WAMT....what annoyed me today!

[woof woof]

Been so busy the last few days as making many phone calls and sending emails to people saying since my mother had a fall breaking her hip she is now doing well after a hip replacement, she is now waiting to go in to a nursing home. Person I spoke to on the phone said How do we know that you are her son and POA on money and property, told to them to look at the email I sent them with proof of it all they are now going to look at it AGAIN and get back to me at 1.30 today. Stupid people.

Glad she's now doing ok.

My mam fell out of bed recently but luckily just needed wounds dressing and oxygen. Whilst at hospital we were offered all kinds of services and whenever I asked how much they cost the answer was that they're free. The phone calls started that evening and were still continuing last night and guess what? Everything that I was told was "free" is chargeable. I really don't like the NHS telling me falsehoods and I don't appreciate them passing my details to companies who then contact me multiple times wanting me to sign up to chargeable services.

Oh and while I'm talking about my mam. She had delirium a while back and was hospitalised for three weeks. During that time the NHS lied on multiple occasions, lost property and discharged her to an old folks home costing £10k a month with no authority to do so. I eventually gave up when attempting to complain as I was just stonewalled at every turn. My sister then took up the challenge but she too had to give up. There was just a deluge of lies, denials and stonewalling. I will never clap for the NHS again. I'm now for massive and far reaching reform and if necessary mass sackings.

 

[Fuji Dave]

Glad she's now doing ok.

My mam fell out of bed recently but luckily just needed wounds dressing and oxygen. Whilst at hospital we were offered all kinds of services and whenever I asked how much they cost the answer was that they're free. The phone calls started that evening and were still continuing last night and guess what? Everything that I was told was "free" is chargeable. I really don't like the NHS telling me falsehoods and I don't appreciate them passing my details to companies who then contact me multiple times wanting me to sign up to chargeable services.

Oh and while I'm talking about my mam. She had delirium a while back and was hospitalised for three weeks. During that time the NHS lied on multiple occasions, lost property and discharged her to an old folks home costing £10k a month with no authority to do so. I eventually gave up when attempting to complain as I was just stonewalled at every turn. My sister then took up the challenge but she too had to give up. There was just a deluge of lies, denials and stonewalling. I will never clap for the NHS again. I'm now for massive and far reaching reform and if necessary mass sackings.

On some I am shocked, as they have all had photo copies of the POA and still ask so I have told them straight to sort it out on their end as all my Mums direct debits will be stopped as soon as she is in a nursing home. Can't wait till my rest day tomorrow.

 

[woof woof]

On some I am shocked, as they have all had photo copies of the POA and still ask so I have told them straight to sort it out on their end as all my Mums direct debits will be stopped as soon as she is in a nursing home. Can't wait till my rest day tomorrow.

I don't think there's any limit to the lack of organisation or sheer incompetence in the NHS and of course the danger is that this will lead to dishonesty.

The excuses will involve the Tories, lack of money and lack of staff. The poor dears.

 

[Fuji Dave]

I don't think there's any limit to the lack of organisation or sheer incompetence in the NHS and of course the danger is that this will lead to dishonesty.

The excuses will involve the Tories, lack of money and lack of staff. The poor dears.

Me and my wife have been telling them all that after my Mums falls she is sadly not safe at home on her own, they kept saying we will review her case soon. Then two nearly three weeks ago she had the fall, so I told them DO NOT discharge her back home and thank god this time they agree with me and even Mum had asked as well.

 

[woof woof]

Me and my wife have been telling them all that after my Mums falls she is sadly not safe at home on her own, they kept saying we will review her case soon. Then two nearly three weeks ago she had the fall, so I told them DO NOT discharge her back home and thank god this time they agree with me and even Mum had asked as well.

Unfortunately I have reduced confidence at best in the NHS these days.

Hope she's ok.

 

[Fuji Dave]

Unfortunately I have reduced confidence at best in the NHS these days.

Hope she's ok.

Mum is doing really well now and thank you Alan, sadly because of the dementia she says she wants to go home then says a nursing home.

