Another Tory MP crosses the floor

Thanks Willow

montymops

I don’t know about Dr Poulter- his constituents didn’t seem to have a clue who he was.! I guess his patients didn’t know who he was either😂😂 I suspect he found he couldn’t do two jobs at once and simply decided to stick with the the one where he couldn’t be voted out. I’m afraid I see nothing admirable in his decision at all. Two of my ‘children’ are doctors - one a consultant surgeon - how could he possibly be an MP? On one occasion during the junior doctors strike - he was at work for 29 hours. Respect for him but none for Dan Poulter.

Yes - talked this over with my doc sis and BiL both recently retired consultants.

Poulter worked hard as a doc as well as an MP during Covid and he worked during the doctors strike too. So respect where its due whoever did this.

It's good that he works in a sector where he meets the reality of the NHS particularly real people, real situation, real pressures...... not some well paying industry lobby group

But I don't think he should work/should have worked the number of hours he does as a doctor and MP. He couldn't possibly have put in constituency consultant hours.

(Mind you, neither do many other MP's residing in long held safe seats!)

However it has given him the evidence he needs to talk from hours of experience on the ground that other MP's utterly lack.

Urmstongran

If he thinks the current shower in the Tory Party are ‘nationalist and on the right’, he belongs in an asylum not the Labour Party.

gave me a chuckle

Pity he didn't use his power as an mp to highlight or rid the NHS of DEI which is useless and extremely costly (as much as 40 million).

Florence78 Presumably you are as much an "activist" as Vegansrock because you were so annoyed she expressed a negative opinion about this government that you posted an outraged response. By your reasoning you are also trying to "engineer Granny brains* by expressing an opinion. And, anyway, are Granny brains so malleable that they can be "engineered"?

I don’t know about Dr Poulter- his constituents didn’t seem to have a clue who he was.! I guess his patients didn’t know who he was either😂😂 I suspect he found he couldn’t do two jobs at once and simply decided to stick with the the one where he couldn’t be voted out. I’m afraid I see nothing admirable in his decision at all. Two of my ‘children’ are doctors - one a consultant surgeon - how could he possibly be an MP? On one occasion during the junior doctors strike - he was at work for 29 hours. Respect for him but none for Dan Poulter.

Florence78

I see the activists are everywhere trying to engineer our Granny brains to think their way. I don't need your very obvious intervention Vegansrock. I can analyse and order my own thoughts and put a X in the box on the day without help from you.

Thanks for making me laugh Florence, though I doubt that was your intention

Dickens

Callistemon21

Dickens

MayBee70

But Brexit was supposed to result in so much money going to the NHS ?

I think that was 'explained' by someone - can't remember who though.

It wasn't a promise, or even an indication of an intent - the figure quoted was just an example of what we could do with all that extra money.

Apparently.

Well, it did, in a roundabout way.
It filled up the coffers of some who had contracts to provide substandard goods and services to the NHS during the Covid pandemic.

... there you go!

Obviously - many of us got wrong end of the stick and interpreted the slogan literally.

But we saw through their devious plots!!

I see the activists are everywhere trying to engineer our Granny brains to think their way. I don't need your very obvious intervention Vegansrock. I can analyse and order my own thoughts and put a X in the box on the day without help from you.

Callistemon21

Dickens

MayBee70

But Brexit was supposed to result in so much money going to the NHS ?

I think that was 'explained' by someone - can't remember who though.

It wasn't a promise, or even an indication of an intent - the figure quoted was just an example of what we could do with all that extra money.

Apparently.

Well, it did, in a roundabout way.
It filled up the coffers of some who had contracts to provide substandard goods and services to the NHS during the Covid pandemic.

... there you go!

Obviously - many of us got wrong end of the stick and interpreted the slogan literally.

Dickens

MayBee70

But Brexit was supposed to result in so much money going to the NHS ?

I think that was 'explained' by someone - can't remember who though.

It wasn't a promise, or even an indication of an intent - the figure quoted was just an example of what we could do with all that extra money.

Apparently.

Well, it did, in a roundabout way.
It filled up the coffers of some who had contracts to provide substandard goods and services to the NHS during the Covid pandemic.

