heartblock

I've worked in the NHS for over 30 years. I've worked in 5 different Trusts and spent some years in the private sector, much of my time in the last 2 years has been on the question of 7 day working and I was part of a DOH 7 day working group advising in how to deliver weekend diagnostics. I'm am acutely aware of the actuality and to have 7 day diagnostics will be very, very expensive. Senior consultants/ doctors do not carry out or perform elective diagnostic tests in the NHS or the private sector, despite what everyone sees on 'House'. Respiratory physiologists, cardiac physiologists,neurophysiologists, vascular scientists, audiology physiologists, MLSOs, sonographers etc carry out diagnostic tests using specialist equipment and report on them. The report is then uploaded to the patients medical records for the doctor view. For example the team I used to manage recently were cardiac physiologists and echocardiographers - The ultrasound for heart failure is an echocardiogram - carried out by a BSE registered sonographer/echocardigrapher- not by a junior doctor. Just having more doctors at the weekend will not mean an increase in diagnostic services, to have diagnostics more healthcare scientists would have to work 7 days and this has so far not been funded by the DOH.

I was asked to formulate a plan to provide a 7 day NHS service with the same amount of staff and at the same cost by the senior management in a large south London trust due to pressure from the DOH. Of course this ask was completely ridiculous in that if staff work a 37.5 hr week - they will either have to work overtime that needs to be paid or not work on one of the week days - which would mean closing a diagnostic room down on a weekday and cancelling a list of patients on a weekday. Also patients prefer to be seen electively on a weekday - I've asked patients and the vast majority want urgent care over the weekend, but really do not want to come in for routine care at the weekend. Intellectually I cannot understand J. Hunt's reasoning. If he wants elective cover across 7 days then he needs to fund more doctors, nurses, porters, laboratory staff, radiographers, clinical scientists, physios etc. Doctors do not work in isolation they are just one part of the team - a 7 day elective non-emergency service would be very expensive and I'm not sure it's necessary. The weekend death rates the J H is using for his argument is flawed - patients who attend and are admitted to a hospital at the weekend do so due to an urgent medical need - obviously suffering from an issue that is life threatening or serious in nature - therefore the patient is at a higher risk of death due to the nature of their illness.

an unbiased report on burglary in London using ED and the Village as examples would be fine, I don't have an issue with that, but starting a post using the term 'hot spot' sounds more Daily Mail than an investigative report. Click bait I think.

Hi Gudi, as a reporter you probably know that the report highlighted that SE21 was an area with high claims on insurance policies for burglary and SE22 had an active forum where residents informed each other of burglaries. You do understand that this does not equate to a 'hot spot'.

The council 'investigated' complaints about the noise and vibration to properties caused by this particular ramp. The only conclusion was that traffic was still speeding down EDG, but the ramp was to stay.

If another double decker bus is going down EDG please remove the road ramps or make the on and off ramp incline less steep on this road, it's uncomfortable for passengers and noisy for residents. Otherwise a good addition to public transport.

My partner is a tall, beardy 50 ish man. His mate is a slightly shorter, wider 50 ish man, who likes to wear a woolly hat. Both avoid walking near schools or walking in a park on their own where there might be young children as they have had the 'looks' from Mothers. We are going to have a whole generation that thinks every man in his 50's doing any activity on his own is a danger. Sadly when one of my colleagues an anaesthetist went to help a child that had fallen while running in Dulwich Park, he got the 'look' from the Mum, until his dog came up to join him. So if you are a man walking in the park, sitting in a cafe, walking past a school - make sure you have a dog with you.... Then you will not be a danger!

3k. Have it fitted professionally, but paint it yourself to save....... Another 1k! I think we used London Doors or something like that - 10 year guarantee if you agree to paint it within a week if I'm recalling the contract details accurately.

Read The Guardian article. Southwark selling the car park to Mayfair based property developers rather than an artist studio and the current organisers of art events bid. I'm glad that I'm planning to leave London, which is busy 'eating itself'.

Michael Mitchell supported my complaint. The recommendation from the Council officer was "If you are concerned about damage to your property, you are encouraged to consider an insurance claim" from Southwark Council. The Council officer also said "The road surface in this location will continue to be regularly inspected as part of our cyclic maintenance regime and should any failing of the road surface that meets our intervention criteria be found, reactive repairs will be undertaken regularly", I find it hard to believe that regular inspections take place as the drain was repaired only because Michael and I asked for an investigation, the road cannot have been inspected for over a year.

