Current Affairs

[towny44]

You probably have a valid point Stephen but I'm not certain its the quality of nursing that's the problem, more a problem of poor or totally missing management.
My relative is now in a care home and the difference in the quality of care is enormous, and the staff are mainly non British and probably paid less than nurses in the NHS. But the care home management are totally hands on and it is very well run, despite being predominantly local authority paid for clientele.
I am losing faith in the NHS as it is currently run, and I doubt whether any party will be able to prevent it sliding into an awful abyss.

[Mervyn and Trish]

A good Sister on the ward makes all the difference.

[Stephen]

A good Sister on the ward makes all the difference.

Exactly Merv. My wife use to run her ward with a rod of iron. Firm but fair.
Everyone new where they stood and what was expected.

[david63]

I am losing faith in the NHS as it is currently run,

I think that in its current form the NHS is totally unmanageable, and certainly cannot be run with a "one size fits all" policy imposed from the top down and it is time to stop using it as a political football.

[oldbluefox]

I don't think the current 12 hour shift system is fair on the nurses. In my experiences there are parts of the hospital where the nurses are run off their feet and there are others where they are struggling to know what to do with their time. Management of resources seems to be a major issue. Having lived next door to somebody in the health service I was astounded by the amount of waste. Maybe if that was stopped we could afford more nurses. The whole system needs revising.

I must say I went to Carlisle this week for an angiogram and the nurses could not have been kinder nor more caring, even if the whole setup was in a Portacabin!! It's amazing that in one of the richest countries in the world procedures take place in what is technically temporary accommodation.

[barney]

£350 million a week will be coming back Foxy ????

(hard hat)

[towny44]

£350 million a week will be coming back Foxy ????

(hard hat)

.........and spending all that on the NHS with its current management will probably be more watteful than paying it to the EU.

[screwy]

The way the Tories are bickering Vince Cable might get his wish and become PM. !!!

Mind, would rather him than Corbum.

[CaroleF]

As an ex nurse, many years ago, my stay in a large NHS hospital a few years ago showed me that the Emergency Care was excellent. The whole experience of A&E and then the subsequent operation was first class. Where it fell down was on the ward after the operation. There seems to be only Staff Nurses and Health Care Assistants. Many of the HCAs were part time, older women, didn't seem particularly well trained. At night a group of them would come on to the ward chatting away when patients were trying to get to sleep. The Night Staff Nurse was welcomed by her Christian name and didn't seem to have any authority. The ward lights were on past 10pm and the noise was incredible. However, on my last night the Night Staff Nurse was a Military Staff Nurse, Army. As we are near what was a wonderful Naval Hospital, RNH Haslar, when it closed a lot of the staff went to the surrounding NHS hospitals. That night things were so different. There was peace and quiet, the lights were off just after 9pm. The Army nurse was called Ma'am by the Health Care Assistants. I woke in the night needing some pain relief and the Army nurse and I chatted, very quietly I hasten to add. I commented on the difference from the previous nights. She smiled and said, "They (meaning the HCAs) don't like being on duty with me. I will have quiet. My patients need sleep in order to get better and I will have quiet." That's one of the things the NHS needs, some discipline. I don't mean going back to the 60s when I trained and Sisters were absolute dragons but there has to be some discipline. When the whole Nursing structure was changed so that all nurses have to follow a degree course, we lost the training of the Student Nurses on the wards, with a month study block each year. On a ward we would have a Sister, two Staff Nurses who alternated duties, then some third, second and first year nurses. That was the way we learnt. Yes the system had its faults but whether it had more than what we've ended up with today I wonder.

[Stephen]

I completely agree with everything you have said Carole.

[Happydays]

My sister trained to become a nurse at HNH Haslar! She also went to other naval hospitals for specialities. Fishguard & Malta comes to mind

[CaroleF]

Haslar was a wonderful hospital which had a relatively new Cancer unit. It treated military personnel and NHS patients and the care they gave was wonderful. I had a small operation there once and was treated as an outpatient another time and couldn't fault the organisation. Haslar was right down in Gosport. Now anyone in the Gosport area who needs urgent, emergency treatment faces a long journey to Queen Alexandra's Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth. There is only one road in and out of Gosport and the traffic on that road no matter what time of day has to be seen to be believed. Even with blue lights and sirens an ambulance would take a long time to get from Gosport to QA. When Haslar was there it was almost on their doorstep. When my mother, who lived in Stubbington, between Cosham and Haslar, nearer to Haslar, collapsed the ambulance driver told my father they were going to QA in Cosham. However, her condition deteriorated and they diverted to Haslar as it was much nearer. Nowadays, there wouldn't be that option for anyone living in that area.

I know things have changed and uniforms have changed beyond all recognition but I was visiting my friend who was an in patient at St. Mary's Hospital Portsmouth - she was having cancer treatment. One of the nurses went in to give her an injection, dropped the syringe onto the bedclothes, picked it up and was going to use it when my friend - also a nurse trained in the 1960s - said, 'You're not going to use that syringe are you, you've just unsterilized it.' The nurse had intented to use it but went off and came back with a new one - well hopefully a new one. Also at that time some of the Haslar nurses were working at St. Mary's and still wore their naval uniform with those wonderful hats. One came into my friend's room while I was there and we were chatting with her. She said that one of the patients in the main ward had said to her - 'Oh it's so nice to see a real nurse!' Old-fashioned, maybe but the unforms the Haslar Nurses and the nurses in my time wore inspired confidence. I'm not sure the same can be say of now-a-days.

