Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Ian Driver ticks another box


Hurrah for Cllr Ian Driver star of yet another video, by Christine Tongue, misleadingly titled "NHS IN THANET UNDER THREAT", for a couple of reasons, one, it seems to me to be a bit of spin and subterfuge, the issue as I understand it is this, company takes over surgery, doctors leave, continuity of service is interrupted, business enters a transition between what was and what it will be, secondly Ian Driver, has meeting, with the new management Concordia then in the debrief post meeting, no surprises apparently according to Ian Driver, Concordia agreed they had got some things wrong and would put things right and do it quickly.

Pretty much what you might expect of any service company in these days or enlightenment, Cllr Driver has secured an understanding, that the company having made a pigs ear of things, will put them right, something they'd presumably do with or without a protest, still no doubt this will be seen as a great step forward in the left leaning activist scene in Thanet, though once you've taken away the bally hoo and Cllr Drivers mega phone all rather mundane, don't you think.

Still of more concern and of more consequence will be tomorrows BMA doctors strike, I don't doubt that this will, be of limited effect, various news reports suggest that many of the 100,000 members of the BMA will ignore the strike.

I'm sure most doctors will realise, that by any standards, their doing all right, currently some doctors are trousering pension pots, worth up to three million pounds, unsustainable when added to all those others, in the public sector, with unrealistic ideas of their worth and delusions that they have paid in enough money to fund them, when in fact the taxpayer picks up the bill.

37 comments:

  1. It is people's health affected by no GP's so unfair to criticise Cllr Driver for urgently raising it.

    And there are problems with QEQM services potentially reduced again.

    Interesting points on doctors and pensions - is there information on what public sector pensions/contributions etc are?

    As you say it does seem a perk denied to us who fund it, with few strikes by the public sector to extend it to the rest of us.

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  2. Do you think that's Drivers own megaphone?

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  3. Cllr Driver is all about "coverage" and "raising his status" so the whole affair isn't very surprising at all.

    P.S. Remember us Public Sector employees are also tax payers!

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  4. PS One Oclock Rob remember all your salary is tax.

    Everyone else's salary isn't. Nor do we get (tax) pensions as in the public sector. Or even, these days, higher salaries.

    Hence, to some extent, the economic problems. A (recession-hit) private sector funding a larger and higher paid and better pensioned public sector. And more public sector workers means more regulation, forms, taxes, charges, public debt etc as they seek to do something.

    Without begrudging an effective public sector at all, fewer public sector workers would mean lower tax - even for public sector workers.

    Not to realise your salary is all tax never fails to amaze.

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    1. You make it sound like we Public Sector employees all get together at the end of the week and work out how we can f*ck over the Private Sector! It's called central and local government mate and you have the power to kick out people and parties who you don't like or don't do what you want.

      The trade off I made when entering into the Public Sector was lower pay (about £10k less a year on my current job/role) but a pension at the end.

      I'm so sorry that the Private Sector pensions got sold or shutdown so that shareholders could get more payment in dividends or so that the CEO could buy another Bentley, I'm sorry that an unregulated Private Sector banking system in the UK and abroad got so out of control that they almost brought the world to the brink of collapse but if you want to be in a race to the bottom and wish to bring Public Sector pensions to an end then we'll all be in the same mess and someone will still have to pay for it.

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  5. I blame doctors for this whole pensions crisis! If only they'd stop extending life expectency...

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  6. "Ee-oop, what's 'appening to our 'ealth service" the man shouted, not that he really gives a toss beyond it being another opportunity for bandstanding and raising his own profile. Which begs the question, shouldn't he have been managing Citizens Advice at that time of day or is he, like union reps, allowed to conduct his political business on our paid for time.

    Love the way the camera pans from the odd poster to the odd face to make it look a lot and, of course, the compulsory child in a push chair for effect. Considering they all fitted onto that little path that leads up to the centre it was hardly a big crowd out of 7,000 patients.

    For those thinking Driver has made a difference, think again. Authorities way above his little local level are already leaning on Concordia heavily to sort things out pronto. No doubt, however, he will claim all the credit.

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  7. So....leaving a community without any permanent GP's is "being in transition?"

