Tuesday 6th January 2015

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 1:19 pm

Here in Cameron's Welsh Death Trap NHS™ our local health board Hywel Dda figure is 87.2.
Cyan Taf is 89.5.

Nice to see there is a health board named after Aneurin Bevan at Carleon.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 1:34 pm

Just spent two hours in my local hospital having a pressure wound on my heel assessed & redressed in the diabetic foot clinic. What would normally be a 40 minute round trip.
Strange thing is that I was the only patient in clinic, the staff of consultant, junior doctor, two podiatrists, diabetic specialist nurse, a staff nurse and a care assistant, me and mum all squeezed into a 10 ft sq room whilst they talk amongst themselves.
Anyhow - they were brilliant once they got going, but the diabetic nurse who i got chatting with told me they had cancelled a few other patients appointments in the last week as they have been on ''black alert'' (twice) which is apparently worse state than red alert. Mum, who was nursing for 40 years herself had never heard of it .
The staff linked to that particular clinic have at short notice been called to work on wards due to shortages. Two wards have been closed for the time being and patients transferred to Nottingham.
Oh, and the reason the waiting room looked so sparse is that all the armchairs in the waiting area had been taken away by management and used in A&E because the wait there is so awful there they have now utilized a nearby room as an overflow wait. For emergencies.
On the way out, after eventually being seen - we spotted the BBC East Midlands Today mobile van thing with the satellite on the roof, I was hoping to bump into a reporter to tell the world what a Hunt the health secretary is.
Alas, none to be found. Then the taxi who was supposed to be bringing me home called to say he'd had a breakdown. (not the only one mate)

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 1:42 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-30696437" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hospital in Peterborough now reporting a ''major incident'' still hunt will have an easy ride of it.

Tizme1 · Post by **Tizme1** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 1:49 pm

PorFavor wrote:
pk1 wrote:Playing with the widget to find out %age of patients seen in 4 hours.

My local A & E figures are appalling !

Worthing Hospital
Data for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

82.5%
Patients seen in 4 hours
(my bold)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25055444" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
71.8% here!

Somewhat better here [though not good] - 85.2%

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:08 pm

PorFavor wrote:
pk1 wrote:Playing with the widget to find out %age of patients seen in 4 hours.

My local A & E figures are appalling !

Worthing Hospital
Data for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

82.5%
Patients seen in 4 hours
(my bold)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25055444" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
71.8% here!

81.9% in the brand new Royal London. Labour's open door immigration at fault.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:09 pm

yahyah wrote:Here in Cameron's Welsh Death Trap NHS™ our local health board Hywel Dda figure is 87.2.
Cyan Taf is 89.5.

Nice to see there is a health board named after Aneurin Bevan at Carleon.

What are the overall figures for Wales?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:15 pm

Murphy being a bit cack handed here, could have been phrased a bit more delicately, but Lammy, FFS, he should go around from now on in with a ''vote for me for London Mayor'' emblazoned on his forehead.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics ... 60506.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:16 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-30696437

Hospital in Peterborough now reporting a ''major incident'' still hunt will have an easy ride of it.

Here's a link to the story

Peterborough City Hospital declares ‘major incident’ as sickness levels soar (Peterborough Telegraph)

you mention. Thanks for the tip-off.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... -1-6504913

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:19 pm

The 5 within my area range from 76% to 84% - East Midlands.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:35 pm

More on the health crisis -

More hospitals declare critical incidents as demand surges
More hospitals are cancelling planned operations or asking patients to stay away from A&E except in extreme emergencies (Guardian)

I'm surprised that David Cameron hasn't tried to claim credit for the "best hospital crisis" since records began.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... -incidents

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:38 pm

BBC News24 are now spouting the "waiting times have fallen to their worst levels ever" rubbish.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:46 pm

Is it this Friday that we're supposed to be getting the NHS figures that were withheld over Christmas ?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 2:52 pm

Have just been unable to find the non Beta comments ... the coding page doesn't look the same and the search brings up nothing when I paste the text in it .....

Any thoughts techies? I should add that I have been successfully accessing the non Beta comments for the past few days using the FTN instructions.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:06 pm

Kate Green ‏@KateGreenSU 1h1 hour ago
Meeting disabled people today about Govt closing #ILF - Labour will ensure councils protect disabled people affected http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/ ... green.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:08 pm

BBC News24 have just reported that a 7th hospital (Bolton, I think they said) has joined the stricken.

