The reason why they appointed D, who is a worker with very low seniority on the shift, is that he essentially eats up all the shit (with a giant novelty oversized spoon) that management feeds him and they can get away with murder in violating all of the safety provisions in the contract and local agreements.  There have been numerous ocassions where I've had to essentially, ala covert agent style, find out about injuries myself and fight to make sure that the injured employees actually get the union representation they deserve and get the proper care they need; all the while D is twiddeling his thumbs...oops, I mean, filing paper work (oh yeah!).  So with that little background, lets get to the situation.

After passing out the fliers (see first link) I went to my PD to start picking off and sorting through packages when all of a sudden I see D come out of no where and climbs up the ladder and says. "Hey, there."

"Hey." I say, smiling.

"So, ummm...On these fliers how come my name isn't on there?" He asks indignitly.

"Ummmm...huh?" I say while continuing to sort through packages.

"You just have four names on there but not like me or V." D states through gritted grinning teeth.

"Your name isn't on there because your name isn't on there." I answer dryly.

"Uh, huh, uh huh.  Yeah, well, if that's how it is.  How come there is an official union letterhead on there as well?" He asks smiling, as if he just handed me a "gotchya" moment.

"Letterhead?  There's no union letterhead on the flyer."

"Uh, I think you should look at it again." He answers back confidently.

It is at this moment that I realize that this is not really D speaking but Gram, my manager.  Because every argument he's brought up so far is essentially arguments Gram would bring up, it's classic Gram, its as if he's speaking through D's mouth and pulling his strings like a puppet.

"You mean the Teamster logo?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah."

"That's not the 278 letterhead.  That's just a logo.  A letterhead is an official 278 Teamster logo with the address on it.  Those only appear in union documents.  This is just a flyer with a simple design."

He doesn't really know what to say to that and changes the subject. "Yeah, well, whatever.  I mean, if you've decided that's who should be in safety than I guess that's that huh?"

"No, there still needs to be elections man." I answer.

"Yeah well, if that's what you decide man.  I mean, you wanna be co-chair and all."

I turn to him. "Co-chair? I don't wanna be co-chair.  I want P to be co-chair, or D."

I remember talking to a fellow worker months ago when he asked me about or "co-chair" D and why he was being such an idiot and a lap dog to management.  I told him that he was brainwashed and that management is probably feeding him all sorts of bull shit that he's eating up like that I'm "jealous" of him for being co-chair and that I "don't care" about safety only the union.

There was some more back and forth.  D told me I didn't care about safety, only the union.

Ha!

And he gave me an example (a very poor and misguided one at that) of how I don't care about safety.

It then ended with this.

"Yeah, whatever," D stated as he began walking off, "you've already decided."

What am I? Fucking king of UPS? Decided?

"See ya latter lap dog." I shoot back.

Teamsters United
For a Better Safety Committee

For the past 17 months management has continually been neglecting its duties when it comes to the safety of us Teamsters and to its obligations to the Safety and Health Committee for the San Bruno Night Sort. Management has been notified numerous times that it is in violation of Article 18 Section 20.4 of the National Master United Parcel Service Agreement. Management has been infringing our contractual rights by appointing non-approved and non-elected union members to the Health and Safety Committee, including the position of non-management co-chair (which is an elected position by union members on the committee, NOT APOINTED BY MANAGEMENT!). Management has been flagrantly violating our contractual rights when it comes to the Temporary Alternate Work Agreement (also known as Light Duty) by forcing and intimidating workers to stay beyond their obligated four calendar days on the job; instead of resting up at home!

Teamsters United for a Better Safety Committee want to change all of this by standing up for the rights of All UPS employees, by making sure all injured employees get the treatment and respect they deserve, and by standing up to management so as to make sure our contractual rights are not trampled on!

PLEASE VOTE FOR
TEAMSTERS UNITED FOR A BETTER SAFETY COMMITTEE!

