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Monday 30 May 2011

NHS Reforms

What worries me most about the NHS reforms is the giving to GP's the power and the money to manage health care. Too many times I have heard about GP's not providing proper services and I feel that people, especially those with mental health issues, are going to be worse off.
For example for the past 10 years or more my daughter has had the most horrific stomach pains, which no one until recently has properly investigated, and all the years of going to the hospital to see a paediatrician was futile, because they thought it was all in her head.
Now she has been diagnosed with the heli b condition and a blockage in her bowel. The heli b could have been eliminated years ago, but because it has been around in her system a long time, it isn't shifting, and what's worse is we could now all have it, baby included.
Despite this new diagnosis, one doctor at our surgery still refuses the medication she needs, insisting (though not saying verbally) it's all in her head.
Another GP never, ever visited an elderly lady with septic legs, always sent a nurse, and she was promised a home visit by a consultant which never happened. Two days before her death we were told the legs weren't septic. On her death certificate, septicaemia.
And these people are to be responsible for our health.
Please think again government, the health service shouldn't be a business!

Saturday 7 May 2011

Election results

As Liberal Democrats we were expecting some disappointing election results, but wow, not as bad as they were. We are the junior partner in a coalition, but are paying the price for it. It seems strange to me that the tories (who seem to be hated) in this area didn't suffer as much as us.
But I have known us to have bad results before and we will dust ourselves off and start all over again.
What people fail to realise is that the general media are against us, always have been, and will continue to be so. They also don't report the good things that have come out of the alliance, and Lib Dems isn't only about Nick Clegg.
I was very upset that a good friend of mine, Peter Astbury, lost his seat after twenty odd years of service to this town. I wish him a happy future, as he can now have some time to be with his family. I am sure in time he will be re-elected when the people of Newton East realise what they have lost. He is one of the most honest men I have ever known.
I don't know the new labour councillor, am sure she is OK, but she has a hard job ahead to fill Peter's shoes. I hope the trend improves, because to lose both Suzanne and Neil as well as Peter, means our town will just deteriorate under labour as it has done for many years. As the leader of the council said once, there is only one town hall and that is here in St Helens - we are just a suburb now, and for me it grinds at my core, being born and brought up here and remembering the good times of our old Urban District Council. Maybe it's time this woman returned to politics, as I can't see my beloved Earlestown and Newton left to the hands of labour, and the excuses of labour councillors that do sweet f.a. for it.
I felt also for Liverpool, my adopted home, and I hope that Richard Kemp and those Lib Dems still left on the council give the labour lot hell. We remember Derek Hatton and the crazies who ruined that fine city, and remember that under Lib Dem management the city improved and grew.
I wonder sometimes at people, they moan and moan about things, then re-elect the same morons year after year.
It's not sour grapes on my part, maybe I care too much, I loved Liverpool, it was the birthplace of my late husband and my daughter and I lived and worked there for ten years. But I despair of it also - lovely people on the whole but politically misguided.
I shall watch and wait for the moaning about this and that, and maybe chuckle and say well you get what you vote for. And everyone had the chance to change things, but preferred much of the same.
But don't write off the lib dems, the grassroots will fight back.

Hi again

It has been some time since I posted in this blog. Illness and various family commitments have prevented me from spending much time on politics and news. But I am back and will look for interesting articles to post and discuss.