Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

Certainly no toilets on the planes to the Isles of Scilly, or to Alderney.
Heck, you can't even leave your seat!!

 

What a surprise - the Government gave in to the doctors and they are already back demanding more. They have also given in to the rail unions and scrapped any requirement for changes in working practice. I can understand now why they had to scrap the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners, but not for MPs!

 

Your family doctor now going on strike??..yep!
They only work 3 days a week now anyway?
They shud be paid per patient attending and not if you do or dont need to see a doctor, that wud shut em up?

 

My GP's practice sent a message round saying they are now working to the strict terms of the contract and will only be having the number of appointments per day they are contracted to have.
So more of a work to rule.

 

For some yrs my GP practice has had a notice on the door saying if you drop a letter in, it will not be looked at for 5 working days.

Actually, they just hate patients, full stop. The receptionists are rude and abrupt, and deliberately withhold information. For example ...

Patient: The A&E doctor asked me to arrange a 24 hr heart monitor test.
Receptionist: We don't do those at this surgery.
End of conversation.

What the receptionist failed to reveal was the surgery books you in to have it done at the hospital clinic half a mile away. Unless you happen to know that, you are stuffed.

 

In most cases GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are employed by the practice which may be run as a company, or part of a group of practices, or as a partnership.
My brother has been a GP for 20 - 30 years and is a partner in the practice. For a long time he did 4 days in the surgery and then 1 day at home on paperwork, plus Saturday morning cover a couple of times a month. During the week he seldom finished before 1900hrs.
From him I did learn that the practice gets a capitation fee based on the number of patients on the books with additional sums available for achieving certain targets such as % of patients vaccinated for flu every autumn, children vaccinated and such like.

 

I've been on internal flights in Nepal where they still do that.

 

I've been on pleasure flights from Headcorn aerodrome and if you are over a certain weight you cant go.

 

Just watched something on TV about food banks, the woman who runs one was asked what kind of people use her food bank.
The reply was, we get all kinds, doctors, nurses, teachers etc.

Should she be allowing those kind of people to actually use the food bank, I thought they were for people who were struggling.

OK those professional people may be struggling, but surely food banks are not for people who are earning a decent salary.

 

Depends whereabouts in the country the foodbank is, junior doctors are not paid well, in the first few years after qualification (Junior Doctor covers a lot of doctors some with 10 years + experience). I would also think that newly qualified nurses and teachers on the bottom rung of the pay ladder especially with dependents also struggle. You have to remember the cost of housing, transport and utilities has to come out of the salary as well as food.
Most food banks require some form of referral from a GP, Vicar or similar, social worker, Citizens Advice etc. They are not a simple turn up and help yourself service.

 

Labour said that they would renationalise the railways. Where are they going to get the money for that? Remember the work of Dr Beeching? Be prepared for more lines to close in order to reduce losses!

 

I just think if they are struggling how do they think the bloke or woman that cleans the toilets manages to survive.

 

Means tested food banks?
I only donate pet food so that I don’t have to think about the person at the receiving end and whether I’d like them or not. Pets are just pets and if I can keep one out of a rescue centre, I’m happy.

 

That is true for every job. Latest figures I can find for pay indicate £32k(ish) at the start of their training to £65k(ish) after 5 years training. Not exactly minimum wage.
I agree many people should be better paid, but let's not get the violins out just yet.

 

I do think about them especially those that have been forced out of London by housing costs and are commuting for an hour plus into London.
I'd have found it a lot harder to manage today than when I started my career.
Housing costs have gone up disproportionately since 1984 when I started work after university.