Money Wasting Tossers

Quiet day at work for a change today so plenty of time to surf the net and catch up with the news.

I came across this in several places.

Yet another unneeded, unwanted and costly government fuck up. You'd think they got their fingers burnt badly enough with the Millenium Dome and the spiralling cost of the Olympics.

Stupid, wasteful, ignorant, bullish tossers.

I voted for Blair in 1997, thought it would bring about a meaningful change.

Don't I feel like a mugged off cunt now?

Poor Judgement

I came across this sad and worrying case today.

I was particularly struck by the following:

'The nurse, Sue Lindsay, said she could not elicit any symptoms of psychosis in his voice and gave the 28-year-old a 24-hour crisis number to call.
Days later, on June 9 last year, degree student Mr Woodruffe, of St George's Street, Ipswich, jumped to his death off the Orwell bridge.'

I think that this is inexcusable. Making a decision on a patient's care, when they have obviously contacted you in crisis cannot be adequately performed over the 'phone. A face to face assessment is mandatory.

According the Mental Health Trust, guidelines were followed. Although they concede that they are now reviewing them - so that's OK then is it?

Fuck the guidelines, whatever happened to common sense and sound judgement?

Taking Responsibility

Dr Crippen draws our attention to the plight of Paul Gascoigne

Whilst working in A&E I've lost count of the number of times patients with drug/alcohol dependencey have presented in 'crisis'. Often with well meaning friends/family who are determined that this time he/she will 'kill the beast' and return to sobriety. I've also lost count of the number times I've walked out of the back door of the hospital and seen said 'convert' drinking, smoking or shooting up.

The main problem, in my opinion, is the medicalisation of these social/behavioural problems, I suspect it is often more about shifting blame/responsibility than it is about seeking treatment. Whilst Mavis' sentiments about Gazza's predicament is laudable. I can't help thinking that the lachrymose Geordie needs to buck up and take some responsibility for his lifestyle and it's inevitable result.

Fraudulent use of the Nurse Practitioner title

Healthcare Republic raises an interesting point.
The problem being, there is currently no protection of the Nurse Practitioner title. This is something NPs have struggled to remedy, there is alas, little support from the DoH.
This leaves those of us who are qualified NPs, and prescribers, with little recourse when faced with this kind of criticism . My personal view is that there is no attempt to defraud patients, but until the title is protected by statute. We will still be seen as quacks by those of our medical colleagues with little insight as to the positive benefits we bring to patient care.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

The venerable Dr Crippen has had another rant against those who have not entered the pantheon that is the GMC register.
This time interestingly, it involves the case of a consultant psychiatrist who, despite the advice of his peers, allowed a violent and murderous patient to be released from hospital. The sad consequences of which were the unfortunate deaths of two young women.
Good old Dr C alludes to further tragedies of this nature potentially being due to CMHTs, so detested by him. He belittles their work and attempts to shift part of the blame for this tragedy onto them. The facts as reported in the news make even more disturbing reading. Dr Birchall is held wholly to blame for this unfortunate episode, his conduct is criticised. There is no mention of any other individual or organisation being held to account in respect of this case. Much less the CMHT who Crippen would love to blame the whole fucking fiasco on.
Whilst I have the deepest respect for the difficult work of a consultant psychiatrist, particularly when there is such a sad end to the tale. I am vexed by the desire to turn it into another 'point' scored by the likes of Dr Crippen in his long game to smear the work of HCPs.

Fat Bastard

My nom-de-plume was not randomly assigned. It accurately reflects some of my physical characteristics. I've decided that I've been living the good life a bit too much recently. Whilst this is nigh impossible on a nurse's salary, those bits of batter at the chippy are often given away free if you stare longingly at them for long enough.
My expanding waistline is a painful reminder of this. To this end I'm going to make a concerted effort to lose some weight in the next three months. I've posted a meter on the the blog so that I can track my de-lardification.
The bastard of it is. I've just been delivered a case of rather nice Red, still I suppose it will keep until Christmas.

Take a head shot

Based on my experience of gunshot wounds. I'd hazard a guess that one in the head would defeat the stabbie - no sweat!