Carole

[oldbluefox]

Although our experience is more to do with QARANC nurses I agree with Carole as far as dress code and demeanour are concerned. As a patient it gives you confidence that they look and behave as if they know what they are doing. And I also feel (maybe wrongly) that they felt pride and esteem in the uniform they wore.
Personally, and from a non professional point of view, I would like to see bursaries restored but with student nurses spending more time on the wards actually doing the 'caring' bit. There is a place for those who do not have a degree but are perfectly capable, and very godd at carrying out a nursing role. Those who are more ambitious can still go on to get their degree or specialise but patient care should come first.

On a slightly different note cleanliness in NHS hospitals is not what it should be and I am not surprised there are infections and outbreaks of norovirus. When my mother was in hospital the lady in the bed next to her was due to be discharged. However it was clear she was not well and shortly before she left she was sick on the floor. She ultimately left and the cleaning group came to prepare the bed for the next patient. They flapped about with a few paper towels and a squirt or two of disinfectant, wiped up the mess on the floor and the next patient was wheeled in, all in the space of 10 minutes. The floor was never properly cleaned and I dread to think what germs lurked there to be unwittingly passed on to anybody walking in or putting their bags there. Not impressed by their standards of hygiene.

[david63]

I see in the news today that Mark Car Crash is saying that

Interest rates will rise in the "relatively near term"

- has he joined P&O's PR team?

[qbman1]

Unless he's selling the Bank of England to Canada !

[Mervyn and Trish]

Would they want it?

[qbman1]

More to the point, would they want him back ?

[Mervyn and Trish]

He's such a cheerful chappie. And never seems to get it right. Said interest rates would have to rise if we voted for Brexit. Then cut them when we did.

So look out for another cut next week.

[colin parry]

He originally said rates would rise when unemployment fell below 7 percent, which was over 2 years ago. Agree with Merv. I think he's had a personality bypass.

[oldbluefox]

He originally said rates would rise when unemployment fell below 7 percent, which was over 2 years ago. Agree with Merv. I think he's had a personality bypass.

I believe he said that when it seemed unlikely that unemployment would drop below 7 per cent then he found himself between a rock and a hard place and had to dream up another excuse.

[Happydays]

He is hopeless ....

[Mervyn and Trish]

On a good day!

[david63]

He is hopeless ....

He's not that good!!

[barney]

I was watching BBC Parliament this morning (I know) and they were showing a re-run of the European Parliament debate on the Brexit position so far.
I was amazed at the attacks and vitriol by some of the MEPs on Verhofstadt and Juncker.

One Irish MEP was scathing about the EU 'attitude' and openly said that unless a compromise is reached, the Irish economy will go to pot.
The same with a German and Dutch guy and a French woman.

I only watched for about half hour, but from what I witnessed, it's not all quite so unified as they would have us believe.

The 27 leaders may be signing from the same hymn sheet but many of the MEPs are not.

I think it's time to up the stakes and openly declare our hand, to see the EU reaction.

The proposition should be,
zero tariffs with existing EU countries, customs arrangements to be agreed, no border in Ireland and EU citizens get exactly the same rights as UK citizens, no more, no less, no exceptions. If they don't like it, they are free to leave.

No payment for access unless it is reciprocated and they also pay us for access to the UK market.

We will honour all payments due until the end of this budget period, i.e 2020.

We are happy to discuss separation of UK assets in the EU and come to a compromise.

We are happy to take over the pension obligations of UK members of Parliament and Commissions and incorporate it into our domestic pensions, so they need not worry for the future. I stress UK only.

Absolute freedom of movement will end (both ways) but EU citizens are welcome to apply, like any other third country.

We will ensure that absolutely no restrictions are placed on Tourism, either way, and visas will never be needed.

Then ask if that is enough clarity for them.

If the EU 'negotiators' still refuse to talk about any deal, then it's time to get ready for the inevitable.
They will have shown that they are unable to negotiate anything.

[Jack Staff]

I was watching BBC Parliament this morning (I know) and they were showing a re-run of the European Parliament debate on the Brexit position so far.
I was amazed at the attacks and vitriol by some of the MEPs on Verhofstadt and Juncker.

I thought I was the only person to have ever watched that channel!

One Irish MEP was scathing about the EU 'attitude' and openly said that unless a compromise is reached, the Irish economy will go to pot.
The same with a German and Dutch guy and a French woman.

The loss of Northern Ireland.

I only watched for about half hour, but from what I witnessed, it's not all quite so unified as they would have us believe.

The 27 leaders may be signing from the same hymn sheet but many of the MEPs are not.

Each country is as separate and unique as the UK. We are negotiating with the EU, but the member states are beginning to circle for the feeding frenzy.

I think it's time to up the stakes and openly declare our hand, to see the EU reaction.

Might be a good idea.Our hand is getting weaker by the day.

The proposition should be,
zero tariffs with existing EU countries, customs arrangements to be agreed, no border in Ireland and EU citizens get exactly the same rights as UK citizens, no more, no less, no exceptions. If they don't like it, they are free to leave.

No payment for access unless it is reciprocated and they also pay us for access to the UK market.

We will honour all payments due until the end of this budget period, i.e 2020.

We are happy to discuss separation of UK assets in the EU and come to a compromise.

We are happy to take over the pension obligations of UK members of Parliament and Commissions and incorporate it into our domestic pensions, so they need not worry for the future. I stress UK only.

Absolute freedom of movement will end (both ways) but EU citizens are welcome to apply, like any other third country.

We will ensure that absolutely no restrictions are placed on Tourism, either way, and visas will never be needed.

Then ask if that is enough clarity for them.

If the EU 'negotiators' still refuse to talk about any deal, then it's time to get ready for the inevitable.
They will have shown that they are unable to negotiate anything.

The inevitability of the current situation is clear. But then, a week is a long time in politics, we could have a new PM pretty soon.