 

[woof woof]

Mum is doing really well now and thank you Alan, sadly because of the dementia she says she wants to go home then says a nursing home.

I live with this just about 24/7 so I know what you're going through. Here's hoping the move isn't too traumatic and that she can adjust well.

 

[Fuji Dave]

I live with this just about 24/7 so I know what you're going through. Here's hoping the move isn't too traumatic and that she can adjust well.

Thanks Alan, as I've had enough of them lot for today I am now stopping, as they have been told what to do now.

 

[sphexx]

The excuses will involve the Tories, lack of money and lack of staff. The poor dears.

The excuses reasons will involve the Tories, lack of money and lack of staff

FTFY. It is not accidental but part of the Tory strategy to run down the NHS so people will be OK with a revolutionary ‘reorganisation’ aka sell-off.

 

[woof woof]

The excuses reasons will involve the Tories, lack of money and lack of staff

FTFY. It is not accidental but part of the Tory strategy to run down the NHS so people will be OK with a revolutionary ‘reorganisation’ aka sell-off.

And if only Jeremy Corbyn had only won we'd stayed in the EC and we'd be living on milk and honey in a new golden age (unless you're Jewish of course.) Weapons grade BS.

No government can privatise the NHS. Anyone thinking that'll happen any time soon is on crack or just so politically biases they've lost all reason. Oh, er... I've accidentally found the reason for you post

 

[Marc]

And if only Jeremy Corbyn had only won we'd stayed in the EC and we'd be living on milk and honey in a new golden age (unless you're Jewish of course.) Weapons grade BS.

No government can privatise the NHS. Anyone thinking that'll happen any time soon is on crack or just so politically biases they've lost all reason. Oh, er... I've accidentally found the reason for you post

For someone who moans when people bring up brexit, you don't half mention it a lot.

Oh, and well done on the 'but Corbyn'

 

[Deleted sulking member 63079]

No government can privatise the NHS. Anyone thinking that'll happen any time soon is on crack or just so politically biases they've lost all reason. Oh, er... I've accidentally found the reason for you post

Anyone thinking it's not already happening has their head in the sand.

 

[woof woof]

Anyone thinking it's not already happening has their head in the sand.

It'd be political suicide. Time will tell but I just can't see it and I'm sure people on the left and even the far left will grudgingly accept (unless they are indeed hopelessly deluded) that Labour don't have clean hands here so anyone thinking this is solely Tory worry really do have short and biased memories.

Looking at the way the NHS is run and how they behave now I'm all for sweeping reforms but with keeping it free at the point of delivery. Maybe people who've had happier contact with the NHS than me and mine, those who think multiple diversity managers on dream wages are a good idea and those who believe it really is the envy of the world think differently.

 

[Deleted sulking member 63079]

It'd be political suicide. Time will tell but I just can't see it and I'm sure people on the left and even the far left will grudgingly accept (unless they are indeed hopelessly deluded) that Labour don't have clean hands here so anyone thinking this is solely Tory worry really do have short and biased memories.

Looking at the way the NHS is run and how they behave now I'm all for sweeping reforms but with keeping it free at the point of delivery. Maybe people who've had happier contact with the NHS than me and mine, those who think multiple diversity managers on dream wages are a good idea and those who believe it really is the envy of the world think differently.

You'd think it would have been political suicide to underfund the NHS to the point that waiting lists for scans and diagnosis appointments are almost 2 years long unless you "choose" to go private. But people are too keen to blame Covid and immigrants than admit to themselves they've been voting for a party that's been deliberately shafting the NHS and moving services to private providers who then cream some profit off the top and therefore have less money to spend on delivering the service.

But that's where we are today, so...

 

[woof woof]

You'd think it would have been political suicide to underfund the NHS to the point that waiting lists for scans and diagnosis appointments are almost 2 years long unless you "choose" to go private. But people are too keen to blame Covid and immigrants than admit to themselves they've been voting for a party that's been deliberately shafting the NHS and moving services to private providers who then cream some profit off the top and therefore have less money to spend on delivering the service.

