Nothing new.

A recent article in the guardian suggests that all hospital in patients should have the name of their responsible Consultant displayed at the head of the bed. What puzzles me is that this idea is described as "an initiative", as if it's some clever new idea. When DZ qualified, 40 years ago, it was standard practice. So when, and why, did people stop doing it? I have no idea, but I'd put my money on the infection control gestapo.

Ale!!

DZ has mentioned in the past that he is a great fan of cask conditioned ale. He likes it more than anything. Well, almost anything.

Double

There can't be many in the UK who don't know who Jeremy Corbyn is. But am I the only one who has noticed a resemblance between Mr Corbyn and the late Joe Cocker?

Quote & translation.

“Savings from public sector pay and workforce reform made a significant contribution to reducing the (NHS) deficit over the course of the last Parliament, saving around £8bn."

Greg Hands MP, Chief Secretary to the treasury.

Translation... We saved £8billion by taking it from the pockets of our workforce.

Assuming that the NHS employs 1.3 million staff (full time equivalents) that means that the saving was made by exploiting, robbing and fucking over every single one of them to the tune of £6154.

And he seems rather proud of it!

Escape.

DZ has often on this site criticised the GMC revalidation process. Anyone who has gone through revalidation will confirm the utter pointlessness of the excercise. Ridiculous box ticking, confirming that you've attended so called Continuing Professional Development, when in fact the whole point of attending the meeting was to enable you to tick the box, and nothing more. And testimonials from your mates saying what a wonderful guy you are to work with. Even Shipman could have got enough of these, as well as the "how was it for you" forms filled out by patients. DZ has had patients who have filled these out for his revalidation express huge scorn for the forms. The whole process is a complete waste of time and resources, and achieves nothing. It is no more than another stick to beat us, another nail in the coffin of medical staff morale. And yet government and the GMC continue to assert how good it is for the profession.

Revalidation is specifically cited in this article as one of the reasons why young doctors are deserting the UK and taking their expensively acquired medical expertise elsewhere. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not aware of any other country that has followed the UK example and gone down this route.

The article sought the opinion of that twat Dickson at the GMC on the loss of these valuable people, and inevitably he failed to acknowledge that revalidation is one of the aspects of British medical practice that they wish to escape. Instead he just gave a few sound bites, reiterating his support for the process. Is he really that stupid? Yes, of course he is.

Quote

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

 

 

Spice

DZ was very disappointed today to find, on checking, that he's not on the Ashley Madison database. But then, not being married, (any more) means I can't have the excitement of an extra marital affair. And being an atheist means that there is no guilt for me attached to any form of rumpy pumpy at all. Forbidden fruit tastes sweetest, as my mother used to say.