Here a story for you to think about.
Two elderly relatives. Both around eighty, one has kidney failure on dialyse 3 times a week and needs an operation on their knee. The other has mild emphysema and needs a replacement hip.
Stevenage is the ‘local’ renal centre, so called in on a Sunday afternoon for pre-op inspection/tests which proved satisfactory. The plan was for dialyse on the following Monday and Tuesday mornings with the operation planned for the Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday afternoon arrives and got as far as the operating table when the anaesthetist decides that the blood test was not good enough, so the operation could not go ahead.
Hemel Hempstead Hospital was the venue for the hip operation early last Friday morning. Three weeks ago, tests had been carried out to ensure the operation could go ahead.
We duly arrived around 7am and directed to a converted ward. At about 8:30am it was decided to make final checks before the operation and even got as far as the appropriate leg being marked.
Then the anaesthetist decides that a chest X-Ray needs doing as well as another scan. We managed to get the X-ray done, but an appointment was needed for the other.
The result now is that I now have two relatives still waiting for operations having got as far as the appointed date/time for the event.

The money and resources wasted beggars believe and totally unnecessary (Stevenage actually admitted they made a mistake - can’t wait for HHGs’ excuse!) and the Health Trusts blame everyone except their own organisation. This is two different hospitals, with two different patients/operations - but both my relatives. What did I do wrong?


More updates:
8th August 2007
The latest on the hospital front is that the current consultation as to whether St Albans or Hemel takes on the task of carrying out ‘planned’ operations will conclude on 1st October. St Albans will be the planned surgery centre starting from mid September.
The birthing unit will re-open - if we can arrange for at least 500 births a year. Come on guys and gals, you know it makes sense!
The land proposed for the new West Herts Hospital (aka Watford) is apparently contaminated - not included in the financial information to justify the costs.
Watford has to be rebuilt and it is not feasible to build on the paradise site in Hemel due to the condition of the land - it really was only 35 years ago when it was gonna be - must be the new builders have lost their skills!

25th July 2007
It’s just been announced that between April 2004 and March 2007, that’s just 3 years in case your maths is worse than mine, nearly 2½ million National Insurance numbers have been issued for new immigrants. About 713,000 in the last year alone, they say. We can ignore those who come in illegally, as they wouldn’t be that stupid (would they?) and it’s reasonable to assume there might be the odd dependent.
Don’t worry though, apparently they will be paying tax and NI to cover the costs. Hmmmm.

Just a week or so, the Prime Minister announced that 3 million new homes are needed and should be built as soon as possible.

Hang on, that’s 2½ million immigrants since 2004, add on around ½ million a year and WE need 3 million homes.
These are to be built mainly in the south-east and most likely a large number built on the areas which have been identified as part of the flood plain.

I don’t think it’s me who has lost the plot, do you?

19th July 2007
I’ve just chronicled the saga that my mum and step father have endured at the hands of our local health service. All will be revealed in the September issues if the ‘Berkhamsted Review’ and ‘The Citizen’.
The amount of wasted time for both patients and staff must account for most of the trust losses. For example, one chap was due to have a hip replaced, only to find they had the wrong size and he had to go home while they had one made. Honest, you wouldn’t believe it if it was in a Tom and Jerry cartoon - but this is our local hospital. Even my step father had to be sent on on the day of the operation as they hadn’t (aka ‘forgot’) to arrange an x-ray and scan.
I can’t possibly be a cunning plot to save money ‘cancelled operations save money, what do we need - to save money!’ or is it just bad management?

12th July 2007
Once again we will be swamped by consultations over the summer. In 1997, the same thing happened and lots of things got in under the wire due to the lack of time to study and consider the proposals being put forward.
This time it’s, err, much the same. Lots of good intentions, the usual lack of funding to carry them out properly.
Funding lacking for working flood defences, funding promised, but not forthcoming for inquests in Wiltshire, doctors appointments within 48 hours, but my mum was asked to call again in 48 hours to get an appointment - and so it goes on.
I notice today that TB agreed to an EU ‘treaty’ with lots of dotted red lines that a coach and horses could be driven through. No wonder he wanted to bail out before all these little minor difficulties came to the publics attention.
Oh well, roll on the next election so I can tell you all that once again you’ve made a mistake by believing what the government promises.
Please prove me wrong this time!

Mid June 2007
Ho ho ho, I had to laugh.
I questioned the Borough Councils’ idea of a brand new Waterhouse Centre which is due to be completed by 2015, cost the Council not a lot, and combine just about everything from 1000 dwellings to a supermarket to car parking to new civic//arts/cinema/library and open space spaces and all on the land bounded by Queensway, the Market Square, Marlowes and Leighton Buzzard Road.
Now it turns out that West Herts College have other ideas. Not to worry, DBC will just buy the land anyway - they say.

How about the Hospital land then?

Early June 207
My cunning idea of the BCA investigating taking over the Whit Monday fete, fell on stony ground at the recent committee meeting, so it looks as though that idea has died. Perhaps the Town Council will now take up the project.

News came out this week that the Borough Council made just £½ million from parking and penalty charges in the year 2005/6. I remember when it was out-sourced at the end of the last centenary, the idea was that the fees were set to be revenue neutral (I do like that phrase!) and concerns were expressed that the Council might loose money. I pointed out that there was no chance of that because if the rules were actually enforced, then the money will roll in.
As it turns out, we still have a parking problem, the Council is making money and enforcement is patchy at best. Talking about which, did anyone else spot the vehicle ‘parked’ outside the Town Hall on Friday (8th) morning at right angles to the road and encroaching on the bus standing area. Reminds me of the Lady from Little Gaddesden many years ago who did the same thing in her hand painted Austin Seven - only we didn’t have traffic wardens in those days to take a photograph (he didn’t believe it).

Something else I spotted this week was the lack of housing being built on the land adjacent to the canal in Little Bridge Road. The Council flogged it to a housing association who got planning permission to build 4 flats - now nothing. Another ideal car parking area going to waste as concrete storage.