Search found 308 matches

by hjd10
23 Nov 2022, 10:12pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Witnessing the end of the NHS
Replies: 213
Views: 18575

Re: Witnessing the end of the NHS

millimole wrote: 23 Nov 2022, 8:18am
hjd10 wrote:
Debs wrote: 19 Nov 2022, 1:42pm After 12 years of Tory administration deliberately underfunding the NHS in view of profits from privatisations, the more recent ruthless Brexit-Tory cabal is holding out yet another two years until its bitter end of being defeated in the next available General Election.
However, will it be too late by then, for a new Labour government, to save the NHS from 14 years of deliberate ongoing Tory privatisation creep?


The system is already privatised with GP surgeries, I quite like the idea of small hubs that provide treatments away from large hospitals (cataract operations and minor surgeries).
Most people forget, or don't know that nearly all GP surgeries are private businesses contracted to provide NHS services - this was part of the deal the BMA did with Labour in 1948

The hubs you describe have been intermittently tried in various places at various times - I remember several experiments during my 40 year stint in the NHS. They are great for patients, they are satisfying for staff, and they can save money.

So why don't they last? Mainly because of the resistance of 'old school' senior medical staff to working outside of major hospital centres, and them doing what is perceived as a 'production line' job. This underlines the power of medical staff against the rational needs of both patients and society.

Thankfully a lot of these attitudes are changing, and some of this is due to the increased number of consultants in the NHS, and the new ideas being brought in by overseas doctors.

In the early days of the NHS 'Health Centres' were built that incorporated swimming pools and libraries as well as all the services that you'd find in an Out Patient Clinic. I believe that one such centre was built in Woodberry Down in North London.
The idea being - healthy mind/healthy body. But that requires joined up thinking!
Smilles can we put you on charge of the setup. :D I always think about government organisations and how they operate and I'm reminded of my industry. The aviation industry is not run by pilots, Arlines are run by managers with expertise in their own areas.
Who can remember the Trouble shooter Sir John Harvey-Jones, we need more people like this in charge of large government organisations?
by hjd10
22 Nov 2022, 11:31pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Witnessing the end of the NHS
Replies: 213
Views: 18575

Re: Witnessing the end of the NHS

Debs wrote: 19 Nov 2022, 1:42pm After 12 years of Tory administration deliberately underfunding the NHS in view of profits from privatisations, the more recent ruthless Brexit-Tory cabal is holding out yet another two years until its bitter end of being defeated in the next available General Election.
However, will it be too late by then, for a new Labour government, to save the NHS from 14 years of deliberate ongoing Tory privatisation creep?


The problem with the NHS is that it has always been broken. We all want a modern healthcare system that is free at the point of use but we don't want to pay for it... There are many other countries that have systems that are better and are run much more efficiently and I don't mean anything like the US system!
We can't even discuss our beloved NHS as we've placed it onto some pedestal which is out of reach for discussion.
I remember my parents chatting many years ago about the NHS and saying that if you could write a blank cheque and double the funding, the money would just disappear.
The system is already privatised with GP surgeries, I quite like the idea of small hubs that provide treatments away from large hospitals (cataract operations and minor surgeries). These hubs are often run as a contract, but don't clog up hospitals, (remember, you are more likely to die in hospital from something not related to what you went in for). We had a Professor who'd been invited to give a presentation on the NHS safety culture as I work in the Aviation industry. His presentation left me with the thoughts that the current setup can’t be changed as the whole system is a mega bureaucracy and not in a good way.
If we want the NHS as it is, we are doomed to paying higher taxes and an inefficient money monster that under performs.
How many people abuse the system?
Just look at any A&E on a Friday or Saturday evening, why do we accept people completely wasting resources turning up drunk?
Labour or Conservative, no one can fix it!
by hjd10
22 Nov 2022, 10:52pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Starmer talking about immigration policy
Replies: 147
Views: 4986

Re: Starmer talking about immigration policy

pwa wrote: 22 Nov 2022, 6:55am https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63707941

For me, he is starting to make the right noises. He is talking about a pragmatic policy on immigration, reducing the need for imported labour to fill jobs but, at the same time, recognising the need for some imported labour in certain sectors. The sort of policy that Labour used to strive for.

If he is saying what I think he is saying, he is coming round to my own view that, for example, we ought to be trying to get existing UK residents into nursing by giving them a career to look forward to, and by training them in the right numbers. But doing that will take time, so in the meantime we must fill the void with nurses from abroad, who will of course stay here permanently if they wish. Pragmatic but going in the right direction.