Post by **refitman** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:08 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Have just been unable to find the non Beta comments ... the coding page doesn't look the same and the search brings up nothing when I paste the text in it .....

Any thoughts techies? I should add that I have been successfully accessing the non Beta comments for the past few days using the FTN instructions.

Here's the link: http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/44j93" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:11 pm

@RR2

Guidance to help,not good enough IMHO.This is fundamental,unless guaranteed harm will be done.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:15 pm

Tim Montgomerie ن @montie · 16h 16 hours ago
Ridiculous from Gove on #newsnight. Does anyone believe that Tory HQ isn't planning for the possibility of a hung parliament?

Tim Montgomerie ن @montie · 16h 16 hours ago
I'm told Gove will be used on #newsnight, #r4today and #wato but not "FVM" (Floating Voter Media)

Aaaah - I've been wondering when Gove was going to start his television PR role in earnest ... now we know.

His Newsnight appearance to talk about Tory stuff for quite a long time - with no representatives of any other political party - raised quite a few eyebrows on Twitter. Do Newsnight intend to balance this up with other solo interviews with reps of the other parties across this week ... or don't they care about trivia such as balance now?

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:18 pm

PorFavor wrote:BBC News24 have just reported that a 7th hospital (Bolton, I think they said) has joined the stricken.

Can it be long before Dave puts on his "serious" face & chairs a meeting of COBRA?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:18 pm

HindleA wrote:@RR2

Guidance to help,not good enough IMHO.This is fundamental,unless guaranteed harm will be done.

It's also worth saying, as with the argument for LAs overseeing schools, that some of them don't care two hoots.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:24 pm

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 33: LONDON SOUTH EAST
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter

Bermondsey & Old Southwark
Sitting MP: Simon Hughes (LibDem)
Prediction: LibDem hold
I had thought this would be a dead cert hold for Simon Hughes but increasingly I am wondering if I am right. Labour seem very confident they can take this. However, if you look at the electoral hurdles Labour would have to overcome to win this, I think they’re going to have a tough task. They might also be hindered by a number of coalition-friendly Tories lending Simon Hughes their votes. Or they might not

Nooooo. Noooooo again. That's not what we want to hear. Booo to any coalition friendly Tories in Southwark.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:26 pm

HindleA wrote:@RR2

Guidance to help,not good enough IMHO.This is fundamental,unless guaranteed harm will be done.

I agree. Since when has 'guidance' guaranteed anything?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:27 pm

danesclose wrote:
PorFavor wrote:BBC News24 have just reported that a 7th hospital (Bolton, I think they said) has joined the stricken.
Can it be long before Dave puts on his "serious" face & chairs a meeting of COBRA?

Ah - you mean Cameron's Obvious Bullshit Reaction Apparatus?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:27 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 33: LONDON SOUTH EAST
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter

Bermondsey & Old Southwark
Sitting MP: Simon Hughes (LibDem)
Prediction: LibDem hold
I had thought this would be a dead cert hold for Simon Hughes but increasingly I am wondering if I am right. Labour seem very confident they can take this. However, if you look at the electoral hurdles Labour would have to overcome to win this, I think they’re going to have a tough task. They might also be hindered by a number of coalition-friendly Tories lending Simon Hughes their votes. Or they might not
Nooooo. Noooooo again. That's not what we want to hear. Booo to any coalition friendly Tories in Southwark.

Reckon he's being very cautious there, taking into account Hughes's majority, majorities when it comes to Lib Dems don't mean anything, or it could be I am just trying to reassure myself?

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:33 pm

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but DPAC are out again today, protesting, can't copy the links. But save the ILF is trending high, please if you stand in solidarity with disabled people, who have been the biggest losers in the cuts, please help try and get this to the top. They are out there, wheelchairs and all, right now.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:40 pm

I have a choice of 3 A&Es, that I can go to.

Wexham Park in Buckinghamshire, which has an awful reputation and we always refuse is at 95.1% Hell of a distance too.

