath last November to the Mid Staffs public inquiry asking for her to be removed immediately.
Mrs Sheldon told the inquiry, which is specifically investigating regulatory failures around Mid Staffs, about serious shortcomings in the CQC’s leadership, board, inspection regime and accountability.
Her concerns, which she had repeatedly raised within the organisation beforehand, were later endorsed by the Public Accounts Committee and the department of health’s own review published in February. Several patient safety scandals have been exposed at hospitals and care by patients and clinicians after the CQC declared them safe.
It was only last month, after she started legal proceedings that Mr Lansley decided that Mrs Sheldon should remain on the board.
Andrew George, Lib Deb MP for St Ives, said Dame Williams would be in front of the Committee as soon as possible after the summer recess. “Genuine whistleblowers are crucial to the CQC so that it can direct its investigations and limited resources using the best intelligence available. In this case, if Dame Williams wanted to seek some sort of retribution against the whistleblower, it would be really very worrying from the regulator.â€
The charity Mind has long campaigned to highlight the way peoples’ mental health problems are unfairly used to discredit them in courts.
Mind's Director of External Relations Sophie Corlett said: "Living with a mental health problem does not make your opinion less valid or relevant when whistleblowing. Nor should people with mental health problems face discrimination when they are lifting the lid in the public interest." Stephen Dorrell, former Tory health secretary and chairman of the HSC, last night said: “This is clearly an issue that needs to be further examined and it will be by the Committee in September.â€
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
For our NHS every Month is a 'Silly Season'
Traditionally, August is a boring month for the press and is known as the 'silly season' due to Parliament and the corrupt Welsh Government being closed, leaving the NHS to stumble along as badly as they do every other month of the year. Where to start ?
Thanks to the incompetent handling of the CTG foetal heart scan, Merthyr mother is grieving over the loss of her stillborn twins. Midwife Kay Cotter allowed the mother home, still in great pain, with the result being that neither twin lived through the birth after an urgent re-admission.
As usual, the incompetent doctor wasn't challenged and will go on to make more fatal cock-ups.
Once again, coroner Mary Hassell makes another stupid verdict on Patricia Callow, who died under the same circumstances as her poor husband Cyril. Both had taken sedatives and made a suicide pact before sealing plastic bags over their heads, yet only Cyril was determined to have committed suicide. Limebourne Court's (Whitchurch) warden didn't check up on them for a 'few days', adding to the certainty of both suicide attempts. Yet Mary Hassell chickens out on the proper double suicide verdict - unless of course, she knows that a plastic bag blew in through the window and suffocated Patricia Callow by accident. ( yeah right ).
Hywel Dda Health Board have - predictably - ordered the closure of two community hospitals, claiming that the changes are due to 'a change in demographics'. How do they know when an epidemialogical Needs Assesment hasn't been conducted fo over a dead. Still, it's just a coincidence that all these 'changes' were announced ( or confirmed ) after Minister, Lesley Griffiths Chaired a meeting of ALL Welsh health boards was held 'in camera', with not a single suggestion of any collusion, of course (yeah right). Personally I, and the rest of the population still cannot comprehend the rediculously untrue that her department and Professor Marcus Longley didn't collude over the report on the NHS changes, or his laughable commentary on the Community Health Councils, when piblic opinion was only allowed to be given by personal appointment with the obedient academic, who knows which side his bread is buttered on. Every Health Minister gets worse and worse by the hour, which makes this writer wonder who - from the dregs of the barrell containing the Labour A.Ms - will be selected to hold the next poisoned chalice. One thing is absolutely certain - the NHS and the Welsh government will continue to ignore public opinion, just as they have done for years. The worst example of this contempt is shown by the decision to close the A & E department in Llanelli, in favour of a nurse-led injury unit, fully equipped with disenfectant, magic creams and plenty of elastoplast bandages. What a ruddy farce - even at Llandough hospital where the Health Board had the cheek to apologise for the neglectful care of Eileen Cligget, who died after suffering from an untreated bed sore.
Ex-councillor, John Smith, summed it up best in his letter to the Echo on 2nd August, verbatim :
"So much for devolution and bringing decision-making closer to the people
The Welsh Government is considering a report which promotes a health service of less treatment in hospital and more in the community.
What strategy lies behind this strategy ? Is it the transference of to GPs to be followed with budgets, the declared aim of the Westminster Government ?
The original demand for devolution was to bring decision making closer to the peopl of Wales.