Casdon

Callistemon21

A failing new hospital which is causing concern is a failing hospital, no matter the demographic or the Government in charge.

It is not the fault of the staff.

We’re talking about different levels of failure. I don’t think failing hospitals (which occur all over the UK) is the debate here, to my mind this is about whether poor health comparitors is a sign that the government has failed.

Additionally, OPN survey data also provide strong evidence on waiting times. OPN does not cover Northern Ireland, but estimates that in February 2023, 49% of people waiting in Wales had been waiting for longer than one year, compared with 23% in Scotland and 18% in England. As stated earlier, OPN figures are directly comparable between the nations, though the estimates have a wider range of uncertainty for Wales and Scotland in particular because of small sample sizes. They relate to all types of NHS waits, not just consultant-led pathways.
[[https://digitalanddata.blog.gov.wales/2023/09/12/chief-statisticians-update-comparing-nhs-waiting-list-statistics-across-the-uk/#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20OPN%20survey%20data%20also,Scotland%20and%2018%25%20in%20England.]

There has recently been a push in this HB area with appointments being offered at weekends, very early mornings and in the evenings.

That's good news, but I often wonder why people, such as doctors and teachers, support the Conservative Party anyway. Conservatives have consistently voted for measures that adversely affect the formation of public services/benefits (eg NHS, old age pensions, etc, etc) - or indeed any progressive ideas (eg discrimination laws, etc) so there is more chance of them subverting these things.

If he thinks the current shower in the Tory Party are ‘nationalist and on the right’, he belongs in an asylum not the Labour Party.

MayBee70

But Brexit was supposed to result in so much money going to the NHS ?

I think that was 'explained' by someone - can't remember who though.

It wasn't a promise, or even an indication of an intent - the figure quoted was just an example of what we could do with all that extra money.

Apparently.

But Brexit was supposed to result in so much money going to the NHS ?

His crossing to Labour underlines how important the NHS will be in the next election.

I believe doctors have to continue some medical work in order to maintain their registration. It's probably not an option to give up medical work to be a full time MP if the individual wants to return to practice later.

Wyllow3

Bits more on that here
www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/top-tory-mp-defects-to-labour-in-fury-at-nhs-crisis

(He considerers the Conservatives have fundamentally and irrevocably changed since he was first elected 2010.

Thanks. Interesting article.

Bits more on that here
www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/top-tory-mp-defects-to-labour-in-fury-at-nhs-crisis

(He considerers the Conservatives have fundamentally and irrevocably changed since he was first elected 2010.

While I applaud what he’s done I can’t quite understand why he was a Conservative MP in the first place, given that the parties ongoing dispute with junior doctors ( amongst other things) has been going on for a long time.

Callistemon21

A failing new hospital which is causing concern is a failing hospital, no matter the demographic or the Government in charge.

It is not the fault of the staff.

We’re talking about different levels of failure. I don’t think failing hospitals (which occur all over the UK) is the debate here, to my mind this is about whether poor health comparitors is a sign that the government has failed.

This explains it. It’s a bit out of date, but I doubt much has changed since.
bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/11/e012750#:~:text=Overall%2C%20England%20and%20Scotland%20had,than%20either%20Scotland%20or%20England.

A failing new hospital which is causing concern is a failing hospital, no matter the demographic or the Government in charge.

It is not the fault of the staff.

Callistemon21

I don't think much of the area I live in would be described as deprived although there are some areas of deprivation but that would compare with parts of England.

A new hospital continues to be of particular concern.
Some other areas have been described as not fit for purpose.

The Labour Government in Wales is failing the NHS too.

It’s the overall picture for an equivalent number of people served that should be the comparitor though, I’m sure there are some lovely areas in, say, the North East of England too. There are lots of failings of NHS Wales, as there are in NHS England, but it’s important to compare like with like. Comparing the 3m population of Wales with high levels of deprivation in that population to the 60m or whatever it is now of England which on average is less deprived isn’t comparing like with like.

I don't think much of the area I live in would be described as deprived although there are some areas of deprivation but that would compare with parts of England.

A new hospital continues to be of particular concern.
Some other areas have been described as not fit for purpose.

The Labour Government in Wales is failing the NHS too.

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Poulter for a few years. A lovely man and popular with staff and patients. I wish him well.