Nothing To Hide (Apparently)

Remember when the government rolls out the fallacy of 'If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear'? They normally do this when talking about the ability to spy on all our emails and phone calls, install CCTV in our homes and other such privacy busting measures. After all, the argument goes, if we are all open and honest about everything then crime, terrorism and pedophiles will no longer exist.

(I'll not delve too deeply into that particular fallacy)

Well it seems that they have not taken this motto to their own breast. Instead the government has decided to veto the information commissioners order to reveal the NHS Risk Register.

Let me explain the risk register, because part of the reason the government says it wants to keep this secret is because it is awfully complicated and it is unlike us mere members of the public could ever understand it.

The NHS risk register is how to measure the risk of something bad happening due to to governments changes. It does this by measuring two things - how likely something is to happen and how bad it would be if that something did happen. It measures both of these elements on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the worst.

So for example - rating the likelihood of something bad happening, you would give 'Being hit by a meteorite' a 1 because it is incredibly unlikely. You would give 'Being hit by a bus' a 2 because it is more likely (though not common), and you would give 'catch a cold' a 5 because it is really quite likely.

Then you rate the impact that a bad thing would have, again on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the worst. So 'Being hit by a meteorite' would be a 5 because it's likely to kill you stone dead. 'Being hit by a bus' is probably a 4, it's likely to do some lasting damage to you. 'Catching a cold' would be a 1 because it's unlikely to do very much harm to you.

You then multiply these two numbers together to get the relative risk. So 'being hit by a meteorite' would be a 5 (1x5) because while it is really nasty it's unlikely to happen. 'Being hit by a bus' would be a 8 (4x2) and 'Catching a cold' would be a 5 (1x5) because although it is likely in the wet and cold climate of the UK the actual harm is quite small.

These numbers are actually based on science, previous evidence and clever predictions- unlike what i have just done these numbers are not just plucked out of thin air. It's a good way of managing and mitigating the harm of the risks involved in any activity.

That is the risk register in a nutshell. It's the equivalent of buying a car after kicking the tyres and checking that it's not two cars welded into one.

As the NHS reform bill went through the various stages of being voted on by the commons and the lords, a number of people who were to vote on it asked if they might actually look at the risk register - kick the tyres as it were. At each request the government refused. Why would the people voting for this legislation need to see if this car is a ringer? Don't you trust the government? You must be some sort of Trotsky.

At one point in the lords, they actually voted against seeing the risk register. I believe this is the lord's version of sticking their fingers in their ears and humming loudly.

The information commission, after a freedom of information request, ruled that the government should publish the risk register, the government then went to a number of different courts in an effort to not do this. However, none of the courts agreed with the government because, well, they aren't idiots.

Yesterday the government invoked the nuclear option - a veto for 'exceptional circumstances'. Stating that the reason for this veto was because 'otherwise the civil service might tell lies if they realise that the plebs might look at their working out'.

Essentially the government is admitting that the risk register is full of 4x4 and 5x5 risks and that if the public were to see this then they might start questioning if the NHS reform bill was actually worth the risk. Why else would you work so harm to hide something if it's contents were not explosive to your governing of the UK?

In the Queens speech today one plan was for 'businesses to have less inspection'. Ostensibly so that they can get on with the business of making profit rather than, I dunno, being in compliance with the law. I suspect that this will apply to all those private companies taking over parts of the NHS - After all, actually inspecting them might show that the companies involved may not have their patient's best interests at heart. And that would be damaging to the government.

I would be willing to put money on the risk register containing a 4x4 risk of 'Private healthcare companies break the law and provide sub-standard service'…

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This blogpost was written while listening to Rob Dougan 'Furious Angels'

Without Meaning

I'm having trouble saying who I am at present.

It was easy when I worked on the ambulances - I was 'ambulance worker', the job defined me completely. The shift work made me sleep at weird hours and be grumpy when I was awake. I walked around other people's homes as if they belonged to me and I raced along the road on blue lights. I was part of a clique of people who had seen things and done things that most people never even think about, the camaraderie and the in jokes, the swearing, the 'us vs. them' attitude. My job defined who I was.

Then I left the ambulance service (just in time, as my crumbling back gave me numb legs and I couldn't see myself carrying 20st patients any more) and I became a nurse practitioner. There is something about being a nurse practitioner that just doesn't give me meaning like when I was working on an ambulance. Is it because it is less stressful? Is it because the camaraderie is not as strong? Is it because, instead of saving lives and delivering babies, I'm now telling people how to deal with sore throats and runny noses?

