Sunday 17 February 2008

Into the sunset


It's been a while since I wrote anything on this blog and I owe an apology to the small circle of readers who visit regularly.
Some of you will have read about the huge public demonstrations against school closures in Herefordshire which were provoked by Nulabour attempting to do to local schools what it is currently doing to local hospitals. I'm proud to say that Dr Ray will be able to look his grandchildren in the eye and say that he played his part in the Great Herefordshire Revolt. Although I have now taken a back seat, the campaign was draining and I now need a rest from blogging and political rabble-rousing.
I do have other excuses.
I originally set up this blog to help publicise UK-radiology, our profit-sharing private scanning and radiology setup in Herefordshire. Along the way the blog exposed the poor value the taxpayers were getting from the Mercury Healthcare (now Care UK) 2nd wave diagnostic contract and soon after the contract was canceled. The blog also documented the experiences of what seems to be the only hospital consultant to attend one of the early Darzi rallies and revealed the scam that was passing for consultation. The Department of Health was forced to admit to offering "expenses" to only some groups of participants and, having attended a meeting myself since, I sense the blatant vote-rigging has been reined in.
The original aim of website promotion has achieved its purpose, with UK-radiology, or one of its many variants, on the first page of Google for all the relevant search terms. In fact this has led to its own problems because I now get a large number of emails which, either have to be deleted (penis enlargement and money making scams mostly-poor targeting I say, being well provided for in both departments!) or individually answered.
Many of the genuine enquirers fall into two groups. One group are unhappy with the medical care they received locally and are really after a second opinion. When I get the details, the advice they had received seems to me, in fact, usually quite reasonable. The problem is that expectations are often unrealistically high. The other group of enquiries are from people wanting total body scans just to check things out. I made a conscious decision not to offer this type of scan when we started out because I am not satisfied that these scans are ethical. The problem is that explaining all this is very time consuming and I still have my full-time NHS job to do.
As any consultants reading this will know this is also a busy time in hospitals. The annual mutual arse-sniffing exercise, more commonly referred to as "Appraisal" has come around again and everyone suddenly realises they don't have enough Continuous Medical Education points (because reading the textbooks and journals doesn't count, whereas attending a meeting to listen to a manufacturer's sales pitch does) and that they haven't done the requisite annual audit (because discussing a diagnosis with the surgeon and pathologist doesn't count whereas documenting the number of toilets in the department with jammed paper hand towels does).
The other thing that has come around again is the so-called Clinical Excellence Awards which link consultants' pay to ability to exaggerate and fill in forms. I don't think an anonymous blog counts towards such awards though I am so desperate for material I might try it this year.
Finally, one of our number is on maternity leave and we decided to do her work between us rather than employ a locum. Radiologists suffer a credibility problem in hospitals and a bad locum can undo, in a few weeks, what has taken years to build up. Fortunately it is working quite well but its another chunk out of my evenings.
What I am getting at is that the blog has to go, at least for the present. I will return when I have more time or if I need to get something off my chest but for now I will stick to reading other blogs and posting the occasional comment.
As a football manager might say: "At the end of the day, the sun will rise again"
Xavier

35 comments:

Garth Marenghi said...

I've enjoyed reading the Dr Ray blog, I'll keep an eye out for any future musings..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Took me a while to drop by to realise you'd gone (as I have too from the blogosphere for similar reasons to yourself - time needs to be better spent elsewhere). I never needed another private MRI scan - the NHS took over my care which, apart from a few painful months waiting for the operation, has been second to none. I know things are different from the inside but as a consumer I'm generally pretty happy with the service I get.

Wishing you well for the future.

Anonymous said...

Dr Ray

Do post more frequently. I still miss you :) and I never did turn into a bunny boiler - although perhaps a bunny instead :)

Lots of love
Rita

PS Both my sister and I read your blog - as your biggest fans, please write more of the usual fun.

Dragonfly said...

Hooray for rabble rousing I say!

Anonymous said...

http://notdrrant.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Ray

We need you. Please return back to the blogsphere.

Rita

Anonymous said...

C'mon Dr Ray.

Your country needs you!

精神年齢 said...

あなたの精神年齢を占ってみよう!当サイトは、みんなの「精神年齢度」をチェックする性格診断のサイトです。精神年齢度には、期待以上の意外な結果があるかも??興味がある方はぜひどうぞ

逆円助 said...

さあ、今夏も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか?当サイトは円助交際の逆、つまり女性が男性を円助する『逆円助交際』を提供します。逆円交際を未経験の方でも気軽に遊べる大人のマッチングシステムです。年齢上限・容姿・経験一切問いません。男性の方は無料で登録して頂けます。貴方も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか

精神年齢 said...

みんなの精神年齢を測定できる、メンタル年齢チェッカーで秘められた年齢がズバリわかっちゃう!かわいいあの子も実は精神年齢オバサンということも…合コンや話のネタに一度チャレンジしてみよう

童貞卒業 said...

