Wednesday 7th January 2015

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:03 pm

I'm glad I missed this debate by the sounds of it

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rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:05 pm

Helen Goodman ‏@HelenGoodmanMP 21m21 minutes ago
Very disappointing that #DWP minister Mcvey unable to say why good reasons(eg bereavment,illness,childcare) ignored in sanctioning people..

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:06 pm

Emma Lewell-Buck is unfortunate in having a double-barrelled name. Must be a load of UKIP bore types who think she's a Tatler princess.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:07 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:I'm glad I missed this debate by the sounds of it
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And snap to that as well Toby. I would probably have done myself an injury if I'd listened to McVey from what is beginning to come out in tweets.

What a .........

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:11 pm

I don't think "republish in solidarity" is a good idea, but is Mensch going first?

She's got an actual column in a newspaper.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:18 pm

Ms Bagshawe responds

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Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:19 pm

... But keeps on digging

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rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:20 pm

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 36: WALES - GWENT
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter

He's not predicting any changes - but he does say this

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
itting MP: Dai Havard (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Relatively safe seat. Having said that, UKIP did astonishingly well in the Euro elections here. If they repeated that in the General Election and took a lot of votes from Labour, the seat could be vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats. But I’ll believe that when I see it.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:25 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:... But keeps on digging
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Keep digging, Baggers, you're very nearly at the bottom of the barrel.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:27 pm

Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns

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howsillyofme1 · Post by **howsillyofme1** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:27 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:... But keeps on digging
ScreenShot00249.jpg
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Keep digging, Baggers, you're very nearly at the bottom of the barrel.

wow, she is thick isn't she?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:30 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
ScreenShot00217.jpg

Leave Ray Wilkins out of this!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:33 pm

Broken Promises
Lib Dem manifesto 2010…
whatever happened to that?

Published by: labourpress on Oct 05, 2014
Traditional Copyright: All rights reserved

http://www.scribd.com/doc/241951559/Broken-Promises

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:38 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
ScreenShot00217.jpg
Leave Ray Wilkins out of this!

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:39 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
yahyah wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Now you've done it, oiky. I had to google for a picture - and I'm utterly sold on them. Very very pretty.
They do look lovely.
Have plumped for the Venetian sweet pea mix.
SNAP. Double SNAP and a million I told you so's. You are my long lost sister yahyah and I claim my rights to consider you such.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:45 pm

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, following parliamentary debate on the situation in England’s A&E departments, said:

"Ministers keep talking about the big increase in people arriving at A&E but they seem unwilling to explain why it has happened in the last couple of years. This is down to ill-judged decisions that they have taken, like scrapping NHS Direct, closing NHS Walk-in Centres and cutting GP services and social care. Their inability to admit this is one of the main reasons why they are unable to face up to the crisis they’ve created. Jeremy Hunt was dragged to the Commons, but failed to offer a single new proposal to deal with the A&E crisis."

http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1074195 ... -have-seen

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 5:59 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 36: WALES - GWENT
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
He's not predicting any changes - but he does say this

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
itting MP: Dai Havard (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Relatively safe seat. Having said that, UKIP did astonishingly well in the Euro elections here. If they repeated that in the General Election and took a lot of votes from Labour, the seat could be vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats. But I’ll believe that when I see it.

It is a safe Labour seat, not relatively, Labour have selected a youngish leader of Caerphilly council to fight this, Dai Harvard to put it mildly was a lazy bugger who didn't do much to get out there and fight for votes, the Kippers did well in lots of area, in the Euros, it's their Christmases and birthdays rolled into one, low turn out, low interest amongst the electorate.

Merthyr has had oodles of public money spend on it, road infrastructure, the widening of the A465 isn't too far away, around the Brynmawr area, a brand new 6th form college, Prince Charles Hospital is about to have an exterior face lift, inside the wards have already, under the last government, all Labour have to do is to hammer home who pays for all this, it certainly wouldn't be the Kippers, under them there'd be no Objective One Funding from Europe and no WG.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:01 pm

You might recall that Lord Nash was asked a question way back in June about a meeting which took place at the DfE in 2010 where a Birmingham HT warned them about extremism in schools...and then nothing happened until last year.

