Westministenders: A Year of Johnson

[RedToothBrush]

So having given the benefit of the doubt...

... whats your reflections?

Good (and yes do have some thoughts on the positive - challenge yourself on this one as its important) and the bad (and yes this is the easy bit but keep it within reason)?

@BigChocFrenzy

Hancock:

"We’re constantly looking at the latest data on the spread of coronavirus, and unfortunately we’ve seen an increasing rate of transmission in parts of Northern England.

We’ve been working with local leaders across the region, and today I chaired a meeting of the Local Action Gold Committee.
Based on the data, we decided that in Greater Manchester, parts of West Yorkshire & East Lancashire we need to take immediate action to keep people safe.

The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing.
So from midnight tonight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas."

You can say this the next day after explaining to the localised area - you don't "shame" them to the whole country first. FFS.

It's not just the elderly though.
Twice last year I had to get emergency MH appts at the gp.
Two separate people.
Both suicidal.
Both very vulnerable.
One of whom was totally controlled by their abusive spouse. How does one flee DV if you need interest access/tablet/laptop etc
There is SO much about this thats so poorly thought out quelle surprise
I would also point out that - like most surgeries- my gp surgery has been running a phone triage system for years! Its not a new thing and most surgeries have been doing it for some time.
As ever it will be the most vulnerable that suffer/die.
Tbh I'm surprised that the report into the Govt strategy for care homes (spolier alert: there wasn't one!) hasn't had more traction...?
Those poor patients and staff were thrown under a bus. Horrifying.

Yes this may well shock a lot of families into realising that despite the govt's best attempts to hide it, the virus is still circulating, BUT you don't expect that to make a difference after relaxing lockdown to the point people thought meeting family was OK. All we are seeing here is the first area to be hit by Wave 2.

Yes I may well buy one. My parents have one except I'm still not able to visit them.

It's another opportunity for those with no spare cash or the elderly to fall through the cracks and if they don't provide the readings to not have their health monitored as well as it should be.

The NHS GP was directing me to a pharmacy service that doesn't yet exist and asking the pharmacist to risk catching Covid from me when checking my BP when the surgery staff won't take the same risk. I had a lovely chat to the pharmacist about it. They are literally opposite the surgery which has multiple GPs so could end up taking dozens of BP readings each day if this becomes a thing. Would they charge me? Be reimbursed by the NHS? Hope everyone bought vitamins or a new toothbrush?

bcf
I'd also suggest an o2 sats monitor too.
Very handy.

Sorry for interrupting the chat about f2f (ridiculous and serving US pharma) GP appts.

I thought the thing to have in the med cabinet was an Oximeter?

@yoikes

bcf I'd also suggest an o2 sats monitor too. Very handy.

As long as the Oxymeter is reliable which you might not find out until your lips go blue even though it says 98%

Its the one the gp surgery uses :)
Came in very handy when the drs kept telling me ds1 was "fine"
I took his reading and his sats were 92.
Pneumonia.

I'm re watching stranger things

Seems quaint now

@yoikes can you share the brand of oxymeter. Am guessing that is a reliable one if the GP uses it.

And other nasty things in life continue ....

'I'm scarred for life': NHS worker targeted in racist hit-and-run attack in Bristol

Dreadful picture of his face

news.sky.com/story/im-scarred-for-life-nhs-worker-targeted-in-racist-hit-and-run-attack-in-bristol-12039257

He underwent plastic surgery to his face that evening and was found to have suffered a broken leg, nose and cheekbone.

Re Lorry City aka Ashford www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/michael-gove-should-come-here-he-might-learn-something-231298/?fbclid=IwAR2Uc58zAULGtHiljXlk5Djpy3sV9zDbUo1q9BvB0cxFHK9cuwhd45rffrc Rosie Duffied on the issue.

This gives perspective about the Uk planning to play with the big kids

NBC Politics@NBCPolitics

BREAKING:
US GDP falls by a record 32.9% in 2nd quarter,
and more than 1.43M people filed for unemployment benefits for the 1st time last week, rising for a 2nd week.
‪https://nbcnews.to/2EsO084‬

Dmitry Grozoubinski@DmitryOpines

This is a fall of roughly $2.15 trillion.

For context, the entire UK economy is about $2.85 trillion.

BCF I read that yesterday - Bristol being a fairly tolerant city was surprised but ultimately glad that at least the witness came forward as these stories get buried otherwise.

Being in Scotland, I hadn't seen the (WM) Government ads about the easing of lockdown. Saw a bit of one for the first time during the BBC News (as part of the feature about the increased lockdown in the North West ) and was It looked far too relaxed. No wonder people are confused and not maintaining "proper" social distancing

and that's before we begin to talk about the mixed messages from Cummings etc doing what they want

@prettybird I think it would be a very interesting question to pose to the public:
Are we still in lockdown?

Even I am not 100% sure - of course this is the govt giving a veneer of"liberalisation" to the pandemic, but really, everyone is completely clueless which means relying on peer pressure for masks etc is redundant. The base message is gone.

JeSuisPoulet - didn't Matt Hancock try to claim that Lockdown was a state of mind rather than anything that happened on a particular date, as part of his reasoning that Lockdown happened on 16 March (when the scientists said it should) and not 23 March (when the Government actually did it)?

If lockdown falls in an area where no one knew it existed, did it really fall at all?

Jack Shenkerr@hackneylad*

When #coronaviruss^ arrived in Britain, the government told most of us to stay home, and keep safe.

It told its own cleaners something very different.

https://members.tortoisemedia.com/2020/07/06/the-reckoning-death-at-the-ministry/content.html?

For Emanuel Gomes, the most striking thing about the coronavirus lockdown was that it never existed

How many local lockdowns add up to a national lockdown?

Well the Russian programming has worked, the govt are parroting both sides at once (be home but go out) and we are free (go abroad but stay home when you get home) as well as free meals for all (£10 off assuming you can afford £10 for a meal out)

Is this where Putin "Levels Up"?

It'll all be your fault, you know that ....

Or your neighbours, depending on skin tone, class and work ethic. Or maybe if they play golf and own a company or happen to be a young white british male? I'm sure we are all a little "unproductive" aren't we?

So many targets of aggression to be taught, so little time....