Please Mark Your Ballots For

Building A Building C
Dan Castino Daniel Esparza
Steve Yip Andy Philips

Unite and Stand Up for Your Rights!

Teamsters United
For a Better Safety Committee

For the past 17 months management has continually been neglecting its duties when it comes to the safety of us Teamsters and to its obligations to the Safety and Health Committee for the San Bruno Night Sort.  Management has been notified numerous times that it is in violation of Article 18 Section 20.4 of the National Master United Parcel Service Agreement.  Management has been infringing our contractual rights by appointing non-approved and non-elected union members to the Health and Safety Committee, including the position of non-management co-chair (which is an elected position by union members on the committee, NOT APOINTED BY MANAGEMENT!).  Management has been flagrantly violating our contractual rights when it comes to the Temporary Alternate Work Agreement (also known as Light Duty) by forcing and intimidating workers to stay beyond their obligated four calendar days on the job; instead of resting up at home!

Teamsters United for a Better Safety Committee want to change all of this by standing up for the rights of All UPS employees, by making sure all injured employees get the treatment and respect they deserve, and by standing up to management so as to make sure our contractual rights are not trampled on!

PLEASE VOTE FOR
TEAMSTERS UNITED FOR A BETTER SAFETY COMMITTEE!

Please Mark Your Ballots For

Building A Building C
Dan Castino                          Daniel Esparza
Steve Yip                                  Andy Philips

Unite and Stand Up for Your Rights!

Publishing the findings of an anonymous questionnaire completed by 94 MPs, 100 Lords, and 151 parliamentary staff, a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health reveals that 27 per cent of those surveyed have personal experience of a mental-health problem, including 19 per cent of MPs, 17 per cent of Peers, and 45 per cent of staff. One in three respondents said expected hostility from the public prevented them from being open on such matters.

The report calls for a change in the law, which currently forces MPs to give up their seat for life if sectioned under the Mental Health Act for six months. By contrast, the law does not apply if an MP is physically incapable of working for six months owing to a serious illness.

Paul Farmer, from mental-health charity, Mind, said: “Repealing antiquated rules that ban MPs from returning to work after recovering from a mental-health problem would send out a clear message to all employers that discrimination should not be tolerated. This is an opportunity for Parliament to lead by example as an exemplary employer in supporting people with mental-health problems in the workplace.”

Please visit the petition and give her your support. Unison also publish a useful guide on ways to tackle bullying.

<!-- /* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on the next lines. */
var s_prop8 = "Managing health and safety"
var s_prop7 = "Health, safety, premises"
var s_hier1 = "bl.gov Home|Health, safety, premises|Managing health and safety|Record and report an accident or incident"
var s_prop5 = "HS0080"
var s_prop6 = "bl.gov Home"
var s_eVar22 = "-1"
var s_pageName = "Record and report an accident or incident"
var s_prop9 = "Record and report an accident or incident"
var s_account = "sbsblukgov"
var s_linkInternalFilters = "javascript:,businesslink.gov.uk"
var s_products = ";HS0080;1;100.0;event9=1,;PG;1;100.0;event15=1"
var s_events = "event9,event15"
var s_eVar9 = "1"
var s_eVar15 = "1"

/********* INSERT THE DOMAIN AND PATH TO YOUR CODE BELOW ************/
//-->

With few exceptions, all employers fall within the scope of the Act and so face the prospect of unlimited fines upon conviction.  Where gross negligence is shown, and this is essential for any prosecution to be successful, there is the distinct and cheerless prospect of a company's insurer then refusing to cover any subsequent civil damages claim on the grounds that the insured has breached his contract of insurance.  Bereaved families are likely to seek to recover damages from the company's assets, which will be sufficient (if the business has managed to survive the fine in the first instance) to ensure its closure.  While the Act is limited to the prosecution of businesses, it seems unlikely that owners and senior managers will escape subsequent prosecution for breaches of their duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act, with the further prospect of substantial personal fines or even imprisonment.