I'm no longer described and defined by my job. 'Ambulance worker' was my super hero identity, 'Nurse practitioner' is just a job. When I'm not at work I'm not 'off duty' any more - I'm just not at work. Working on the ambulances defined me but being a nurse doesn't seem to fulfil that same role.

I'm not sure that this is a bad thing, but I think it is something that has been worrying away at the back of my mind for a while. I'm wondering if it's come to the front of my mind because my old blog Random Acts Of Reality has finally been deleted from the internet (due to Blogware shutting down). I have the whole site in a vaguely unusable export format - but something that was such a large part of my life has now gone, and I've nothing new to replace it with.

Maybe I need to find something...

Two Things

I write this on the first day of the end of the NHS which comes despite the cries of pretty much every professional health-care body, a public petition that passed the 'will be discussed in parliament' (and then wasn't), legal challenges to let us poor dumb voters know that a proper risk assessment was actually done and a general feeling that we are being screwed over.

I can list the ways in which the public of England have been screwed over, at some point in the future I'll start talking about how we in Newham are already feeling the effects of the changes - and I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it's not leading to better patient care.

While I am angry that all this is being done in the cause of ideology, and that the Liberal Democrats are playing the part of a puppy rolling over hoping for it's belly to be scratched by Cameron, examining my feelings it is something else that is raising my blood pressure.

No, it's frustration. It's the feeling that no matter what we do, no matter how much we shout, no matter how many petitions, no matter how many MPs we write to that nothing will change. The government has it's fingers in their ears shouting 'Lalala - we can't hear you'.

It's the fact that the media would rather cover sports than the fate of the NHS. Take for example the recent peaceful protest where armed and riot police were in attendance kettling protestors. There was little to no coverage in the mainstream media about it.

This is the root of my anger - that there seems to be no way of fighting back against these unwanted changes.

I wish I were an organiser, I wish I have the knowledge and the skill to muster a group of people to help fight this. Instead I have two ideas - but no skill to make them happen.

First - the Risk register that the government is trying to hide should be published - and if this means a brave soul who has the register manages to leak it then so be it. Let it into the public domain so that it might be looked at fully by everyone - only then will I not believe that this whole act is driven by ideology.

Secondly - For every MP that voted for this bill I would have a group of smart and motivated people look into that person's conduct. Expose every dodgy deal, all the MPs who have a stake in private medical companies, every campaign contribution. Not doing anything illegal - but showing every bit of corruption until finally it reaches a critical mass and there is no option but for that MP to resign (or be fired)*.

I'm one of those horribly idealistic people who thinks that if enough people see the truth then the world can change.

Stupid, I know, but it might be worth a try.

*And once we've done it to those who voted for the bill, we can do it to every other MP - might keep them a bit more honest...

The $8 Billion iPad

This is largely a testing post because I'm feeling the itch to start blogging again. Partly because of my experiences in Urgent Care, but also because every day I wake up and the government seems to have found a new way to make me angry.

Let's see if this anger continues for long enough to get me blogging again...

This video is well worth five minutes of your life.

Soundtrack Listing - Episode 6

OK folks, here is the soundtrack listing to the final episode of Sirens along with the usual Spotify link to the track of the artists who have a presence there.

(There was a piece, cut from the draft where, during the party, a gang of firemen talk about removing part of a radiator with power tools in order to help make the melon bong. I am quite sad that got cut).

Also - I don't cry.  Partly because my 'father' story is much funnier.

Les Carnaval Des Animaux - Slovak RSO

Surf Hell - Little Barrie

The Greeks - Is Tropical

Fireworks - The Whitest Boy Alive

Until Then - OrcasI Think I Like U 2 - Jamaica

Microlite - Trophy Wife

The Sound Of Sunshine - Michael Franti

I Need A Dollar - Aloe Blacc

Come To The Bar - Pete and the Pirates

Super Duper - Deerhoof

Tighten up - The Black Keys

Crushing Limbs - Anni Rossi

Bakerman - Laid Back

The Look - Metronomy

Wild Thing - Tone Loc

I Think I Like It - Fake Blood

Gas - Star Slinger

In The Summer - Crystal Fighters

Like A G6 - Far East Movement

Brow Beaten - Silver Columns

Bumpkin - Star Slinger

Pearl High - The Bar Kays

Right On - The Roots

Claire - Baxter Dury

OK - The Beastie Boys

The Burial - Justine Barker

We Are Your Friends - Justice Vs Simian

Avril 14th - Aphex Twin

Peace Begins Within - Nora Dean

Wonders of the Deep - The Chemical Brothers

Hullaballabalu - Mum

Ice Cream - The Battles