The Hypocritical Oaf

Consultation Good News - and then it was gone !


It's quite remarkable how quickly good news can change.  One week, the South Wales Echo was heralding the wonderful article entitled, "Health Board Rejects Plans for Change." For example; The Echo on the 14^th February reports an apparently revolutionary act by a Health Board with the Title “Health Board Rejects plan to Take Services from hospital for ‘best fit" ( whatever that’s supposed to mean ).

However, without burdening you with my usual diatribe, the article portends to state that the plans to remove Neo-natal, Accident and emergency, and Pediatric services from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital have been rejected ( which I stupidly interpreted to mean that these essential services will remain, as expressed by the thousands of objections to this part of The South Wales Programme ).  As Captain Mainwaring would say “Stupid boy”.

THEN, the very next day ( that’s the 15^th February, a Saturday - when the Echo reckons that the public are preoccupied with shopping and the pursuit of trivial sports – is another article ( by the same easily led reporter ), entitled “Children’s Services not safe, say doctors’ chief.”

Amazingly,  THIS  informative article quotes a Dr Mair Parry of the Royal College of Paediatrics stating that we need fewer units in Pediatrics, Accident and Emergency, and Neo-natal care.  She trots out the well-worn excuse that there is a lack of specialised staff in these specialities, and that fewer, more specialised units would be ‘safer’.

Then – incredibly – Dr Chris Jones and Allison Williams of Cwm Taf Health Board say that the proposed changes provide a “more deliverable starting point”.  This was supported by Programme Director, Paul Hollard, who dreamed up the South Wales programme ( in a haze of cannabis smoke, or a shot of Diamorphine ), which he is implementing exactly as planned. In simple terms, this means that the article stating “Health Board Rejects plan to Take Services from hospital for ‘best fit’” is deliberately misleading and totally untrue. [I guess they thought that the stupid public would read the first article and then be too busy celebrating on the Saturday, shopping or watching sport.]

So, Professor Prudence Drakeford becomes the Hypocritical Oaf by making us believe that the plans are rejected, and that the thousands of objectors had won the day.  Then, the very next day, he and his sycophantic followers revert to supporting the original plan, thereby allowing Prudence to hold out his hands in mock surprise, before continuing with implementing the plan.  And – as if by magic – the Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ Paul Hollard becomes Chief Executive of the ABMU health board.

Seriously, you couldn't write fiction like that, could you ?      R.   W.

P.S. If i think of anything that's lower than whale shit - besides Prudence Drakeford and his lying boss, the Worst Minister - I'll be sure to let you know.  Trouble is, I don't know how long I have left, so I figure I'm entitled to express years of frustration in this way.  Sorry if anyone else is offended !