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
Friday, 23 December 2011
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.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Pomfret Woodland Nursery
During the former Labour Government's spending spree, WMDC got a government grant to set up and support a number of children's centres that have effectively been providing nursery, daycare and early year services alongside registered nurseries, daycare and child minder services. The government grant like many Labour Government schemes allowed the setting up but stopped after two years with councils expected to pick up the tab through the general rates. Most local authorities made other arrangements, Wakefield however funded the difference between the costs and the income from the rates. Pomfret Nursery along with two other council operated centres was in jeopardy as Wakefield needed to use what was unallocated money on other projects and services.
We were advised that the council had been looking for an organisation to take this service on, had no success.
The three South Ward Councillors were given an initial briefing in November and we asked some simple questions. "What is the shortfall?" "How much is that per child?" "Has anybody asked the parents what they think about offering them the chance to operate the centre or make a payment to bridge the gap?"
It would seem not. WMDC appeared to have given little thought to finding a way forward and seemed to want to drop this like a hot potato rather than finding a way for the centre to continue.
UPDATED
Pleased to say sanity broke out and following discussions involving the Leader of the Council, the CEO and local councillors a lifeline was thrown, our MP took a part, the parents and key staff came forward with a request to operate the nursery themselves.
If the closure had gone through parents would have has to find alternative provision for 64 children and the jobs of the 12 centre staff would have be in jeopardy.
After a long hard slog the parents with support have been able to make a successful bid to operate the nursery as a not for profit organisation and are going from strength to strength.
We were advised that the council had been looking for an organisation to take this service on, had no success.
The three South Ward Councillors were given an initial briefing in November and we asked some simple questions. "What is the shortfall?" "How much is that per child?" "Has anybody asked the parents what they think about offering them the chance to operate the centre or make a payment to bridge the gap?"
It would seem not. WMDC appeared to have given little thought to finding a way forward and seemed to want to drop this like a hot potato rather than finding a way for the centre to continue.
UPDATED
Pleased to say sanity broke out and following discussions involving the Leader of the Council, the CEO and local councillors a lifeline was thrown, our MP took a part, the parents and key staff came forward with a request to operate the nursery themselves.
If the closure had gone through parents would have has to find alternative provision for 64 children and the jobs of the 12 centre staff would have be in jeopardy.
After a long hard slog the parents with support have been able to make a successful bid to operate the nursery as a not for profit organisation and are going from strength to strength.
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