Wear something red on Fridays...

[colville09]

I?m getting fed up with politicians playing football with the NHS for their own agendas. I suspect they are more than earning their wedge from private companies poised to get into a lucrative market. Be they mad or bad, I feel its time to show my feelings. The question is how? I could march and yell but I wanted a tiny idea with imagination.I had this idea, on Fridays, I?ll wear something red and what if it went viral and the politicians could see the entire population taking this flash action together. Lets not be invisible any more ? get out that red scarf and strut your stuff.

[woodrot]

yes

[Chippy Minton]

I suspect they are more than earning their wedge from private companies poised to get into a lucrative market

Your suspicions are true http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.com/2012/02/nhs-privatisation-compilation-of.html

[woodrot]

the only red I will wear will be the blood of our political masters on my hands

[Jah Lush]

I can't wear anything red. It reminds too much of the Arsenal who I hate with a passionate intensity.

[*Bob*]

Tottenham fans could be excused and allowed to wear blue.

Either way, I think it's a brilliant idea and is sure to bring the government to its knees.

[Loz]

Why red? I'm happy to support the NHS, but I'd rather not be mistaken for a rabid lefty, you know. Besides, my sandals are in the wash. Blue is out 'cause I don't want to look like a Tory either.

Wouldn't white be a more 'doctorly' colour? Or maybe scrubs green? Maybe we could all just wear stethoscopes round our necks? Maybe everyone just dress as Dr Harold Shipman?

Whatever, I'm with *Bob*. Two Fridays worth of this and it'll be an immediate election for sure. By the end of April the majority in parliament will be held by the East Grinstead Primary Care Authority.

[maxxi]

Settle for a washed-out cerise?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I have ginger hair - please don't make me wear red.

[Damian H]

Red is the answer. After all, since no-one wears red at any other time it will stand out for sure.

Could I suggest that to make the protest even more compeling and distinctive that as many people as possible should wear spectacles and shoes? If you are a real radical perhaps you could wear red, spectacles and shoes and take a journey on a bus? That will be an unmistakeable gesture.

[JohnL]

I'll wear my Welsh Rugby jersey then ;)

colville09 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I?m getting fed up with politicians playing

> football with the NHS for their own agendas. I

> suspect they are more than earning their wedge

> from private companies poised to get into a

> lucrative market. Be they mad or bad, I feel its

> time to show my feelings. The question is how? I

> could march and yell but I wanted a tiny idea with

> imagination.I had this idea, on Fridays, I?ll wear

> something red and what if it went viral and the

> politicians could see the entire population taking

> this flash action together. Lets not be invisible

> any more ? get out that red scarf and strut your

> stuff.

[Marmora Man]

Chippy Minton Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I suspect they are more than earning their wedge

> from private companies poised to get into a

> lucrative market

>

> Your suspicions are true

> http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.com/2012/02/n

> hs-privatisation-compilation-of.html

The blog which is highlighted is not exactly damning. A number of senior politician (House of Lords & House of Commons)have investments and interests in companies that are involved in healthcare. The majority appear to be either consultancies or pharmaceuticals. If the conspiracy theorists paused for a moment in their mad desire to find perverted motivation behind every coalition policy they might recognise that these various consultancies and pharma companies are already deriving an income, and almost certainly a good income, from the current healthcare arrangements in UK.

The sainted NHS is already spending well over ?1bn a year on consultancy, interim management and other advisors - I doubt this figure will change significantly up or down following the passing of the new Healthcare Bill.

As I have written elsewhere - I know from personal experience that the NHS is a massive bureaucratic and sclerotic, inefficient organisation that is barely fir for purpose today - let alone for the future and inevitable increased demand. If you strip out much of the rhetoric the essence of the reforms are just three:

a. Get rid of a layer of management - a good thing.

b. Replace manager led Primary Care Trusts with clinically led Care Commissioning Groups - a good thing

c. Make it easier for non state run organisations to provide care - free at the point of delivery - at NHS tariff rates. Another good thing as it will encourage change and competition (NOT for clarity commercial competition necessarily but competition to do better and provide the best, competition to innovate).

Innovation is desperately needed in the NHS, identifying how to achieve more with less. How to provide the care in the most appropriate and least costly setting.

The current NHS management structures are biased toward maintaining large white elephant hospitals, hospitals which are beloved of the public who would, ideally, have one on every street corner. However, they are not the best place to provide much of the care that our ageing population needs - but while most clinicians in hospitals can see the changes that are required the self perpetuating managerial class that run the PCTs and Hospital Trusts have been incredibly slow to initiate change.

Again from personal experience of working in a Healthcare Charity I have seen a contract for care removed from the charity and passed to the local Trust because - and I quote "If we didn't support the Trust it would have to lay off staff and might become bankrupt". Yet the charity was providing care with no elective waiting time whatsoever, had no MRSA or other hospital acquired infections, a lower return to theatre, a lower revision rate and higher quality KPIs in every area.

