Are you worried yet.

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mjheathcote

mjheathcote

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To be honest I don't know how the German health system works or is funded, however do they have more money to spend because they have no military armed forces like we do?
 
D Walker

D Walker

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mjheathcote said:
To be honest I don't know how the German health system works or is funded, however do they have more money to spend because they have no military armed forces like we do?
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Eh....German Army is probably double ours, circa 160,000 I seem to recall...
Not sure on Navy/Air Force
 
BennyD

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They have ‘Self defence forces’ which supposedly rules out offensive capabilities. However, Germany is a member of NATO so they, presumably, have forces capable of helping any offensive action called for.
 
D Walker

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mjheathcote said:
Thought they weren't allowed to have any armed forces, like Japan?
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Definitely they do, we used to do tank range competitions against them...They probably have the worlds best tank, but the range used to be shorter and didn’t have as much punch as a challenger...so good on the range....maybe not in battle tho
 
D Walker

D Walker

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BennyD said:
They have ‘Self defence forces’ which supposedly rules out offensive capabilities. However, Germany is a member of NATO so they, presumably, have forces capable of helping any offensive action called for.
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Yep...however....when we went to Bosnia, as they couldn’t deploy they supplied us with Danner boots.....made us realise how sh1te our normal issue ones were...I had them boots for about 20 years...
 
Wanderer

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Silvercat said:
107,000 in the Britush Army
(including 27,000 reserves.)
63,000 in German Army.
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How many in Russian Red Army? Still conscripted, I remember a trip to Moscow was in Arbat buying train tix for Trans Siberian circa 2002, many soldiers begging for money on Arbatskaya Ploshid'.

And there's the whole 'dydovschina' thing, where second year conscripts get to treat fist year conscripts like *****.....
 
Silvercat

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I suspect that the Wiki numbers don't include reservists which I think are significantly higher than our numbers.
'Janes' magazine is probably the only source which can be trusted.
 
Phil H

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Phil the Brit said:
So, for clarity whose heads should roll, you know, from the bottom up. Please give specifics. Genuine question.
(and there is no disagreement from me, some people have obviously behaved shamelessly and without thought).
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The NHS has always been a complex organisation and becomes more so as it adapts to changing demands and demographics in a world which itself is rapidly changing so I guess it will always struggle, and these days it also has to cope with huge amounts of regulation and scrutiny; it’s little wonder that the management structures have grown so that clinicians can concentrate on treating patients and rightly so. However, a problem with modern day management in any type of business is that it can take on a life of its own if not kept in check, then the goal of delivering resource to those who need it is lost in a fog of bar charts and good intent that doesn’t actually achieve much.

For example:

At national level we read of PFI contracts which wreck hospital budgets once the initial honeymoon period is over. We’ve had the likes of Carillion which was getting it’s hooks well and truly into the NHS before it spectacularly went bust, and yet the company was described by a Commons enquiry as "a story of recklessness, hubris and greed, its business model was a relentless dash for cash" - at who’s expense, and where was the management and ministerial oversight?

At local level we hear of staff cuts and penny-pinching whilst management consultants are engaged to promote the latest business initiatives. Anyone who has worked with management consultants will know that they don’t all earn their fees, and some consultancies have the tag of ‘self-licking lollipops’ for good reason.

Health Trust CEO’s who fail in their duties always seem to find similar roles elsewhere in the NHS or other public organisations. It is time they were locked out of the revolving door.

The NHS supposedly has robust supply chains managed by competent procurement teams, and yet the latest cock-up with ppe supply suggests that it wasn’t that robust after all; disaster planning and supply contingency should be bang up to date, so what happened over the Covid-19 pandemic?

If it is true that preferred supplier lists trump clinical need in times of crisis that must be addressed as a matter of urgency, but why did it happen in the first place?

And so it goes.

I accept that it’s easy for someone like me to take a pop at the management of a complex organisation like the NHS, but I’ve watched its development for the last fifty years or so and never cease to be amazed at some of the blindingly obvious mistakes that are made. Does no one read contracts or do due diligence in the course of business, or is a handshake and lunch sufficient these days?

We have NHS clinicians and their support staff in harm’s way and they are working their butts off to cope with the pandemic. They may be asked to do so again one day, so when the present crisis subsides we need a top down review of the NHS to ensure that is truly fit for the next twenty years, not the last twenty; it is not possible to plan for every eventuality, but it should be possible to put credible mitigation plans in place so that we don’t have staff begging for ppe whilst government ministers deliver soundbites.

As for heads rolling, they shouldn’t be too difficult to identify at all levels - if there is a genuine will to do so!

PH
 
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lozcb

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Seems to me we have fashioned our NHS with echelons of mediocracy whose skills are tuned to deflect inadequacies by the latest sound bites and buzz words , all designed to make the plebs feel subordinate and inferior , well i have news for them , it didnt work in the 80's with board room geek speak and it hasnt worked now , like the civil servants disrupting Brexit , and the BBC smug you cant touch us ( syndome) there time has come , so exciting times ahead , I for one will not be sorry to see a few heads roll ,
 
Phil H

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I do hope so Loz. So many good folk in the NHS are let down by bad management; they want proper support in their roles, not posters in the foyer promoting the latest management wheeze.

PH
 
D Walker

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Daughter getting tested this morning, if negative, again in 24 hours. If that’s negative we’re allowed back to work etc etc.
Seems they’re keen to get the wife back to work.
 
lozcb

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D Walker said:
Daughter getting tested this morning, if negative, again in 24 hours. If that’s negative we’re allowed back to work etc etc.
Seems they’re keen to get the wife back to work.
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Pinkies crossed for you Dave , dont put money before health and personal safety , this aint a dress rehearsal for another life , we only get one crack at it to make the most of it
 
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