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Why are TWO Trusts running the same hospital? UK NHS

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There's a point in time when what appear to be small local issues, become more controversial as you dig deeper into them. One example surrounds my local Louth County Hospital in Lincolnshire, (not the one in Ireland). Louth is a market town of 16,000 people and rising. The area the hospital covers has a population of 25,000. Louth itself is growing, with numerous housing projects underway. As well as the hospital, the town has just TWO GP Surgeries. In it's heyday, (with a town population of 11,000), Louth County Hospital held 200 inpatient beds. It also had theatres and an A & E, that served the town and surrounding villages. The larger towns of Horncastle and Alford, now served by Louth, had their own hospitals. Louth had onsite accommodation for doctors and nurses who moved to the town from outside. Louth even had a second "maternity" hospital. This has long been closed. Fighting 4 Louth Hospital campaigner  Keiran Speed, with Artist Jayne Cooper Angel (2017) B...
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Vicky Atkins appointed Health Secretary. (NHS/Politics/UK)

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Louth/Horncastle MP Victoria (Vicky) Atkins has been appointed Health Secretary by Rishi Sunak as he tries desperately to hang onto power. Atkins, who famously stated that she was "leading the fight" to save services at Louth County Hospital, only weeks before then HS, (H)unt oversaw the closure of the facility. Promising when it opened, it would be in the same capacity as when it abruptly shut, it was opened 18 months later with the 54 beds reduced to 18. Tensions came to a head, when in 2018, the Community Group, "Fighting 4 Louth Hospital", forced Atkins to hastily arrange a public meeting in the town, to thrash out any fears the local population had. Speakers, including the Founders of F4LH, Hospital Staff and members of the public, continually argued with Atkins that services were being constantly cut.  She is infamously remembered for her continued bleating of "Trust the Experts" (meaning the Trusts, the CCG's and the Health Department(. The flus...
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NHS - Taxpayer money given away. Cygnet Health UK

Cygnet Health Care is a private provider of mental health services. It  operates over 150 centres with more than 2,500 beds across the UK. Cygnet also  has 15 rehabilitation sites nationwide, comprising 25 wards and 338 beds. Some clients pay for private services, but the majority are funded by the NHS . It is this NHS funded service that we are looking at here, but first, some corporate information. In 2014, the business was acquired by Universal Health Services , an American Corporate Healthcare giant, for £205,000,000. In 2016, Cygnet purchased the Cambian Group , Adult Services business for £377,000,000. Cygnet does not appear to pay any dividends to UHS, but it does send large chunks of "interest" to it's American parent annually. In 2022, the "interest" (on internally funded loans), amounted to £48,000,000. This is where we get interested. We cannot work out why the UK Government would pay an American corporate beast (via it's UK business, Cygnet), hug...
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Some facts about NHS Doctors' strikes - (UK, Health, NHS).

The ongoing crises in the NHS are littered with claims, counterclaims and plain media disinformation. Many in the government, as well as their equally extreme right wing press, repeatedly call striking Doctors such names as "Greedy", "Scum" and even "Murderers". The reason for the strikes though, are not all about the money, although it is a BIG part of the dispute. The FACT that Consultants are striking at all, is due to their Junior collegues (strangley named as "Junior Doctors"), striking for more pay and better working conditions, This justified action, as will be seen, means that Consultants are covering the shifts whilst their colleagues strike. Unsurprisingly, that is leading to burnout among Consultants as they attempt to double up on their workload, in an attempt to provide an adequate level of patient care. Presumably, with the government refusing to meet with striking Junior Doctors, and offer them better than a derisory pay deal, Heal...
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£3k Hospital beds 4 Sale - £6 - NHS

Every time Rishi Sunak opens his mouth, he bleats on about his 5 priorities "for the British people".  One of those five priorities is investment in the NHS . He's forever repeating the lies about more Hospitals, more Nurses, more Doctors, record recruitmen but never about wasted "investments". During the pandemic, the government claimed it was establishing " Nightingale " Hospitals, designed to treat the most serious cases of Covid, and fully fitted with oxygen availability, To ensure these facilities were fitted out with the most up to day equipment, the NHS purchased a number of high range beds, at a cost of around £3,000 per unit. When the hospitals were dismantled, (many without treating a single patient), it was estimated the cost of setting them up to be around £500,000,000. The "specialist" beds that were purchased were found to be unsuitable for use in other hospital settings, and wer sold off at as little as £6 each. SIX POUNDS fo...
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The Voice referendum - October 14. Australia, Politics.

  "The Voice" is a referendum in Australia designed to give Aboriginals a recognition within the Constitution, and a prescence in Australian society and politics. Voters will be asked to approve an alteration   to the  Australian Constitution , creating a body called the Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander Voice  that "may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government ... on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". Proposed question: The current proposal for the question to be put to the Australian people at the 2023 referendum is: A Proposed Law: "To alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?" Generally, it can be said that socialists are mainly supportive of the proposal, whereas right and far right wing parties are opposed. The main opposition to the proposal, is the fear ...
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 We're NEW - "About" New blog to give our views on the world from the *back of beyond.  Talking about all things UK Politics , Arsenal Football Club , Australian News and anything else we care to impose on you. We'll always include the "subject" in the title where possible, so you can skip reading the posts if you don't give a monkey's. *Lincolnshire - Brexit Country! 
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