Avoiding prosecution and conviction should be a priority for all businesses, owners and managers. Yet anecdotal evidence suggests that many businesses have given little thought and even less action to the fairly complex legal relationships that now exist, in health and safety terms, between Employers and Employees, Clients and Subcontractors. Following a fatality, it is now feasible that a business could find itself prosecuted because of negligence by others in the chain of liability, perhaps, for example, where different companies are working alongside each other in the same workplace but have failed to provide each other with adequate information about each other's activities, negligence by management to provide such information as well as to ask for it. 

Employers not only need to have robust documented health and safety systems for their own staff but must also ensure that these are effectively implemented; it is almost certain that to have the former without the latter will constitute gross negligence.  However, their subcontractors must also have robust systems and processes in place, and this legislation is forcing all businesses and organisations to verify that this is the case. In the motor vehicle recovery industry, recent legislation regarding working time and drivers’ hours has forced many Recovery Operators to subcontract to other operators, either within their territory to cover manpower shortages, or outside their territory to ensure the onward transit of Members.  Yet many have not taken steps to confirm that subcontractors have robust safety systems in place nor have they Satisfactory documentary evidence to prove it should the need arise.

Personal experience and anecdotal evidence suggest that standards of implementation of health and safety systems are not uniform, and for many the legislation is an inconvenience best avoided.  What is needed to avoid allegations of gross negligence is compliance with the spirit of the legislation, which means having the required systems fully and effectively implemented.

The main benefit of compliance with the spirit of the legislation is that the records generated e.g. plant maintenance, training, will provide a sound defence in the event of the worst happening; how can you have an effective defence if you don't have effective records?  Furthermore, although HASAW Act permits employers with fewer than five employees not to document their health and safety policy, how can you provide adequate evidence that you have addressed health and safety if your arrangements aren’t documented?  So the first requirement in avoiding a charge of gross negligence is to have a documented and effective health and safety system in place.  ‘Effective’ means having clearly defined arrangements and responsibilities, risk assessments demonstrating that risks have been eliminated or reduced to as low a level possible, safe systems of work, and training records which reflect the safe systems of work; (note that risk assessments must conform to the standard laid down in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, as well as in specific Regulations e.g. COSHH 1999)

However, this is not enough.  The second criterion you must meet is to be able to demonstrate that your system is fully operational at all levels in your business. This is achieved partly through the records created but also through management's monitoring of the system using techniques such as safety competence appraisals and workplace inspections (including at remote situations such as at other employers' sites), safety audits and regular management reviews and planning.

If you have the above in place, you may not necessarily avoid a fatality but it is probable that you will avoid becoming an early victim of this new legislation.

Lack of time is usually the busy manager's worst enemy and is one of the main reasons why health and safety systems tend to be undeveloped or underdeveloped.  However, off-the-shelf or generic packages can be used, provided they are customised to a business’s specific requirements, conform to the legislative criteria and are industry and company specific.  Further information can be obtained by contacting Murray Duncan who is the author of this article.

E: – enquiries@tqma.co.uk  T:  01738 631770 / 0771 275 1866                                           

Murray Duncan is Principal Consultant with Tayside Quality Management Associates

The competition will feature lifeguards from Boca Raton, The Breakers, The Jewish Community Center, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington and West Palm Beach and St. Lucie. Each team will participate in six events, testing their American Red Cross water safety and rescue skills. The events include Submerged Drowning Victim, Shallow Water Spinal Injury Management and Manikin Pull Relay Race.

There is also an individual competition, the Iron Guard. Only the strong survive this event which is a grueling series of swims totaling nearly 200 yards, a dive, manikin drag and initial victim assessment.

Members of the public are welcome to attend at no cost, come out and see the best lifeguards in the county as they participate in the friendly competition. Also, see the latest techniques they use to keep you and your family safe next time you are at your neighborhood pool.

