Tuesday 14 October 2008

The Credit Crunch and the NHS

The “credit crunch” may now affect cancer research at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Withington, Manchester.

Because the trust has £7.5 million in an Icelandic bank, the Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF), unless the money can be “rescued” future research may be affected.

BBC NEWS Research fear over Christie money

I wonder what other NHS services will be damaged by the failure of the banking system?

How many other foundation trusts have our money invested with failed banks.

How much of our money was invested by the government in unstable financial institutions?

And will they tell us?

No of course they won’t, all they will do is reduce services, saying that “lack of funds” is the reason.

No it isn’t, it’s poor financial management, the crash was known about before we were told, the “Powers That Be” kept the lid on it to prevent another “Northern Rock”, but although they knew, nothing was done to protect “our” money by moving it to a stable “bank” because it would have caused panic in the financial sector.

Unfortunately keeping it quiet didn’t work because the economy crashed anyway. And to date has cost us £37 Billion with more to come.

I keep hearing words such as openness, clarity, honesty, truthfulness, but that is all they are-words.

As always the “powers That Be” treat us like mushrooms, they keep us in the dark and feed us shit.

In my blogs on NHS Exposed I introduced "On to other Things", I would like to expand this and “do” this here.

So.

On to other things

Too few surgeons for cancer ops-BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7629277.stm
One in ten hospitals in England and Wales do not have enough specialist surgeons for gullet cancer. The Department of Health says “trusts need a minimum of three surgeons to provide round-the-clock care for patients with this common cancer.
The target was meant to be met by all trusts by December 2007.
Experts said the shortfall meant some patients might potentially be put at unnecessary risk.”

Richard Hardwick, consultant surgeon and lead clinician for upper gastrointestinal cancer for the Association of Upper GI Surgeons (AUGIS), said: "If you are going to provide a comprehensive service it is almost impossible to do with two surgeons.

"Three specialist surgeons is the absolute bare requirement. Otherwise you are getting by on a wing and a prayer.

"Patients undergoing this type of surgery are complicated and it is vital that they are constantly monitored by a specialist."

The audit began in 2006.

My comment-if it was known before 2007 that there was this problem, why oh why wasn’t something done?

Is this yet another case of the “reactive” NHS?


And there is this from the Times

Jeffrey Archer: Why I just get on with life - Times Online

Two comments-Who Cares? And who cares?

Somethins up with madonna-the sun

Skinny Madonna sparks health fears


Sorry I had to use the Sun but needs must.

Madge is really looking gaunt and thin, she is apparently eating well, perhaps it’s all those trips to Africa to obtain kids that is wearing her out, and at her age she should be taking it a bit easier.


Hazel blears-the sun

Clarkson Ms Hazel Blears: Not even a waste of space

This a great article by Jeremy Clarkson, I really can’t think of anything else to add to it.

And to finish a “royal” joke, I was watching a re-run of “Mock the week” last night.

“Things you wouldn’t expect the Queen to say in her Christmas speech”

This has to be said with the “accent”.

“One has had some medical problems during the last year, one is now so old that one’s pussy is haunted”

What?


Angus Dei

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You made I larf, Lizzie's ghostly puss!

Re: cancer research - what about all the £millions that cancer charities have taken from us? Now would be a good time to spend it...


Keeping It Quiet#24524: probably gvt's greatest forte.
Words = nothing unless backed up with implementation and sanctions for transgressors.

Funnily enough, I wrote an essay about this very point in my reponse to NHS Constitution consultation that I gladly sent off today...;-)

Angus Dei said...

Deb

I larfed so much I had to run to the loo.

Good point re the cancer charities, but being cynical I think that most of the money goes to the "charity managers", there probably isn't much left for "us",

I have rad the draft of the costitution, personall i think it is a load of "keep them quiet" crap

There is one interesting paragraph-

"4.33 We have firmly ruled out linking access to NHS services to any sort of sanction for people not looking after their own health. Separately, though, receiving treatment within the waiting time standards will always be dependent on patients keeping appointments or cancelling within reasonable time"

I wonder if it will be in the published version?

Angus

Anonymous said...

Deb

Sorry about the spelling mistakes, I think my keyboard has become lisdexic.

ngus