UK Politics Thread (Part 3)

[JU97ICE]

@Arminius

But it is broadly true of anywhere in a flood plain. If you have purchased property or built in a flood plain in the last generation or so, this should have been an assumed risk.

With the easy availability of local government mapping which these days allows viewing of flood risk (10yr, 50yr, 100yr events) models, and contour mapping, there can be absolutely no excuse for not being aware of the risk of flooding, land slides etc. when purchasing a property. We are already seeing 100 year events happen more regularly, so that scale is likely going to change and 100 year events are going to become 20 year events and 100 year will be far more extreme, but it doesn’t take much to understand the risk to a property knowing its elevation above natural waterways and applying a buffer with the expectation that the future is probably going to look far more bleak than it currently is.

Looking at property in Australia, home insurance premiums are off the charts largely to do with natural events like these (plus bushfires etc). I can’t imagine its much different in other parts or the world, or at least won’t be soon enough.

[redalways]

Agreed. Labour need to demonstrate that they live their principles, rather than be just another set of empty vessels…

[Mascot]

@JU97ICE

With the easy availability of local government mapping which these days allows viewing of flood risk (10yr, 50yr, 100yr events) models, and contour mapping, there can be absolutely no excuse for not being aware of the risk of flooding, land slides etc. when purchasing a property. We are already seeing 100 year events happen more regularly, so that scale is likely going to change and 100 year events are going to become 20 year events and 100 year will be far more extreme, but it doesn’t take much to understand the risk to a property knowing its elevation above natural waterways and applying a buffer with the expectation that the future is probably going to look far more bleak than it currently is.

I bought my house seven years. Not on a floodplain, no history of flooding and no insurance issues.

Just done my policy renewal and the cost has more than doubled in twelve months. Not only that, but my broker could only find two companies willing to take us on because we are now apparently considered a flood risk.

[redalways]

Paul Clark: Former MP jailed over child abuse images

Looks like it’s Labour’s turn in the scandal spotlight this week… Wonder how long before the Conservatives start feeling neglected…

[Commando]

Within 1/2 to 3/4 miles from where I live is land that in heavy rain would become a large lake. They’ve built a private estate on it. Before they built on it they deployed multiple pumps for months to pump water from there into a nearby river. They then dumped/placed hardcore over the field to depth of about a metre. There’s been no visible flooding whenever we’ve driven past after heavy rain. I’d have not taken the chance myself though.

[Semmy]

@Arminius

The problem with that is that in most of the Western world, some of the most vulnerable land is also some of the most valuable, and privately held. This reaches the extreme for property like North Carolina beach houses, where property owners expect the Army Corps of Engineers to funnel tens of millions every year into keeping a beach in place. But it is broadly true of anywhere in a flood plain. If you have purchased property or built in a flood plain in the last generation or so, this should have been an assumed risk. Why should the broader public bear those costs?

I just watched a net docu about places like New Orleans and a particular section of beach houses in Florida on reclaimed land that was wiped out by storm surges and other places like Grand Banks…

It’s a shit show.

that said…the Sumas Prairie floods here in 2021 which cut off Vancouver from the rest of Canada for a few weeks. That used to be a lake 100yrs ago, and through canals and diversion they were able to drain that lake and turn it into very fertile farmland.

Until mother nature gets pissed off…then you end up with this:

Shocking pollutants found in Sumas Lake area after floods | Watch News Videos...

Sumas Lake

[Semmy]

side note, shortly after my visit to the UK in 2019 where I met such esteemed colleagues as Klopptimist and RedJedi… Whaley Bridge flooded

I’d just happened to have spent 3 days there, my wife’s friends live there. quite a situation, that.

[Dane]

@redalways

Paul Clark: Former MP jailed over child abuse images - BBC News

Looks like it’s Labour’s turn in the scandal spotlight this week… Wonder how long before the Conservatives start feeling neglected…

They’re all untrustworthy devious twats

[JU97ICE]

[PaulRoJo]

@Klopptimist

Round here, if your GP is capable of getting up, dressed and staying sober till at least lunchtime, you’re better off than most.

Always thought that a qualified nurse would be a far better (and cheaper) first port of call. Being able to see a doctor whenever you want is an incredible luxury

In that case, I feel sorry for you.

[gasband]

I remember reading an article about USA (or even Europe, really can’t recall) where dentists were afraid to refer the writer for further tests as it is possible for them to be cited if patient makes complaints for unnecessary testing. In the end, the writer suffered long term damages due to their fear of reprisal. Is that the reason in UK or is it due to lack of resources?

[Noo_Noo]

I’ve never heard of anything like that in the UK. We are desperately short of resources though.

@Klopptimist mentioned his GP. Similar in some ways here. We have one doctor who must be well into his 70’s if not 80’s and works part time. The rest are locums and numbers vary. Never more than a couple I suspect (I haven’t verified as I haven’t been in a while).

