Friday 21 September 2007

Nulabour's hospital closure consultation

Gordon Brown.....Alan Johnson.....Ara Darzi

Yesterday evening I had an insight into the workings of Nulabours "consultation" process on the planned closure of NHS District General Hospitals and replacement with dumbed down polyclinics.

A few weeks ago invitations to attend a public consultation were sent to consultants at our Trust. We were only given one day to reply for the meeting in the near future even though we have to give 6 weeks notice of leave because of "choose and book".

Obviously this meant that most of us could not attend but one consultant did take up the invitation.

The location of the meeting was kept secret until three days before the event and when this consultant was eventually told the location and turned up in Birmingham for the "Citizens Jury" it turned out that medical staff were outnumbered 2:1 by laypeople specifically chosen by an agency to attend the event. The media were present and had obviously been invited to publicise the event.

The delegates were split up into groups and each allocated an electronic voting device. A "minder" was allocated to each group.

Then the stars of the show arrived: Gordon Brown, Alan Johnson and Ara Darzi.

There followed a rapid succession of questions from the podium on which the delegates were asked to vote. The minder was available to suggest the best answer if there was any doubt.

Strangely, almost all the votes were 2:1 in favour of Nulabour's policy. Even the question: "Would you prefer gynaecological surgery to be carried out in your GP practice even if it meant the closure of your DGH facility?" was answered with 2:1 in favour.

Following the "consultation" the medical delegates were told to leave but the other 2/3 of the audience were kept back and each given an envelope. My colleague was intrigued by this and managed to catch one of the "chosen ones" and ask about the contents. Each envelope contained £75 in cash!

So now the consultation is over and the results indicate there is overwhelming public and doctor support for closing down the DGHs. I can only say that the way the voting was done makes the "Blue Peter" voting fraud seem like, well, "Blue Peter".

According to the Downing Street website there are nine more of these "consultations" due around the county. Thats an awful lot of people to bribe with taxpayers money, but once they're done the business of closing the DGHs can start in earnest.

96 comments:

Dr Rant said...

I get angry quite often, but I'm rarely shocked.

I've pointed our readers in you direction.

Well done.

Frank

the A&E Charge Nurse said...

Dr Ray - Isn't the problem one of complicity ?

Presumably nobody was holding a gun to the head of the pack straining to tear down the local DGH [why weren't they simply given a wecking-ball instead of an electronic voting devices].

And I've heard it said time and time again that what is needed is a respected senior clinican to oversee development of NHS services - well now we've got Darzi, why isn't everybody jumping for joy ?

Perhaps ordinary people are not really being f**ked over hard enough, or why else are so many of them forming an orderly cue up to kiss NuLab ass.

When Bliar & Hewitt visited our Trust [to view the new digital radiology system] the great and good of the hospital were photographed fawning all over both of them - I can tell you now it wasn't a pretty sight.

None of staff [including the consultants and senior nurses] appeared to give a shit about MTAS, job freezes and all the rest of it - no, the photo opportunity simply proved too irresistable for them.

Blame slimey politicians by all means but perhaps Brown & Co would not get away with so much if there wasn't an ARMY of Quislings willing to prop up the sort of devious measures highlighted in your post ?

Garth Marenghi said...

It makes me want to punch the wall, cry, laugh and then head butt the wall.

This government is beneath contempt.

Dr Xavier Ray said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr Xavier Ray said...

"I've pointed our readers in you direction."
Thank you Dr Rant. There are 9 more of these meetings to come so its important medical people know how they are run.
Ara Darzi is doing a web Q&A session on the Downing Street website soon. I suspect it is just going to be a sham too and don't really know whether to try and get a question in or not give the whole thing more validity by getting involved.

Mr Salmon said...

Dr Ray,

Would you or your consultant colleague be prepared to act as a verified source for a member of the media? As a rumour, this post will achieve nothing. As a verified story, who knows what damage it could to?

Keep up the good work,

Mr Salmon

Dr Xavier Ray said...

Mr Salmon said:
"Would you or your consultant colleague be prepared to act as a verified source for a member of the media? As a rumour, this post will achieve nothing. As a verified story, who knows what damage it could to?"
The events were described to me and about 30 other consultants two days after the event. I did not attend myself and "volunteering" the person who went would not be a career enhancing move for either of us. Neither of us are that keen on gardening!
I hope some more people who attended the meeting come forward and I know that the goings-on have been brought to the attention of a few MPs so they might be able to unearth some more details.
If I can do nothing else at least the future meetings planned might get more attention from the more critical media and from doctors who might not be so willing to follow the party line.

Unsworth said...

Excellent work. Well done and congratulations on your personal courage.

Keep it coming. This is nothing less than out and out corruption - and on the part of the 'organisers'. Deborah Mattinson is at the centre of this - check out Guido Fawkes for the real lowdown on this scam.

Dr Xavier Ray said...

Thank you Chuck. Have you got a link to the article on Guido Fawkes as I had a look at the blog and couldn't see it

oldgit said...

This makes the old Victorian rotten boroughs and etc look positively civilised. Could the Electoral Commission play a part here? From the Electoral Commission site:-

“The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the democratic process”.

Staff Nurse M said...

How about asking Dr Barry Monk to attend one of the meetings? He has already put his head above the parapit with the save "Bedford Hospital" party.

Dr Xavier Ray said...

The A&E charge nurse said:
Blame slimey politicians by all means but perhaps Brown & Co would not get away with so much if there wasn't an ARMY of Quislings willing to prop up the sort of devious measures highlighted in your post
It didn't take many people to run the holocaust killing machine and there will always be a few people willing to work with the politicians and the vastly larger number who just want to get on with their lives. You say Darzi is a respected clinician. His career has benefited hugely from his close involvement with Nulabour over many years and he has been prepared to shaft his colleagues to further his career. We see the same with Liam Donaldson.
It is partially happening because the majority are complacent and a few complicit but there is also a well polished political machine at work systematically demonizing GPs and Consultants and ignoring their views. We saw just how evil these people are in the Citizens Jury in Birmingham I referred to in my post.

Dr Xavier Ray said...

Nursing Student said...

How about asking Dr Barry Monk to attend one of the meetings? He has already put his head above the parapit with the save "Bedford Hospital" party.


It's not me who chooses who attends these meetings. I do know that I would have been in breach of trust policy on leave if I had attended.
Barry Monk knows about the Birmingham meeting and about the way it was run. Hopefully the future meetings planned will be less of a Nulabour rally with some mainstream press and independent consultants able to attend.
It may be Gordos belief that he can do what he likes and manipulate democracy when it suits him will be Nulabours downfall.

Anonymous said...

London Regional Council of the BMA are having a debate on the D'Arzi reforms on Oct 25th at BMA house. Only 60 places available therefore any interested London doc can register for it. No one will be paid and can speak openly.
Tiz North chairman

Anonymous said...

Post this on the Indymedia newswire.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk

xxx

dizzy said...

Is this the consultation you went too?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RaWrDc7r0U8

Dr Xavier Ray said...

Yes "dizzy". My colleague went, not myself-that is why I need people who were there to come forward.
The clip you link to was done for the Downing St website. The independant media don't seem to have been invited.
They don't show them handing out envelopes of money on the clip but they have now admitted it took place.

Anonymous said...

we can not let the government get away with the way they are treating the NHS.

I found your blog very interesting and hopefullyn journalists will take note.

I myself have tried to make a tiny difference ny writing a book about the priblems in the NHS. It is called in stitches; the highs and lows of life as an A&E doctor.

well done onm highlighting the issue
drnickedwards@gmail.com

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