BY all means indulge yourself in a Red Friday - but it might just be a better move to truly understand the need for change and to put forward sensible alternatives rather than cry wolf and demand no change to the status quo every time someone attempts to reform the NHS. I can't think of any other organisation or system that was designed in the 1940's that has not changed dramatically - yet people persist in wanting to preserve the NHS in aspic.

[Huguenot]

I thought you were being kinder about the list than it deserved Marmora Man.

When it starts listing crimes such as 'once worked in a company that had a contract' with Accenture, KPMG or PWC it becomes fecking ridiculous.

It's not possible to work in a company with over 100 people in that doesn't have dealings with big accountancy firms at some point.

And how on earth could any of these roles possibly be 'evidence' of corruption??

Chippy do you honestly honestly believe what you write? Or is this all in reality playing out to some bizarre Trotsky theatre in your head that should have been left behind at the Student Union?

It's pathetic.

[steveo]

What MM said

[Chippy Minton]

it might just be a better move to truly understand the need for change and to put forward sensible alternatives

I agree completely. It's a shame Cameron didn't agree earlier this week when he failed to ask the groups opposing the Bill to Downing Street.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there isn't a single Royal College that has actually given unconditional support for the Bill - many have called for the whole thing to be scrapped outright and even those that are less critical are either hostile or still have concerns.

With most of the general public not trusting the government's handingly of the NHS, do you really think the best way to reform is to not consult the professionals that work in the organisation and that will be responsible for implementing the changes?

[Huguenot]

Or perhaps what you're really recommending is to start a process of 'consultation' with a group of organisations who you've already explained are only interested in maximising the remuneration, idle time, holidays and perks of its members?

Certainly there's no evidence yet that any of those organisations is actually aiming for a healthcare system ready to meet the needs of the 21st century.

The first obvious point of conflict of these outfits is that they're dedicated to NOT cutting staff, NOT shrinking the NHS and NOT introducing competition.

As with most unionised activity a consultation could last forever, which would be even better.

[steveo]

Yes, Sir Humphrey always liked a 'consultation.'

[Chippy Minton]

Steveo - the government still refuses to publish the risk register; the Drop the Bill e-petition on the government's official site is now the most signed ever; Clegg and the Lib Dems are still refusing to back it; backbench Tories are calling for patients to be sent statements detailing how much they cost the NHS in order to prepare them for having to pay for it; and Lansley's own cabinet colleagues say "he should be shot" for his handling of the Bill.

It's crazy for Cameron to refuse to even discuss the issues with the patient groups, health charities and professionals in the NHS.

[????]

..'discussion' = the ususal culprits shouting "YOU WANT TO DEYSTROY THE NHS YOU TORY WANKERS" in their faces, I don't blame them for not bothering entering those 'discussions'.

Not saying Lansley hasn't made a hash of it but.....

[*Bob*]

e-petitions.. you gotta love 'em

This page (on the direct.gov website) is my favourite

[El Pibe]

wonderful, I can't imagine why it was rejected.

Capitol[sic] Punishment is maybe the only option left to stop these evil individuals and hopefully prevent the next evil person to carry out such a horrific crime as I'm sure a few years in jail fails to put the fear of god into them.

[El Pibe]

Thanks *Bob*, this site is a comedy goldmine!!

This one is currently active, only 99899 signatures to go!!

Public Hanging for those who propose public hanging

Responsible department: Ministry of Justice

When God said in the Bible "a noose for a noose" He was right. For too long sick perverts have been getting away with proposing public hanging in the UK.

We say enough.

The proposed punishments for some crimes are so horrific that the proper punishment for proposing this punishment is the death penalty. After all, with all that DNA science we now have, we can always prove all the time who has proposed a punishment for a crime, and then propose punishing them appropriately.

So, Government, will you ConDem us to more Brussels non-justice? Or will you finally publicly hang anyone who proposes public hanging for any crime? We propose this

[*Bob*]

There goes the rest of the morning..

"Banish 'un-deportables' to Falklands - It's British"

"Student Finance are incopetent"

"only use pen on voting forms"

"Ban Psychedelic Trance Music"

[El Pibe]

I think Cockers could probably stand for parliament on an independent ticket with this crucial legislation

Speed-limited vehicles to give way on motorways

Responsible department: Department for Transport

It is a nuisance to other drivers when overtaking vehicles are using sometimes minutes to complete the manoevre because they are travelling at a maximim speed which is only marginally faster than the maximum speed of the vehicle which is being overtaken. Rather than limiting them to certain lanes or banning overtaken at certain times of day, the problem could be solved by requiring vehicles which are speed-limited to ease off and temporarily slow down from their maximum speed to allow overtaking vehicles to complete the manoevre more quickly (say within 15 seconds). It must be obvious to drivers when an overtaking vehicle is creeping past their vehicle and yet they seem to think it makes better sense to keep going at the maximum speed to which they are limited and cause inconvenience to others, rather than sacrificing a few feet of road speed.

[*Bob*]

Remember - it only takes one signature