76
General Discussion Area / Re: now plod are at it
« on: 19 March 2013, 13:32:00 »
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77
General Discussion Area / Re: NHS and changes due next month
« on: 19 March 2013, 13:26:05 »
With my brother and his wife both quite high up in their NHS region, Ive been hearing increasing concerns over the years. Certainly the various ins/outs are far more complicated than outsiders might imagine from the press. That said, from my personal point of view, I feel that it is important that the NHS is still a "service" not a "business". This does not mean that basic business principles should not apply however. Some of the stories around waste that Id heard in the past were truly shocking to anyone with the slightest experience of business management within the private sector-lack of basic management procedures/controls, lack of real accountabilities, mini "empire" building etc etc. Since then much has changed, but not all for the better 
.Sound business practices need to be applied in order to run an efficient service but this should not mean feathering the nests of the few in the process! The whole culture also clearly needs changing too. The management strata at the top who busy themselves meeting various targets (financial or otherwise) are far too divorced from the "shopfloor" itself. Its no good saying that following such inncidents as Stafford that the govt will set them yet another target, this time on patient care, which will come in the form of yet another tickbox. Its about changing the culture. Its almost like they have so many pressures around so many areas that theyve forgotten what their purpose is. When I worked in hospitals (many years ago admitedly 
), the ward sister/staff nurse (see, told you it was a long time ago!) in charge wouldve had an absolute sh*t fit if thet had seen some of the things that are now common place in our hospital wards-old food lying on the floor for days not picked up ("what do you mean, theres no cleaner everyday? So what, clean it up yourself! What do you mean, its not your job! Clean it up!" "Why hasnt that patient been changed?" "Chase that consultant up now ! "). In my day it was a good mixture of TLC and cleaning. It was their ward and they saw they were run properly. Now, before we go on about long hours and staff shortages and lack of funding and other excuses let me just say that things were tight then too . The biggest difference is attitude and attitude is driven by culture and that is driven from the top. Lets give an example from retail:
Treat your staff with respect, listen, train, coach,challenge, encourage, involve, engage (pay is of course a factor but oddly not the major one)----happy workforce----perform better/offer better customer service----increased sales
Treat your staff badly (bullying/setting unrealistic targets/ JFDI management style (thats Just F*cking Do It to th uninitiated)/lack of praise/poor pay)...unhappy workforce....underperformance/poor customer service.....decrease in sales
It isnt rocket science. Toyota have been championing it for years and it was around long before them too so its a culture that will work in any business or service. I know that the NHS today has far more "customers" than it did when I worked in it, I know that the funding of the NHS is far more challenging than it was. Its just that I believe that the root cause of many of its current problems is because its senior management/ ministers have forgotten what the purpose of the NHS is and what it wants it to do and over the years the many changes in organization have led to its very culture being warped.Of course there are very many excellent managers/doctors/nurses working within the system but its the system and culture that need changing and this government are not the ones to do it. As my brother queried, for example, some years back when the idea was first being mooted, who an earth would think that giving GPs so much control could be a good thing? Like any group there are good and bad GPs but there are too many who would take the opportunity to feather their own nests in the process at the detriment of others and who would assume that there were sufficient numbers of GPs with the relevant experience and ability to oversee such "healthcare purchasing" in the first place? (There is also the issue of many GPs having substantial interests in such healthcare providers themselves. Who would have thought eh?
. I know this all sounds a bit simplistic and I do understand some of the complexities of the problem as D has stated,not least because the NHS is such a large beast with so many arms to it, but I do believe that change of culture is one key area where change is needed. And also what the whole purpose of the NHS should be. If it is to provide a service then how can "outsourcing " certain services to private companies be part of this? Surely the whole point of such private companies is to make a profit? But if its a service, the NHS doesnt need to make a profit,so, if it is cheaper to outsource a particular service to a private concern to save money and be more cost-efficient, surely that can only mean one of two things-1) the private company offers either substandard services or else pays its staff poorly or 2) the NHS cannot run this particular service as well "in house" because of its own mismanagement in that sector in which case those involved should be dealt with? Maybe its me 