But that's where we are today, so...

Throwing ever larger amounts of money at the NHS without at least some reform is not IMO the answer. If you read the reports of NHS v other countries are we getting a world beating system for the money? The question should be asked and whilst I believe health care should be free at the point of delivery we surely can not go on like this? Reform is IMO needed.

And remember that Labour would have locked down harder and for longer. That's what they consistently argued for. What state do you think waiting lists and the NHS would be in now if the gov of the day had done that? What do you think the excess death figures would be? Of course we'll never know the answers to these questions and the mistakes of the past are unlikely to ever be fully admitted.

I'm all for socialism but the answer when things go wrong isn't always just throwing more socialism at everything and suddenly and magically it'll work as experience and looking at the world tells us this approach just doesn't work.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I'm all for socialism but the answer when things go wrong isn't always just throwing more socialism at everything and suddenly and magically it'll work as experience and looking at the world tells us this approach just doesn't work.

To be brutal, the problem wasn't the particular party but the failure of anyone to look at the early evidence coming out of China and then look at Excercise Cygnus and understand the need to slam the doors. So far as I'm concerned, the entire cabinet bear the responsibility for everything that went wrong because they thought "If I do this, will people hate me" instead of "if I do this, will it save lives"?

 

[woof woof]

To be brutal, the problem wasn't the particular party but the failure of anyone to look at the early evidence coming out of China and then look at Excercise Cygnus and understand the need to slam the doors. So far as I'm concerned, the entire cabinet bear the responsibility for everything that went wrong because they thought "If I do this, will people hate me" instead of "if I do this, will it save lives"?

I'm a bit reluctant to blame any particular party let alone individual politicians as what would we have done? Commission reports? Listen to what the "experts" said? I think people were just terrified and like rabbits in headlights just mostly took the advice and tried to do the right thing.

Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing.

I used to read a Chinese woman's tweets which were split between technical, lifestyle and commentary and she very often gave me pause for thought. Not that what the Chinese did and are still doing would be tolerated here or is even even "right." Sadly I think because of lifestyle issue she's now invisible to me, only visible to people she approves now.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

...as what would we have done?

...read the Cygnus report, absorbed the warnings and acted on the recommendations...

"The analysis of the evaluation reports from the organisations participating in the exercise indicate that the UK’s command & control and emergency response structures provide a sound basis for the response to pandemic influenza. However, the UK’s preparedness and response, in terms of its plans, policies and capability, is currently not sufficient to cope with the extreme demands of a severe pandemic that will have a nation-wide impact across all sectors."

More here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ness/exercise-cygnus-report-accessible-report

 

[woof woof]

...read the Cygnus report, absorbed the warnings and acted on the recommendations...



More here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ness/exercise-cygnus-report-accessible-report

Or look at Sweden. Maybe at least give some time to those saying masks are theatre, lockdown could just make this worse and what are the effects on young people of closing all schools and Uni's.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Maybe at least give some time to those saying masks are theatre

Why?

All the evidence shows that enforcing mask wearing is an effective way of reducing infection of others. Obviously, the better the mask, the greater the efficiency but any mask prevents your passing on the disease if you have it.

 

[cambsno]

Throwing ever larger amounts of money at the NHS without at least some reform is not IMO the answer. If you read the reports of NHS v other countries are we getting a world beating system for the money? The question should be asked and whilst I believe health care should be free at the point of delivery we surely can not go on like this? Reform is IMO needed.

And remember that Labour would have locked down harder and for longer. That's what they consistently argued for. What state do you think waiting lists and the NHS would be in now if the gov of the day had done that? What do you think the excess death figures would be? Of course we'll never know the answers to these questions and the mistakes of the past are unlikely to ever be fully admitted.

I'm all for socialism but the answer when things go wrong isn't always just throwing more socialism at everything and suddenly and magically it'll work as experience and looking at the world tells us this approach just doesn't work.