Frimley Park which is not too far over the border in Surrey is at 95.1%

The Royal Berkshire in Reading which is not too far, the biggest and where I choose to go, is at 89.5%

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:47 pm

Great Western Hospital forced to erect TENT in car park after influx of patients

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gr ... ar_twitter

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 3:50 pm

: 10906068_10204627487678495_7513663313099906642_n.jpg (48.18 KiB) Viewed 13356 times

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:02 pm

@Lonewolfie. Others have said it so well. Realise you don't want to talk about it, but the support of this community (and it IS a community) is there if you need it; been a great help to me more than once.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:10 pm

Shapps alert.on LBC re.bedoom tax

http://www.lbc.co.uk/grant-shapps-attac ... tax-102832" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not surprising but still worrying a Minister talking rubbish about his Government's policy.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:11 pm

Lib dems still to select half their candidates for GE, really, I wouldn't bother if I was them, think of all those lost deposits..

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:18 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Lib dems still to select half their candidates for GE, really, I wouldn't bother if I was them, think of all those lost deposits..

Yes, but we could do with the money. I'm sure they'll feel good just knowing that they've made a contribution.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:20 pm

PorFavor wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Lib dems still to select half their candidates for GE, really, I wouldn't bother if I was them, think of all those lost deposits..
Yes, but we could do with the money. I'm sure they'll feel good just knowing that they've made a contribution.

There is that, you are of course, correct. Lib Dems, bringing the deficit down.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:21 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:

Reckon he's being very cautious there, taking into account Hughes's majority, majorities when it comes to Lib Dems don't mean anything, or it could be I am just trying to reassure myself?

The Labour Council aren't exactly inspiring. They got the Elephant gentrification dumped on them, but they could surely have improved it more.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:33 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:

Reckon he's being very cautious there, taking into account Hughes's majority, majorities when it comes to Lib Dems don't mean anything, or it could be I am just trying to reassure myself?
The Labour Council aren't exactly inspiring. They got the Elephant gentrification dumped on them, but they could surely have improved it more.

Thank you so much for reminding me of Elephant of Aquitaine . . . .

(Does anyone else have any fond recollections of that one?)

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:33 pm

seeingclearly wrote:Not sure if it's been mentioned, but DPAC are out again today, protesting, can't copy the links. But save the ILF is trending high, please if you stand in solidarity with disabled people, who have been the biggest losers in the cuts, please help try and get this to the top. They are out there, wheelchairs and all, right now.

Despite being warned about filming in Westminster,with the agreement of the politicians it was.

http://bambuser.com/v/5198647?v=m" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:36 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:

Reckon he's being very cautious there, taking into account Hughes's majority, majorities when it comes to Lib Dems don't mean anything, or it could be I am just trying to reassure myself?
The Labour Council aren't exactly inspiring. They got the Elephant gentrification dumped on them, but they could surely have improved it more.

I'm not a massive fan of the Elephant project, but something needed doing and I don't know anybody personally who will remember the Heygate with any affection; and, as you say, they were presented with a fait accompli, so what exactly do you think they could have done?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:39 pm

I haven't seen, or heard from, Norman Smith for quite a long time now . . .

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:49 pm

Re Norman Smith -

I take it back. I've just seen an interview which he did earlier with Jeremy Hunt - who was soundlessly opening and closing his mouth while he was being questioned. It put me in mind of the way a cat (sorry all cats) acts when scratching itself. Most peculiar sight.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:49 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:

Reckon he's being very cautious there, taking into account Hughes's majority, majorities when it comes to Lib Dems don't mean anything, or it could be I am just trying to reassure myself?
The Labour Council aren't exactly inspiring. They got the Elephant gentrification dumped on them, but they could surely have improved it more.
I'm not a massive fan of the Elephant project, but something needed doing and I don't know anybody personally who will remember the Heygate with any affection; and, as you say, they were presented with a fait accompli, so what exactly do you think they could have done?

I don't know. Lots had already happened, but there were some big contracts unsigned. I don't know if they got anything extra in a general s.106 type way. They didn't give the impression of being too sorry.

Inner London estates, like where I live, have been much improved. That's an achievement of the last government that isn't recognised, though some silly politics of forced transfers to housing associations got in the way. I don't know if there was something prohibitive with the Heygate because of its design, but I don't see why it couldn't have been done up like the rest, with some private flats on bits of spare land etc.

