Common Purpose #2

Yesterday's post resulted in some excellent comments, not least this one from Apogee:

Could just be me this morning, but I get a strong feeling that a problem was needed to result in a particular solution.
Most of the problems we have are the unintended consequences of the application of half-arsed policies dreamed up by apparatchiks with no common sense and no conception of the problems they would cause by applying these policies in the wild. And by the time the problems surface, the originators are long gone to other public service jobs.
Nothing will change,"lessons will be learnt", and forgotten till the next time. This is the EU way of doing things, a little at a time and never go back. Do not panic the sheeple lest they bolt. That could cause BIG problems.

Both Sheila and Elaine were kind enough to provide links which, if you didn't read the comments, were related to my post.

Sheila discovered the Annie E Casey Foundation which is an American organisation 'dedicated to researching, developing, testing and communicating what works to improve outcomes for children'.  Real CP speak.  

As well as questionnaires for 9 - 13 year olds and 14+ year olds, parents of children from 0 - 8 are also being asked to take part.  

Note that in the surveys completed within school hours, Evidence2Success states that ' it won't be possible to identify you at the end of this process'.  They've completely deceived these children, because it's obvious to any thinking adult that by being asked for their age, date of birth, gender, type of school, what year they are in and ethnic group, that researchers will have a name and address for the child.

Furthermore, stating that the survey is secret/confidential is false because it also states 'We will match your questionnaire answers to other information the school and council holds about you'.  That would be impossible without having a name and address.

As I said yesterday I think some of the questions are an intrusion into any child's privacy.  Also I consider it places ideas into a child's head that some things must be 'right' or the question about them wouldn't be asked.

It's so disappointing that my own local council, Perth and Kinross, appear to be proud to be the first in Scotland willing to put school children - and pre-school children and mothers - through such questionnaires on the blatant lie that the information is confidential.

I wouldn't like any child of mine to feel pressured into doing this survey, would you?  As one mother said in the Courier article, "Yes it does say that it's voluntary, but some children will be too timid to say no, especially if they see their peers taking part."

If the government require such information they should be including parents not alienating them. Children are as likely to give the answers they think 'right' in a school situation as they are in their own home. JRB's point that social/health questionnaires aimed at children should be done within a health or social environment is sensible.

But Common Purpose trained individuals have their common sense removed while they're brainwashed. Their aim is power and financial gain and they will do anything to achieve that - even concocting a problem which fits one of their 'off the shelf' solutions.

I wonder what these children will think when they're old enough to realise all the information they provided is in a file somewhere and will be there, for use use of certain agencies, until the day they die?

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Kinloch Rannoch's Demand for a Doctor Rumbles On

Many of you may never have heard of Kinloch Rannoch, a small Perthshire rural community which sits on the banks for the River Tummel. It is 18 miles west of Pitlochry and a place where peace and tranquillity prosper. Kinloch Rannoch has 350 village residents and approximately 270 living in the surrounding areas of Tummel Bridge, Rannoch Station, Trinafour, Struan and Bridge of Gaur - tiny communities originating from agriculture and workers' needs.

For some time now residents of Kinloch Rannoch have had a problem. They lost their resident GP in 2007 when their doctor retired and, because in 2004 GPs were given the option to opt out of 24-hour local GP cover, no replacement could be found. They demand they have another GP who is on call 24 hours a day and consider the GP facilities now provided are too far (18 miles) and the introduction of 'first responders' is not professional enough.

On the Politics Show this Sunday Professor Alyson Pollock of Edinburgh University and Dr Andrew Buist, a rural Perthshire GP representing the BMA, argued about the provision of 24-hour GP cover to rural areas. Ms Pollock seemed to miss the point made by Dr Buist that no rural area in Perthshire is covered by a GP on a 24-hour basis.

I live in a rural area, larger and less isolated than Kinloch Rannoch but like everyone in Scotland, between the hours of 5.30pm and 8.30am and every weekend there is no local GP cover and for medical care only NHS 24 or 999 is available. This is the modern health service. Kinloch Rannoch says it can take an hour for an ambulance to reach an emergency but they also have an air ambulance to help out in such situations. In many parts of Perthshire an ambulance can take an hour or more to reach a patient and if NHS 24 recommends a doctor's visit an hour is not an exception.

Kinloch Rannoch will have to adapt to modern times. Living in such a beautiful area of the Scotland comes with advantages and disadvantages.

It was this article which prompted me to compose this post. Perhaps it's time they counted their blessings. Many do I suspect.

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NHS Food and Baby Care

An NHS Tayside roadshow highlighting the importance of food, drink and nutrition to clinical care was launched at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee this week. It is estimated that between 15% and 40% of patients who are admitted to UK hospitals are at risk of malnutrition. Ninewells is playing a significant role.

Dietetic consultant Joyce Thompson said "We're invested a lot of time in training staff to carry out assessments with patients. To begin with we have a discussion with the patient, then we weigh them and work out their body mass index to find out if they're already suffering from malnutrition, or if they're at risk. Patients are involved at every stage from menu to recipe development. There's been a lot of enthusiasm and positive vibes from the wards and the kitchen. At the end of the day, food and drink matters and it's something the patients talk about - they care."

To be honest, if you're in hospital food becomes the highlight of the day for most, or at least mealtime does. To think that between 15% and 40% of patients are at risk is a vast amount. A more interesting analysis would be to see how these percentages relate to age groups, although it is admitted the elderly are more vulnerable.

Now NHS Tayside is offering individual menus to patients, perhaps they can get around to ensuring every patient is able to feed themselves. Just the other week a friend mentioned when visiting her mother, she complained of hunger. It appears she couldn't reach her lunch tray and nobody offered help. Did my friend complain? No, she thought it would be a waste of time with endless letters going back and forth.

I wonder if this has extended to Scottish maternity units? In recent years Bounty, best known for providing "goodie bags" to mothers, have started to take photographs if newborn babies in increasing numbers of hospitals in England, signing separate contracts with trusts in which it agrees to pay out about £1.50 per picture taken.

It's staff - who are allowed to park free on hospital sites while patients and relatives are forced to pay - tour maternity wards with laptops and cameras and after a new mother arrives from the delivery suite they ask to take photos of the new child. If the mother signs up she is charged for the prints.

Surely this is an invasion of privacy - perhaps not legally but certainly morally. Childbirth is stressful enough without worrying about a complete stranger thrusting a camera into your baby's face then charging you for the privilege.

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