.Sound business practices need to be applied in order to run an efficient service but this should not mean feathering the nests of the few in the process! The whole culture also clearly needs changing too. The management strata at the top who busy themselves meeting various targets (financial or otherwise) are far too divorced from the "shopfloor" itself. Its no good saying that following such inncidents as Stafford that the govt will set them yet another target, this time on patient care, which will come in the form of yet another tickbox. Its about changing the culture. Its almost like they have so many pressures around so many areas that theyve forgotten what their purpose is. When I worked in hospitals (many years ago admitedly ), the ward sister/staff nurse (see, told you it was a long time ago!) in charge wouldve had an absolute sh*t fit if thet had seen some of the things that are now common place in our hospital wards-old food lying on the floor for days not picked up ("what do you mean, theres no cleaner everyday? So what, clean it up yourself! What do you mean, its not your job! Clean it up!" "Why hasnt that patient been changed?" "Chase that consultant up now ! "). In my day it was a good mixture of TLC and cleaning. It was their ward and they saw they were run properly. Now, before we go on about long hours and staff shortages and lack of funding and other excuses let me just say that things were tight then too . The biggest difference is attitude and attitude is driven by culture and that is driven from the top. Lets give an example from retail:Treat your staff with respect, listen, train, coach,challenge, encourage, involve, engage (pay is of course a factor but oddly not the major one)----happy workforce----perform better/offer better customer service----increased sales
Treat your staff badly (bullying/setting unrealistic targets/ JFDI management style (thats Just F*cking Do It to th uninitiated
)/lack of praise/poor pay)...unhappy workforce....underperformance/poor customer service.....decrease in salesIt isnt rocket science. Toyota have been championing it for years and it was around long before them too so its a culture that will work in any business or service. I know that the NHS today has far more "customers" than it did when I worked in it, I know that the funding of the NHS is far more challenging than it was. Its just that I believe that the root cause of many of its current problems is because its senior management/ ministers have forgotten what the purpose of the NHS is and what it wants it to do and over the years the many changes in organization have led to its very culture being warped.Of course there are very many excellent managers/doctors/nurses working within the system but its the system and culture that need changing and this government are not the ones to do it. As my brother queried, for example, some years back when the idea was first being mooted, who an earth would think that giving GPs so much control could be a good thing? Like any group there are good and bad GPs but there are too many who would take the opportunity to feather their own nests in the process at the detriment of others and who would assume that there were sufficient numbers of GPs with the relevant experience and ability to oversee such "healthcare purchasing" in the first place? (There is also the issue of many GPs having substantial interests in such healthcare providers themselves. Who would have thought eh?
. I know this all sounds a bit simplistic and I do understand some of the complexities of the problem as D has stated,not least because the NHS is such a large beast with so many arms to it, but I do believe that change of culture is one key area where change is needed. And also what the whole purpose of the NHS should be. If it is to provide a service then how can "outsourcing " certain services to private companies be part of this? Surely the whole point of such private companies is to make a profit? But if its a service, the NHS doesnt need to make a profit,so, if it is cheaper to outsource a particular service to a private concern to save money and be more cost-efficient, surely that can only mean one of two things-1) the private company offers either substandard services or else pays its staff poorly or 2) the NHS cannot run this particular service as well "in house" because of its own mismanagement in that sector in which case those involved should be dealt with? Maybe its me
78
General Discussion Area / Re: Champagne
« on: 19 March 2013, 11:50:57 »
Happy Birthday-have a good one 
79
General Discussion Area / Re: Car test
« on: 15 March 2013, 22:58:21 »
obviously missed this first time round but enjoyed that
80
General Discussion Area / Re: Work In Progress 1951
« on: 13 March 2013, 10:59:44 »
quite enjoyed that Lizzie (mind you, I was also sort of distracted by the Jenny Hannley Best of vid that was featured item on the same Youtube page 
)
(mind you, I was also sort of distracted by the Jenny Hannley Best of vid that was featured item on the same Youtube page )
81
General Discussion Area / Re: Comic relief money
« on: 12 March 2013, 11:42:10 »The RSPCA are as bad. A friend of mine volunteered to be a home visitor. He used to be sent to check a premises before the RSPCA released an animal. He packed it up due to two main reasons....one, being sent miles on silly ventures, and two, the top dog getting £100,000 a year, whilst he got a few pence a mile to travel all over the west country.
I'll give you a couple of true examples......
A lady offered to take a goldfish. My friend had to go to check the pond. No problem. Fish delivered. But three months later, he was ordered to do a house check on the fish. 'Don't be stupid' he said, 'Its in a pond with dozens more, how the hell am I gonna know it'. He was still sent !!!!!!! He said he looked in the pond, never saw a dead one, so said all was ok
A girl wanted two kittens. She lived in a house where the front door opens straight onto the road. You know...usually, there are a couple of concrete pillars outside to keep traffic wide. He advised against allowing the kittens to go there. He was overuled. Sent back three months later, he asked to see the kittens. 'I have not got them anymore' says the girl, 'They both got run over'.
And as a finale
My friend never did the first check on this one.... a home was needed for some Mallards. A farmer evidently said they could go on his pond. My friend was sent there (miles away) three months later to check them. No ducks. 'What do you expect' said the farmer...'They were wild, they have flown off with the others' Ducks fly in and out all the time...I ain't got a clue where they come from or go to.'
I think that was the straw that broke the camels back. He has told me of other incidents, and now won't give a penny to the RSPCA.
Sorry if a bit off topic, but it does show where your money goes!!!!!
Well these made me laugh-especially the goldfish one;D
;DGuess you couldnt make it up. On a serious note , I see your point though
82
General Car Chat / Re: non starter -help please anyone?
« on: 12 March 2013, 09:41:09 »Bit vague on location this but this is what I found searching for city rover inertia switch.
