Brexit, for once some facts.

[oyster]

I'm sorry if you feel I bullied you...

Priti Patel bullying row: ex-Home Office chief launches tribunal claim
Sir Philip Rutnam takes action under whistleblowing laws, claiming constructive dismissal
Priti Patel is facing legal action under whistleblowing laws after her former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam lodged an employment tribunal claim on Monday saying he was forced from his job for exposing her bullying behaviour.

Rutnam claims he was constructively dismissed from his role as Home Office permanent secretary after informing the Cabinet Office that Patel had belittled officials in meetings and made unreasonable demands on staff.

The development will increase pressure on Patel, who has denied claims that she bullied civil servants across three government departments, and on Boris Johnson, who has publicly backed his home secretary. She is also the subject of a Cabinet Office inquiry into her behaviour.

It is the first time that Rutnam has said he will make a “protected disclosure” under whistleblowing laws and the first time that a secretary of state has been sued by a former permanent secretary.

Another consequence of a whistleblowing claim means that instead of a ceiling of £85,000 on Rutnam’s claim, there will be no upper limit to any damages he might receive.

 

[oyster]

I've just been listening to the CEO or Roche talking live on the CNBC TV channel. He said they have developed a reliable anti-body test that will be in production by May. It is a blood test and so will not be for people to use at home themselves.

The test in the lab only takes a few hours but obviously that does not include the logistics (taking blood sample, sending it to the lab and informing the donor).

They have the structure to scale this test up fairly rapidly, and should be able to do several million a day by June. I think this was in the USA though where they have facilities. Our Government probably wont want to use them because they are "European".

I know vast numbers of blood tests are regularly performed using finger-prick samples. They have, in general proved themselves reliable but (obviously) we would need to be sure they work with this test.

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

It’s looking likely that the gowns for NHS staff which were promised for yesterday, and then promised for today when they didn’t show up yesterday won’t be arriving today either.

This much trumpeted, by the government, consignment consists of 400000 gowns. The current rate of usage is 150000 gowns per day. So, by Thursday we will be back to square one.

Much of this is due to the government not stockpiling this type of kit. Estimates have existed for many years on minimum stock levels, but the UK’s stocks have been deliberately run down to save money on storage costs. That’s why we are in deeper shite than other countries in this regard.

Any guesses as who has drawn the short straw for tonight’s Downing Street briefing? They can probably burn 50% of the briefing time on safe ground like telling people to stay at home, thanking the NHS for a wonderful job and drawing graphs. The other 50% will need to be negotiated answering non-questions from tame journos.

 

[oyster]

Good news or just another false hope?

A rapid test for detecting Covid-19 has been developed by scientists at the University of South Wales.

The team has also created a portable device which can produce an accurate result in 20-30 minutes without having to return a sample to the laboratory.

The test and device are already being evaluated by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and could be in use at its care homes within weeks.

The health board said results were "looking excellent" so far.

 

[oyster]

The experts are right. Combine people refusing to download the app(s) and simply switching off their phones a lot of the time, acceptance as absolutely key.

Digital contact tracing will fail unless privacy is respected, experts warn

Letter suggests citizens will reject any centralised app launched to prevent coronavirus that harvests superfluous data

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

That’s good news. If it’s anything like PPE, who the government has asked a firm of accountants to source and procure, perhaps they can put the provision of Coronavirus testing kits in the hands of garden furniture manufacturers.

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

The experts are right. Combine people refusing to download the app(s) and simply switching off their phones a lot of the time, acceptance as absolutely key.

Digital contact tracing will fail unless privacy is respected, experts warn

Letter suggests citizens will reject any centralised app launched to prevent coronavirus that harvests superfluous data

No, digital contact tracing will fail unless the government can be prevented from having any part in its implementation. They will **** it up if they have the slightest involvement.

 

[RossG]

Even at this stage I'm still totaly confused as to the advice that's given by the so-called experts. On a TV Q&A session this morning a Doctor was asked a question about getting a Covid test on an elderly relative in a care home. The Doctor answered by saying as all new cases of the virus would only be in care homes anyway as nobody outside in the community is catching it anymore as we are all on lockdown.....are we ?

