tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post277935275508235479..comments2024-03-28T09:14:52.110+00:00Comments on Sinclair's Musings: The NHS keeping busyMatthew Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05948452770723874618noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post-42968704925416645122007-11-04T06:40:00.000+00:002007-11-04T06:40:00.000+00:00Glad you find it so bloody amusing, as one who had...Glad you find it so bloody amusing, as one who had to give up work for 2 years, and fly back from Australia to care for a parent who was given MRSA I'm a good deal less easily amused. Thats 2 years I earned nothing, paid nothing into the mortgage, pension fund, savings/investment accounts, or even had a bloody holiday on the Costa del wherever. Multiply that by all the other mugs who have had to do the same and its no wonder the UK is going down the financial gurgler. Thank God I had an Aussie passport and could leave that third world dump again. And the sad thing is, it was once such a wonderful place before the apathy of its inhabitants allowed it to disintegrate into a morass. Rant mode OFF :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post-40292836690906705422007-10-30T12:48:00.000+00:002007-10-30T12:48:00.000+00:00I like the spirit Mountjoy but unfortunately they ...I like the spirit Mountjoy but unfortunately they get wound up all the time. They just then get set up again with a new name and much shuffling of desks.Matthew Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05948452770723874618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post-45859701780977357572007-10-30T12:37:00.000+00:002007-10-30T12:37:00.000+00:00In NuLabSpeak interim means forever ... except in ...In NuLabSpeak interim means forever ... except in the case of the UKXIRA!<BR/><BR/>This should be a scoop - First Quango Wound Up Ever.Mountjoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17385482147330173836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post-41637388728194390072007-10-30T10:05:00.000+00:002007-10-30T10:05:00.000+00:00My criticism is of the NHS's "unwieldy and byzanti...My criticism is of the NHS's "unwieldy and byzantine structure, both centralised and out of control". If you want to take issue with my analysis explain how this, the third largest organisation in the world, is a sensible way of delivering healthcare.<BR/><BR/>You've taken my amusement at quango names far too seriously. I don't doubt that all these bodies have a worthy purpose and are accurately titled. I never suggested otherwise. I was just having fun to ease the pain of navigating the maze of the NHS' organisation.Matthew Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05948452770723874618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21959228.post-59031911412175176852007-10-30T09:37:00.000+00:002007-10-30T09:37:00.000+00:00Matt,The UK Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory...Matt,<BR/><BR/>The UK Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority ceased to exist on 12 December 2006. It's guidance can be found here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=115970&Rendition=Web. Xenotransplantation, for the record, is transplanting from non-humans, such as pigs, to humans and offers potential in organ transplantation and skin grafting. Given that it dealt with xenotransplantation regulation and was time-limited, its name seems strangely accurate.<BR/><BR/>The National Radiological Protection Board was brought under the HPA on 1 April 2005 and now covers both ionising (which it did before) and non-ionising radiation (which it didn't, therefore rationalising things a bit). That division is at http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/. Nevertheless, its name was fairly accurate.<BR/><BR/>As to the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, if you'd bothered to read the webpage (http://www.pasa.nhs.uk/PASAWeb/Productsandservices/Pharmaceuticals/ACBS.htm), you'd see that there are some products which have a medicinal application and a non-medicinal application; the ACBS is there to allow non-drug, non-appliance medical-use products to be provided on an NHS prescription. In other words, it is a check on spending.<BR/><BR/>You mention the Advisory Committee on Hepatitis and say that it is "[f]illing the role that used to be filled by the sober best friend before society went to the dogs". That is alcoholic hepatitis; at a guess, this committee deals with the 14 other types of hepatitis as well. Why don't you have a look at the minutes of their latest meeting at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/agh/aghmeeting180707.pdf and tell me if you think<BR/>a) they are a committee<BR/>b) they advise<BR/>and c) that advice is on hepatitis.<BR/><BR/>The Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards advises (check) on awards (check) given to individual consultants (OK, not there) for clinical excellence (check) above what is normally expected in the job. Can I suggest you write to the consultants listed here (http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/accea/awards2007-level12-platinum.pdf) and tell them that the people who gave them their awards are 'beyond parody'?<BR/><BR/>Just because you don't have expert knowledge (or in most cases can't be bothered to look up long words) doesn't mean that all organisations in the Government are useless. The five you've chosen seem reasonably worthy, apart from the fact that only three of them are still around.<BR/><BR/>xD.Dave Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14607982331690895063noreply@blogger.com