About the American Red Cross:

For over 90 years, the American Red Cross Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter, which includes Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee and Palm Beach Counties, has provided relief to victims of disasters at home and abroad, teaches lifesaving skills, and supports military members and families. The American Red Cross, a charity and not a government agency, depends on voluntary contributions of time and money to perform its humanitarian mission. To learn more about the work of the Red Cross in communities, or to make a donation, please call 561-833-7711 or visit our website at www.redcross-pbc.org.

# # #

As Joint Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health, I am not surprised to hear you calling for us to be nicer to MPs who are suffering from some form of mental health problem.  However, I think you're rather missing the point.  You've even gone as far as criticising the law that forces MPs to give up their seats for life if they are sectioned for six months under the Mental Health Act.  Looks like you need my assistance in understanding this issue!

As a human being, I hope that I could find some compassion for MPs who develop a common mental illness such as anxiety, depression or stress.  As a voter, however, I'm not sure that I want somebody suffering from anxiety, depression or stress voting on the future of this country or being given the role of representing their constituents - and I sure as hell wouldn't want somebody voting in the Commons when their mental illness is serious enough for them to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for more than six months!  Seriously, some perspective would be helpful here.  We're not talking about somebody feeling a bit run down or overworked - you can surely only be sectioned for disorders such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, manic disorders etc.  You might still argue that it's unfair to ban them for life once they have been sectioned, but it is highly contentious to suggest that people ever fully recover from conditions such as clinical depression so I still support the ban. 

Aside from serious mental disorders, your report also found that 86% of MPs were stressed.  Well, boo hoo.  Most MPs don't even know what stress means.  How about working in an A&E department and having to watch patients bleed to death in front of you?  How about being in charge of an overcrowded classroom with 35 teenagers, many of whom have Special Educational Needs or can't speak English, and trying to teach them GCSE Maths while worrying about whether any of them are carrying knives?  How about saving people from burning buildings every day of your life?  MPs sit in an office surrounded by lots of paper most of the day, which is the lamest excuse for stress I can think of.  Obviously some MPs have held 'real jobs' at some point in the past, which I applaud, but those who have lived in the Westminster bubble ever since university have got no right to complain.  Besides, they could always spend taxpayers money on a new plasma screen or a spa day if things get too overbearing.

I know that your report discusses other issues such as stigma towards mental illness and possibly hostile media reactions after disclosing mental health problems, but when all is said and done the law is designed to protect voters from MPs who are not able to carry out their duties and once you've been sectioned under the Mental Health act, I'd rather the individual in question was kept away from Parliament.  Harsh, but fair.

Yours sincerely,

A.Tory

A friend recently mentioned the concept of brainwashing by the television.  This is something that many people casually agree happens but usually have in mind, subtle brainwashing in advertising by companies trying to persuade people to buy their products.   What perhaps they have not considered is other forms of subconscious or even, unconscious manipulation that occurs through television and other media.  The merit for this is usually on the grounds of Health and Safety that seeks to eliminate all risk in our lives.

For example, for a long time now, certain types of programmes are preceded with a standard warning along the lines, “Warning.  Do not try this at home.  Events in this film are performed by fully trained professionals.  Do not attempt to recreate this at home.”

 Warnings also appear tagged onto the end of news items.  So the tragic story about a boy who drowned while canoeing along a fast flowing river will be accompanied by a rescue ‘professional’ telling the public that they should stay away from the dangers of such an action.  “My advice to the public would be, if you are considering going out in a small boat, make sure you only enter water that has clear signs pronouncing it safe and approved by the River Authority.”

And, “if you are thinking of having a bonfire party this year, make sure that you pay attention to instructions on fireworks.  Fireworks are dangerous.  Each year hundreds of people end up in casualty with severe injuries.  Keep children well away from fire and have a bucket of water nearby.  There are plenty of public displays you can go to which may be a safer option.”  And so on.

Even the weather forecasters are happy to tell us what to do and say things like,  “wrap up warmly today, a cold spell is approaching”  or in summer, “and don’t forget to put on plenty of sun screen today, we have a high of around 27 degrees, not much cloud cover so watch out, remember cover up!” 

