Superbugs and Super Anne
BBC - NHS anger over Tory MRSA claims: Hospital bosses have rounded on Tory leader Michael Howard after he leafleted thousands of homes quoting misleading figures about MRSA rates. In North Yorkshire, leaflets from Mr Howard claimed there had been 247 MRSA cases at the local hospital in the last year when there had only been six. Several other trusts have told the NHS Confederation similar misleading claims have been made about their MRSA rates. The Tories said they should have made clear these were regional figures. Leaflets have gone out to areas across the country which the Tories are targeting.
Well, what do you know? We're such an important seat to the Tories that we get a special full-page ad in the local paper (pictured above), which states that: Last year, 134 people caught MRSA from dirty hospitals in your area alone.
Now, when they say 'your area', what do you think they're referring to?
The constituency of Guildford? Nope. Go a little wider.
The county of Surrey? Nope, a little wider still.
StevieP informs us (under Comments here) that:
"Actually there were only 24 cases at the Royal Surrey with the majority of the quoted 134 cases coming from St Georges, Tooting (73 cases). Full details here (PDF). I know our Prospective Parliamentary Candidate comes from Reigate not Guildford, but Tooting isn’t even in Surrey."
He goes on to say:
"The '5,000 deaths' a year under Mr Blair banner headline is even more of a distortion, the figure comes from a National Audit Office 2000 report (PDF) and is based on U.S. figures from the mid-80's when Mr Howard not Mr Blair was in government."
The BBC clarify matters further here.
First, it's fear of foreigners. Now it's fear of disease. Surely it's only a matter of time before... whoops, too late: they've already had a go at fear of diseased foreigners. You've got to love the constant association of asylum and immigration, too. Further blur the line between asylum and terrorism and you've got a heady mix of fear. Over nothing.
Hell, posters have turned up in Guildford suggesting that we will all be murdered in our beds if we vote Lib-Dem. It's all less-than-subtle and very powerful stuff, but they're digging a serious hole for themselves.
So long as they stick with fear of disease, they can continue to insist that we "put Matron in charge" because that works in well with Anne Milton's claims of 25 years experience as a nurse... but if they come in heavy on fear of crime, surely they'll have to show that Milton has X number of years experience as a costumed vigilante with a burning desire for justice. And perhaps an invisible flying car. And a tight-fitting Kevlar jumpsuit that....
Ok, I'll stop there - but if this does turn out to be the case, you can rest assured that I will be studying her origin story very closely for continuity errors.
(Ooh, look! The perfect opportunity to slip in a plug for a local business. There could be some money in this...)
Well, what do you know? We're such an important seat to the Tories that we get a special full-page ad in the local paper (pictured above), which states that: Last year, 134 people caught MRSA from dirty hospitals in your area alone.
Now, when they say 'your area', what do you think they're referring to?
The constituency of Guildford? Nope. Go a little wider.
The county of Surrey? Nope, a little wider still.
StevieP informs us (under Comments here) that:
"Actually there were only 24 cases at the Royal Surrey with the majority of the quoted 134 cases coming from St Georges, Tooting (73 cases). Full details here (PDF). I know our Prospective Parliamentary Candidate comes from Reigate not Guildford, but Tooting isn’t even in Surrey."
He goes on to say:
"The '5,000 deaths' a year under Mr Blair banner headline is even more of a distortion, the figure comes from a National Audit Office 2000 report (PDF) and is based on U.S. figures from the mid-80's when Mr Howard not Mr Blair was in government."
The BBC clarify matters further here.
First, it's fear of foreigners. Now it's fear of disease. Surely it's only a matter of time before... whoops, too late: they've already had a go at fear of diseased foreigners. You've got to love the constant association of asylum and immigration, too. Further blur the line between asylum and terrorism and you've got a heady mix of fear. Over nothing.
Hell, posters have turned up in Guildford suggesting that we will all be murdered in our beds if we vote Lib-Dem. It's all less-than-subtle and very powerful stuff, but they're digging a serious hole for themselves.
So long as they stick with fear of disease, they can continue to insist that we "put Matron in charge" because that works in well with Anne Milton's claims of 25 years experience as a nurse... but if they come in heavy on fear of crime, surely they'll have to show that Milton has X number of years experience as a costumed vigilante with a burning desire for justice. And perhaps an invisible flying car. And a tight-fitting Kevlar jumpsuit that....
Ok, I'll stop there - but if this does turn out to be the case, you can rest assured that I will be studying her origin story very closely for continuity errors.
(Ooh, look! The perfect opportunity to slip in a plug for a local business. There could be some money in this...)
Labels: the usual rubbish
I see Sue Doughty has issued a statement congratulating the staff at the Royal Surrey in reducing MRSA cases. We now know which candidate is the real supporter of the NHS!
Posted by
StevieP |
Tuesday, April 19, 2005 7:15:00 PM
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