Current Affairs 2024

[oldbluefox]

I regret to say that at all levels of government, whether local or national, it's easy to spend somebody else's money whilst simultaneously cutting back on funding to public services.
Irrespective of which party, such flagrant abuse of public funds should be outlawed.

[Stephen]

My £10 Christmas bonus arrived over night. That’s the wife’s present sorted

[Onelife]

I regret to say that at all levels of government, whether local or national, it's easy to spend somebody else's money whilst simultaneously cutting back on funding to public services.
Irrespective of which party, such flagrant abuse of public funds should be outlawed.

I believe massive saving could be made if Government departments, Hospitals, Councils, etc took a far more stringent approach to what they allow employees to retain as personal leaving presents. As an example, the very expensive leather ministerial folders could be passed on to incoming ministers without having to spend thousands every time a new one takes post. As for hospitals, it is estimated that only a quarter of hospital equipment, such as crutches, toilet seats, wheelchairs etc ever get returned for reuse.

[david63]

As for hospitals, it is estimated that only a quarter of hospital equipment, such as crutches, toilet seats, wheelchairs etc ever get returned for reuse.

In our area that is because they won't take the equipment back.

When my mother moved into a care home some years back she had so much equipment supplied by the hospital, most of it hardly used, that nobody wanted so it all went onto the tip.

I think that the issues here is that if equipment is returned for reuse then it has to be checked to ensure that it is fit for reuse and that incurs a cost which, in many cases, may be more than the cost of the equipment.

There is also the point that occupational health (or whatever title they have this week) give out equipment as if it is Christmas every day.

Even with hospitals there is a significant amount of waste - mostly down the the cross contamination excuse. I have seen a perfectly good pillow thrown in the waste because there was a tear in the protective cover - and anyone who has been in hospital will know that there is always a shortage of pillows!

[oldbluefox]

I believe massive saving could be made if Government departments, Hospitals, Councils, etc took a far more stringent approach to what they allow employees to retain as personal leaving presents. As an example, the very expensive leather ministerial folders could be passed on to incoming ministers without having to spend thousands every time a new one takes post.

Apparently there were very serviceable leather document folders available in The Commons shop for £30. Nearly £1200 for the two folders, £594 each in anyone's book is an extravagant waste of public money. I wonder if it will be passed on to her successor. Or maybe not..........

We had the same problem as David when my father in law passed away. He had all manner of equipment but the hospital would not take it back. No reason to our minds that it could not have been sterilised and re-used but it ended up going to the tip as nobody wanted it. What a dreadful waste of money. From people we know who work in the NHS and from what I have seen there is a dreadful waste of resources in the NHS which really needs to be addressing.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It was reported widely in the media so I find it difficult to believe they didn't know. It doesn't help that Starmer, Reeves and Kendall were offering their support to the campaign in 2022 but have now done a major u-turn now they have to foot the bill.

Yes, there is the problem. Not that they won't pay now. That they backed the campaign before, leading these women to believe that if they voted Labour the money was in the bag and then their promises turned to dust.

Never mind U - turns, their lies are starting to make Boris (and even Bliar) look like saints.

[david63]

eading these women to believe that if they voted Labour

The list of those deserting Labour is growing by the day:

Pensioners - Winter fuel
Farmers - IHT
Business owners - National insurance
Waspies - Pensions

Have I missed anyone?

The problem is that some/many/most of those deserting Labour are going over to Reform and that is where the danger lies because there will probably not be enough defectors to give Reform many seats leaving Labour holding on to the seats that they have. Unless there is a significant change on the political horizon then UK politics is heading in a dangerous direction with Labour not being able to be held to account.

[Stephen]

Onelife wrote: 19 Dec 2024 09:54
As for hospitals, it is estimated that only a quarter of hospital equipment, such as crutches, toilet seats, wheelchairs etc ever get returned for reuse.

David wrote:
In our area that is because they won't take the equipment back.

Same here David.

I had to have crutches 18 months ago after a knee operation. Brand new crutches supplied which they said they didn’t want back. What a waste of resource’s. Criminal

[david63]

It never rains but it pours for poor old Starmer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3zqen209go

The Labour minister Tulip Siddiq has been named in an investigation into claims her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.

Not a big deal apart from the fact that she is the Treasury's Economic Secretary and is responsible for tackling corruption in UK financial markets.

Is she resigning? No chance - even though if it were a Conservative minister Labour would have been demanding a resignation.

[oldbluefox]

Sounds like she has all the necessary essentials to deal with tackling corruption. She will be well armed with insider knowledge if, as reported, her family was involved in dodgy dealings.

[Onelife]

In her position I would be worried about her family connections with Putin....I would be even more worried if Andy had introduced her to one of his Chinese friends

[towny44]

Onelife wrote: 19 Dec 2024 09:54
As for hospitals, it is estimated that only a quarter of hospital equipment, such as crutches, toilet seats, wheelchairs etc ever get returned for reuse.

David wrote:
In our area that is because they won't take the equipment back.

