This morning I saw someone in a car with a cigarette hanging from their mouth. I thought this was quite a skill in itself even if the cigarette were not lit. Then I thought of the calls from the BMA a few months ago to ban cigarette smoking in cars. At that time I thought this was a step too far as it doesn't affect the health of others and would be hard to police. I was of the opinion (and still am) that those who smoke while the car is stationary are doing no harm to others but this morning's sight made me think again.
I have never smoked so give me a cigarette and the skill of letting it hang from my mouth would be quite eventful. Multiply that by a hundred if you asked me to light it. Then ask me to drive and the risks increase again. I would have to put the ash somewhere and each time I concentrate on the cigarette I am not thinking about driving.
As for the difficulty policing, it is just as difficult to monitor the use of a mobile phone as it is smoking. There is also no difference between the two if the car is not moving. It is easy to pull over to make a call or to smoke. It is not so easy to have a 'hands-free' cigarette.
Change the world
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Opposition to NHS reforms
There are many who see the NHS as a shining example for the rest of the world. It is free at the point of access, a phrase that tells you that nothing is free but at least the recipient doesn't pay. However many decisions seem to be based on finance rather than patient care. My grandmother told me how the local community collected money to build a local hospital. Shortly after the hospital opened it was taken over by the NHS and years later it was closed because it wasn't efficient (she didn't get her money back).
Hospitals need to be large to be efficient. Similarly G.P. surgeries have to be larger and share facilities with other surgeries. On-call is apparently cheaper if it is run by another organisation. Services are open to tender because this is apparently more efficient. Private companies come in to take over shortfalls in waiting lists, so surgeons may be brought in from the other side of the world. At another level ancillary services may go to private companies.
Patients want a local service in which they see doctors and nurses that they know. They don't want to explain their symptoms every time they meet another member of staff. They want continuity of care. They want NHS staff to listen to them.
Last week the local A&E only wanted people to turn up if it was absolutely necessary. The bad weather had caused more car accidents and more people to fall. I say local A&E, but there used to be one a lot closer. Another A&E within this area closed too and the one that remained didn't want anyone (my definition of absolute may be different from theirs).
I get the impression that opposition to NHS reforms is based on GPs having more administrative tasks. The opposition is nothing to do with getting a local service from someone who knows you and someone who will listen.
Change the world
Hospitals need to be large to be efficient. Similarly G.P. surgeries have to be larger and share facilities with other surgeries. On-call is apparently cheaper if it is run by another organisation. Services are open to tender because this is apparently more efficient. Private companies come in to take over shortfalls in waiting lists, so surgeons may be brought in from the other side of the world. At another level ancillary services may go to private companies.
Patients want a local service in which they see doctors and nurses that they know. They don't want to explain their symptoms every time they meet another member of staff. They want continuity of care. They want NHS staff to listen to them.
Last week the local A&E only wanted people to turn up if it was absolutely necessary. The bad weather had caused more car accidents and more people to fall. I say local A&E, but there used to be one a lot closer. Another A&E within this area closed too and the one that remained didn't want anyone (my definition of absolute may be different from theirs).
I get the impression that opposition to NHS reforms is based on GPs having more administrative tasks. The opposition is nothing to do with getting a local service from someone who knows you and someone who will listen.
Change the world
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
England need a responsible manager
Two days ago I wrote that Fabio Capello's authority had been undermined by the FA. It looked like the authority for naming the England captain rested with the FA and not the manager. As well as a lack of responsibility Fabio could not speak his mind. Now he has resigned but it sounds to me like constructive dismissal.
Maybe I am wrong and Fabio took the job with his eyes open. Maybe Fabio knew he couldn't name the captain or speak his mind. Let's hope the next manager is able to say what he thinks and manage the whole team.
Change the world
P.S. I just posted the blog and this quote came on TV from Fabio's son: "For the time being we are not going to say anything because that is the agreement we have with the FA". It wasn't constructive dismissal then. It was a compromise agreement.
P.P.S. The main article on the news is Fabio's 'resignation'. It seems that he told the Italian press that the FA insulted him and damaged his authority. Now Fabio and his son claim this quote is not true. That's just what would happen with a compromise agreement. I wonder how much this mistake cost the FA!
Maybe I am wrong and Fabio took the job with his eyes open. Maybe Fabio knew he couldn't name the captain or speak his mind. Let's hope the next manager is able to say what he thinks and manage the whole team.
Change the world
P.S. I just posted the blog and this quote came on TV from Fabio's son: "For the time being we are not going to say anything because that is the agreement we have with the FA". It wasn't constructive dismissal then. It was a compromise agreement.
P.P.S. The main article on the news is Fabio's 'resignation'. It seems that he told the Italian press that the FA insulted him and damaged his authority. Now Fabio and his son claim this quote is not true. That's just what would happen with a compromise agreement. I wonder how much this mistake cost the FA!
Winter Fuel Benefits
Ann Widdecombe does not support the Winter fuel allowance and from what I heard on The Daily Politics today her main argument is that the allowance goes to any household in which there is a pensioner irrespective of the amount of money going in. This is a principled position but one which could be opposed on principle. Some may say that means testing is complex and adds to the cost of the benefit and if it is not universal then the benefit may not get to those who need it due to the complexity of the process.
Ann is looking for the Government to change to a system in which pensioners have to ask for the benefit or only give it to pensioners earning less than £40,000 or £50,000. The problem with the former is that pride comes into play as well as other aspects which make the system unfair. The problem with the latter is that safety nets cause poverty traps.