They do not consult with us but are increasing control over our living and even our death, even more than the coalition in London !" F. John Smith, Grangetown, Cardiff.
R.W.
[N.B. I nearly forgot - something's missling - the onslaught of reports from Jewell and Sissling. Their deluge of rhetoric is more insincere and lacking in meaningful content than anything emanating from the NHS. Where is Adan Cairns, the new Chief Executive ???? Surely he's not still learning his script, it can't be that difficult ? After all, he only has to repeat the same crap that his predecesor read and wrote ? Or perhaps he didn't admire her leaving the £46m defecit that started all this decimation of services ???]
Thanks to the incompetent handling of the CTG foetal heart scan, Merthyr mother is grieving over the loss of her stillborn twins. Midwife Kay Cotter allowed the mother home, still in great pain, with the result being that neither twin lived through the birth after an urgent re-admission.
As usual, the incompetent doctor wasn't challenged and will go on to make more fatal cock-ups.
Once again, coroner Mary Hassell makes another stupid verdict on Patricia Callow, who died under the same circumstances as her poor husband Cyril. Both had taken sedatives and made a suicide pact before sealing plastic bags over their heads, yet only Cyril was determined to have committed suicide. Limebourne Court's (Whitchurch) warden didn't check up on them for a 'few days', adding to the certainty of both suicide attempts. Yet Mary Hassell chickens out on the proper double suicide verdict - unless of course, she knows that a plastic bag blew in through the window and suffocated Patricia Callow by accident. ( yeah right ).
Hywel Dda Health Board have - predictably - ordered the closure of two community hospitals, claiming that the changes are due to 'a change in demographics'. How do they know when an epidemialogical Needs Assesment hasn't been conducted fo over a dead. Still, it's just a coincidence that all these 'changes' were announced ( or confirmed ) after Minister, Lesley Griffiths Chaired a meeting of ALL Welsh health boards was held 'in camera', with not a single suggestion of any collusion, of course (yeah right). Personally I, and the rest of the population still cannot comprehend the rediculously untrue that her department and Professor Marcus Longley didn't collude over the report on the NHS changes, or his laughable commentary on the Community Health Councils, when piblic opinion was only allowed to be given by personal appointment with the obedient academic, who knows which side his bread is buttered on. Every Health Minister gets worse and worse by the hour, which makes this writer wonder who - from the dregs of the barrell containing the Labour A.Ms - will be selected to hold the next poisoned chalice. One thing is absolutely certain - the NHS and the Welsh government will continue to ignore public opinion, just as they have done for years. The worst example of this contempt is shown by the decision to close the A & E department in Llanelli, in favour of a nurse-led injury unit, fully equipped with disenfectant, magic creams and plenty of elastoplast bandages. What a ruddy farce - even at Llandough hospital where the Health Board had the cheek to apologise for the neglectful care of Eileen Cligget, who died after suffering from an untreated bed sore.
Ex-councillor, John Smith, summed it up best in his letter to the Echo on 2nd August, verbatim :
"So much for devolution and bringing decision-making closer to the people
The Welsh Government is considering a report which promotes a health service of less treatment in hospital and more in the community.
What strategy lies behind this strategy ? Is it the transference of to GPs to be followed with budgets, the declared aim of the Westminster Government ?
The original demand for devolution was to bring decision making closer to the peopl of Wales.
They do not consult with us but are increasing control over our living and even our death, even more than the coalition in London !" F. John Smith, Grangetown, Cardiff.
R.W.
[N.B. I nearly forgot - something's missling - the onslaught of reports from Jewell and Sissling. Their deluge of rhetoric is more insincere and lacking in meaningful content than anything emanating from the NHS. Where is Adan Cairns, the new Chief Executive ???? Surely he's not still learning his script, it can't be that difficult ? After all, he only has to repeat the same crap that his predecesor read and wrote ? Or perhaps he didn't admire her leaving the £46m defecit that started all this decimation of services ???]
Thursday, 19 July 2012
No confidence in Health Minister? Surely not?
So there was a vote of no confidence scheduled this week against Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Health Minister. I can't help but wonder why they bothered since 'The motion was not binding, meaning it would not have forced her to resign.' She survived by one single vote, although maybe 'survived' is the wrong word since there was no actual danger to her job in the first place? *scratches head in wonder*
It seems a little silly to even ask Lesley Griffiths to confirm that her 'officials' have done nothing to prejudice the 'independent' report since she's highly unlikely to say "well, actually, we realise that we've done a really bad job with budgeting and allowing the Health Boards to do whatever they like and didn't want the truth to be printed for all to see" - when in actual fact, anyone with half a brain (yes that probably rules out the majority of Cardiff Bay) can see that Health Services in Wales are shocking, to say the least.
