In my last message where I wrote: <<<< In our neck of the woods (National Health Service: Bath/Bristol region) the hospitals store incoming patients in ambulances outside the hospital. Then they move into the corridors. Then, if they haven't died in the meantime, they might get a bed in a ward and be able to see a consultant a couple of days later. At least they did last winter, then there was a howl of protest, a hospital manager lost her job, but it'll happen again this winter. >>>>
I should have added that it turned out that the hospital manager who lost her job was actually appointed to an even higher job in the National Health Service. She was appointed Director of a university-based training unit. Training whom? Yes, you've guessed! -- future hospital managers for the NHS. (In case anybody detects sexism in my remarks -- goodness knows, some people are super-sensitive about these matters -- let me say that I saw this hospital manager interviewed on regional TV [while the ambulance crisis was ongoing] and she struck me as being a highly intelligent, competent person. It was just that . . . well . . . she had an impossible job. In truth, she was ground between two millwheels -- the lower wheel of medical need by the public and the higher wheel of impossible instructions coming down from a government office a hundred miles away. The same situation applies to our state education system, our police force, our social benefits system, our nursing system for old people, our prison system, our postal system, our transport system (half-private, half-government). Those, too, are falling to pieces. But our water, gas and electricity systems, previously government-controlled, and now privatised [with approximately 25% cheaper prices to cusomers] appear to be doing fine with no hiccups.) Keith Hudson ___________________________________________________________________ Keith Hudson, Bath, England; e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________________
