Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
At Fort Whitfield tonight (01/08) c/o DDC Scruitiny - Emergency Transfer of acute medicine - Kent & Canterbury Hospital
Statement from NHS Foundation Trust (dread phrase) here:-
http://moderngov.dover.gov.uk/documents/g2783/Public%20reports%20pack%2001st-Aug-2017%2018.30%20Scrutiny%20Community%20and%20Regeneration%20Committee.pdf?T=10'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
And nobody from the NHS Foundation Trust turned up so Scruitiny had no-one to scrutinise and all went home!
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
On the subject of our (sic) NHS, forumites might have noticed that the NHS proudly announced the other day that:- 'UK health system comes out on top in new report'
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2017/07/uk-health-system-comes-out-on-top-in-new-report/
The report itself is worth a read IMHO:-
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/interactives/2017/july/mirror-mirror/
As you will see, whilst the NHS does very well at such as Care Process, Access and Equity (***) they were next to last (the USA being the worse) in 'health care outcomes' i.e. actually curing people of anything and stopping them dying!
(***) I think that
access means that absolutely anyone can get treatment even if they are not entitled to it and
equity means that however rich or poor you are you get the same level of lack of treatment which is obviously a 'good thing'?
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Captain Haddock wrote:And nobody from the NHS Foundation Trust turned up so Scruitiny had no-one to scrutinise and all went home!
Not much point in them turning up as it is a done deal whatever anyone says. Many of us would like to know if the K & C has a long term future or will services be gradually taken away with the intention of final closure.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
The question is Howard what level of services should be duplicated in a city with a population of just over 50,000 which is half an hours travelling from William Harvey Hospital (even less time with lights and sirens).
The function of a Health Service is to provide effective treatment I would suggest, rather than a second class service which happens to be just around the corner.
As to your comment on the NHS Trust 'not turning up'. Having asked for the meeting to begin half an hour late to make it easier for them to attend and having confirmed they would be coming only that morning there was zero further communication from them.
A bit of a waste of your money paying for council staff covering the non meeting, and a bit of a waste of time for councillors and the members of the public who turned up.
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,656
Captain Haddock wrote:The question is Howard what level of services should be duplicated in a city with a population of just over 50,000 which is half an hours travelling from William Harvey Hospital (even less time with lights and sirens).
A bit of a waste of your money paying for council staff covering the non meeting, and a bit of a waste of time for councillors and the members of the public who turned up.
It might be worth remembering the hospital serves the surrounding areas as well as Canterbury. The last time I went for an appointment to William Harvey by public transport it was about two hours there and similar back (Margate is also an awful jorney) the luxury of a car trip does not always apply.
The NHS representatives just not turning up just shows the contempt the bosses have for local communities, the decision is made so bugger anyone else.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Worth remembering that although the population of Canterbury is only around 54, 000 that doesn't include 40, 000 students during term time.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
And during 'election time' apparently?
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
A letter to the Editor EKM:-
In a post Christian society I suppose it not odd that people are still looking for something to worship, and last weeks letters page contained two letters from disciples of our (sic) NHS encouraging others to join their congregation at 'Fair Deal for the NHS'.
They contained the usual dog-whistle untruths about 'privatisation and profit' and suggested that the solution, as ever, is to spend even more money on what is the fourth largest employer on the planet.
No-one is denying that there are pressures on the service (ageing population, more expensive drugs/technology and huge population increase due to immigration), but pressure is hardly new.
As far back as the 1960s Enoch Powell the Health Minister was actively encouraging immigration from the Indian sub-continent to fill skill shortages.
The question is whether money alone is a universal panacea or merely a sticking plaster temporarily covering a non healing wound.
The most authoritative survey recently undertaken to understand the true state of the NHS is the 2017 Commonwealth Fund Report surveying Health Care in 11 advanced economies from which the Guardian proudly claimed the 'UK health system comes out on top in new report'.
Unfortunately on healthcare outcomes such as infant mortality rates and life expectancy the UK came overall next to last beating only the USA and behind Switzerland, France, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Canada and Germany.
While we're apparently very good on such things as accessibility and equity (whatever that is) we're not very good at treating patients.
On the subject of % of GDP spent on healthcare, whilst it had been the lowest of all the countries going as far back as 1998 (under Labour), since 2012 it has been overtaking other countries and now, at 9.9% (2014) is higher than Australia, New Zealand and Norway and close to the average for the survey if one excludes the USA.
There is a serious debate to be had about what level of service we should expect from our health service and how it should be funded. Let us indeed get real and be honest. Even if we spent 100% of GDP on the NHS we could not afford to give everybody all the treatment they could possibly have and at the end of the day we all die anyway.
I'm not sure that the moans raised by your correspondents add much reality or indeed honesty to this important discussion.
Captain Haddock.
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,476
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Just a couple of points from that excellent summary. Good to see(no pun intended) cataract surgery coming to Buckland, this normally entails three trips for people for each eye and many local people will benefit. I had mine done in a private hospital about three years back along with many others so money will be saved by the NHS doing the work.
The second point about there being no plans to sell the K & C site is politicians speak for "yes we will but as we have been careful not to put anything in writing you can't prove a thing.
Alec Sheldon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Good news about cataract surgery coming to Buckland Howard. I might need it soon.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I have been told that cataract surgery has been taken away already. I e mailed the trust a few days back to find out the full story but have not heard anything back.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I simply asked whether cataract surgery was being carried out still at Buckland and this is the reply, I think i'm living in a parallel universe to them.
Dear Howard,
Thank you for contacting us regarding incorrect / out of date information on NHS Choices page.
We will pass this information onto the editor of the page and request that they update / amend as soon as possible.
We’re grateful for the feedback, it is valuable to know what information our users are looking for.
We’re currently going through a major transformation process, and focusing all our resources on improving existing content and re-designing the website, So the way in which we obtain and display this type of information is due to change.
However, in the interim, NHS Choices will continue to work with local organisations to ensure that information held on the website is up to date and relevant.
As you probably know, many organisations in the NHS (pharmacies, dentists, GPs, etc) are individual businesses and are under no contractual obligation to upload information to NHS Choices
Despite this we will always do our best to contact the relevant person to advise of incorrect / out of date information.
As there is no guarantee that the editor will update this we will not be able to provide any further correspondence on this matter but would like to thank you again for taking the time to report this to us.
Thank you
ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
That reply says it all, really. It's not you that lives in the parallel universe, Howard.
Weird Granny Slater- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 2,844
That's surely a candidate for the Golden Bull award, or maybe the Kick in the pants:
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards.htmlray hutstone likes this
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,656
Never mind Howard. It would be wrong to expect a simple answer, much easier to send a standard letter which covers any event or question.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Because I ticked the "highly dissatisfied" box in response to their reply they have now sent me a survey form starting with the standard "we value your views" nonsense and has a series of boxes to tick that have no or little relevance to my complaint.
Jan Higgins likes this
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,571
still fill it in howard
it might be a lost cause but you never know
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I did all that the same day Keith and got no response, also contacted the PALS service and again nothing.