I must admit, I did feel just a little hopeful when I saw the news last week relating to this report and seeing Lesley Griffiths' name dragged through the mud. Only for a split second though. It did occur to me that Edwina Hart and Jane Hutt before her have been equally as rubbish in the role so what difference does it make if they replace Lesley Griffiths with another red monkey? They need someone who doesn't get private medical care through BUPA (this is just an assumption, but it would be amusing, right?).
The reality of the situation now, is that we have an expensive report that will nott/cannot be taken seriously, and is therefore a complete waste of time, effort and money.
Bravo WAG.
L Spragg
It seems a little silly to even ask Lesley Griffiths to confirm that her 'officials' have done nothing to prejudice the 'independent' report since she's highly unlikely to say "well, actually, we realise that we've done a really bad job with budgeting and allowing the Health Boards to do whatever they like and didn't want the truth to be printed for all to see" - when in actual fact, anyone with half a brain (yes that probably rules out the majority of Cardiff Bay) can see that Health Services in Wales are shocking, to say the least.
I must admit, I did feel just a little hopeful when I saw the news last week relating to this report and seeing Lesley Griffiths' name dragged through the mud. Only for a split second though. It did occur to me that Edwina Hart and Jane Hutt before her have been equally as rubbish in the role so what difference does it make if they replace Lesley Griffiths with another red monkey? They need someone who doesn't get private medical care through BUPA (this is just an assumption, but it would be amusing, right?).
The reality of the situation now, is that we have an expensive report that will nott/cannot be taken seriously, and is therefore a complete waste of time, effort and money.
Bravo WAG.
L Spragg
Sunday, 15 July 2012
The ( new ) Auditor General Says that the NHS is "simply unaffordable".
At a time when I am begging for support against these merciless and ( to my mind ) unnecessary cuts to life-saving health services, the New Auditor General, Huw Vaughan Thomas pours more coal into the furnace that ensures that these cuts cannot be reversed states grandly that "The NHS is 'Simply Unaffordable'. So how have we managed all these decades, and what has changed - apart from government cowardice - to make these changes appear necessary ? Of course, there is no answer, merely empty meaningless words such as "the status Quo is not an option", and "services are not fit for purpose" ( whatever the hell either patronising terms means ). Now, this Auditor General shows that he is from the same kennels that produced his predecessors. and all the miserable, feigning civil service whelps that do the bidding of their masters with such apparent zeal. No - we can get no comfort from the saying 'a new broom sweeps clean'. Instead it is 'carry on sweeping all the abuses of public funding under the carpet, whilst obeying every wish of HQ in Cathays Park' He was asked to re-examine the shameful corruption that led to Sully Hospital ( and grounds ) being gifted to Galliard Developments - by our crooked Health Trust Directors - for a paltry £2m, for all that the sales bumf specified. They actually paid £3m in total - the extra million being for land not offered to any other of the 104 potential bidders, and supposedly not to be developed.
Now this ridiculous Mandarin of Financial matters, makes the stupid statement the 'The NHS is Unaffordable". Of course what he really means is that under constricting budgets, the government will not pay out for the health services as promised by the great Aneurin Bevan. The key to this awful deceit, is the blatant unwillingness of an incompetent government to meet the healthcare needs of our growing population. As with the local authority in the Vale ( the Bryneithin scam ), the government - now through the so-called 'independent' General - is attempting to blindly place some kind of viability test to health services that are essential. As I have said many times, this means of testing the management of public funds by health authorities ( or any public service, for that matter ) is errant nonsense. Where have 'Honesty', 'Truthfulness', Transparancy', and 'Openness' gone ???? And who created all of this empty rhetoric to replace these important vales ??? Perhaps there is a secret 'Minister of Words' in our government, rewriting the English language, to ensure that all of us remain completely bemused by their dishonest and ( certainly) insincere declarations ? And, STILL, the incompetent Leslie Griffiths remains in office with the stubborness of a mule. R.W.
