Patsy Hewitt

She is visiting the Walsgrave Hospital tomorrow. This hospital has a special place in my history as I was born there though the hospital buildings that I was born in are no longer there, having been replaced by a brand new shiny Private finance initiative hospital.

She is going to be shown a ward that bears no relation to the real world and will then continue her labour newspeak/spin and declare that the NHS is going from strength to strength

What a load of rubbish.

Already I hear that in Chelmsford they are paying four people from outside the hospital £900 pounds a day each to sort out the financial mess that the hospital is in. They have already sacked half the secretaries such that 1200 dictated letters and notes have built up and there is a risk of an avalanche in some offices with notes piled high to the ceiling. They have increased car parking charges by 500% and got rid of support staff such that my friend an anaesthetist has to do all the drawing up of medications, mopping the floor, and cleaning the machines and is regularly at work until 7 or 8pm at night.

MTAS is a smokescreen to reduce medical staffing in the NHS. Already Patsy has wasted over 2 billion pounds worth of public money by not making sure that there are enough jobs for the doctors who are coming out of medical school, and these doctors are not in the position I was in when I left medical school with £30 in my bank account and no debt; oh no some of them have debts in excess of £20000 pounds.

I wrote of a medical school classmate who died yesterday, do we need more deaths to show the public or the government that what they are doing to us is vile?

I was chatting to an ex boss of mine on Tuesday before I heard the news and she said to me Its always good to have an exit strategy, its a lifesaver.

Poor David couldn't see an exit strategy apart from taking his own life, and I weep with many others that a talented bright and friendly soul has been lost prematurely from this world.

I call for the resignation of Patsy Hewitt with immediate effect.

It is time to write to your MP and ask them to table a motion calling for a vote of no confidence in the health minister.

Death of a Colleague

As I surfed last night I came across the doctor missing from Edinburgh and at first didnt register the name, thought yeah another one bites the dust and then I see the same thing on our doctors' website and then review the webpage . I make the connection from seeing the photo again and reading more deeply. He's been missing for a week in the lovely balmy temperatures and they found a body an hour and half walk from his car and have called the search off. He leaves three children and a distraught wife and grieving brothers.
It shouldn't have to happen, I'm saddened that someone I went to medical school with and who is the same age as I am is dead. Yet his NHS trust is refuting the idea that he worked 84 hours a week and not taking any responsibility at all.

All doctors who work 7 nights on shift work 84 hours for that week. Yet the public as seen from the Have your say page on the BBC news website feel we get paid wonderfully and cant understand the current jobs crisis.

Many of us have exit strategies in place, for some it is retirement others it is fleeing this awful place that Britain has become in the last ten years.

My thoughts today rest with his family, friends many of whom I know and his grateful patients and many many work colleagues.

My Union

My union rep is convinced that my trust is going to sack me. Talk about pessimism the voice of doom and gloom lives. She thinks that there is nothing in my soon to be rather large and rather hole blowing harassment complaint that will make any difference.

She however is not yet party to the details. Talk about trying to depress you in advance

Holiday

Have finally booked my holiday to Sweden

Am seriously thinking about ditching the UK and moving there to live as the fiasco in the NHS continues apace.

Latest nail in coffin Payscales for the Scramble of Jobs not published

Plus this will be a disaster.

Ruskin Park 19th April

19-04-07_1340
Originally uploaded by Screaming Bertha.

A duck with her ducklings in the bright spring sunshine


Ah to see new life springing out again

A truly nice experience