He promised that the answer would be with Nicky Morgan "later in the summer".

At one Edu Select Committee, Morgan said that she'd widened it:

Q347 Mr Ward: You referred there to the council—who seem somewhat resentful, I feel, about the comments made by the Chief Inspector—and its shortcomings possibly over a period of time. The DfE itself was aware of issues in the school going back some 10 years or so. Is the DfE responsible in any way for allowing this thing to develop over such a long period of time?

Nicky Morgan: As you will be aware, the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Education has conducted a review. It is about 20 years’ worth of paper that he and officials have now looked through, and I am waiting for the report to be published in relation to that.

Earlier today when she was back talking about careers the first question from Graham Stuart was about this:

Schools Week @SchoolsWeek
Follow
.@grahamstuart starts by asking @NickyMorgan01 where the overdue Wormald report is. She says it will be published next week #careers
9:48 AM - 7 Jan 2015

Now, call me paranoid if you want...but what is the betting that the meeting with Lord Hill in 2010 will be brushed over as irrelevant but they'll find plenty of stuff in the period 1997 to 2010?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:02 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 36: WALES - GWENT
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
He's not predicting any changes - but he does say this

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
itting MP: Dai Havard (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Relatively safe seat. Having said that, UKIP did astonishingly well in the Euro elections here. If they repeated that in the General Election and took a lot of votes from Labour, the seat could be vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats. But I’ll believe that when I see it.

It is a safe Labour seat, not relatively, Labour have selected a youngish leader of Caerphilly council to fight this, Dai Harvard to put it mildly was a lazy bugger who didn't do much to get out there and fight for votes, the Kippers did well in lots of area, in the Euros, it's their Christmases and birthdays rolled into one, low turn out, low interest amongst the electorate.

Merthyr has had oodles of public money spend on it, road infrastructure, the widening of the A465 isn't too far away, around the Brynmawr area, a brand new 6th form college, Prince Charles Hospital is about to have an exterior face lift, inside the wards have already, under the last government, all Labour have to do is to hammer home who pays for all this, it certainly wouldn't be the Kippers, under them there'd be no Objective One Funding from Europe and no WG.

I thought you might just have a view and some background on this.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:08 pm

Alex Salmond Wants You To Know He Hasn’t Lost A Bet On Oil Prices With A Sun Columnist
“He can’t count his chickens yet,” the former first minister of Scotland told BuzzFeed News.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/alex- ... -on-oil-pr

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:25 pm

The latest from Craig Murray - the SNP member who was recently rejected as a parliamentary candidate for the party and sparked a bit of social media debate ...

Berwick Upon Tweed

I am considering standing for Berwick upon Tweed on the platform of the constituency joining Scotland. This boundary adjustment would give the people access to free personal care, free prescriptions, no university tuition fees and the many other advantages of Scotland’s more society friendly government. It would give Scotland some thriving new communities and a more favourable future North Sea boundary...

Expecting something from Eric from West Lothian on this.

Didn't somebody wish us a Preposterous New Year - hobiejoe I think. Well looks like it might just turn out to be that.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:31 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:The latest from Craig Murray - the SNP member who was recently rejected as a parliamentary candidate for the party and sparked a bit of social media debate ...

Berwick Upon Tweed

I am considering standing for Berwick upon Tweed on the platform of the constituency joining Scotland. This boundary adjustment would give the people access to free personal care, free prescriptions, no university tuition fees and the many other advantages of Scotland’s more society friendly government. It would give Scotland some thriving new communities and a more favourable future North Sea boundary...
Expecting something from Eric from West Lothian on this.

Didn't somebody wish us a Preposterous New Year - hobiejoe I think. Well looks like it might just turn out to be that.

He's a walking roadshow, look at me, I'm independent.

Welsh local government, that's where he should be.

Post by **refitman** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:44 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
The attachment ScreenShot00217.jpg is no longer available

You need to tint him green, he's clearly the Mekon:

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:47 pm

Are there any reliable figures for cuts to social care in England?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... als-crisis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:52 pm

The pictures from the Paris demonstration are incredible.

Je suis Charlie.