Any thoughts?
Good points, we shouldn't be poaching trained medical staff from other countries as their own countries need them as well!
One issue that seems to be missing from the whole discussion though, shouldn't we be trying to get those economically inactive people back into work 1st, rather than employing immigrants while still paying benefits to close to 3 million people who could be working?
by hjd10
22 Nov 2022, 10:41pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Elon Musk: Saint or Sinner
Replies: 17
Views: 796

Re: Elon Musk: Saint or Sinner

He does seem to have megalomaniac characteristics. Remember the cave rescue saga in Thailand? This had him calling one of the Brits a ‘pedo guy’ for telling him to shove his rescue submarine where the sun doesn't shine. :lol:
Obviously we’ve all read about the antics at Tesla and more recently Twitter.
He appears to be a bit of a nasty guy who is only looking out for himself.
by hjd10
5 Jan 2022, 12:33am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Petition to defrock Tony Blair
Replies: 53
Views: 1672

Re: Petition to defrock Tony Blair

PhilD28 wrote: 4 Jan 2022, 7:11pm
thirdcrank wrote: 4 Jan 2022, 7:02pm
PhilD28 wrote: 4 Jan 2022, 2:53pm

Me too, head and shoulders above this bunch of charlatans we've had for the last 10 years. He was wrong about Iraq (an understatement I know) but there were a lot of solid socialist policies pushed through by him and his government.

I never liked him or his style but he did deliver. Whether he deserves a knighthood...I don't think anyone does for "doing their job", honours should be reserved for those who do good works outside of their jobs and for altruistic reasons, not as a reward for doing what they are paid for doing anyway. (My emphasis)
I'm genuinely interested to know what you have in mind here. My memory is probably a bit blurred. The 1997 general election was just before I retired and I remember a feeling of optimism for the future. In spite of finishing work at 2200 on te day of the election and starting at 0600 next day, I stayed up most of the night rejoicing as the results came in. In short, within a few years I was disillusioned.
How about Sure Start, Nursing Bursaries, Huge Funding increases for education and the NHS (waiting lists down to realistic levels at last).
I think I was pretty clear about my dislike for the person and his debacle of Iraq. And I stand by the fact that I would far rather see Blair as PM than this damnation of a man we have now, which was what I was agreeing with.

Yes as a lifelong socialist and Labour Party Member I was disappointed that Blair was Right of centre, but he kept the damned tories out of power for three terms, for that I am grateful and would like to see the same occur again. He would have wiped the floor with Johnson at PMQ's were he leader of the opposition.

Oops, I forgot that little thing called The Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Which was all great until the money ran out (even after years of economic growth there was nothing left in the kitty at the end of it).
by hjd10
17 Oct 2021, 5:06pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roundabouts
Replies: 50
Views: 3620

Re: Roundabouts

robing wrote: 6 Oct 2021, 3:40pm 4 years ago I was hit by a car on a roundabout. (I was on the roundabout, car was approaching). The same thing very nearly happened today. Both times clearly driver at fault, in the collision the driver was prosecuted.

My question is, what can I do to make myself safer? My strategy for roundabouts is get over them as quickly as possible, but this may not be the best technique.
How about an Airzound?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVPHG8Aa-4U
by hjd10
28 Sep 2021, 11:37pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: crank vs hub power
Replies: 27
Views: 3722

Re: crank vs hub power

Monkey boy wrote: 26 Sep 2021, 10:12pm Hi all

Sorry I’ve been quiet since asking my initial question.

Thank you all so much for the advice and experiences, it is much appreciated.

I went to a dedicated electric bike shop on Friday and tried a couple of their offerings.
I finally plumped for this https://moustachebikes.com/en/electric- ... nche-28-3/
Enjoy the bike...
A few thoughts from my foray into Ebiking. For those with a mid-drive set up do be careful when cleaning the bike, as mid-drives don't like water! Obviously more of an issue on mountain bikes with people cleaning them with power washers, don't use one!
I have a Voodoo Zobop Ebike and a Touring Bike rear hub home build. They both work really well and are suited to their different expected operating environments! I really like the simplicity of the rear hub motor setup as it is cheap and likely easy to repair and keep going in the future.
With the E mountain bike (emtb), however, it isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when will it go wrong. The Shimano motor isn't really repairable and as such and will probably result in a warranty claim (Just read any emtb forum for this topic).
My passion for biking is primarily mountain biking and emtb has transformed my riding and has introduced more fun into my rides.
by hjd10
12 Jun 2021, 11:54pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: SRAM nx 11 speed group set on 2009 trek ex8
Replies: 3
Views: 207

Re: SRAM nx 11 speed group set on 2009 trek ex8

That shouldn't be a problem. The NX groupset uses a standard cassette arrangement, I fitted one to an old Specialized Rockhopper frame.
by hjd10
9 May 2021, 10:23pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Fed-up with slow fix of potholes?
Replies: 31
Views: 5581

Re: Fed-up with slow fix of potholes?

DaveGos wrote: 9 May 2021, 10:10pm At least they seem to fix yours , here in my part of Shropshire they often do not fix them at all , there are 4 ways out of my village and 3 are unridable on a road bike. I have done everything including writing to my MP yet they still do nothing. They have been like that for at least 3 years. The tories cut the road mending budget by 25 percent a few days before the new financial year but for some reason people keep voting them back into power. They were in a terrible state before these cuts , many Third world countries have better roads https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/pol ... a-quarter/
I've noticed more and more not getting repaired for weeks here as well. The money is an issue but fix cheap is fix twice etc.
by hjd10
9 May 2021, 9:41pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Fed-up with slow fix of potholes?
Replies: 31
Views: 5581

Re: Fed-up with slow fix of potholes?