It needs a big clean sweep - not just the NHS but Care, Education and Housing too. Needs to be cross party and without any political ideology. What do we need to do so that the next 10,25, 50 years even can be catered for. Forget the political arguments of private companies working in NHS (in France this happens and they seem to have a good system and a socialist government) - is there a benefit and worth having. I dont care if private makes up 1% or 30% of the NHS as long as its fair and it works.

Same for Education, and the issue around Care. Unless you have over say 500k in assets (not a huge amount more than a family home) then care is free. What about looking at building huge great buildings to care thousands of elderly in. In one respect like a prison (but not like a prison if you know what I mean), where there is lots of interaction between people, on hand doctors and nurses (which makes this different to an old peoples home). Better than the elderly living at home on their own (unless they want to).

Needs a lot more thinking but be brave with ideas, stop just thinking about spending more money or setting x targets. Have meaningful things that will have an impact.

 

[sphexx]

And if only Jeremy Corbyn had only won we'd stayed in the EC and we'd be living on milk and honey in a new golden age (unless you're Jewish of course.) Weapons grade BS.

No government can privatise the NHS. Anyone thinking that'll happen any time soon is on crack or just so politically biases they've lost all reason. Oh, er... I've accidentally found the reason for you post

There’s more than one way to skin a cat . Possibly I should have put privatise in quotes. A lot of it has always been private from inception ( Consultants private work* and GPs) and a lot more has been privatised since.

* Many years ago I used to get some annual allegedly tax paid bunce for work I did in research labs in a Medical School that was utilised from time to time for private patients’ tests. I have/had no idea what it what based on or how it was arrived at — no paper trail was seen by me, it just arrived out of the blue.

 

[sphexx]

Throwing ever larger amounts of money at the NHS without at least some reform is not IMO the answer. If you read the reports of NHS v other countries are we getting a world beating system for the money? The question should be asked and whilst I believe health care should be free at the point of delivery we surely can not go on like this? Reform is IMO needed.

We get the NHS on the cheap — we spend less than comparable countries on Health, often for better outcomes.

 

[Deleted sulking member 63079]

I'm a bit reluctant to blame any particular party let alone individual politicians as what would we have done? Commission reports? Listen to what the "experts" said? I think people were just terrified and like rabbits in headlights just mostly took the advice and tried to do the right thing.

Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing.

I used to read a Chinese woman's tweets which were split between technical, lifestyle and commentary and she very often gave me pause for thought. Not that what the Chinese did and are still doing would be tolerated here or is even even "right." Sadly I think because of lifestyle issue she's now invisible to me, only visible to people she approves now.

Hindsight wasn't required, operation Cygnus was done well before the Covid crisis and the govt ignored the results.

 

[JohnC6]

Bit annoyed after reading this account of a driving incident reported to the Times 'Troubleshooter' Both annoyed and surprised.

Back in February someone witnessed a Thames Water van scrape down the side of a parked car as it passed it causing a 3ft gouge. The car was parked outside the owner's home.The witness left a note on the windscreen with the van registration number written on it ,what happened,including that the driver had momentarily stopped before driving off at speed and a description of the driver was given,too. The owner Emailed Thames Water with photos of the damage. She got an automated reply stating that she'd get a reply within 10 days. Nothing.After chasing them up on several occasions by Email and social media she got a reply in May telling her that the company acknowledged that their van was in the area but couldn't give details as they were concerned about data protection so there was nothing they could do and that she should claim on her insurance. The lady wasn't asking for the driver's details, she just wanted Thames Water to pay for the repair. The response she got from the Times 'Trouble shooter' was that it was an offence to drive off ,in those circumstances, without leaving details. She could have added ...that the obligation is on the offending driver to report it to the police as soon as practicable or within 24 hours where the owner of a damaged vehicle can't be ascertained at the time .After Troubleshooter contacted Thames Water they contacted the lady. She was also advised by the Troubleshooter that she should have contacted her insurer and given the details and the insurance company would be able ascertain who the insurer for Thames Water is and then telling her it's then up to the insurance companies to sort it out. The advice goes on to say that if a car owner hasn't been able to establish who owned an offending vehicle ( obviously not in this case as it had Thames Water written on it) then go to the Motor Insurers Bureau who pay out in circumstances where the vehicle's owner cannot be established.

