Whatever lies ahead in the New Year, we face challenging times, that said, I wish you and yours all the best for 2012.
Geoff
Saturday 31 December 2011
Friday 30 December 2011
Holy Roads at Christmas
The leader of the council drives a 4x4, nothing wrong with that. The model concerned is particularly well suited to driving across irregular surfaces: grass, gravel, snow, sand, mud ruts and pot holes. In his other role as leader of the Labour group in the Local Government Association he is often heard talking about the poor state of the UK's roads and the need to improve matters.
It has recently struck me that when he is driving his 4x4 around the roads of Wakefield, he is insulated and does not truly experience teeth jarred by potholes that many people face on a day to day basis as they go about their lives. Winter traditionally makes the situation worse and whilst the coalition has brought forward additional funds to improve road surfaces and Wakefield has benefited, there is more to do.
Time to get on and fill a few holes?
It has recently struck me that when he is driving his 4x4 around the roads of Wakefield, he is insulated and does not truly experience teeth jarred by potholes that many people face on a day to day basis as they go about their lives. Winter traditionally makes the situation worse and whilst the coalition has brought forward additional funds to improve road surfaces and Wakefield has benefited, there is more to do.
Time to get on and fill a few holes?
UPDATED 4 Local MPs, Balls, Trickett, Creagh and Cooper form a united front on Mid Yorks Hospital Trust
As we approach the end of 2011 and face the new year, there is a growing degree of nervousness in the behaviour of our local MPs. All at some point have talked about the benefits that will flow from Mid Yorks Hospital Trust's PFI programme but now it seems that we are in for a very difficult time. This will be made even more challenging by the board's own strategy; their inability to deliver their five year plan; capacity, critical care and failing A&E provision; reluctance of mid-grade A&E doctors to apply for posts; funding issues and the way that the Labour government's approach to PFIs meant that key aspects of service that should have been maintained were deleted as buildings were demolished.
The MPs have now started to question the Hospital Trust's approach and expressed concerns about what we now have. They talk about promises made and broken and the fight ahead to find resolution. Prior to the public meeting in November I was one of a number calling on the Trust board's directors to sort things out or stand down. What I learned at that meeting has not changed my view about the Trust Directors but has strengthened my belief that our MPs have been making promises about what would be delivered, either aware that the promises could not be kept or naively not checking that what was to be offered would fit the district's needs. These people are highly paid, elected public servants, who because of their Labour credentials, feel that they are safe from any criticism in this part of West Yorkshire and that the public simply believe all that they say.
In the light of the healthcare fiasco that is developing I think that both the area's MPs and the Mid Yorkshire Trust Directors need to consider their positions and get this sorted or prepare to face the consequences.
UPDATE:
Key Trust Directors replaced. New CEO appointed to resolve matters, original problems still to sort and a big annual bill for the local taxpayer until 2040. Over £1Billion in interest and fees for a facility not capable for stated needs. MPs still acting shocked and hoping people will not join the dots.
The MPs have now started to question the Hospital Trust's approach and expressed concerns about what we now have. They talk about promises made and broken and the fight ahead to find resolution. Prior to the public meeting in November I was one of a number calling on the Trust board's directors to sort things out or stand down. What I learned at that meeting has not changed my view about the Trust Directors but has strengthened my belief that our MPs have been making promises about what would be delivered, either aware that the promises could not be kept or naively not checking that what was to be offered would fit the district's needs. These people are highly paid, elected public servants, who because of their Labour credentials, feel that they are safe from any criticism in this part of West Yorkshire and that the public simply believe all that they say.
In the light of the healthcare fiasco that is developing I think that both the area's MPs and the Mid Yorkshire Trust Directors need to consider their positions and get this sorted or prepare to face the consequences.
UPDATE:
Key Trust Directors replaced. New CEO appointed to resolve matters, original problems still to sort and a big annual bill for the local taxpayer until 2040. Over £1Billion in interest and fees for a facility not capable for stated needs. MPs still acting shocked and hoping people will not join the dots.
Monday 26 December 2011
Boxing Day and a bit of a walk.
On boxing day in 1132 a group of monks from Ripon walked the four and a half miles to the location of what became Fountains Abbey starting a tradition. Today a group of several hundred gathered in the Cellarium at the Abbey for a Carol Concert and service. Beautiful day.
Sunday 25 December 2011
Its Official Military Wives top charts....
