MrBen

hpsaucey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What are the chances that the Guptas have read > this thread?? > 'DMC Healthcare' - perhaps you can let us know > what they think?? > > HP My guess is they won't care too much and are probably busy looking at the new Aston Vanquish whilst keeping the missus in Jimmy Choos. All ultimately paid for by us local tax payers.

Imagine doing this for a job. Would you be proud to tell your kids what you contributed to the world?

I'm just impressed Foxy plays the accordion.

I have yet to see a nasty post from RPC. But, help me out here, is RPC Giggirl? I miss her. And Hibbs for that matter.

Never mind Foxy...

That said, quids comes on here all guns blazing but in real life he's kind of like......well... a scruffy mild mannered gnome in a tracksuit. *Hurriedly inserts smiley* :-)

Foxy - may I use you as an example? We have 4487 posts from you. By your logic you are suggesting that none of them give any clue as to who you are i.e. you, your character, the real fox, the man behind the fur? If you're completely different in meat space then its been a long and slightly bizzare act. If it's a fair reflection...then well it is perhaps reasonable to assume that you're the kind of chap who welcomes free olives?

As I type this, a man behind me on a quiet 40 in is clipping his nails.

Answer: New Labour circa 1999

Two more points: 1. Where is the corporate governance for a private enterprise that serves the public interest? No truly independent non-exec directors....just two shareholders who happen to also be family. It needs a balance and check mechanism beyond current BMA guidelines. 2. Massive conflict of interests exist with the privately run model - shareholders want to make as much profit as possible for personal gain. To do so they have to cut down operational expenditure to a bare minimum - delivering a woeful public service as a result. Their interests and commercial objectives do not align with those of their 10,000 patients all if whom rely on their service for their basic wellbeing. This is really basic stuff. Who ever allowed this to happen in the first place?

I've just checked the accounts for DMC Healthcare at Companies House. They are turning over about ?6M, have ?2m cash/assets in the bank and had net profits of ?469K last FY and ?838k the year before. That means they are trading at between 7% to 14% EBITDA which isn't too obscene. However, it's run by just two directors (the Guptas) and they would have paid lower tax on the ?600k dividends drawn last FY when compared with a PAYE income (as per normal salary) so they probably netted ?220 to ?230k each after tax depending on several other variables. Gross that back up and the equivalent PAYE salary is about ?430k per year. That's a salary many FTSE 250 execs would be happy about. You then have to take a view on whether that drawing is morally or socially appropriate for what is an essential basic public service impacting the wellbeing of over 10,000 men, women and children locally who need it. Next - think what cutting ?100k off those annual divvies or investing ?100k from their reserves could pay for operationally: - Another 4-5 operational or clerical staff to answer the phone and manage daily workloads, medical records and patient admin. - Another full time GP to handle the high workload. - improved IT systems / phone systems for handling triage and optimising appointments. If they offered an acceptable service you could almost forgive the profits and drawings but as they clearly do not it is reprehensible and socially, morally and ethically unacceptable. The funding system needs to be linked to reasonable patient satisfaction metrics- that would encourage improvements all round and prevent these guys thieving from the tax payer/NHS to pay for the ?2-3M+ house in Dulwich village. The current system is broken and lets this happen. There is enough on here and out there in the ether to keep the producers of Panorama happy - who's going to get in touch?

I played that at Lucky 7's after my first two bombed and the Gowlett went berserk and Johnny landlord sucked his cheeks in, nudged his man breast out and then pushed an invisible hoover around the pizza eating massive.

Time boxing to 3 hrs is about right but depends on scope of work - just write a list of what you need done and get them to quote. 3 hrs is enough to do kitchen + bathrooms in a 4 bed plus hoover and tidy other rooms. Sometimes if i'm really lucky I get a shirt ironed too. They are Brazilian and lovely people and in summer they seem to wear little shorts and t-shirts and I'm embarrassed to say it's sometimes distracting to the point that Im forced to leave the house.

It also has a big corporate doughnut running all the way round full of Accenture/Banking/Unilever types. That probably acts as a nice atmosphere buffer for the upper tiers.

Question - can anyone confirm the subsidy model (even roughly) for a privately run surgery like DMC? I'm keen to understand whether they're on borderline margins /break even and struggling with service because of the funding model....or whether the owners are driving around in a Bentley whilst skimming the operating costs right back.

It's not been any good since Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox hosted

I enjoyed it all the same LadyG. I'd forgotten how seriously some fans take things....one overheated guy near me was bouncing up and down in his seat saying he was going to sue the club and "bring his boots for a game next time". The Monaco ultras were quite impressive too.... The Emirates though - amazing ground, amazing pitch but can't help feeling it lacks some atmosphere compared to the old Highbury which I went to once as a kid. It has a sort of NFL American corporate feel about it?

so is tonight's game quite important?

I helped him out with something meat space related once. Nice guy and I'm sure he'll be back after the RPC flounce. You do all realise he's reading this every 5 mins?

Arf! Brilliant. I've been to the Emirates before for an international and it's hardly slumming it. Looking fwd to the wine list....

Nice one LadyG. Good to know. Not in a box - just invited by a kind season ticket holder. How much are the tickets...?10? :-)

All incredibly helpful suggestions above for the OP I'm sure... That said...Alice has it so far.

I've been invited to Arsenal tonight. I know nothing outside of my national team and DHFC. Please can you give me some IT Crowd style gems to lob into conversation (other than "The thing about Arsenal is they always walk it in") All contributions gratefully received.

So that's every restaurant in the area given a mention. Keeping true to this style of thread someone's soon going to ask...so where did you end up? And what's the usual answer?? (come on you know it)

It's not just DMC though is it? MGMP was just as bad. These are essential public services we're talking about. The stark reality is that if you need to see a GP urgently the new choice is: - Pay ?65 for a private GP appt - Go to A&E Waiting 2 to 3 weeks is not an option. When will politicians and councillors wake up to the impact that the erosion of GP services is having on A&E departments?