I am working on the maintenance of an e-learning course on Intra-operative Cell Salvage - www.learncellsalvage.org.uk. I am interested in creating a forum where we share experience on e-learning design, development and delivery, especially on clinical subjects.
Reading around some medical blogs I came across the story of Iain Mackay.
There was not much detail about what happened, but from what I can gather he has been suspended for something he said in a doctor’s forum. Is this true? Does anyone know any details about what he said or why he’s been suspended?
If this is true, what on earth happened to freedom of speech? It’s absolutely ridiculous that somebody who has worked so hard to become a doctor to help save people’s lives is being suspended for having a bit of a rant out of work hours in an private forum, which has nothing to do with how he does his job!
Does anyone know more about what happened?
Comments
RE: Who is Iain MacKay? anon, Friday, September 5, 2008
thanks acowie, will definitely have a look as the vague responses are intriguing. it's a real shame that we can't voice our opinions without worrying about a backlash. The gagging of our views and our truthful opinions about the NHS is a disgrace!
RE: Who is Iain MacKay? acowie, Friday, September 5, 2008
Sadly, any replies you receive will be guarded, given the results of a criticism posted on a private forum. I had attempted to explain it, but given the vicious way that Iain has been treated I have decided to simply suggest you look on the blogs. Dr Rant has a relatively complete, if excessively scatological, account of the events.
RE: Who is Iain MacKay? mustbekidding, Friday, September 5, 2008
And who are you? Trust has gone now. Anon.
RE: Who is Iain MacKay? jimfinlayson, Friday, September 5, 2008
On 28 November 2007 around 40 people turned up to lobby the Board Meeting of the Haringey Primary Care Trust (held at St Ann's Hospital) to protest against the PCT's "polyclinics" proposals which would threaten the existence of local GP surgeries and local chemists. The controversial proposal is for four such clinics in Haringey, each serving over 50,000 patients. Those present at the protest included representatives of older people's organisations, patients' groups, residents' associations, health campaigns and trades unions.
Campaigners present called for a lobby of the special Council Overview & Scrutiny meeting on 3 December at the Civic Centre to demand that the Committee exercise their powers and therefore their duty to condemn the PCT's consultation tactics, to object to the threat to local services and to refer the proposals to the Secretary of State as unacceptable. Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition comprises Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey Health UNISON and Haringey Federation of Residents' Associations. It aims to oppose health cuts and fight for decent NHS provision in the London Borough of Haringey and adjacent areas where PCT boundaries go further. The group has been campaigning since April 2006 in response to cuts in services from Haringey PCT.
The group has held a local demonstration and holds regular meetings at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham, in addition to running regular stalls, distributing leaflets, lobbying Trust meetings and meeting MPs and councillors. Keith Flett keithflett@bt.com Tel. 07803 167266
In January 2008 Lewisham Council resolved that the following motion be agreed: "This Council notes that the reliance on PFI projects in the NHS has saddled the local health economy with debts of over £200 million and substantial cuts are now planned to address this funding crisis. All the options in the "Picture of Health" cuts package currently out for consultation will lead to a reduction of services in Lewisham. In particular, the borough could lose in-patient maternity services, lose the A&E department and see the excellent Children's Hospital within Lewisham closed. The Council further notes that all the "Picture of Health" proposals are totally reliant on more emergency ambulances and a considerable increase in travel by patients and their families around the already congested South East London area. Council invites the Mayor to join with interested parties and condemn the proposed cuts in the borough's health services, calls on the Mayor and Council to do all in their power to prevent the closure of the full A & E department and asks the Mayor to respond to the consultation on behalf of the borough arguing against the reduction of hospital services in Lewisham." After the notable success of health campaigners, the fight to Keep Our NHS Public continues. Frances Hook franhook@cooptel.net
Northampton KONP are campaigning against cuts in services at Northampton General Hospital and against their application for Foundation Trust status. In Northampton cuts totalling more than £18 million have resulted in the closure of three operating theatres and a maternity ward, and staffing levels are being slashed. In July Northampton Healthcare Trust announced the axing of respite and rehabilitation homes, day hospitals and psychology services and the closure of learning disability units. The group has been collecting petition signatures and distributing leaflets in the town centre protesting against all these cuts in services. The response from the public has been very positive. Harry Tuttle h.j.tuttle@ntlworld.com
Damning evidence of failing hospital hygiene standards was published this week, with a quarter of NHS trusts failing to meet at least one of the government’s standards on hygiene.
