RE: Eugenics : the thread

The qualified personnel issue arises from lack of a formal recruitment framework. If you’re going to sort out the corruption and inefficiency, you need quality people. “Bright eyed boy” with his electrical engineering degree is decidedly not what I mean. I am in the middle of my accounting training contract, but my company absolutely insists on all applicants having a degree before they are accepted as trainees. All the work we do is completely reviewed by people who are already qualified. We also have to pass our exams first time or else we get the sack. The reason for this is that if we fail, there will be doubts cast over our work (even though all of it is reviewed). I tell you, a degee is nice but it is bugger all preparation for a real world job. To train as any of the professions I listed, a degee is only the starting point before 3-4 years under articles. My point is that the NHS seem to demand less ability and less professionalism than your local firm of accountants.

Money is only half the problem. A newly qualified accountant with no particular specialty gets £35k at the absolute minimum. Add a specific expertise and the numbers shoot right up. Would the NHS pay this? Not on your life.

You get what you pay for, I’m afraid.

But paying for it shouln’t be difficult. I refuse to believe a green accountant can’t be given a living wage if you can pay a consultant £100k or whatever. Maybe that is half the answer – get rid of consultants? I’m sure some expertise will go with them, but when the newly hired accountants sort out the expenses they could afford to hire consultants again.

RE: Charter Members?

I should think a charter member is one who joined at the start of the forum – ie. an original member.

RE: Australia’s refugee problem

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-07-02 AT 10:34 AM (GMT)]Fair point Wombat. But like I said a little earlier, why is Australia so openly hostile to anyone – from anywhere – entering their country?????

When I entered at Melbourne a few weeks ago, there were lots of nationalities on the plane – Brits, French, lots of Norwegians for some reason, a few Americans and I was sat next to a Canadian. Why were we all treated like Afghans or Pakistanis? Is it just a xenophobic thing – (hard to believe as Aussies are by and large nice friendly sorts). I understand the thing about not bringing diseases into Oz, but the interrogation was more along the lines of “what is the address of your employer?” and “please show me your return ticket”.

Also – AUD 10,000 only buys GBP 3,500 rather than GBP 33,000 as you said. Still a heck of a lot to be spending on economic migrants though.

The point of my rant is that Aussie imigration is perceived as being unfair, which is why a lot of press reports paint the refugee problem in a bad light.

RE: Anti terror war-Isrealis style.

How can the Sinai withdrawals have set a precedent if the major areas of occupied land are still held by Israel? You mention the West Bank yourself.

RE: Eugenics : the thread

Moaning about too many managers is a common thing. But look at it the other way. One of the reasons the NHS is perpetually short of cash is that it is extraordinarily inefficient. Appointing people who will increase efficiency and reduce needless costs is the way to change this, surely?

A good example is when communities save up to buy a scanner or some such. Fine, except that they only buy the scanner. Paying for the asset is only part of the cost of capital expenditure. Paying for on-going maintainence is equally vital. But we all hear stories of plastic washers costing £10 and other parts being preposterously expensive. This is because the NHS is being taken for a ride. Given the estent of the problem, it must only be down to corruption within the NHS. Getting new people in to do these jobs is a good way to tackle it. Nurses would scream bloody murder if the government launched a corruption which hunt!!

The problem of being able to afford gardens but not wheelchair facilities is really down to bad budgeting. Same with my notional sick Dad. Most accountants within the NHS are not qualified. Don’t you find that shocking? No wonder budgets are poor. The budgeting process within the NHS is dreadful – I know, I studied it. Anyone advocating this at a similar size organisation (eg. Coca Cola or Ford) would be instantly sacked!

Hence my argument – start recruiting quality personnel. All managers should be appropriately qualified:

Qualified Accountants (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
Lawyers,
Actuaries,
Senior Clinicians

Otherwise the financial framework will prevent the NHS doing its job.

RE: Anti terror war-Isrealis style.

I never said that I hate Ariel Sharon. I don’t doubt that he is a man one can “do business” with. However by all accounts, so is Arafat. Maybe Sharon can “do business”, but he doesn’t seem to want to. You talk about him giving back some settlements which Israel had occupied. Big deal – it was no more than a token. Do you disagree?

Nor did I infer that Yasser Arafat is a paragon of virtue. To some extent, our support for the PLO is our attempt to deal with the US by proxy, given the near blind loyalty the US has to Israel. I’m sure you’ll say the US isn’t really that loyal to Israel, but it’s something the majority of non-Israelis/non-Americans believe I’m afraid.

Nor did I suggest the EU are the real good guys. We have some spectacular faults. But given that anyone else does too, I don’t think it is a big deal.