Another question asked was how come joggers are not wearing face masks as the are running around the community. The reply was that a runner was a fit person anyway so would not have the virus, also as you can only catch it directly via a cough or sneeze wearing a mask is pointless.


So just to be clear on Government advise you can > Jog, run or walk with or without a dog, you can attend work if you really have good reason to like for instance earn a living. You can visit someone to see if they are still alive and shop if you must and don't mind barging through other shoppers disobeying the distance rule. You can of course go out in the street to sing and clap but if someone gets too close run like hell.
Business as usual then, emergency what emergency ?

 

[oldgroaner]

Even at this stage I'm still totaly confused as to the advice that's given by the so-called experts. On a TV Q&A session this morning a Doctor was asked a question about getting a Covid test on an elderly relative in a care home. The Doctor answered by saying as all new cases of the virus would only be in care homes anyway as nobody outside in the community is catching it anymore as we are all on lockdown.....are we ?

Another question asked was how come joggers are not wearing face masks as the are running around the community. The reply was that a runner was a fit person anyway so would not have the virus, also as you can only catch it directly via a cough or sneeze wearing a mask is pointless.


So just to be clear on Government advise you can > Jog, run or walk with or without a dog, you can attend work if you really have good reason to like for instance earn a living. You can visit someone to see if they are still alive and shop if you must and don't mind barging through other shoppers disobeying the distance rule. You can of course go out in the street to sing and clap but if someone gets too close run like hell.
Business as usual then, emergency what emergency ?

Well that seemed clear enough....

 

[wheeler]

Even at this stage I'm still totaly confused as to the advice that's given by the so-called experts. On a TV Q&A session this morning a Doctor was asked a question about getting a Covid test on an elderly relative in a care home. The Doctor answered by saying as all new cases of the virus would only be in care homes anyway as nobody outside in the community is catching it anymore as we are all on lockdown.....are we ?

Another question asked was how come joggers are not wearing face masks as the are running around the community. The reply was that a runner was a fit person anyway so would not have the virus, also as you can only catch it directly via a cough or sneeze wearing a mask is pointless.


So just to be clear on Government advise you can > Jog, run or walk with or without a dog, you can attend work if you really have good reason to like for instance earn a living. You can visit someone to see if they are still alive and shop if you must and don't mind barging through other shoppers disobeying the distance rule. You can of course go out in the street to sing and clap but if someone gets too close run like hell.
Business as usual then, emergency what emergency ?

Just so everyone is clear

As we enter the next 3 weeks of lockdown here is a summary of the advice:

1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house

2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not

3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open

4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work

5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there

6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable people. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster

7. Gloves won't help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not

8. STAY HOME, but it's important to go out

9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some

10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it effects

11. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…

12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11)

13. You will have many symptoms if you get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms...

14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it's better not to go out shopping

15. It's important to get fresh air but don't go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long

 

[wheeler]

Does anyone else have the impression that POLLY is sitting on a feather?

 

[RossG]

I that the Polly that put the kettle on ?

 

[Nev]

Good news or just another false hope?

A rapid test for detecting Covid-19 has been developed by scientists at the University of South Wales.

The team has also created a portable device which can produce an accurate result in 20-30 minutes without having to return a sample to the laboratory.

The test and device are already being evaluated by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and could be in use at its care homes within weeks.

The health board said results were "looking excellent" so far.

We could certainly do with a rapid test. My wife still hasn't had her results and she has spoken to a couple of nurses who will be going into their 5th day tomorrow without knowing the results. My wife spoke to Occy Health this afternoon and they told her its likely to take 5 days before she finds out anything.

She had a video consultation with an on call doctor yesterday and they thought it sounded like gall stones, which can give similar symptoms to Covid. She is a lot better today, temperature back to normal which is the first day this has happened since Thursday. She still has some stomach pain but nothing like as bad as it was.

