George Madden

4th Gen Doctor, 2nd Gen Anaesthetist, 1st Gen Perioperative Physician. Dad to 2 kids who've squeezed out any previous hobbies. Views my own.

[Tim Cook @doctimcook]

Thanks for asking

As some one who has worked in the NHS for 35 yrs and examined its working throughout that time my list of what needs changing would start with

Stop breaking the system by defunding it in the name of efficiency. It is way beyond the point at which trying to cut things can improve efficiency. It is doing the opposite. Now not enough diagnostic centres, not enough doctors, not enough beds (numerous reports - ask @NuffieldTrust or @TheKingsFund or @HealthFdn)

The rest are relative minutiae but areas to address include

* understanding that promotion of the private sector as a realistic alternative to the NHS is flawed. The private sector can do sone things well (low risk procedural
stuff) but is no substitute for real NHS hospitals with the full gamut of services (staff, systems, space)
https://t.co/5UEr0DJIGc

*don’t dumb down medicine.
There appears to be a concerted effort to suggest that medicine has become less complex, easier to learn, answers available on google etc and as a consequence medicine can be taught over a shorter period and the role substituted by others who are notably less trained/qualified.
The truth is that medicine has become more complex, delivered to ever older more complex and more comorbid patients with ever higher expectations (most of which are actually met). https://t.co/MBvAISjraq This all happens in the framework of an environment in which litigation (certainly costs and numbers to an extent) is mushrooming. https://t.co/96MGGYPbjc While there may be value in working in new ways the lie that doctors can be replaced by less qualified alternatives because the job has become easier is misplaced, disingenuous and dangerous (as well as quite likely being cost-ineffective). There is a danger these systems will be brought in without testing of efficacy, safety or cost effectiveness.
https://t.co/KQM8KMpNO1

https://t.co/oFAYdi3s4n

* IT systems that are slow, outmoded, inefficient and don’t talk to eachother. Wasting thousands of hours of clinicians time every day.

Hope that is enough for now.

At the core it is FUNDING.
No point in reform without funding.

[Full Fact @FullFact]

Conservative leaflets distributed this month include an image of a Mail headline apparently stating that Labour will hand families a “£2,200 tax bombshell”.

This is misleading. The image omits the words “Tories say”, which appeared at the end of the original headline. (1/3)

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@CSkidmoreUK Well done and thank you. It is so rare to see a politician making a stand on principle these days, and I hope we can all congratulate you on doing so, and wish you the very best for the future.

[Lee Anderson MP @LeeAndersonMP_]

On the 6th October 2023 I shared a link on X to a Mail Online article entitled ‘Militant union leader at the heart of doctors strikes is a Labour activist who boasted of charging the NHS for a strike cover shift. I accept that my words were misleading as the subject in question Dr Tom Dolphin was not on strike on the date of the shift in question but was simply covering a shift as a consultant for junior doctors who were on strike on 11th August 2023. I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Dr Dolphin for any distress upset caused. I will also like to add that I understand that Dr Dolphin actually donated his pay for the covered shift which I believe was £1870 to the BMA strike fund and whilst I do not agree with the strikes I want to go on the record to say that I think it is a very unselfish act on the part of Dr Dolphin to put his money into something he strongly believes in. I will make the same contribution to compensate the upset I may have caused Dr Dolphin. Please Repost.

[Colin Walker @colinwalker79]

.@AllisonPearson has shared her thoughts on the #ElectricVehicle transition in today's @Telegraph

Been a while since I've seen an article with quite so many inaccuracies and unevidenced claims

So, here's a not-so-little thread to debunk some of the things that have been said

[David @Zero_4]

Tory MP Michelle Donelan: “We are the Party of facts”

*VT compilation of Tory lies*

Victoria Derbyshire: “There was never a proposal to use 7 bins, we can’t find any council that wants to decide when you can go to the shop & Labour have never proposed taxing meat”

#Newsnight

[Dr Tony Goldstone @goldstone_tony]

NEW: @BMA_Consultants offer to suspend calling new strike dates till 3rd Nov for pay negotiations (with @acasorguk) to get a credible offer by then, else strikes in Nov / Dec- see @ft and full letter 👇

Media release: https://t.co/Antr3J3tTu

[BMA Consultants @BMA_Consultants]

Read BMA Consultants Committee Chair @Vish_Sharm's letter to @RishiSunak on reaching an agreement to end the pay dispute. You can also read our full press statement here: https://t.co/AjdG7H9W0x

[David Oliver @mancunianmedic]

David Oliver: Let’s use the GMC’s Good Medical Practice for an “I’m Spartacus” moment https://t.co/9cz1kSkJOx

[BMA Consultants @BMA_Consultants]

This morning on @bbcr4today the Health Secretary @SteveBarclay said Consultants get a "tax-free pension of £73,000 a year" when they retire.

This is categorically not true, and we expect him to issue an urgent correction. Here's why 🧵 (1/5)

[Edward Smith @eddnicsmi]

ICM trainees. Please consider this course. Friendly and helpful faculty, loads of questions from every corner of the syllabus.

[George Madden @georgemadden]

I didn't strike yesterday so that patient safety could be maintained and emergency care still delivered. But I will strike next time because, thanks to 13 years of government incompetence, it is becoming nearly impossible to deliver the safe care patients need #ConsultantsStrike

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@jdb20162016 @Dr_Done_ ACCPs are doing exactly that! Think Obs is a bit of a tricky area though. What they are doing is saving trainees from having to miss an oesophagectomy to cover a daycase gynae list

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@Dr_Done_ Hi. Actually I did train with AAs in the dept. If I might say, I think you have every right to be angry, but AAs and the RCOA aren't the ones to be angry with. I think you need to look at HEE and DHSC and the overall workforce policy.

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@Dr_Done_ Would also add that I'd rather @RCoANews takes the lead in developing AAs and making them part of the team in a way that works for everyone, rather than them developing independently, differently, and risk them evolving into a rival specialty.

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@Dr_Done_ My experience: AAs cover roles that trainees used to cover for service provision, thus freeing those trainees to actually train - eg doubled up on busy lists, 2:1 on lists that may once have had a solo trainee. They also get good at niche skills and become great trainers

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@RammyaMathew Found myself leading our preop service 6 months into my consultant job. Feel I missed having time to settle into the clinical role. Not sure I'd recommend it - it fixes you into a management niche that's difficult to escape. That said,I still love doing it 5 years on

[George Madden @georgemadden]

@DrCJohn Same at Coventry - on CEPOD list but have capacity for 2 CEPOD theatres. Have known significant unavoidable delays so this is being reviewed

[Sally Miller 💙 @sallyM.bsky.social @SallyMi83941850]

If anyone asks to see your voter ID outside a polling station politely refuse and enter the station.

Even those with no ID need to go in so they are counted as being unable to vote

Dont allow them to send you away outside. This is voter suppression

#ToriesOut301

[Dr Helgi @doctorhelgi]

Here is the article…