    It's true Concordia got something wrong.
    That something was running the service.
    If they can allow things to degenerate to this state without rectifying it, what logic says they would have acted if no attention had been drawn?
    This problem has existed at this surgery for months.

    As for Ian Driver, he is using the situation to score some points. Isn't that what politicians do?
    If no local councillor had turned up no doubt you would be moaning about that (quite rightly)

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    1. Wrong again, Yogi, other local councillors had picked up on this problem two months ago, brought it to the attention of the PCT and South Thanet MP, and Concordia were already under pressure to act.

      As ever, Ian Driver has spotted yet another opportunity to dig out his megaphone and start shouting long after others had acted more effectively.

      By the way, if there was such a problem, why so few people at a well publicised event out of 7,000 registered at the practice. This was so low key even the BBC South East could not be bothered to report this one.

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    2. Other local councillors have been ignored then.

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    3. On what do you base that gem of witty observation.

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    4. The siuation is the same as it was 3 months ago when complaints were first made.

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    5. So how come the vast majority of the 7,000 patients still get to see a doctor or a nurse practictioner, invariably on the same day as calling if they phone by 8 AM, and do not find it necessary to stand outside shouting.

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    6. that's certainly not been the experience of most of the patients I've spoken to - or myself. Are you a patient there?
      Christine

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  8. DONE IT AGAIN I wrote a big long reply and the deleted it GRRRRRRRRRRRRR cANT BE ASKED TO DO IT AGAIN

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    1. It's happened to me a few times Don, usually when I use my phone, I suspect that the word verification does't help for which I am sorry however with out it I get tons of adverts for handbags viagra asian/russian brides and all that malarkey.

      My top tip is if it's a long comment copy the text before publishing. PS I thought I'd give internet explorer ie9 ago and it seems very flaky, with the cursor disappearing and not the smooth experience adveertised

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  9. "Concordia under pressure to act, put things right and do it quickly"..... and so have done.......nothing.
    Direct protest, no matter how small can only be as, if not more, effective than that.

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    1. Nothing being the recruiting of a couple of permanent GPs who are working notices elsewhere, ensuring proper cover from locums meantime and using two excellent nurse practioners in a proper consulting role. As a registered patient at the practice I have yet to experience any inconvenience from the situation.

      The pen is frequently mightier than the sword and considerably more so than the blabbering mouthpiece.

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  10. According to the Concordia web site they are still looking for a Practice Manager and a GP. Looks like your staffing info might be wrong Tom.

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    1. No, I said a couple of GPs working their notice, but they want three. As to the practice manager, well it seems to be running OK without one for now as evidcence by the fact that a mere handful of the 7,000 patients bothered to turn up for the demonstration.

      As ever, the usual suspects jump on any bandwagon and then invariably claim majority support.

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    2. A couple of GP's working their notice elsewhere are not working there though are they?
      How come the posts were not filled before the staff left?

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  11. http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/NHS-holds-crisis-talks-meltdown-Broadstairs/story-16420309-detail/story.html

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  12. BTW, anyone interested in why the turnover of GPs is so high at this particular surgery?

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    1. Quite obviously, Yogi, you are not a patient at the practice and are relying on false information being peddled by the protest fraternity.

      There has not been a high turnover of GPs at the practice and, until early this year, I was registered with the same GP there for years. There have been teething troubles with the new practice and it has yet to settle into a group of regular doctors. Nonetheless I, and my family, have had no problems getting appointments promptly when needed.

      The usual suspects from the Red Hall, aided and abetted by a Ramsgate ward councillor, are simple making political capital as always and grossly exaggerating the problems.

      As I asked before, if it is so bad there why such a handful prepared to protest out of over 7,000.

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    3. No I am not a patient there but here's one who is:
      A patient on the NHS Choices website, who posted anonymously, said: “Since the beginning of 2010, I have now seen 20 different doctors – most of them locums with no knowledge of or interest in me.

      “Poor quality care has been the norm. At the beginning of 2012, new ‘permanent’ doctors were appointed and my care at the practice improved drastically as I had a single GP dealing with me and my condition stopped deteriorating.