The news has been thoroughly ‘dumbed’ down and includes items that could not be considered serious news.  For some reason we have regular updates on what is going on in the Big Brother household or Madonna’s marriage troubles, as if, alongside news of murders and torture in Zimbabwe or the Iraq/Afghanistan war, this is really that important or appropriate.  News casters and presenters have adopted a more cosy approach and have become bland in the process, two dimensional almost and language has been overly simplified.

There is also an increasing amount of public service announcements. Many are about drink, drugs and smoking, some are warnings against speeding and the consequences of being caught. These tend to use graphic images of seedy drug takers, smokers glued to oxygen tanks or children being run over.   

In addition to all this we now have a multitude of television programmes that tell us what to wear, what to eat, how to cook, how to decorate our homes until the character is beaten out of them and they all look the same and how to rearrange our gardens. We are told where to go on holiday or where not to and what perils may be lurking abroad.  There are dozens of life changing programs too that show us how to lose weight, take up exercise, cut up our faces and bits we don’t like and generally make ourselves over.  We are given advice about what is good for us, what is not, how much we should drink or not, how to read labels on food and told organic is best until organic proves to be less organic and more of an expensive con.  Even man’s best friend, the dog, has come under fire as we are told that we should not have them on our beds.  They are likely to have fleas and carry diseases we could catch by having them in close proximity.

Almost daily we are reminded that we are too feeble to take any risks in life and anything considered dangerous is frowned on by those that boss us all about.  Newspapers carry stories of things that have been banned on grounds of Health and Safety like the fireman’s pole considered to present a risk to hands (chaffing) or falls.  Hanging baskets came under threat in case old lamp posts should fall under the weight.  Fire extinguishers were deemed dangerous unless used by ‘trained professionals’ as if anyone is going to wait for one of those when a fire breaks out.  Metal bolts holding up Christmas lights must be individually checked.  Conker trees are being felled so as to avoid falling conkers hitting people on the head.  The list is endless. And all the while, we are watched and surveyed by an army of CCTV cameras to keep us all in check and an army of police cum social workers are on hand to rush out should we not do as we are told.  Computers now store increasing amounts of DNA and fingerprints to keep tabs on us all.

A carefree childhood is almost a thing of the past.  Endless Health and safety regulations seek to remove all risk to children.  No longer allowed to climb trees, ride bikes without safety equipment, go into a swimming pool without an adult, play conkers or hop scotch,  throw paper aeroplanes, read books with fire breathing dragons, or anything else deemed dangerously influential. They are missing out on the simple pleasures of being young .  The message by and large is that being outside is fraught with danger, (sun is too hot, paedophiles may get you) so children now spend  at least 20% of their time in front of one screen or another, TV, computers, game consoles and only about 10% walk to school.

Worse, should your child turn up at school with a graze or two and a bruise on her elbow, you could have a visit from a government snoop who may think you are abusing your child. Parents, who carefully and conscientiously  give their child the chance to take reasonable risks and assess what is dangerous in life, like letting them use a penknife, light a fire, ride a bike, swim in a lake, and thereby learn from experience, could find themselves being accused of neglect or worse.

It is not therefore surprising that the population has succumbed and been influenced into an attitude that would have seemed pathetic and weedy not so many years ago. We are being subconsciously trained to do as we are told and seem happy to trot out familiar sound bites picked up by politians with an agenda, without any desire to question them. A continued onslaught of repetitive messages, however innocuous they seem, has changed a generation from the sort of stoicism and bravery that won two world wars to a population that blindly accepts being told how to live their lives from cradle to grave by an almighty nanny state and its lapdog -  the great state broadcaster and brain-washer- television.