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 6:59 pm

refitman wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
ScreenShot00217.jpg
You need to tint him green, he's clearly the Mekon:

Excuse me! You're talking to a lifelong Dan Dare fan here, and I'm not standing round for you to start comparing the Mekon to tinpot little pissants like this. Show some respect to a perfectly decent would-be Universal Conqueror.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:14 pm

Liam Fox wants to kick half a million Indians and Pakistanis off the electoral register
http://www.markpack.org.uk/113663/liam- ... -register/

Bit more detail on who the Tories would like to disenfranchise ... gerrymander away.

Who would such a change kick off the electoral register?

345,000 Irish
306,000 Indians
180,000 Pakistani
73,000 Australians
52,000 Zimbabweans
Other countries in the top ten are Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada and Bangladesh.
I suspect non-Conservative candidates may be repeatedly reminding their local Commonwealth and Irish voters of the views such Conservatives hold…

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:20 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Liam Fox wants to kick half a million Indians and Pakistanis off the electoral register
http://www.markpack.org.uk/113663/liam- ... -register/
Bit more detail on who the Tories would like to disenfranchise ... gerrymander away.
Who would such a change kick off the electoral register?

345,000 Irish
306,000 Indians
180,000 Pakistani
73,000 Australians
52,000 Zimbabweans
Other countries in the top ten are Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada and Bangladesh.
I suspect non-Conservative candidates may be repeatedly reminding their local Commonwealth and Irish voters of the views such Conservatives hold…

But presumably British ex-pats (who apparently overwhelmingly vote Tory) would still be free to vote?

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:25 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Liam Fox wants to kick half a million Indians and Pakistanis off the electoral register
http://www.markpack.org.uk/113663/liam- ... -register/
Bit more detail on who the Tories would like to disenfranchise ... gerrymander away.
Who would such a change kick off the electoral register?

345,000 Irish
306,000 Indians
180,000 Pakistani
73,000 Australians
52,000 Zimbabweans
Other countries in the top ten are Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada and Bangladesh.
I suspect non-Conservative candidates may be repeatedly reminding their local Commonwealth and Irish voters of the views such Conservatives hold…

That ignorant, arrogant little toerag really should keep his head down, or people might start looking into his background again. *werritywerritywerrity*

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:30 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Are there any reliable figures for cuts to social care in England?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... als-crisis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This article states 3.5 billion over three years.300,000 reduction in numbers over four.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/da ... re-4847571" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:35 pm

refitman wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
The attachment ScreenShot00217.jpg is no longer available
You need to tint him green, he's clearly the Mekon:

I was thinking more of a Lucifer Beelzebub type of character

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Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:36 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Liam Fox wants to kick half a million Indians and Pakistanis off the electoral register
http://www.markpack.org.uk/113663/liam- ... -register/
Bit more detail on who the Tories would like to disenfranchise ... gerrymander away.
Who would such a change kick off the electoral register?

345,000 Irish
306,000 Indians
180,000 Pakistani
73,000 Australians
52,000 Zimbabweans
Other countries in the top ten are Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada and Bangladesh.
I suspect non-Conservative candidates may be repeatedly reminding their local Commonwealth and Irish voters of the views such Conservatives hold…

Rightwing Tories have such a sense of history don't they?

Same mindset that thinks all those Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are here because Andrew Neather was running a multicultural experiment, rather than because we used to have an empire.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:37 pm

Goodnight, everyone.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:38 pm

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 5th January - Con 31%, Lab 34%, LD 7%, UKIP 14%, GRN 8%; APP -24

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/01/06/labour-lead-3/

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:39 pm

The Wormald Report?!

He's the Permanent Secretary at the DfE. That's a government report, which someone's trying to make sound more independent.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:47 pm

HindleA wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Are there any reliable figures for cuts to social care in England?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... als-crisis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This article states 3.5 billion over three years.300,000 reduction in numbers over four.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/da ... re-4847571" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:56 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:
refitman wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Is it just me that thinks Sajid has something of the night about him ? I mean he wouldn't look out of place with a three-pronged fork and sporting a goatee and a pair of horns
ScreenShot00217.jpg
You need to tint him green, he's clearly the Mekon:
I was thinking more of a Lucifer Beelzebub type of character
FotorCreatedpppp.jpg

Old Sajid's Game, kinda thing?