What that lady should have been told to do was to report it to the police and why she didn't do that initially is beyond me. The driver needed to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention, failing to stop and failing to exchange details .He had a lawful obligation to at least leave details on the windscreen or make some other effort to notify the owner .If that's not possible,then as mentioned above, report it to the police who will establish who owns the car.Anyway, he could have knocked on a few doors, he'd soon have found who the owner was. I expect he was worried what his employer would do. As ever, it's not the incident that causes most problems but the cover up..in this case failing to report it to his employer assuming there was no damage to the van but that's speculation on my part . Maybe there was damage and he said it was done whilst he was away from the vehicle. The driver obviously didn't consider that someone saw what happened.

 

[tarric]

Companies that say they will do something but never do and won't let you talk to the person supposedly dealing with your complaint.

 

[JohnC6]

I need a shoulder op..rotator cuff damage to shoulder. It's caused by a spur of bone that slowly grows so I've had it before. The Dr just referred me without me having to go to the surgery as there's nothing they can do. I'll need an MRI scan so the consultant can see exactly what the position is. X-Rays don't show enough detail.I kept my membership of the private health scheme from work after retiring so I go through that. I called the surgery to ask for a telephone appointment to ask the doctor if he/she could refer me again ..last time was just over 3 years ago . I don't know why it's happened again after just three years. The Dr referred me without me having to go to the surgery. The next telephone appointment is October 5th. Even though I won't be going through the NHS I'm still delayed by the system. Goodness knows how long I'd have to wait if I was going through the NHS for the MRI scan and op.. Not a happy bunny today.

 

[woof woof]

Just got a letter from the AA saying my breakdown membership will auto renew for £250 + change, that's up from £135 and change last year. So, I thought I'd look for other quotes and was surprised to see that I could get the same cover on line for £112... and that's from the AA. So I rang up to cancel the auto renewal and the lady on the phone signed me up for another year at £112. That's a saving of over £138, just for checking and ringing up.

There really should be a law to prevent this ripping off of existing customers.

 

[Cobra]

There really should be a law to prevent this ripping off of existing customers.

I thought there was now?
I'm sure there was something about making it illegal, ( new v existing customers) on the news recently?

 

[woof woof]

I thought there was now?
I'm sure there was something about making it illegal, ( new v existing customers) on the news recently?

I thought I remembered something too... but the above is what happened today.

 

[Cobra]

but the above is what happened today.

Obviously not being enforced
Or maybe they were ( as I suspect), just "trying it on" )

 

[LCPete]

I thought there was now?
I'm sure there was something about making it illegal, ( new v existing customers) on the news recently?

There is in theory but the companies have a way out of it , can’t remember the details sorry

 

[woof woof]

Obviously not being enforced
Or maybe they were ( as I suspect), just "trying it on" )

Whatever the reason I think you just can't trust anyone with auto renewals.

 

[Cobra]

I think you just can't trust anyone with auto renewals.

I never do.

 

[Cobra]

There is in theory but the companies have a way out of it ,

What a surprise

 

[JohnC6]

Just got a letter from the AA saying my breakdown membership will auto renew for £250 + change, that's up from £135 and change last year. So, I thought I'd look for other quotes and was surprised to see that I could get the same cover on line for £112... and that's from the AA. So I rang up to cancel the auto renewal and the lady on the phone signed me up for another year at £112. That's a saving of over £138, just for checking and ringing up.

There really should be a law to prevent this ripping off of existing customers.

I can't find out if breakdown cover is covered by the FCA rules on renewal. It was designed for the home and motor insurance market.I assume it does, though.