Effective people management in an ever-changing NHS environment

Editorial
Contract management and monitoring in healthcare

The principles for commissioning in the national and independent healthcare systems are largely similar and much of BUPA's 60 years' experience in contracting and provider management of UK healthcare is applicable to the NHS as well. This paper discusses some of BUPA's current practices in demand and supply analysis, contracting and provider management. The paper provides examples of BUPA's ongoing work in quality monitoring and improvement, and describes how these are relevant for the NHS. Investment in commissioning competencies, tools and systems has paid off for BUPA, and there are great opportunities for continuously improving customer value in terms of cost, quality and service in both the public and private sectors.

Evolving patient safety strategies: A comprehensive solutions-based approach

The movement toward demonstrable quality and value in medical care is on a fast track because payers, weary of mediocre service, are tying payment to the reliability of excellent outcomes. The challenge for healthcare leaders is increasing as complexity and poor management causes variation in care with extraordinary medical error rates. Highly reliable work environments have specific characteristics. Leaders must embrace values of non-negotiable respect and appropriate accountability. Teamwork training is essential as is ongoing measurement of cultural indices. A linked strategy, structure and execution is necessary. This paper describes the steps to achieve a learning and reliable healthcare culture.

Exploring technological innovation in health systems: Is Canada measuring up?

The societal and economic benefits of technological innovations are indisputable. However, the race for knowledge and talent to develop and commercialise health innovations has never been so fierce. Countries traditionally seen as leaders in health innovation — countries such as the UK — are being challenged by newer players. This study examines how technological innovation is encouraged, and discouraged, in Canada and other selected Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, including the UK, France and the USA. The research uses The Conference Board of Canada's Innovation Framework as an analytical tool in benchmarking the performance of Canada and other OECD countries in several areas of health innovation, including the innovation environment, and the creation, diffusion, transformation and use of knowledge. The results of this study are discouraging for Canada as it scores poorly in many important areas of technological health innovation. Substantial efforts are needed, and needed now, to revitalise health innovation systems and to refuel the capacity to commercialise health innovations. Action in four key areas is recommended.

Implementation of a hospital-based wellness programme: Do cash incentives promote healthier behaviour?

In 2004, the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills developed an employee-based, volunteer programme known as the Lifestyle Incentives For Employees (LIFE) Plan to encourage weight management, exercise and cessation of tobacco use. The purpose of this study is to: (a) compare the health expenditure costs of 41 employees with continuous enrolment in the LIFE Plan and 32 employees who never enrolled in the LIFE Plan; and (b) describe the Wellsource Personal Wellness Profile data of the 620 LIFE Plan members since the inception of the programme, with emphasis on chronic medical conditions affecting number of sick days and hospital days. The data show a downward trend in the annual healthcare expenditures for LIFE Plan members. For the most commonly reported medical conditions from the profile data, individuals with hypertension, arthritis, back pain and joint pain have more sick days and more hospital days than individuals without these medical conditions. The LIFE Plan shows the possibility of reducing high health insurance costs using an employee-based health programme. By incorporating clear worksite health education messages to encourage behaviour changes that remedy chronic conditions, the longitudinal results are expected to contribute to greater cost reductions in the future.

Non-urgent use of the emergency department: A quantitative evaluation from a patient perspective

The objectives of this study are twofold: to investigate the reasons why patients considered as non-urgent by physicians visit the emergency department, and to explore the relationship between patients' perceived urgency and the factors in the behavioural model of utilisation. This cross-sectional study develops a survey instrument to assess the predisposing, enabling and need factors affecting patients' perceived urgency. In order to identify the independent variables associated with the perceptions of urgency, a multiple logistic regression model is used. According to the results, two-thirds of patients perceive their problem as urgent. Level of pain and duration of complaint are found to be significant factors affecting patients' perceptions. For patients perceiving their problem as non-urgent, the most common reasons for visiting an emergency department include infections, dressings and the like. The findings support the general conclusion that the definition of urgency differs for patients and health professionals. The reasons why patients with non-urgent problems use emergency departments in Turkey include problems attached to primary healthcare facilities, crowded outpatient clinics, difficulty getting outpatient appointments and accessibility problems due to working hours.

