PPlog

A really effective object lesson in how to very successfully prevent public expression and the reporting of adverse incidents. Up to now the SNAP (Safer Neighbourhoods Action Panel) meetings have been a great development in police-public relations and community cohesion. Last night at Hobart High School in Loddon the new style of SNAP was launched - the police safer neighbourhoods team with its Action Panel was conflated with the South Norfolk Council East Rivers community meeting. IT WAS A SHAMBLES. We had: constant reminders that the functions of the SNAP were not those which had operated previously with no explanation who had changed the rules so arbitrarily and without consultation; the majority of the Panel sitting in the audience with just a tribunal which acted like an inquisition in its communications with the members of our communities; former members of the SNAP who had been “taken off” the Panel without explanation - the one who spoke up about this was the local...

Ah, back in business at last. On Monday evening, as a member of the James Paget University Hospital Foundation Trust, I attended what they advertised as the ‘AGM.’ The number in attendance, without taking an exact census, was roughly 60 people. The overall majority of these were either NHS staff and representatives of one flavour or another or Governors and Directors of the Trust. Ordinary people - members of the general public who were not any of the above, were in a very substantial minority. An ‘AGM’ in the true sense it wasn’t. Most of the evening was taken up by presentations of the Trusts considerable achievements - achievements they have every right to be extremely proud of: No hospital acquired MRSI since March 2008 and a very low C Difficile count and accreditation as a national exemplar for infection control; leading edge developments in bowel cancer screening; a new hyperbaric chamber; improvements to the paediatric allergy service; great pr...

Nails out. Nasty wounds - BUT A LOT OF SATISFACTION.         Driving licence restored last Thursday morning by surprise post with letter dated 02.09.08. - telling me I had successfully reapplied on the basis I had been free of dependency on alcohol for six months. This licence to run from this month. Letter also said: “Please let us know urgently what you intend to do about your appeal (set for 9th September). My concerns: a) my appeal is against the original decision - that it was wrong and based on flimsy, flimsy evidence. b) that I didn’t know if I withdrew the appeal, if that would prejudice a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Friday morning, rang the Parliamentary Ombudsmans Office: Clear advice that they would expect me to go through any means of appeal first and then, although they couldn’t effect any result of that appeal, I could then pursue a complaint about maladministration. Rang DVLA and told them appeal wo...