I think saving the Coronet at least for a few years would be a useful thing to do.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:50 pm

Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 3h3 hours ago
Any chance those people criticising Mark Pritchard's understandable rape anonymity call could criticise the woman who falsely accused him.

Have the police said she made a false accusation ?
Can't see that they have, just that there was "insufficient evidence".

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:55 pm

yahyah wrote:Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 3h3 hours ago
Any chance those people criticising Mark Pritchard's understandable rape anonymity call could criticise the woman who falsely accused him.

Have the police said she made a false accusation ?
Can't see that they have, just that there was "insufficient evidence".

No a false accusation would be a criminal offence.

I would suggest this is a case of insufficient evidence.

Hodges needs to wind his neck in.

This in my view is an excellent example of why anonymity for the accuser is a bloody good idea. These Tory men can fuck off.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:56 pm

So sad, this dog abandoned outside Ayr train station with a suitcase containing his pillow, food and bowl & toy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/do ... 60333.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:56 pm

Something to play around with.

http://may2015.com/category/seat-calculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:57 pm

yahyah wrote:Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 3h3 hours ago
Any chance those people criticising Mark Pritchard's understandable rape anonymity call could criticise the woman who falsely accused him.

Have the police said she made a false accusation ?
Can't see that they have, just that there was "insufficient evidence".

Indeed.

Supporting the current law presumably makes me a false rape apologist?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 4:58 pm

yahyah wrote:So sad, this dog abandoned outside Ayr train station with a suitcase containing his pillow, food and bowl & toy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/do ... 60333.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd sooner vote Tory than abandon my dogs.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 5:01 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
yahyah wrote:So sad, this dog abandoned outside Ayr train station with a suitcase containing his pillow, food and bowl & toy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/do ... 60333.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd sooner vote Tory than abandon my dogs.

I saw a tweet about that. I assumed it was some joke about Paddington Bear (perhaps disguised as a dog or something).

Very sad.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 5:11 pm

Ignoring the nonsense about a ConLab coalition, today sees something unusual over at LDV:

* Sally Pearson is a pseudonym. The author is a member of the Liberal Democrats known to the LDV team.

http://www.libdemvoice.org/44080-44080.html

Too scared to put one's name to it ??

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 5:12 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote: The Labour Council aren't exactly inspiring. They got the Elephant gentrification dumped on them, but they could surely have improved it more.
I'm not a massive fan of the Elephant project, but something needed doing and I don't know anybody personally who will remember the Heygate with any affection; and, as you say, they were presented with a fait accompli, so what exactly do you think they could have done?
I don't know. Lots had already happened, but there were some big contracts unsigned. I don't know if they got anything extra in a general s.106 type way. They didn't give the impression of being too sorry.

Inner London estates, like where I live, have been much improved. That's an achievement of the last government that isn't recognised, though some silly politics of forced transfers to housing associations got in the way. I don't know if there was something prohibitive with the Heygate because of its design, but I don't see why it couldn't have been done up like the rest, with some private flats on bits of spare land etc.

I think saving the Coronet at least for a few years would be a useful thing to do.

With you on the Coronet; the outside of the building is a monstrosity, but internally it is rather wonderful and, of course, has a lot of history behind it - I mean, of course, the Chaplin connections and it's status as one of the earliest permanent cinemas in London, not the fact that I went to see The Jungle Book there in 1967.

But the Heygate has to go, the design of the estate was always poor and it was allowed to deteriorate to an irretrievably bad condition; same applies to the shopping centre which was, again, flawed from day one (and that period of painting it pink was no help either) - as kids we rarely went there, despite living at the Elephant, usually going down the Walworth Road.

Just my opinion, of course. If I had the money I'd move back to the Elephant, Camberwell or Southwark, in a heartbeat (some lovely places there, especially some of the Peabody flats); but I'd still steer clear of that central area at the moment.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 06 Jan, 2015 5:14 pm

: ILF Lobby.jpg (50 KiB) Viewed 13243 times

Jeremy Corbyn MP ‏@jeremycorbyn 1h1 hour ago
At excellent Independent Living Fund lobby. It must be brought back to give real respect and dignity!