We’ve got a shiny new health centre though

The UK is desperately short of every resource in health. Beds, doctors, surgeons, dentists, nurses, the list goes on and on.

[deneb]

And apparently applications are down 20% for nursing, so it’s only going to get worse.

They probably need to look at bringing back the proper bursary.

[Noo_Noo]

Not surprising. I think that anyone choosing a career in nursing, teaching, doctors, ambulance, and probably a good few others at the moment is a bit “mad”. Careers in those professions have been completely trashed.

[cynicaloldgit]

I know a few people who work in the NHS (all of them with over twenty years’ worth of experience) and they all agree that one of the worst things about the job these days is patients’ sense of entitlement. Everyone thinks their needs come first and that they take precedence over everybody else. This often leads to aggression and abuse.

It’s particularly noticeable, they say, among the under 40s, products of the neoliberal “there’s no such thing as society” modern world.

[PaulRoJo]

The curse of Thatcherism lives on. Interestingly in Aus all my interactions with students in the under 25 generation reinforces to me that they are a much nicer generation than we were at the same age.

[ISMF]

I think a lot depends on the condition

@cynicaloldgit

worst things about the job these days is patients’ sense of entitlement.

The problem is when you wait weeks or months to see someone, when you finally do you have an expectation that you will be finally helped. Like most families mine have been in and out of hospital over the last 15 years. However looking back it was shockingly bad.

Here are a few personal examples:

When my daughter was born she had a mass on heart. They diagnosed her as having this rare terrible condition where her life expectancy would be a young adult. Serve mental disabilities and all kinds organ failure at different points in her life. We were told hours after she was born with zero bedside manner. It took 2 years before they realised she was misdiagnosed and actually she is perfect fine (besides the heart defect that does not impact her in any way). As young parents at the time mental impact was huge. Much of which could have been avoided with a simple genetic blood test.

My other daughter caught the flu one year (she was about 2) she stopped taking any fluids, become very lethargic and was admitted for 3 days. However it was Christmas Eve and they were trying to free up beds and we were sent home. 12 hours later we were in A&E as she was unconscious.

With my wife. It took 6 trips to the GP for them to do the right blood test to diagnose she had an under active thyroid. Before that it was a combination of change diet, get more rest, it’s just stress, let’s wait and see. It was so bad that we had to specify the type of thyroid blood test to perform.

She also has endometriosis. Unfortunately the region we were living (North East of England) has a lack of specialists in that field. My wife got referred in 2018 to see specialist and was due to see one in July 2019. This got canceled as the only specialist left. We then migrated to NZ in the October. We figured at the time we would stay on waiting list as we might decide to come back. 3 years later she finally got a letter for an appointment.

Lastly myself. My daughter kicked me in the balls when we were playing. One of my testis became filled with fluid (basically broken valve). I needed surgery. Despite one of my balls being the size of tennis ball it was not considered urgent. Had a 3-4 month wait on NHS. The surgeon I saw told me I had a 50:50 chance a side effect would be a permanent pain/discomfort. I decided to go private and simply pay cash to find best. Found a top surgeon who had done this op a thousand times and not a single patient was left with pain. Within 48 hours it was done.

That’s just my immediate family. Over the last 10 years it has been run into the ground. The public has a right to expect better. People get frustrated and have high expectations because they have to wait so long for treatment. Once you get treatment you should expect a basic minimum of care. The NHS frequently falls below that. If you have been suffering for a long time with chronic issue that creates an entitlement by time you get to see a doctor or nurse.

It’s not in any way the individuals fault (fully blame government). But when patents become a number, when it’s so important to free up hospital beds, when there are rules like you can only see GP for one condition (like Danes example). It’s not so much a under 40s entitlement. More a frustration that in parts of the NHS it’s under such stress it’s akin to a third world nation

Worst thing is, it was not that long ago it provided a good service.

[cynicaloldgit]

@ISMF

Over the last 10 years it has been run into the ground. The public has a right to expect better. People get frustrated and have high expectations because they have to wait so long for treatment.

Whilst I agree that the system has been run into the ground (in my opinion deliberately so) by the Tories, that still doesn’t give patients the right to spit or swear at frontline staff… or worse.

It’s neoliberal hypocrisy at its finest: promise people the world, but give them fuck all.

[ISMF]

@cynicaloldgit

that still doesn’t give patients the right to spit or swear at frontline staff… or worse.

Fully agree, it’s unfair staff take the brunt.

No one should have to take abuse (especially when such a high pressure job beforehand). I have huge respect for those that work in it.

My opinion is the NHS has effectively become a trama ward. Designed to patch people up to bare minimum. Frequently deal with symptoms rather than underlying issue unless absolutely no choice.

Bit like police having to deal with druggies and mentality handicapped. The abuse is a symptom of system being broken (underfunded)

[SBYM]

Tory bun-fight/revolt on the cards, apparently, over that EU law bonfire thingy.

Goodie gumdrops.