The Healthcare Commission's report also found that just under a third of the 103 failing trusts did not meet all of the 11 standards on hygiene last year. Of the 103 trusts failing on hygiene, 57 were primary care trusts.
"Weak" trusts now face closure if they do not meet the hygiene standards on infection control, decontamination of equipment and cleanliness by April 2009, when all NHS hospitals will have to abide by the elements of the hygiene code.
Do you think the government targets for hygiene are realistic? Why do you think hospitals are failing to meet hygiene standards? Do you think it is right that hospitals are being threatened with closure if they do not meet government targets by April 2009?
Comments
RE: How clean is your hospital? asheehy, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Hospial cleaniless will always be an issue due to the fact that our cleaners are not given any proper training, are unable to read signs which are in English e.g. Contaminated Area they just walk in. Cleaners see some areas and think they are clean and don't see the need to clean an area which looks clean. All cleaners should have to do manadatory cleaning certificates on why we clean and why we try not cross contaminate areas by using different equiptment etc. Also we need to screen patients before they leave A & E and are sent to other wards where they may carry infections onto that ward, or if they are transferred from ward to ward, screening should be paramount prior to enterning another ward. We need to CLEAN UP OUR ACT.
RE: How clean is your hospital? DaveWarren, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Closure of the failing hospitals isn't the way to go. If the government have identified so-called 'failing' hospitals, surely they should be investing more money in bringing these hospitals up to code, right? If hospitals are forced to close due to cleanliness issues, this is only going to push those patients on to other hospitals, when most hospitals can barely cope with the current numbers of patients as they are right now. I think the initiative to identify hospitals that are below standard is good, but where does this lead? Has the government thought about what to do with these hospitals? How can some hospitals get it right, but some are really bad?
RE: How clean is your hospital? Hattie J, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wether cleaning is contracted out or in house, if you pay pea nuts you tend to get monkeys! Give the staff a decent living wage, robust training and supervision and close monitoring. Let the Ward Sisters rule as they once did, when I commenced my nurse training, I could have eaten my sandwich from the ward floors and worktops they were so clean, I respected my Ward Sister and her team. Look again at 'patient care' before targets! Beds closed then re-opened at the drop of a hat, with equipment that has been stored God knows where. Extra numbers of beds on wards and no extra staff to clean the dirty equipment let alone nurse the extra patients. How many NHS managers have actually worked on a busy ward, where there are not enough hours in a day to give the standard of care you would aspire to. Where are they when there is a bed crisis out of hours or at weekends or Bank Holidays. I accepted when I was working in the NHS that unsocial hours was a part of the job, but what support or thanks do nurses get when they are struggling......NONE!
RE: How clean is your hospital? , Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The targetting of hygene, deep cleaning and screening is mostly none evidence based and therfore diversionary and misguided. The predominate cause of the increase in prevalense of MRSA and C Difficile is due to the overuse of antibiotics. We all have responsibility for this; and the public are not absolved how often to people go to their doctor with "viral" type symptoms expecting an antibiotic, and we should the use of antibitics in agriculture be permitted anywhre in Europe?
RE: How clean is your hospital? Andrew Mackay, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Flailed - should read Failed. This negates the article substantially and should be changed. Andrew Mackay
The NHS Next Stage Review, 'Our NHS, Our Future', was announced in July 2007 and is a wide-ranging review of the NHS in England, both at a local and national level. It is being led by Lord Darzi, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health who is due to publish his final report at the beginning of July 2008.
Lord Darzi's latest announcement from the Next Stage Review: Leading Local Change, talks about five principles that everyone should be able to support.
They are about making sure that change: always benefits the patient; is based on good clinical evidence; is led locally instead of imposing national solutions, and depends on the involvement of patients, the public and other key partners. Finally, the Health Minister says that existing services should not be withdrawn until the new service has proved itself.
But the health service has always been a top-down - some would say top-heavy - organisation where power resides in rigid hierarchies. Many clinicians and patients feel they have less influence now than perhaps at any time in the health service's sixty year history.
Paradoxically, turning Lord Darzi's excellent principles into reality will depend on genuine commitment and firm action from the top of the hierarchy. The NHS Alliance says The Department of Health needs to:
-Strengthen practice based commissioning so that decision making power is devolved to frontline clinicians. -Set up a Clinical Leadership Academy so that innovative clinicians can develop their skills and play a central role in steering change. - Encourage community involvement and local democracy, such as the development of Practice Participation Groups.