Payment by Results as a lever for NHS reforms

Payment by Results (PbR), the English prospective payment system of paying healthcare providers, was introduced to respond to concerns that the previous system of financing was not providing sufficient incentives to NHS service providers to deliver efficiency and productivity. Initially targeted at acute, elective activity, the policy's ambition included improved access to care, efficiency gains, transparent and fair financing, and facilitating the key reform of choice and plurality. PbR has, by and large, contributed to the implementation and gains derived from these reforms. Much of the emphasis has been on the technical mechanisms of PbR. Little attention has been given to the consequential behavioural responses, and potential perverse incentives that it can create. On balance, it can be seen to have been a helpful tool. This paper will give a clear sense of the strength and limitations of the policy. It will make clear the pragmatic amendments to policy that have been needed to move from a purist Prospective Payments Model to one that seeks to maintain the major policy drivers, but is workable within the NHS. It concludes that even with these changes, PbR can become a powerful lever for reforms in the delivery of healthcare.

Proactive recruitment in local government

New ways of partnership working, new organisational structures, and new role and skill demands are among the challenges facing organisations engaged in commissioning and/or delivering services to local communities. Within this context, local councils have the additional challenges of an ageing workforce, and recruitment and retention difficulties in key service areas and leadership roles. As the pool of appropriately qualified and experienced people shrinks, a competitive market for key professionals has emerged, creating retention problems throughout the UK. Radical changes beyond the scope of individual councils have been required to tackle these shortages and workforce and succession planning have become increasingly important as a result. Supported by national activities, collaboration rather than competition is now occurring to increase supply locally and regionally. Individual employers are also reviewing their existing workforce and creating new pathways to progression in line with new ways of working. Examples of national activities and case studies from social care, environmental health and planning are offered as illustrations of these proactive steps.

The assessment of doctors' performance: Tools and techniques

There has been increasing organisational and research interest regarding the assessment of the performance of medical practitioners. Much of this progress has already been implemented in both the UK and internationally. This change is being driven both by statutory requirements and by the desire of the profession to improve practice and promote excellence. The process of developing an assessment system is well described. There are several steps including defining the content to be assessed, setting standards, defining the purpose of the assessment, identifying the tools to be used, implementation and making decisions with the results. Many methods of performance assessment have been suggested; some have been extensively evaluated and their psychometric properties are well known. For others, much less data are available. Some of the key steps in designing assessment systems will be described along with a more detailed discussion of selected assessment methods. The effective implementation of performance assessment continues to be a challenge for all those involved in the provision of quality healthcare.

The productive efficiency of blood banks: Using data envelopment and simple ratio analyses to measure the performance of health services

Simple ratio analysis (SRA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) are widely used in benchmarking to identify organisations with best practice. This study tests the consistency of the two methods by investigating whether they could substitute for each other in performance measurement. To evaluate the relative precision of the two techniques, the paper studies comparative data from 31 second class blood banks in Greece for the year 2003. Optimality is investigated based on four performance outcomes: donor recruitment, blood sufficiency, wasted blood units and transfusion reactions. Comparison of SRA and DEA is employed in pair-wise efficiency scores. Results yield high statistical significance under assumptions of both constant returns to scale and variable returns to scale. The results confirm that the two measuring techniques are closely related and consistent.

French Nuclear Facility to Shut Down After Uranium Leak

LYON, France — French authorities ordered Friday the temporary closure of a nuclear treatment plant in a popular tourist region of southern France after a uranium leak polluted the local water supply.

But site operator Socatri, a subsidiary of French nuclear giant Areva, said it would permanently shut down the facility at the Tricastin nuclear plant in Provence as part of a previously-planned upgrade.France’s ASN nuclear safety authority cited a “series of faults and human negligence that is not acceptable” when it ordered the closure following an inspection at the plant on Thursday.

Residents in the Vaucluse region have been told not to drink water or eat fish from nearby rivers since the leak on Monday night, in which 75 kilogrammes (165 pounds) of untreated liquid uranium spilled into the ground.