thirdcrank wrote: 7 May 2021, 9:30am There was publicity recently for a JCB machine that is claimed to do the entire job in minutes.

https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/products/whee ... potholepro
It would make more sense for councils to buy these and repair the roads quickly. Here in Lincolnshire, they appear to have a policy of complete a poor repair, then fix again when it opens up because it wasn't completed properly. I remember a few years ago a trial was undertaken with a similar machine from Europe it seemed to go well but I didn't hear anything else again...

http://www.spaldingvoice.co.uk/lincolns ... ine-trial/
and here
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... conds.html

The only place that I've seen roads this bad was in Iowa in the States (I guess the cold winters are worse than here).
by hjd10
1 May 2021, 12:05pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: E-BIKES KIT CONVERSIONS
Replies: 85
Views: 9157

Re: E-BIKES KIT CONVERSIONS

stodd wrote: 27 Apr 2021, 6:13pm
peterb wrote: 27 Apr 2021, 4:55pm and would welcome suggestions and maybe a shopping list of recommended components, especially those suitable for lighter road bikes.
For road bike most people recommend rear hub kit; crank drive can be better if you have extreme hills, and front drive easier to fit in some cases.

You will find lots of useful stuff at https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits
Read it all, but in particular search down for the WHICH MOTOR? section which gives lots of information; it will give you a good idea of options and tradeoffs even if you don't buy from there, and even don't go for any of the exact motors they list.

Woosh are really good to deal with. You could probably save a little buying elsewhere, but are unlikely to get such good suggestions and service. Main problem is they are out of many items. Buying a complete kit you can be fairly sure all the parts will work well together; it's not too complicated but very reassuring when fitting your first kit.

Also, (I think I am repeating myself) look at https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/forums ... ussion.42/
I concur with the service from Woosh, I have two systems that are both in daily use. ;-)
by hjd10
18 Apr 2021, 12:41am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Humber Bridge now open to cyclists & pedestrians
Replies: 220
Views: 18080

Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Pete Owens wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 11:22pm As I said - utterly astounding that even contributors to a cycle campaign forum don't take cycling remotely seriously and have sympathy with the authorities treating us as second class citizens. Even if you accept that closing the footways is reasonable there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for prohibiting cyclists and pedestrians from crossing the bridge when they could easily repurpose one of the carriageways - or even just allow us to ride on the carriageway.

I remember we had a similar debate here when they attempted to ban us from the A63, with many contributors not seeing a problem with banning cyclists from a road that they didn't personally use.
Hopefully, they will come up with a resolution that works for all. Sometimes it helps to look at the issue from the bridge authorities' point of view 1st and try to work with them to find a resolution. Otherwise, the organisation 'cycle campaigners' looks like a sad bunch of moaners who only care about themselves.
by hjd10
17 Apr 2021, 10:53pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Humber Bridge now open to cyclists & pedestrians
Replies: 220
Views: 18080

Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Pete Owens wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 8:59pm
thirdcrank wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 6:29am Perhaps one thing to reflect on here is that the relevant authorities don't seem to see cUK as significant.
The problem is not that they see CUK as insignificant it is that they see cyclists as insignificant.

Had suicides been jumping from the side of the road the thought of closing the bridge to motor traffic simply wouldn't have occurred to them. After all, as someone pointed out up-thread - they could have easily retained pedestrian and cycle access while closing the footways by the simple measure of closing one of the carriageways to motors and setting up a contraflow.

What is more astonishing is that so many contributors to a cycle forum think their actions are reasonable. If we can't even convince other cyclists that cyclists are as important as motorists, or that subjecting cyclists to a 60 mile detour is excessive, what hope do we have of convincing the authorities to take us seriously.
The authorities I'd imagine don't care very much about the cyclist issues right now, the bridge staff are probably threaders with the number of recent suicides. Many years ago I used to work at Leconfield on the SAR and can remember very well some of the shouts for people who jumped off the bridge. :-(
by hjd10
13 Apr 2021, 9:58pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Which Forks?
Replies: 27
Views: 1915

Re: Which Forks?

Chris56 wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 10:05am
hjd10 wrote: 12 Apr 2021, 9:58pm
gregoryoftours wrote: 12 Apr 2021, 8:30pm Cool, I'm glad you got it sorted. I have that fork as well, you certainly don't have to worry about it breaking! I think it looks ok on the bike too despite not being built to aesthetically match with an integrated headset.
Yes, the way the gear cables are routed hides aesthetic. :D
I picked up a tyre today from Rutland cycles in Nottingham, looking around there were some bikes priced at over £10,000. This puts the total cost (less than £350) of my audax bike into perspective!
They've got a really nice selection in there. I do call in occasionally too. Think the most i've spent in there is £35 on a set of pedals so don't think im their best customer!
There weren’t many bikes on the bottom floor, it looked like they have been selling plenty of bikes. I wish Spa cycles was a bit closer to home!
by hjd10
13 Apr 2021, 9:55pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Which Forks?
Replies: 27
Views: 1915

Re: Which Forks?

markjohnobrien wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 9:09am 10k is expensive - but, then again, I tend to only buy second hand.
There is some money about! 😏