Conclusion of investigation. 1. HGVs are travelling above the speed limit down EDG despite the ramps 2. The ramps are the correct specification 3. "the Council considers traffic noise is excluded from Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This means that the Council has no direct responsibility in relation to either the investigation or mitigation of noise from traffic. The act treats noise and vibration as the same" So any new works carried out by the council that cause an increase in noise pollution and vibrations in a private residential property are not considered to be the responsibility of the Council to either investigate or resolve. Any thoughts?

Sorry 539491, not sure where I found those last three digits! I e-mailed Councillor Michael Mitchell and Helen Hayes and the two managers responded to me.

Ref: 539360 Bentley Amankwah Delivery and Coordination Manager Public realm projects [email protected] 0207 525 2180 Qassim Kazaz Group manager - transport Public realm projects 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX [email protected]

Apologies for bringing this subject up again, but just so people are aware there is a registered complaint about the noise and vibration from these road ramps. So if you live on EDG and have been detrimentally effected by these in terms of your property or your health, please make your opinion known with Southwark Council.

Thank you Andrew1011 and jonnywalker. I e-mailed Michael and he responded quickly and he has asked for a resolution to this unfinished ramp/pedestrian crossing. Either it needs to be completed with a proper crossing or removed - As long as the noise and vibration stops I don't really care which one. Does anyone know if EDG comes under Highways England, formerly Highways Agency? From April 2015 compensation can be claimed by residents who own and occupy a property that is devalued due to new road changes causing noise pollution and vibration. If the ramp is dealt with, I will not need to consider this, it's not really an 'option' anyway as the problem will still exist. Maybe the ramp can be transported to Athenlay Road?

Thank you rch, I will e-mail Michael. Ideally, completing the pedestrian crossing with an island/ bollards would help, I'm not sure though, I think the island would be hit by a speeding vehicle within a week. Some sort off-set by building the pavement out on the approach both East and West, planting some more small trees on the approach either side of the bend and a proper cycle lane is probably the best design. Drivers tend to slow if they see trees, off-sets/chicanes slow traffic before reaching the bend. Cycle lanes would narrow the road making traffic along the straights slower.

Thank you all for the extra information. I e-mailed James Barber and Helen Hayes. Both have replied, James with a message that was sympathetic but no actual action. Helen has forwarded my e-mail to a Deborah Collins to ask her to investigate. I read up on traffic calming measures- residential routes with buses and HGV traffic are not suitable for these raised ramps, because they cause vibration and noise - so if you live near one of these on EDG please write or e-mail Helen/ James. The drain is another problem with this particular ramp and needs repair. I can see why a pedestrian crossing didn't go there in the end - vehicles still race around the corner despite the stupid ramp and anyone halfway across is in danger of being squished. As someone who often walks this route to Dulwich Park, a suitable place for a crossing might be on the straight just where the island is, a bit up from Velde Way, but without a raised ramp, not keen to push my problem further down the road. The sight line is better for drivers, so they can react to pedestrians crossing the road. I know there is a thread about Melbourne Grove, I don't understand why the Council is thinking of making changes on this relatively quiet and not so busy road before solving the problems on EDG. It's a bit like trying to clean all the polluted streams coming off a main river, while pouring sewage into the river, seems a bit crazy to me.

Hi Jah, yes I think if the ramp near me actually slowed the traffic it would marginally make-up for the noise pollution and vibrations, but the traffic is heavier and faster on EDG than twenty five years ago and ramps shouldn't be used on bus routes or roads with frequent HGV traffic. Most traffic on EDG travels above the speed limit despite the useless ramps, except in rush hour and Saturday morning when there is practically a row of standing traffic heading towards the Village end. This must be miserable for the drivers and has to be adding a lot of roadside pollution to pedestrians and residents. EDG could be made a far better environment for all, if Conway and Southwark planners put a bit more thought into how to change traffic flow through East Dulwich. All the recent roadworks must have cost a fortune, but traffic flow and traffic noise is worse than ever. I'm a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist and car driver and none of the road changes over the last 2 to 3 years have improved my experience as a road user and resident. That's the end of my Ramp Rant! 😡

Somebody posted a leaflet through my door about the noise and vibration caused by the ramp on EDG. I live on this road and it is something I have noticed this year. Once walking past I thought that a cannon had been shot, but it was just a truck with a load of broken paving hitting the road on the off-side of the ramp. My flat is just a few metres away and the walls move when something heavy goes across the bump. So whoever put the leaflet through my door - Thank You for doing something and I will write to the Council and the MP as you suggest. I will also try and record the sound on my phone... it really is quite unbelievably loud! Has anyone else been suffering? I don't think they even slow the traffic either.