Swimming and water sports were also forbidden as was irrigation of crops with the contaminated water.

ASN said it would recommend to local councils that the precautionary measures remain in place for at least a week.

Part of France’s popular Provence summer tourist destination, the Vaucluse draws legions of holidaymakers to its picturesque towns.

One of France’s 58 nuclear plants, Tricastin is located in Bollene, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the city of Avignon, which is currently hosting a major theatre festival.

Socatri said it would shut down the facility — one of two at the nuclear treatment plant — in the coming weeks.

“We take note of the ASN’s decision,” said Socatri spokesman Hugues Blacher. “We will take steps to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again.”

The ASN severely criticised Socatri’s handling of the crisis, saying it had been too slow to inform authorities following the incident, local ASN head Charles-Antoine Louet told reporters.

A safety inspection carried out on Thursday found that “security steps aimed at preventing any further pollution were not completely satisfactory,” according to an ASN statement.

The ASN also detected a series of “irregularities” at the site’s operations at the time of the incident, and has ordered Socatri to implement “a reinforced surveillance plan including analysis of the surrounding rivers and ground water.”

The ASN said its report would be handed to the state prosecutor for possible legal action against Socatri, which was singled out by the safety body in May over “repeated leaks” last year in the site’s waste water evacuation system.

The leakage this week occurred when liquid was transferred from one container to another at the Tricastin site, which has a nuclear reactor as well as a radioactive treatment plant.

Socatri said Wednesday that tests carried out on the groundwater, three local wells and the rivers had shown “no abnormal elements” and French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo insisted Thursday there was “no imminent danger” to the local population.

But the ASN this week found abnormal levels of radiation in several rivers and lakes in the region although these were found to be decreasing.

The incident at Tricastin ranked as a level-one incident on the seven-point scale to rank nuclear accidents.

French anti-nuclear group Sortir du nucleaire (End nuclear power) had accused Areva of withholding information about the spill and “deliberately putting the population at risk.”

On Thursday, it said it would lodge a complaint against the ASN for failing to quickly notify the population of the incident.

The 75 kilogrammes of untreated uranium amounts to 6.26 cubic metres of liquid containing 12 grammes of uranium per litre, according to Socatri.

© 2008 Agence France Presse

"I dont care what they do to me, but look what they did to my dog " ! sobbed Jason Ross

blah blah blah cant do this, cant do that, wrong. Day 3  finished with the crowds favourite, Jason Ross, from Newquay print studios in a full scale scrap with the authorities ! Power tools and flip flops were airborne as he  battled with some odd chaps in boiler suits and walkie talkies, but its all finished now and visiting time at Treliske A and E promises to be interesting  later this evening ?

 When Simon the puppy became part of the family this year I knew that he'd join the kitties and the humans in eating a human grade whole foods diet.  I set off into the kitchen and whipped up my first batch of homemade dog food.  Simon loved it and I loved making it for him, but I wondered if I should be feeding him a raw food diet.  After all, in the wild, dogs certainly don't cook their food! But my food, and Simon's too, comes from the grocery store.  What if the chicken or beef I was buying him was contaminated with some sort of bacteria or parasite?  I just didn't have enough control over the ingredients to ensure that Simon was going to avoid illness, so I cooked it and reassured myself that he was eating a fabulous diet that most dogs could only dream of.  Then I heard about The Honest Kitchen and discovered the answer to my raw food conundrum!  I really can offer Simon a safe raw food diet without moving to a farm!

About The Honest Kitchen

     The Honest Kitchen is a private, family owned company located in San Diego, California.  Lucy Postins started cooking for her Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy back in 2000.  By 2001 she had developed a recipe using all human grade raw ingredients that used dehydration as the method to preserve the food safely without removing any of the nutritional value.  In 2002, The Honest Kitchen was officially born after they located a human food manufacturer who could produce their food on a large scale.  They are a company committed to quality canine and feline nutrition.