"It is in the driver footwell there is a cut out of carpet on the seat strut. Push the top of the rubber mount hear the click and hey presto."
Well, if it works, that sounds like an easy fix! I'll give him a call and he can have a rout about for it. Thanks for the research
83
General Car Chat / Re: Tyre temperatures?
« on: 12 March 2013, 09:34:31 »
Winter tyres differ not only in having deeper and different tread shape but also in the compound itself so that they perform better in colder temps than warmer ones. Keep them on as the weather gets warmer and they'll wear a lot faster. Ive got nockian mid-range on and theyre designed for use at temps below 7C. Must say that I really do notice the difference with them and would recommend. Having said that of course my "normal" all weather tyres are midrange price ones -maybe premium "all weather" would perform better once winter bites? All I know is that with some of the country roads I use daily , having a heavy rear-wheel drive automatic , I need a little bit of help in this weather . Still, sorry, dont want this to slip down into another slippery thread over winter tyres
. Still, sorry, dont want this to slip down into another slippery thread over winter tyres
84
General Car Chat / Re: non starter -help please anyone?
« on: 11 March 2013, 09:16:58 »Does it start and idle normally, and then cut out when you rev it ? or does it cut out as you release the key after starting ?Its the latter. Cheers for reply
Thinking if the latter, inertia switch or fuel pump relay.
85
General Car Chat / Re: non starter -help please anyone?
« on: 11 March 2013, 09:15:56 »
just checked ecutesting.com under the pug 1.4 and looks like the non start issue could be linked with the ecu itself ? Have a feeling this could be expensive for him
86
General Car Chat / Re: non starter -help please anyone?
« on: 11 March 2013, 09:05:23 »Thats a pug engine, not Rover K series?
If it is, I lack any expereince of that. If its K series, I can think of a couple of things.
Just checked wikipedia (
) and it seems it was the pug engine. Think hes done basic things like check plugs/leads/battery/alternator before he managed to borrow the fault reader. Even though its not an engine you know, is there anything that you might suggest looking at as a possible cause? Be grateful for any ideas
87
General Car Chat / Re: 1.8 i vtec
« on: 10 March 2013, 23:18:03 »
When I had my old prelude (which had the first generation 2.2 vtec engine) I got it remapped and changed the vtec activation point to 3000 revs.which helped, but as already said, with the vtec you get good bhp but comparitively low torque figures. As an auto mine redlined about 500 less than the manual but still did 0-60 in just over 6 secs and was making around 200bhp . Im sure you used to be able to get a "bolt on"bit of kit too that would alter the activation point of the vtec? Thinking about it , whilst getting the vtec to activate was sometimes a bit hit and miss (the car needed to "warm up" a bit and the oil pressure had to be right), I still miss that "old school" vtec sound!
89
General Car Chat / non starter -help please anyone?
« on: 10 March 2013, 22:43:57 »
Hi guys/girls
A mate at work has a problem with his car and whilst not an omega, I wonder if anyone on here can help? Its a City Rover 1.4 '53 plate and the car starts when the ignition key is turned but cuts out before you can touch the accelerator. Someone lent him a fault reader and it came up with following:
error #0562 system voltage
error #0444 evapolative emission control system
purge control valve circuit open
As with many of us money is tight for him and whilst he hasnt had the car that long and its otherwise in good nick he doesnt want to spend money flogging a dead horse which he could put to use towards buying another car. Anyone on here any ideas re translation of the fault codes () and how easy it would be to put right and ballpark cost?
many thanks
jerry
A mate at work has a problem with his car and whilst not an omega, I wonder if anyone on here can help? Its a City Rover 1.4 '53 plate and the car starts when the ignition key is turned but cuts out before you can touch the accelerator. Someone lent him a fault reader and it came up with following:
error #0562 system voltage
error #0444 evapolative emission control system
purge control valve circuit open
As with many of us money is tight for him and whilst he hasnt had the car that long and its otherwise in good nick he doesnt want to spend money flogging a dead horse which he could put to use towards buying another car. Anyone on here any ideas re translation of the fault codes (
) and how easy it would be to put right and ballpark cost?many thanks
jerry
90
General Discussion Area / Re: citylink retards.
« on: 08 March 2013, 23:12:25 »
Deal with couriers all the time-TNT/City link/UPS/FedEX/DPD etc-and you always get the odd t*at. Luckily the same drivers tend to do same route so you get to know them and build up a relationship with them and the vast majority are good guys. Yes, they arent well paid and can be under a lot of pressure to get all their drops done in time but there is no excuse for them blatantly lying. Despite many of them having "big brother " cameras now, you still get the odd one who'll ring our bell, wait for all of 2 seconds (they should wait for 5 minutes min ) before shoving a (doubtless pre-written) "Sorry we missed you" card through the gate and then claim they waited for 10 minutes! >:(I hear enough moaning from them about arranged collections that they cant get because no-one was in so they must know what it feels like themselves. A few well chosen words to their depot manager usually does the job I find