Same here David.

I had to have crutches 18 months ago after a knee operation. Brand new crutches supplied which they said they didn’t want back. What a waste of resource’s. Criminal

The problem is the exorbitant administrative costs associated with all public services. But the alternative offers little savings, since the reduced admin costs of privatised organisations, is offset by the excessive salaries of management, along with over generous dividend payments to shareholders.

[Onelife]

I don’t doubt all that you say is true John, but there has to be other alternatives without the costs involved…I would have though that with a little bit of government set up costs a charitable hub for the collection, sanitising and distribution of such equipment could be implemented…perhaps in part funded by the National lottery or similar?

[towny44]

Labour are starting with good intentions, but the Sir Humphreys will win in the end.
And if you really want to change our form of governance, then it's the senior civil servants you need to cull, not the Monarchy, who have zero influence on the govt.

[CaroleF]

Just chatting to our postman this morning. He says he hopes the proposed takeover will go ahead and even though it means Royal Mail would then be owned by a foreign company he can't see how it will survive if the takeover doesn't happen. In some ways I've seen Royal Mail become more efficient in that they now do parcel collections. It's very useful for people like me,who although there's a small post office in my village my arthritis makes it painful to try to walk there. However, the collection of parcels is free and I'd be happy to pay for this. It seems odd that something called Royal Mail should not be owned by this country - Onelife please desist from any anti monarchy postings about this, just for me, call it a Christmas present!

[Onelife]

Labour are starting with good intentions, but the Sir Humphreys will win in the end.
And if you really want to change our form of governance, then it's the senior civil servants you need to cull, not the Monarchy, who have zero influence on the govt.

I don’t think that I have implied that the mechanics of our political system should be changed, all I have said is that it is broken and unlikely to get repaired due to it having been highjacked by those who have turned it into a Punch and Judy show.

I do agree with you in that the civil servants seem to want more power than that of those they work for, but that is primarily because they have allowed their bias to lean either to Punch or to Judy and by doing so have failed to stay impartial, thus causing dysfunctionality within government.

I of course disagree with your view that the freeloaders have no influence, it is well documented that Charlie has waved his magic sword to influence government policies, on several occasions, furthermore, they the self-appointed sit at the top of the pile when it comes to the ever-increasing gap between those who have and those who don’t have….they in my opinion represent everything that is wrong in this country and the sooner we get rid of them the better. If Royalist want to keep feeding this absurd idea that they are still figureheads of our Country then so be it, I however, will not live in the past and hope one day this country sees how ridiculously silly it is to carry on with this pantomime of Kings and Queens.

Oh’ and just to show there is no hard feeling between me and my forum Royalist friends…Happy Christmas!

[Onelife]

Are you on the list?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 67988.html

I note my wife who dedicated 27 years to nursing isn’t on the list…bloody disgraceful, we could have done with the £380 per day attendance fee

[oldbluefox]

She should have toadied up to Starmer. He's only looking after his cronies. That's what politicians do. Jobs for your mates.

[Stephen]

Are you on the list?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 67988.html

I note my wife who dedicated 27 years to nursing isn’t on the list…bloody disgraceful, we could have done with the £380 per day attendance fee

27 years….pah, a mere apprentice. Mrs S done 45 years.

[oldbluefox]

Does waiting on and tending to OL count towards her 27 years?

[Stephen]

Most of it I reckon.

[Mervyn and Trish]

BBC News - Packham quits RSPCA over abattoir cruelty claims
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv381edvg9o

This is an upsetting story. However what chance does the RSPCA have in a country where halal slaughter is legal? That is, to my mind, cruel and barbaric. It should be banned in the UK.

[screwy]

But it won’t be, because we are too scared to upset Islam.

In my last Prison we had 1100 guests, less than 100 Muslims but all the meat was Halhal,same as in all Prisons in the country.
Not 100% sure but I believe that meat served in Schools is the same…I may be wrong on that.

[Onelife]

BBC News - Packham quits RSPCA over abattoir cruelty claims
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv381edvg9o

This is an upsetting story. However what chance does the RSPCA have in a country where halal slaughter is legal? That is, to my mind, cruel and barbaric. It should be banned in the UK.

I totally 100% agree with you Sir Merv, how we have allowed this to carry on in this country is beyond me. We’ve got a Halal slaughter house but 4 miles from where I live and every time I pass it, which is quite frequently, I think about how these animals are having their throats slit open in the name of stupid religious ceremonies. As you rightly say it should be banned and if any religious group, whether they be Jewish, Muslim or whatever want to eat it then they should be made to import their meat from abroad… until such time that we ban that as well.

[Onelife]

But it won’t be, because we are too scared to upset Islam.

In my last Prison we had 1100 guests, less than 100 Muslims but all the meat was Halhal,same as in all Prisons in the country.
Not 100% sure but I believe that meat served in Schools is the same…I may be wrong on that.

It was served in my wife’s Hospital until she complained…apparently the hospital was unaware that the chef was buying in halal meat.