      “Now all those doctors have left and I am unwilling to subject myself again to a random selection of others passing through.”


      If you insist on making excuses for there being no full time GPs at a practice with over 7,000 patients, that's your choice.
      My expectations are higher than that.

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    4. My evidence is first hand whilst yours is hearsay from one of the protest group, suitably coloured to support the case.

      From some of your comments it is evident you are not the thickest person on the planet, Yogi, so don't get drawn in to the rubbish spouted by the Red Hall mob. They are but politically motivated activists who can make the removal of a self seeded sycamore sapling some kind of Tory plot to defoliage the town.

      The situation at the Health Centre is not satisfactory, but it is far from a total disaster as alleged and more sane minds were dealing with it long before rent-a-mouth and his backers appeared.

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    5. Concordia are now quoting the press coverage as reasons to try to be more responsive to patients now. If "more sane minds were dealing with it" why did we know nothing about it - and why did nothing happen before? Don't we all need to work together to halt a diminution in our local services.

      I hope the same sane minds trying to get us some NHS dentists again!
      Christine

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    6. Possibly, Christine, because you seize on any opportunity to protest without bothering to find out the full story.

      There was actually a meeting already scheduled at the practice involving KCC, the PCT and Concordia long before your rather pathetic little protest, two dozen people out of over 7,000.

      Please do not insult our intelligence by trying to pretend it is all down to you and the IofTG that things are happening.

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    7. I try not insult anyone! We did research the story pretty thoroughly for Thanet Watch magazine, May issue, and the Gazette did careful research also. Have you seen the articles? I haven't claimed credit for anything, and the problems are still not solved. Why do you call it a "pathetic" protest? It's not helpful to denigrate people trying to get a better service from their health centre.

      And the problems about NHS dentists? How are the "sane" people going to solve that?
      Christine

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    8. Are you having a laugh or something. The Gazette do careful research. I gave them a story a while back with full factual details on an event and they still screwed up on the reporting from names to places.

      Now NHS dentistry is another problem and not a new one. Indeed, before the recent announcement from the Ramsgate practice, the situation had been improving. Not sure a handful of people with banners will make any difference and, since it has been equally bad under Conservative, Labour and Coalition governments, voting does not seem to offer much hope.

      If you come up with any worthwhile ideas on this one, Christine, I might even support you for a change.

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    9. One of the things you can do is join with like-minded people and stand with a banner somewhere significant. But we can also write to our councillors and MPs and ask them to lobby on our behalf, and join national campaigns like Keep Our NHS Public, which Wendy Savage is part of.

      Next meeting of Save Our Health Service is July 5th, 7.15, Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Rd Broadstairs.

      Welcome to my world Tom!
      Christine

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  13. Tony I tried my first post in word before putting it up today and after my misshap earlier I will give it a try for comments in future. I spoke with my GP earlier and the Bethesda GP'S are not on strike.

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  14. Ian Driver Cries Shame and that the company should be ashamed, all well and good.

    Lets consider what else could be shameful

    I think it's a shame when people represent a political party and then jump ship at first chance.

    I think it's a shame when a councillor resorts to vile abuse of a member of the public by falsely accusing them of promoting homophobia.

    I think it a shame when a councillor accused colleagues of not doing enough for animal rights when he knows that they are doing their best.

    I think it a shame when groups militant anti-democratic socialist hijack genuine problems.

    I think it a shame when local Labour support such people even ousting loyal members to do it.

    What a shameful world!

    I think we should all be ashamed that we allow ourselves to be brow beaten

    Yes I say join with Driver! Shame all round!

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    1. The danger, Tony, is that our youngsters have been, and are being, pre-programmed with a lot of this commie garbage.

      The less discerning among them (most of them) will be drawn into the marxist's evil web, with a wedge driven between the generations.

      I hope people realise how serious this marxist infiltration business really is.

      Latest breaking news (but not on the BBC), Barack Obama's father and mentor was marxist activist Frank Marshall Davis, while his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was of CIA stock.

      http://youtu.be/LBtwR36G2Pg

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    2. Commie infiltration? HAHAHA! If only.
      What year is this?

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  15. Idiot councillors who needs them

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