My impression is that those with earnings of £40.000 are not going to die from the cold but I could be wrong. There may be many who fall into Mr Micawber's misery category. "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery".
Pensioners do die of cold and Ann tells us that inadequate heating contributes to the death of thousands. She doesn't like the idea of millionaires getting the government handouts and neither do I. There may be some millionaires who are miserable according to Mr Micawber but they won't get much sympathy.
There are clearly arguments on all sides of this particular benefit debate. Ann may well be right in supporting a cap on winter heating benefits however I can see more arguments against the cap on all benefits and this is a debate which sounds like it could save the government a lot more money.
Ann is looking for the Government to change to a system in which pensioners have to ask for the benefit or only give it to pensioners earning less than £40,000 or £50,000. The problem with the former is that pride comes into play as well as other aspects which make the system unfair. The problem with the latter is that safety nets cause poverty traps.
My impression is that those with earnings of £40.000 are not going to die from the cold but I could be wrong. There may be many who fall into Mr Micawber's misery category. "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery".
Pensioners do die of cold and Ann tells us that inadequate heating contributes to the death of thousands. She doesn't like the idea of millionaires getting the government handouts and neither do I. There may be some millionaires who are miserable according to Mr Micawber but they won't get much sympathy.
There are clearly arguments on all sides of this particular benefit debate. Ann may well be right in supporting a cap on winter heating benefits however I can see more arguments against the cap on all benefits and this is a debate which sounds like it could save the government a lot more money.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Is Fabio gagged or impotent?
Fabio Capello has defended the former England captain John Terry because the FA stripped him of the captaincy pending the outcome of his trial for racial abuse of QPR's Anton Ferdinand. There were two aspects that took my notice and neither concerned John Terry. Firstly I don't mind if a manager defends his captain as this may be the usual course of action. However, David Davies, the former FA executive director feels that he has breached his contract and the FA are taking the matter seriously. This led me to the main reason for writing the blog.
If Fabio has been involved with the FA decision to take the captaincy off John Terry then he must have been outvoted. In this case the manager must not have responsibility for naming the captain and that begs the question how much responsibility does he have? I would guess not much. The other scenario is that he was not party to the decision. In this case he is being criticised for expressing his view. If David Davies is right and Fabio can't do this then we have a gagging clause on the England manager.
The news is about John Terry but for me it says we have an England manager who either can't speak his mind or lacks responsibility.
Change the world
If Fabio has been involved with the FA decision to take the captaincy off John Terry then he must have been outvoted. In this case the manager must not have responsibility for naming the captain and that begs the question how much responsibility does he have? I would guess not much. The other scenario is that he was not party to the decision. In this case he is being criticised for expressing his view. If David Davies is right and Fabio can't do this then we have a gagging clause on the England manager.
The news is about John Terry but for me it says we have an England manager who either can't speak his mind or lacks responsibility.
Change the world
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Job losses on the Heysham peninsula
I was going to write a blog about The Big Questions, the Sunday morning television programme with Nicky Campbell as there are always points of contention - my main inspiration for blogs. However I was sent an email about the possibility of losing the ferry services from Heysham and this has taken priority. You can see the article yourself, not on a website related to Lancashire, but one that is concerned with the city where the business looks set to go - Liverpool. The article is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16885732
If I were in the ferry business it would make sense for me to place my business where it could be accessed by many. I have campaigned for a link road for years, along with the Liberal Democrats who were the lone voice for its support, and they took losses in the council chamber for the sake of supporting the link road. What a pity all those voters who work at Heysham docks did not see this coming as they may have voted to save their jobs.
I don't want to claim the whole support for the link road comes from the Liberal Democrats as there are other elected officials who now support the link road but a vociferous opposition has meant delay upon delay which now looks like causing a further loss of jobs for the Heysham peninsula.
Change the world
If I were in the ferry business it would make sense for me to place my business where it could be accessed by many. I have campaigned for a link road for years, along with the Liberal Democrats who were the lone voice for its support, and they took losses in the council chamber for the sake of supporting the link road. What a pity all those voters who work at Heysham docks did not see this coming as they may have voted to save their jobs.
I don't want to claim the whole support for the link road comes from the Liberal Democrats as there are other elected officials who now support the link road but a vociferous opposition has meant delay upon delay which now looks like causing a further loss of jobs for the Heysham peninsula.
Change the world
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Not doing something for nobody
I know I have written on the subject of traffic lights as recently as the 19th November 2011 and concluded that we could manage without them. Last night I was driving home around 7.30pm in Lancaster and I was keeping near to the speed limit as there were not that many cars on the road. However I was stopped by a Pelican crossing and nobody was there to cross. I don't blame the pedestrians for crossing or walking away, as long as it was safe to do so, but it did meant that I stopped for nothing.
Zebra crossings are much friendlier crossings. Drivers aren't forced to stop but generally do and it is also much quicker for pedestrians who don't get fed up waiting for the lights to change.
I don't normally use sentences with double negatives but as well as Zebra crossings being friendlier you will never have to stop for nobody at them.
Change the world
Zebra crossings are much friendlier crossings. Drivers aren't forced to stop but generally do and it is also much quicker for pedestrians who don't get fed up waiting for the lights to change.
I don't normally use sentences with double negatives but as well as Zebra crossings being friendlier you will never have to stop for nobody at them.
Change the world
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