Now this ridiculous Mandarin of Financial matters, makes the stupid statement the 'The NHS is Unaffordable". Of course what he really means is that under constricting budgets, the government will not pay out for the health services as promised by the great Aneurin Bevan. The key to this awful deceit, is the blatant unwillingness of an incompetent government to meet the healthcare needs of our growing population. As with the local authority in the Vale ( the Bryneithin scam ), the government - now through the so-called 'independent' General - is attempting to blindly place some kind of viability test to health services that are essential. As I have said many times, this means of testing the management of public funds by health authorities ( or any public service, for that matter ) is errant nonsense. Where have 'Honesty', 'Truthfulness', Transparancy', and 'Openness' gone ???? And who created all of this empty rhetoric to replace these important vales ??? Perhaps there is a secret 'Minister of Words' in our government, rewriting the English language, to ensure that all of us remain completely bemused by their dishonest and ( certainly) insincere declarations ? And, STILL, the incompetent Leslie Griffiths remains in office with the stubborness of a mule. R.W.
More broken promises to the mentally ill- more shame on the Health Authorities
Whilst awaiting the news of Leslie Griffiths' impending 'Bob Diamond' moment - when ashe is unceremonially ejected from her Ministerial post and reassigned to the canteen till - I became extremely depressed over two articles about the poor treatment of the mentally ill, and of course, their carers. First there was the report 'Scandal of children on adult psychiatric wards'. This urgent topic has been reported for some thirty years now, and still the Health Boards are placing vulnerable children in adult wards with mixed sex, acutely ill patients. Promise after promise has been broken by the uncaring Health Boards who treat all mentally ill patients with scant concern. Similarly, the necessity of same gender wards has been ignored, from even as far back the report of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2000. Now, if that highly esteemed body is treated with contempt, what hope is there for the rest of us ? ( Echo 12th JUly 2012 ).
Next, on the 14th inst, in the same Echo I read 'Mental health suicide worry' among patients being condemned to be treated in their own homes ( where most of their problems probably occurred ). Once again, the loyal Royal College of Nursing has called for 'proper investment' to ensure that mental heathcare in the community was safe. Peter Meredith-Smith, Mental Health Lead and Employment Relations Director states, "The ongoing shift in mental healthcare from inpatient services to communitysettings requires proper investment if we are to ensure that mental healthcare in the community is safe and therapeutic". Well said, Sir ! Unfortunately your idea of 'proper healthcare' and that of the Health Boards is as far apart as planet earth and planet Uranus. Inspite of the urgent need for these corrections, I have to say that I doubt very much if I will see them in the time left to me by the Almighty. I just wish that all my efforts ( and those of my colleague, 'Magpie') could produce some modicum of improvement in the services to the Mentally ill. Somebody MUST be listening SOMEWHERE, surely ? R.W.
Next, on the 14th inst, in the same Echo I read 'Mental health suicide worry' among patients being condemned to be treated in their own homes ( where most of their problems probably occurred ). Once again, the loyal Royal College of Nursing has called for 'proper investment' to ensure that mental heathcare in the community was safe. Peter Meredith-Smith, Mental Health Lead and Employment Relations Director states, "The ongoing shift in mental healthcare from inpatient services to communitysettings requires proper investment if we are to ensure that mental healthcare in the community is safe and therapeutic". Well said, Sir ! Unfortunately your idea of 'proper healthcare' and that of the Health Boards is as far apart as planet earth and planet Uranus. Inspite of the urgent need for these corrections, I have to say that I doubt very much if I will see them in the time left to me by the Almighty. I just wish that all my efforts ( and those of my colleague, 'Magpie') could produce some modicum of improvement in the services to the Mentally ill. Somebody MUST be listening SOMEWHERE, surely ? R.W.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Dr Tony Jewell@Confused.com.
Once again, our ex Chief Medical Officer continues to confuse us with figures in para 1of his recent statement - "More than half the population ( of Wales ) are overweight or obese, and a third do little physical activity." So, children : 1/2 = 3/6ths and 1/3rd = 2/6ths, making a total of 5/6ths, or 83.3% of the population. How the great mathmedical brain arrived at this figure is a complete mystery, which the great sage fails to disclose. ( lack of evidence has never prevented anyone in NHS Wales from making similar stupid statements ).
However, surely the Taliban-esque headline is enough to send us running in terror towards a Dietician before most of us explode in a blur of disgusting flesh ? After all such alarmism is ( usually ) quite effective.
