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NHS

Letter to Dr Robert Dyer MB ChB , Medical Director at Torbay Hospital.

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Category: NHS

Copies to Chairman of TSDHT – Admiral Sir Richard Ibbotson KBE, CB, DSC ‘Provider’ body

and Dr Paul Johnson Chairman of the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group ‘Commissioning’ body

and Professor Adrian Harris Executive Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive, Royal Devon and Exeter

Open letter – see https://dhalpin.infoaction.org.uk/ or search ‘david halpin’

Dear Dr Dyer, 2nd of November 2020

This is necessarily long but should be of interest and a spur to re-evaluation of the present downward direction of OUR NHS, and towards the better for it, and for our society in general.

My own course as a patient, and in service within OUR NHS

David HalpinYou will know me by reputation, and from your wife Stephanie caring for me as a GP. She might have sought your advice as an endocrinologist about my iatrogenic but not fully expressed diabetes ‘insipidus’- due to damage of my secondary renal tubules from 27 years of Lithium – 800 mg pd rising to 1000 mg pd. Nocturia and extreme urgency of micturition resulting. ‘Isosthenuria.’ This was stopped in Spring 2019 at my request having learned of the cause of several ‘side effects’ from my reading. My fingertips were becoming numb and I love using my hands. This was out of self-diagnosis - ‘physician heal thyself!’. BNF advice was to review the need for further prescription of this nerve and kidney poison every 3-4 years. That never happened to my knowledge.

There were other deleterious side effects – cerebellar ataxia, thankfully largely resolved, shoe size increase from 11.5/12 to 14 – handmade boots necessary, sudden onset of hyperacusis with my own speech as I weened off the Li, etc. At a second opinion with Dr Jeannie Todd at the Hammersmith last March (requested by me) I was found to be a little dry (I note loss of skin turgor on waking in the morning), hyperparathyroidism secondary to Vit D deficiency, and some iron deficiency. Latter longstanding. I have put this down to achlorhydria. (Vit B12 required for about 15 years. I do not associate the latter with inappropriate consumption of Li.)

Teignmouth Hospital a ‘Microcosm’: Greek - ‘Little World’ - a Symbol.

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Readers might recall my summary of a long process well before any ‘consultation’ about a glossy ‘hub’. OUR NHS - Destabilise>demoralise>dismantle. And perhaps they would have read the quote from the annexe to my web site when I stood, with some exhilaration, as a truly independent candidate in Newton Abbot last December. Here it is again -

In his report to the Conservative Party’s Economic Reconstruction Group in 1977, Nicholas Ridley wrote that: "...denationalisation should not be attempted by frontal attack but by preparation for return to the private sector by stealth. We should first pass legislation to destroy the public sector monopolies. We might also need to take power to sell assets. Secondly, we should fragment the industries as far as possible and set up the units as separate profit centres."

But do not look just at the Tory party. The other two, Tweedledum and Tweedle, have the same core. This is called, by euphemism, ‘neo-liberal’. ‘New liberal’ - that is having been either on the ‘right’ or the ‘left’ before. This is typical of the distraction used to fascinate the minds of the electorate/plebiscite. The EU has it in its core also. The essence is the idea that competition brings efficiency and general good, as against the command economies of the former USSR or Mao’s China. The reader will know that neither ideology brings too much ‘good’. Good comes from the essential spirit within the human, and indeed the animal kingdom, along with ‘common sense’.

SS NHS Steady as she goes?

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Category: NHS

This large and complex ship is steaming at maximum knots. It is crammed to the gun-whales with passengers. On the bridge and down in the engine room there are the GPs, specialists, nurses and all the important others keeping the ship on course and the screws turning.

'Sparks' the radio officer is doing his best to keep up with the stream of often contradictory messages coming over the short wave from the owners' offices.

Hunt, Dr Poulter, Nicholson, Keogh, Hakin et al are barking out the orders across the ether. The deck hands are shifting the deck chairs furiously as directed from the Westminster head office whilst the band plays on, and on.

There is dense fog and there are icebergs about. Should the officers of the watch go to 'slow ahead' and change course? If the course and speed are held, disaster is sure. If the SS NHS sinks, it will be sunk for ever. It will never be re-floated.

Proposal for Health and ‘Wellbeing’ Centre in Teignmouth Town Centre

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I noted the artist’s impression of a new department store at a corner of Brunswick Street in the MDA of 27th August. But then read that this was in fact for ‘health’ and ‘wellbeing’ **.

I recall that this structure and its siting was discussed behind closed doors about a year ago. Mrs Sylvia Russell defended the secrecy by saying that commercial, or similar categories, needed confidentiality. So much for democracy and ‘localism’. The shiny proposal is set to house one of three general practices. General practice has been the bedrock of OUR NHS, and the main purpose in spending £8 million would be for a centre for the GPs and their skilled staff. Central to that would be face to face contact rather than ‘video links’ etc being forced upon our tired populations.

So I look to the foundations, as to any building, and avoid a sandy base.

Flu Jabs for Vulnerable 65's

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Adjuvanted (sic) Trivalent Influenza Vaccine:Seqirus

I have been invited twice by my GP surgery to have ‘flu vaccination.

I asked for details. “I should be grateful to know which vaccine I would receive and its contents.  Also - I  have in mind a surgeon whom I trained.  Some doctors at Torbay Hospital resisted 'flu vaccination first time around, but it was insisted upon.  c. 8 years ago.  This doctor/surgeon suffered a neural injury as a result, with a permanent effect.  My diagnosis, without examination - ?neuralgic amyotrophy.  I have seen this following ?tetanus immunization or ?toxoid administration for instance.  (edited)  Added - there were 'hot spots' of 'lock jaw'.  Daccombe was one, and that patient was a market gardener in that hamlet.  The good local GP promoted vaccination against tetanus.

I am sorry to add to your work but like to know what might be injected into me.  I add that I have not had the 'flu jab' for at least 10 years and have been lucky to 'escape' the seasonal A or B. My wife and her brother have never suffered 'flu!  This is food for thought. Many thanks David Halpin

Answer “The flu jab you would get is Seqirus adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine. Hope this helps.”

Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The CSL Group of companies employs more than 20,000 people with operations in more than 60 countries.