Great news, with over half a million sales the Military Wives Choir have topped the BBC 2011 Christmas charts, selling more than the next 12 combined.
Well done to all that have played a part in achieving this.
Well done to all that have played a part in achieving this.
Saturday 24 December 2011
Take care at Christmas...
As I have already said, I hope that you have a great Christmas, I hope that all goes well and that you and yours stay well and safe. If you need hospital assistance at Pontefract Hospital their opening hours are 8am to 10pm as Mr Young recently discovered when he arrived at 6.45am having had a fall on ice.
Take care folks and try to stick with Mid Yorks Trusts opening hours or you will be helped to a location at least ten miles away to Pinderfields or probably more, when they cannot cope.
As George Dixon used to say.....Mind how you go!
Take care folks and try to stick with Mid Yorks Trusts opening hours or you will be helped to a location at least ten miles away to Pinderfields or probably more, when they cannot cope.
As George Dixon used to say.....Mind how you go!
Friday 23 December 2011
Merry Christmas one and all
Seasons Greetings to you and your kin.
Firstly thanks to all who have already sent festive cards and emails. As in previous years, instead of sending cards I will be making charitable donations this year. I realise that there are lots of groups both national and local who would value contributions, but if you are still considering making donations yourself, please have a look at:
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
or:
Starlight (granting wishes for children with major or terminal illnesses)
or
Bone Cancer Research Trust:
Each giving people life chances that they may otherwise not have.
I hope that you and yours have a happy and enjoyable Christmas,and when you need to check Santa's progress have a look here: or if you have youngster who want to play some Christmas online games visit:
In any case I hope you have a great Christmas all the best both now and for the new year.
Geoff
Firstly thanks to all who have already sent festive cards and emails. As in previous years, instead of sending cards I will be making charitable donations this year. I realise that there are lots of groups both national and local who would value contributions, but if you are still considering making donations yourself, please have a look at:
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
or:
Starlight (granting wishes for children with major or terminal illnesses)
or
Bone Cancer Research Trust:
Each giving people life chances that they may otherwise not have.
I hope that you and yours have a happy and enjoyable Christmas,and when you need to check Santa's progress have a look here: or if you have youngster who want to play some Christmas online games visit:
In any case I hope you have a great Christmas all the best both now and for the new year.
Geoff
MP hopes record hospital payout won't reduce service....
In a quote in the latest edition of the local newspaper, talking about the cash strapped Mid Yorks Hospital Trust, our MP referred to a record payment of nearly £4.5 million pounds awarded linked to a tribunal claim and hopes that it will not impact on service. This sort of comment shows a degree of naivety which is stunning from an ex Treasury Minister and Junior Health Service Minister, especially when we consider the funding problem that she seems to have gifted the Health Trust. Thanks to her efforts, Mid Yorks Hospital Trust have to meet an annual bill of £36 million for the PFI that she drove through for Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals.
No effect? Some hope!
No effect? Some hope!
Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust Mismanagement?
Almost £4.5 Million payout, Trust Management unaware of malpractice and has to take responsibility for record tribunal payout. "Lessons to be learned"
Tuesday 13 December 2011
All that glistens........
All that glistens is not gold
I agree completely with Mr Ayre in his letter in the Pontefract and Castleford Express, about broken pledges being a key part in the grim situation that we now face at Pontefract A&E. Mid Yorks Hospital Trust talks of reviewing A&E and health care provision at Pontefract next year, meanwhile, they have allocated their A&E doctors to Pinderfields and Dewsbury during the hours of darkness "while they are trying to recruit replacements for the 9 mid-grade staff vacancies". The Directors make the case that in the current circumstances the admissions at Pontefract do not warrant it being open during the night, but the numbers have only dropped since the old PGI and Emergency A&E were demolished and critical cases sent elsewhere
Yorkshire Ambulance will no longer take emergencies to Pontefract and patients face a long journeyto other hospitals that do have life support , critical care, cardiac units and the backup facilities that were deleted by the big thinkers who put together the Trust's plan for the new Pontefract Hospital PFI. This effectively means that the facility has become a "state of the art" minor injuries, outpatient and day care unit. Mid Yorks Trust would not allow the word General to go in front of Hospital because it clearly is not, and was never intended to be.