[Edited to add] On reflection, Javid is less Satan, more Scumspawn; natural replacement if ever Robert Duncan should be temporarily unavailable.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:56 pm

John Prescott retweeted
Tim Montgomerie ن @montie · Jan 5
The Help to Buy ad in the middle of #Broadchurch wasn't subtle. Huge backed by H M Government voiceover and then text at end of it.

John Prescott @johnprescott · Jan 5
On the day @George_Osborne launches Tory election campaign, he wastes taxpayers money running TV ads to promote his #HelpToBuy. Remarkable

I missed that. Obviously didn't work on me ...

Editing to add:

David Prescott
‏@DavidPrescott
Why's Government running ads in one of ITV's most expensive commercial breaks (Broadchurch) to promote #HelptoBuy?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 7:59 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:The Wormald Report?!

He's the Permanent Secretary at the DfE. That's a government report, which someone's trying to make sound more independent.

Yes.

It started with this:

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Nash on 9 June (HL Deb, col 167), whether the investigation by the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education into the handling of the Trojan horse allegations in 2010 will be made public; and what is the timeframe for the report.[HL282]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Secretary of State has asked the Permanent Secretary to conduct an internal review into how the Department for Education dealt with warnings in Birmingham since the formation of this Government in 2010, and before. The Permanent Secretary intends to present his findings to the Secretary of State later in the summer.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:07 pm

: Tories United_NHS Football.jpg (64.31 KiB) Viewed 8748 times

Martin Shovel ‏@MartinShovel 7h7 hours ago
My cartoon - David Cameron is appalled at the thought of the #NHS being used as a political football
#wato pic.twitter.com/CIutBmMThS

https://twitter.com/MartinShovel/status ... 49/photo/1

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:11 pm

Ashcroft has a mega poll out today, most of it seems to be rehashes of previous marginal polling though, going through I was reminded of this unpleasant specimen, more commonly known as Chris Skidmore, he should be a character from some devise your own bastard Tory board game. All being well he'll be out on his arse come May. I know this is over two years old, but Christ, why do these people get taken seriously?

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... unpopular/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/constituency-polls/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Correction, they all seem to be rehashed.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:11 pm

Martin Rowson interviewed on Paris murders (introduced by BBC as Martin George Edmund Rowson) from 4:45mins [youtube]4jgaN3RtSE4[/youtube]

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:23 pm

Read and weep - in anger and frustration. What a disgraceful situation to be in. They need to think in a completely different way about rural health / care services. They should have local authority brokers advertising and recruiting for specific individuals in their immediate locality ... and sorting out the relevant training etc for them. Spot purchase - minus the care company intermediary.

The patients who can’t leave hospital – as no one will make a profit
Elderly and disabled becoming ‘bedblockers’, despite wantiing to go home, as private care firms refuse to take on their cases
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... kers-care-

Jenny Abel, the hospital’s lead clinical specialist practitioner for discharge planning, explains that it has proved impossible to arrange help for her, simply because of where she lives – in a village 15 miles from Cambridge. “We just can’t get the care for her,” admits Abel. “The problem is that, although it would be a 15-minute call to see Mrs Lee, it would take 20 minutes to get there from Cambridge and 20 minutes to get back, and that would happen four times a day.

“But because of that, and because there’s no one else in her village receiving a care package, all of the four care providers who provide those packages – private companies – are saying that they don’t have the capacity to do it. They don’t have enough carers, or they don’t have enough care [to provide to others] in that area to make it viable.”

Hence, someone who is keen and fit to leave the NHS bed she is occupying unnecessarily is unlikely to be able to do so any time soon, because no one can make a profit from her doing so. It is a situation the charity Age UK describes as madness, in which there are only losers and no winners. Crucially, it is causing entire hospitals to get clogged up, leaving them unable to admit new patients as quickly as they deem necessary.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:27 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:Martin Rowson interviewed on Paris murders (introduced by BBC as Martin George Edmund Rowson) from 4:45mins [youtube]4jgaN3RtSE4[/youtube]

Rowson, as ever, nailing it!