Personally speaking, if pseudo-intellectuals like the scene-stealing doctor, continue to blind us with this mathmedical B.S. ( business statists, of course ), we will all remain in ignorance of what it is we are expected to do. Frankly I am amazed that so many poor citizens - existing in Wales' many areas of deprivation - can afford to get fat. Certainly we poor pensioners would find it extremely difficult on our meagre pensions but - with Cameron telling us that the elderly must bear their share of the cuts - perhaps Dr Jewell will explain all in his Final, final report ? R. W.
Once again, our ex Chief Medical Officer continues to confuse us with figures in para 1of his recent statement - "More than half the population ( of Wales ) are overweight or obese, and a third do little physical activity." So, children : 1/2 = 3/6ths and 1/3rd = 2/6ths, making a total of 5/6ths, or 83.3% of the population. How the great mathmedical brain arrived at this figure is a complete mystery, which the great sage fails to disclose. ( lack of evidence has never prevented anyone in NHS Wales from making similar stupid statements ).
However, surely the Taliban-esque headline is enough to send us running in terror towards a Dietician before most of us explode in a blur of disgusting flesh ? After all such alarmism is ( usually ) quite effective.
Personally speaking, if pseudo-intellectuals like the scene-stealing doctor, continue to blind us with this mathmedical B.S. ( business statists, of course ), we will all remain in ignorance of what it is we are expected to do. Frankly I am amazed that so many poor citizens - existing in Wales' many areas of deprivation - can afford to get fat. Certainly we poor pensioners would find it extremely difficult on our meagre pensions but - with Cameron telling us that the elderly must bear their share of the cuts - perhaps Dr Jewell will explain all in his Final, final report ? R. W.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Health Minister - in The Dock, at last
Laugh ? I nearly wet myself. Professor Marcus Longley was asked to write a report about the changes to be made in NHS Wales, and - as with every other report or consultation ordered by 'The Minister' - it has come to light that the results of the report were pre-ordained by close work ( or collusion, I prefer ) between the eminent Professor and his paymasters in the Welsh government, specifically Leslie Griffiths' own band of loyal civil services, who are similarly paid to "Do what you're told, or take a hike" ( well, you didn't think everyone in this corrupt government had any freedom to say anything that remotely bears a resemblence to the truth - did you ? )
So, it has come to pass that the Minister- after her thorough makeover in her appearance - stands before the A.M.s from all parties, attempting to justify this typical collusion between anyone asked to write an 'Independent report' ( Yeah right ) on pre-determined matters, such as all the recent inexplicable changes made to parts of our health service. Then these 'after-the-event' spurious reports are given the "We welcome the findings of report XYZ, as it shows that the status quo is NOT an option". Or, in other words 'Thanks Marcus for confirming exactly what we told you to confirm, in return for the huge fee paid to you".
And the 'dear leader' adopts the Kim Il Jong posture by saying, "I was not lying, nor have I - or anyone in my department ( oops-a-daisy ) done anything to influence the findings of this report." Well, that's about as believable as Scientologists that we are are all Thetans who have taken over our bodies etc etc ad nauseum.
I really do hope that she gets ripped apart in public, before being made to resign. And poor old Carwyn has got his work cut out to find another dumb fall-guy to do his bidding or suffer a similar fate to her/his predecessors. Meanwhile, the public is kept completely mystified by this sudden claim of 'Transparancy" over changes that they were obviously too stupid to understand - hence they were never asked. R.W.
So, it has come to pass that the Minister- after her thorough makeover in her appearance - stands before the A.M.s from all parties, attempting to justify this typical collusion between anyone asked to write an 'Independent report' ( Yeah right ) on pre-determined matters, such as all the recent inexplicable changes made to parts of our health service. Then these 'after-the-event' spurious reports are given the "We welcome the findings of report XYZ, as it shows that the status quo is NOT an option". Or, in other words 'Thanks Marcus for confirming exactly what we told you to confirm, in return for the huge fee paid to you".
And the 'dear leader' adopts the Kim Il Jong posture by saying, "I was not lying, nor have I - or anyone in my department ( oops-a-daisy ) done anything to influence the findings of this report." Well, that's about as believable as Scientologists that we are are all Thetans who have taken over our bodies etc etc ad nauseum.
I really do hope that she gets ripped apart in public, before being made to resign. And poor old Carwyn has got his work cut out to find another dumb fall-guy to do his bidding or suffer a similar fate to her/his predecessors. Meanwhile, the public is kept completely mystified by this sudden claim of 'Transparancy" over changes that they were obviously too stupid to understand - hence they were never asked. R.W.
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