 

[Wicky]

That’s good news. If it’s anything like PPE, who the government has asked a firm of accountants to source and procure, perhaps they can put the provision of Coronavirus testing kits in the hands of garden furniture manufacturers.

 

[RossG]

Note the very small willy.

 

[Wicky]

You couldn't make it up

Government charging care homes £120 each to buy "CARE" badges - Scram News

Matt Hancock vanity scheme is expensive for care homes.

scramnews.com

...no one can actually order the badge currently.

When you click on the link to purchase (at least 100) badges, this message appears:

Made in China , shipped via Turkey by any chance.

 

[oyster]

You couldn't make it up

Government charging care homes £120 each to buy "CARE" badges - Scram News

Matt Hancock vanity scheme is expensive for care homes.

scramnews.com

...no one can actually order the badge currently.

When you click on the link to purchase (at least 100) badges, this message appears:

Made in China , shipped via Turkey by any chance.

When I looked the other day you could order, and they had just reduced the minimum order to 100 (previously 500).

Nice to know the government will be getting VAT on them.

Are they confirmed Made in China? Or is that based on the fact than nine out of ten badges are made there?

 

[Wicky]

This is the Tories that a decade or so ago promised unqualified hospital nursing healthcare assistants a payrise if they studied for NVQ - many studied on top of their normal hours on the wards and eventually found out the qualification wasn't too be recognised and lost out on being graded higher and the pay rise.

* Healthcare assistants (HCAs) make up around a third of the caring workforce in hospitals {1.3 million unregistered healthcare assistants and support workers working on the frontline of care) , but research suggests that they now spend more time than nurses at the bedside. If the NHS wants to improve patient care, it should see healthcare assistants as a critical, strategic resource. Yet many HCAs feel undervalued and overlooked.

Unlike the old State Enrolled Nurses who used to support Registered Nurses, healthcare assistants have no compulsory or consistent training, and a profusion of job titles. This confuses patients, who often assume that everyone is a nurse; and it makes life difficult for some nurses, who are not always sure which tasks they can safely delegate.

Some HCAs are now doing jobs that used to be the preserve of nurses, even doctors. The Review met a group of healthcare assistants from a busy A&E who are inserting IV drips, taking blood and plastering. Yet they are paid at three levels below a newly qualified nurse.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236212/Cavendish_Review.pdf

 

[oldgroaner]

Just so everyone is clear

As we enter the next 3 weeks of lockdown here is a summary of the advice:

1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house

2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not

3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open

4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work

5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there

6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable people. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster

7. Gloves won't help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not

8. STAY HOME, but it's important to go out

9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some

10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it effects

11. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…

12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11)

13. You will have many symptoms if you get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms...

14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it's better not to go out shopping

15. It's important to get fresh air but don't go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long

Next time I shall come back as a Badger: much safer someone actually tries to prevent them being culled.

 

[oldgroaner]

This is the Tories that a decade or so ago promised unqualified hospital nursing healthcare assistants a payrise if they studied for NVQ - many studied on top of their normal hours on the wards and eventually found out the qualification wasn't too be recognised and lost out on being graded higher and the pay rise.

* Healthcare assistants (HCAs) make up around a third of the caring workforce in hospitals {1.3 million unregistered healthcare assistants and support workers working on the frontline of care) , but research suggests that they now spend more time than nurses at the bedside. If the NHS wants to improve patient care, it should see healthcare assistants as a critical, strategic resource. Yet many HCAs feel undervalued and overlooked.

Unlike the old State Enrolled Nurses who used to support Registered Nurses, healthcare assistants have no compulsory or consistent training, and a profusion of job titles. This confuses patients, who often assume that everyone is a nurse; and it makes life difficult for some nurses, who are not always sure which tasks they can safely delegate.

Some HCAs are now doing jobs that used to be the preserve of nurses, even doctors. The Review met a group of healthcare assistants from a busy A&E who are inserting IV drips, taking blood and plastering. Yet they are paid at three levels below a newly qualified nurse.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236212/Cavendish_Review.pdf

Do they do Wallpapering too?