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:31 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Read and weep - in anger and frustration. What a disgraceful situation to be in. They need to think in a completely different way about rural health / care services. They should have local authority brokers advertising and recruiting for specific individuals in their immediate locality ... and sorting out the relevant training etc for them. Spot purchase - minus the care company intermediary.

The patients who can’t leave hospital – as no one will make a profit
Elderly and disabled becoming ‘bedblockers’, despite wantiing to go home, as private care firms refuse to take on their cases
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... kers-care-

Jenny Abel, the hospital’s lead clinical specialist practitioner for discharge planning, explains that it has proved impossible to arrange help for her, simply because of where she lives – in a village 15 miles from Cambridge. “We just can’t get the care for her,” admits Abel. “The problem is that, although it would be a 15-minute call to see Mrs Lee, it would take 20 minutes to get there from Cambridge and 20 minutes to get back, and that would happen four times a day.

“But because of that, and because there’s no one else in her village receiving a care package, all of the four care providers who provide those packages – private companies – are saying that they don’t have the capacity to do it. They don’t have enough carers, or they don’t have enough care [to provide to others] in that area to make it viable.”

Hence, someone who is keen and fit to leave the NHS bed she is occupying unnecessarily is unlikely to be able to do so any time soon, because no one can make a profit from her doing so. It is a situation the charity Age UK describes as madness, in which there are only losers and no winners. Crucially, it is causing entire hospitals to get clogged up, leaving them unable to admit new patients as quickly as they deem necessary.

Agree with every word, it's a disgusting farce truth be told, too many council run homes shut over the years, in areas of all political persuasion, on a ward where I work regularly there is one old lady who has been in hospital since 2009, another since 2010, homes refuse to take them, hence being stuck on an NHS ward, there is no sense whatsoever. Council run homes were deemed too expensive, better rates of pay, conditions and pensions, shut down, now patients are left on wards at a far higher price. Madness.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:32 pm

Steve Bell didn't hold back either

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citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:34 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Are there any reliable figures for cuts to social care in England?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... als-crisis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please bear with me. I've got one the most recent National Audit Office's (NAO) publications fawning along in value-for-money speak but this outfit can typically be relied upon to somewhere brass tack what the hell is going on.

One of the most significant structural changes, prompted by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, is the way in which the Department of Health (the Department) commissions healthcare from other bodies. More than 170 organisations were closed, and more than 240 new ones were created. In particular, responsibility for commissioning healthcare and public health services moved from 151 primary care trusts to NHS England, 211 clinical commissioning groups and 152 local authorities.

...challenges arising from the transition to the reformed health system have included maintaining the stability of the healthcare system during the transition... issues relating to the transfer of assets and functions to successor bodies... new organisations delivering on new responsibilities while improving capabilities to meet the increasing demands required of the healthcare system....

Expensive tendering exercises taking resources out of the hands of health care provision funds & making contract drafters & the private healthcare companies landing an NHS gig rich, everything of value is transferred to the private bank account of someone somewhere, ransacking the premises & keep everyone calm at the same time, you know, it's hard...get serious...people turning up needing health care & they're tedious...

In October 2014 NHS England, in collaboration with Public Health England, Monitor, Health Education England, the Care Quality Commission and the NHS Trust Development Authority, published its Five-year forward view setting out their approach to the required efficiency savings.

The Department set a target of generating £20 billion of efficiency savings between 2011-12 and 2014-15, in order to help the NHS cope with the increasing demands for healthcare and a finite level of resources available. NHS England recently estimated that continuing with the current model of care will result in a total gap between spending requirements and resources available of around £30 billion by 2020-21.

Oh. Local authorities aren't getting more money to spend on health care provision. Got it. Efficiency savings of course! The NHS is stripped of funding for providing health care to the people.

There have also been changes to the level of integration between health and social care services from 2014-15 onwards. This will impact, in particular, those services provided by local authorities. The Care Act 2014 received Royal Assent in May 2014 and established both the Health Education England and the Health Research Authority as
non-departmental public bodies. The Care Act 2014 also gives local authorities a bigger role in delivering care services, alongside responsibility for arranging services to help prevent individuals’ health deteriorating to a point where they would require additional care.