The other less savoury part of this is that whilst Pinderfields, with its pre-war nissen huts, desperately needed a complete rebuild, it would have been better to use some of the £36 million that will be spent each year for the next 30 years paying Consort for the new hospitals (yes that is £1.09 billion pounds) to upgrade and modernise the core facilities at Pontefract that Balfour Beatty have just finished demolishing. With a fully functioning hospital we would have had a better chance of attracting doctors and our current plight could have been avoided. The Directors of Mid Yorks Trust ultimately took the decisions that put us in this position but don't forget that, apparently, the pledges were made to our MP when she was Junior Health Minister and the PFI plan and the bid was supported by her when she was Treasury Minister. She endorsed the PFI plans for Pontefract and sat by whilst the services were deleted before the plan was submitted. Presumably she and the MP for Hemsworth got the pledges and promises in writing, perhaps they could publish them so we all can see the promises that have been broken.
Meanwhile are we as Conservatives lobbying Government and Health Ministers? Absolutely! This fiasco over the last 10 years in deleting and eroding a capable hospital and replacing it with what we now have, and the Trust's inability to attract staff are nothing short of ridiculous.
UPDATE November 2013
I agree completely with Mr Ayre in his letter in the Pontefract and Castleford Express, about broken pledges being a key part in the grim situation that we now face at Pontefract A&E. Mid Yorks Hospital Trust talks of reviewing A&E and health care provision at Pontefract next year, meanwhile, they have allocated their A&E doctors to Pinderfields and Dewsbury during the hours of darkness "while they are trying to recruit replacements for the 9 mid-grade staff vacancies". The Directors make the case that in the current circumstances the admissions at Pontefract do not warrant it being open during the night, but the numbers have only dropped since the old PGI and Emergency A&E were demolished and critical cases sent elsewhere
Yorkshire Ambulance will no longer take emergencies to Pontefract and patients face a long journeyto other hospitals that do have life support , critical care, cardiac units and the backup facilities that were deleted by the big thinkers who put together the Trust's plan for the new Pontefract Hospital PFI. This effectively means that the facility has become a "state of the art" minor injuries, outpatient and day care unit. Mid Yorks Trust would not allow the word General to go in front of Hospital because it clearly is not, and was never intended to be.
The other less savoury part of this is that whilst Pinderfields, with its pre-war nissen huts, desperately needed a complete rebuild, it would have been better to use some of the £36 million that will be spent each year for the next 30 years paying Consort for the new hospitals (yes that is £1.09 billion pounds) to upgrade and modernise the core facilities at Pontefract that Balfour Beatty have just finished demolishing. With a fully functioning hospital we would have had a better chance of attracting doctors and our current plight could have been avoided. The Directors of Mid Yorks Trust ultimately took the decisions that put us in this position but don't forget that, apparently, the pledges were made to our MP when she was Junior Health Minister and the PFI plan and the bid was supported by her when she was Treasury Minister. She endorsed the PFI plans for Pontefract and sat by whilst the services were deleted before the plan was submitted. Presumably she and the MP for Hemsworth got the pledges and promises in writing, perhaps they could publish them so we all can see the promises that have been broken.
Meanwhile are we as Conservatives lobbying Government and Health Ministers? Absolutely! This fiasco over the last 10 years in deleting and eroding a capable hospital and replacing it with what we now have, and the Trust's inability to attract staff are nothing short of ridiculous.
UPDATE November 2013
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Military Wives Choir for Christmas number 1? Go for it..
Like many I have been following the Choir series where choir master Gareth Malone has been working with groups to set up choirs within communities and was hugely impressed by the Military Wives Choir whose ultimate performance was at the Albert Hall on Saturday 12th November. Traditionally at this time of year some naff performer from one of the talent programmes pops in a Christmas number 1.
This year we may be able to see something different and much better. Lets give them some backing.
Pre Order At Amazon Now http://tiny.cc/pdfom
The official video for Paul Mealor's Wherever You Are by Military Wives with Gareth Malone.
Help the Military Wives raise money for two wonderful charities who work tirelessly to support the armed forces and their families. Buy the single and make this Christmas No 1 to make a difference to these wonderful people both at home and abroad.
This year we may be able to see something different and much better. Lets give them some backing.
Pre Order At Amazon Now http://tiny.cc/pdfom
The official video for Paul Mealor's Wherever You Are by Military Wives with Gareth Malone.
Help the Military Wives raise money for two wonderful charities who work tirelessly to support the armed forces and their families. Buy the single and make this Christmas No 1 to make a difference to these wonderful people both at home and abroad.
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