Human Rights Fiasco?

After an appeal by the UK Border Agency was rejected, Mohammed Ibrahim has won the right to stay in this country, despite being a previous failed asylum seeker. The courts in their wisdom have stated that his human right to a family life would be violated if he was returned to Iraq - by fathering two children with an English woman he can legally sidestep deportation. However, this is no ordinary asylum seeker.

Today I listened to Mr Paul Houston on the Jeremy Vine show. Seven years ago Mr Houston lost his young daughter Amy in the most appalling manner. She was run down by Mr Ibrahim who was driving with no licence or insurance. Amy, a much loved only child, was left lying under Mr Ibrahim's car wheels whilst he chose to run away leaving her to die.

Mr Houston talked in a passionate and emotional way about the appalling manner in which his daughter Amy died. How the loss of his child has changed his life forever and how being asked to accept that the only penalty Mr Ibrahim must pay for his deed is 4 months in prison.

Since his subsequent release from 4 months of incarceration, Mr Ibrahim has gone on to be arrested for theft, burglary, driving again with no licence or insurance, harrassement and drug taking (cannabis), plus of course, fathered his two children - an act which appears to give him the right to remain in this country regardless of character, morality, or continued criminal activities he may choose to perpetrate.

For Mr Houston this is another slap in the face. A variety of listeners rang and emailed Jeremy Vine with expressions of sympathy, horror, tears and support, not least when we were told that Mr Houston (for medical reasons) cannot have more children.

For me there are some questions I would like answered. Is Mr Ibrahim contributing in anyway to our society - does he work, pay taxes? Any man who is fit enough to commit burglary and drive with such abandon must surely be fit enough for work. Do social services think he is suitable to care for his children or are they on the at risk register? Does he live (permanently) at home with his new family? If the answer is yes to these questions will the courts keep a check on this man to see he continues to fulfil his family duties in a responsible manner after the media furore dies down. After all - children are for life, not just for Christmas.....

Fundholding is Back!

Or at least a form of it.....

Andrew Lansley is planning to abolish PCT's and Strategic Health Authorities and hand their 80 billion commissioning budgets to GP Consortia - in all but name 'Fundholding'

Don't get me wrong, I am not completely against this, but having worked within the NHS for over 25 years, many as a Senior Manager within Primary Care, I am well aware that most GP's are not (commercially) business trained. Infact many GP's find it difficult to wear a commercial hat when faced with a sick patient requiring expensive treatment or medication. Making decisions based on cost will never come naturally to them.

Of course there will be those Doctors who relish the chance to be a key player within their local Consortia. They will be happy to devote time to financial meetings, planning meetings, strategy meetings etc., happy to offload consultation time to their long suffering practice partners or a hired locum GP. Things are easier for those keen Doctors since the first time fundholding was rolled out. This time round, due to previous changes to the patient registration system, patients are registered with a practice and not individual GPs, thus freeing Doctors from the more intense Doctor/patient relationship of an individual list of registered patients.

One major area of concern is what will happen to the dispanded Strategic Health Authority and PCT personnel? Tradition dictates that a great many of these employees will be moved sideways, redeployed.........

Redundancy is something else that does not happen naturally within the NHS!