童貞卒業を考えているなら、迷わずココ!今まで童貞とヤッた事がない女性というのは意外と多いものです。そんな彼女たちは一度童貞とやってみたいと考えるのは自然な事と言えるでしょう。当サイトにはそんな好奇心旺盛な女性たちが登録されています

メル友募集 said...

最近仕事ばかりで毎日退屈してます。そろそろ恋人欲しいです☆もう夏だし海とか行きたいな♪ k.c.0720@docomo.ne.jp 連絡待ってるよ☆

動物占い said...

あなたの性格を、動物に例えて占っちゃいます。もしかしたらこんな動物かも!?動物占いをうまく使って、楽しい人間関係を築いてください

家出 said...

家出中の女性や泊まる所が無い女性達がネットカフェなどで、飲み放題のドリンクで空腹を満たす生活を送っています。当サイトはそんな女性達をサポートしたいという人たちと困っている女性たちの為のサイトです

セレブラブ said...

セレブ女性との割り切りお付き合いで大金を稼いでみませんか?女性に癒しと快楽、男性に謝礼とお互い満たしあえる当サイト、セレブラブはあなたの登録をお待ちしております。

夏フェス!! said...

夏フェス一緒に行ってくれる人募集!!夏の思い出一緒につくろぉ☆ megumi-0830@docomo.ne.jp 連絡してね♪

無料ゲーム said...

あなたのゲーマー度を無料ゲーム感覚で測定します。15個の質問に答えるだけの簡単測定で一度遊んでみませんか?ゲームが得意な人もそうでない人もぜひどうぞ。

素人 said...

Hな女性たちは素人ホストを自宅やホテルに呼び、ひとときの癒しを求めていらっしゃいます。当サイトでは男性ホスト様の人員が不足しており、一日3~4人の女性の相手をするホストもおられます。興味を持たれた方は当サイトにぜひお越しください

出会い系 said...

実は出会い系には…関係者用入り口があるのを知っていますか?広告主やスポンサー用に用意されたIDではサクラや業者が立ち入ることが出来ないようになっているのです。当サイトでは極秘に入手した関係者用URLが公開されています

逆援助 said...

男性はお金、女性は快楽を得る逆援助に興味はありませんか?お金を払っても性的欲求を満たしたいセレブ達との割り切り1日のお付き合いで当サイトでは大金を得ることができます。無料登録なのでアルバイト感覚でOK、詳しくはTOPページでどうぞ。

友達募集 said...

ホムペ完成記念!私の事みんなに知ってもらいたくて頑張りましたぁ。色々とご感想をお待ちしているので思った事を意見してください。メアドはほむぺにのせてありますぅ!★ fan.jna@docomo.ne.jp

家出 said...

夏休みで気軽に家出する女子○生が急増しています。しかし家出したはいいものの泊る所やお金が無い彼女たちは、掲示板などで泊めてくれる男性を探す子も多いようです。当掲示板にも夏休みに入ってから通常の3倍以上のメッセージが寄せられています

人妻 said...

今最もアツイバイトは人妻とのセフレ契約です。当サイトではお金を払ってでもセフレがほしい人妻が集まり、男性会員様との逆援生活を待っています。当サイトで欲求不満の女性との出会いをしてみませんか

素人 said...

素人ホストでは、男性のテクニック次第で女性会員様から高額な謝礼がもらえます。欲求不満な人妻や、男性と出会いが無い女性達が当サイトで男性を求めていらっしゃいます。興味のある方はTOPページからどうぞ

友達募集中 said...

少し魅惑な自分をネットだから公開してみました。普段言えない事など、思い切って告白しているプロフなので興味ある方はぜひ除いてみてください連絡待ってまぁす。 hinyaaaaa@docomo.ne.jp

Anonymous said...

Dear Dr. Ray,

My name is Barbara O’ Brien and my blogging at The Mahablog, Crooks and Liars, AlterNet, and elsewhere on the progressive political and health blogophere has earned me the notoriety of being a panelist at the Yearly Kos Convention and a featured guest blogger at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC.

I’m contacting you because I found your site in a prominent health reform blog search and want to tell you about my newest blogging platform —the public concern of health care and its reform. Our shared concerns include health reform, tort reform, public health, safe workplaces, and asbestos contamination.

To increase awareness on these important issues, my goal is to get a resource link on your site or even allow me to provide a guest posting. Please contact me back, I hope to hear from you soon. Drop by our site in the meantime—www.maacenter.org/blog.

Thanks,

Barbara O’ Brien
barbaraobrien@maacenter.org

TRA said...

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. An MRI scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create pictures, on a computer, of tissues, organs and other structures inside your body. http://mriscan.blogspot.com

TRA said...

During the scan you will be alone in the exam room, but you can talk to and listen to the technologist using an intercom, who will watch you through a glass window and video camera.


http://mriscan.blogspot.com

TRA said...

During the scan you will be alone in the exam room, but you can talk to and listen to the technologist using an intercom, who will watch you through a glass window and video camera.


http://mriscan.blogspot.com

Nurse and Hospital Stories said...

"At the end of the day, the sun will rise again"

Agree. Unless it's the end of the world, eh. btw, looking forward for an updated post. :)

Cheers,
Peny@nurse uniform

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