Volunteers drafted from the ranks of the many people born without a trust fund... these groups will have the responsibility to care for people unable to find help at the A&Es or hospitals remaining open. Forever.

NHS Property Services Ltd is a limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health. The company was created to take ownership of estates previously held by primary care trusts and strategic health authorities that were not transferred to NHS providers on 1 April 2013. This is one of the biggest property portfolios in Europe, worth an estimated £3 billion. Again, as a new body, it took time to implement appropriate controls and governance frameworks.

Can someone please tell me the implications of that last quote, please? Is it as outrageous as I think it is? I thought so too.

http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/upload ... erview.pdf

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:35 pm

As I've just said on Twitter, as somebody who came close enough to two IRA bombs to take them extremely personally, I salute the thousands who have turned out onto the Place de la Republique this evening, to show that they refuse to be intimidated. I stand with them in spirit, and wish I could stand with them in person!!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:43 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Read and weep - in anger and frustration. What a disgraceful situation to be in. They need to think in a completely different way about rural health / care services. They should have local authority brokers advertising and recruiting for specific individuals in their immediate locality ... and sorting out the relevant training etc for them. Spot purchase - minus the care company intermediary.

The patients who can’t leave hospital – as no one will make a profit
Elderly and disabled becoming ‘bedblockers’, despite wantiing to go home, as private care firms refuse to take on their cases
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... kers-care-

Jenny Abel, the hospital’s lead clinical specialist practitioner for discharge planning, explains that it has proved impossible to arrange help for her, simply because of where she lives – in a village 15 miles from Cambridge. “We just can’t get the care for her,” admits Abel. “The problem is that, although it would be a 15-minute call to see Mrs Lee, it would take 20 minutes to get there from Cambridge and 20 minutes to get back, and that would happen four times a day.

“But because of that, and because there’s no one else in her village receiving a care package, all of the four care providers who provide those packages – private companies – are saying that they don’t have the capacity to do it. They don’t have enough carers, or they don’t have enough care [to provide to others] in that area to make it viable.”

Hence, someone who is keen and fit to leave the NHS bed she is occupying unnecessarily is unlikely to be able to do so any time soon, because no one can make a profit from her doing so. It is a situation the charity Age UK describes as madness, in which there are only losers and no winners. Crucially, it is causing entire hospitals to get clogged up, leaving them unable to admit new patients as quickly as they deem necessary.
Agree with every word, it's a disgusting farce truth be told, too many council run homes shut over the years, in areas of all political persuasion, on a ward where I work regularly there is one old lady who has been in hospital since 2009, another since 2010, homes refuse to take them, hence being stuck on an NHS ward, there is no sense whatsoever. Council run homes were deemed too expensive, better rates of pay, conditions and pensions, shut down, now patients are left on wards at a far higher price. Madness.

Don't get me started letsskip. They have systematically removed every bit of structure that provided really good, cost effective local services here ... we lost the 8 convalescent / respite / intermediate care / hospice use beds that our small town hospital had. And now we hear exactly the same - Glangwili hospital in Carmarthen has many people they simply can't discharge anywhere - people are stuck in hospital miles and hours away from friends and family who can't afford to be by their side - or, if you don't have your own transport, can't even get there. They said they were going to purchase places in local nursing homes ... it's not working ... they aren't always available where the patient needs to be ... some people are being sent very very far away and totally isolated ... others are stuck in hospital taking up bed space unnecessarily.
I fully get why specialist services need to be centralised. But I'm not going to condone total trashing of the basic services that communities need. They shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 07 Jan, 2015 8:47 pm

citizenJA wrote:
NHS Property Services Ltd is a limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health. The company was created to take ownership of estates previously held by primary care trusts and strategic health authorities that were not transferred to NHS providers on 1 April 2013. This is one of the biggest property portfolios in Europe, worth an estimated £3 billion. Again, as a new body, it took time to implement appropriate controls and governance frameworks.
Can someone please tell me the implications of that last quote, please? Is it as outrageous as I think it is? I thought so too.

http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/upload ... erview.pdf

Hmm...I'm guessing a sale on 31st March bringing in a nice little bit to reduce national debt.

Well after all it's not the government's job to own property is it?