There is in theory but the companies have a way out of it , can’t remember the details sorry

Car insurance firms use loopholes to keep costs high for loyal customers

It is banned from charging more for renewals than new deals, but the industry still has some tricks up its sleeve

www.theguardian.com

When the government is proposing legislation, or in this case the FCA new regulations, the industry that will be affected will lobby. I can only assume that is the reason that loopholes exist. I find it very frustrating when I see companies and individuals getting away with sharp practice because they exploit loopholes but what annoys me even more is that the loopholoes exist. The famous 'they' say that as laws are made by lawyers then they 'help' their peers by leaving loopholes for them to exploit and thus earn money from those who employ them to find them. For me a glaring example is 'with intent' (ie there has to be an element of mens rea). If someone commits a crime., especially in the area of Public Order, often it has to be proven there was 'intent' eg.. to cause a breach of peace or serious injury. "I accept that I hit him on the head with my baseball bat, Your Honour but I didn't intend to cause him serious harm" A bit extreme maybe but you get the point. Another is the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance. The answer you'll get is that those making the laws/regs cannot possibly think of every aspect to cover and that's fair comment but when I see some of things people get away with I think..I could have thought of that when drafting the legislation or regulation.

 

[woof woof]

I spotted that one of my cash ISA's wasn't getting a good interest rate so I found a better one and applied to transfer across but they wanted extra ID info and requested a bank statement which I sent them. Time passed and I received two letters from them, one containing a customer ID number and the other containing a ref number which I had to peel back a strip to see. Fair enough. So I tried to log on and entered my newly delivered customer ID number and my previously entered password but the computer said NO. I thought it was unlikely but possible that I'd wrote the password down wrong so I selected the password reset option only to be told that my customer ID number was wrong. But it's printed in the letter in front of me. At this point I gave up and rang them.

It transpired that someone at their end had opened the wrong sort of account and that the letters and ID and ref No. in the two received letters related to that wrong account, which they'd then deleted. They'd then attempted to open the right sort of account but it was put "On Hold" although my contact could say why. Oh and they said they hadn't received the bank statement I sent them.

My take from all this is as follows. There is no limit to the incompetence of UK financial institutions.

Luckily as soon as I'd made the initial application my original ISA supplier upped their interest rate so I've now decided not to bother moving it after all

 

[JohnC6]

I find it very, extremely even, annoying when radio announcers say a particular event will take place "at lunchtime". It's quite a common term. How vague. On Radio Five Live,three times this morning, they've said that the result of the Conservative leadership election will be announced at "lunchtime" That can be at anytime beteen 12 noon and 1.00pm,maybe even 1.30. When I mentioned this to my wife she said it's 1230 . I Googled it. iNews have it at 1230 so what's wrong with Five Live ? It's like someone telling me they're coming round "in the morning " or "in the afternoon" If I, or we, are visiting someone ..they'll know what time and that's what time I/we get there. I really can't be doing with such nebulous terms . I get annoyed abroad,too when the bus timetable can sometimes just be guidance.

 

[woof woof]

I find it very, extremely even, annoying when radio announcers say a particular event will take place "at lunchtime". It's quite a common term. How vague. On Radio Five Live,three times this morning, they've said that the result of the Conservative leadership election will be announced at "lunchtime" That can be at anytime beteen 12 noon and 1.00pm,maybe even 1.30. When I mentioned this to my wife she said it's 1230 . I Googled it. iNews have it at 1230 so what's wrong with Five Live ? It's like someone telling me they're coming round "in the morning " or "in the afternoon" If I, or we, are visiting someone ..they'll know what time and that's what time I/we get there. I really can't be doing with such nebulous terms . I get annoyed abroad,too when the bus timetable can sometimes just be guidance.

A tradesman just called me to say he'll be hear at lunchtime so I asked him what time that was. I too find it too vague.

 

[JohnC6]

A tradesman just called me to say he'll be hear at lunchtime so I asked him what time that was. I too find it too vague.

Good man. I was expecting someone to say "chill out" or something like that. As I mentioned in recent thread that was about our notion of re-nationalising our railways/water companies and Cambsno mentioned the German railways and their general efficiency and I mentioned the punctuality. I just like things that way. The term 'it'll do' doesn't feature in my vocabulary.