Private Firm To Run Entire NHS Hospital

Private Firm To Run Entire NHS Hospital

Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, will be operated by the private sector from next summer in a franchise expected to last at least seven years.NHS East of England, the area's health authority, is announcing which of two private bidders will run the hospital.The companies - Circle Health and Serco - have submitted comprehensive plans to improve patient care and make services more efficient.The hospital is nearly £40m in debt and previous attempts to turn it around have failed.The only NHS bidder for the contract pulled out in early negotiations.Dr Stephen Dunn, director of Strategy at NHS East of England, earlier said the aim was to ensure a sustainable future for the hospital.

Re-Bloged by Nigel Rumble, Yahoo Breaking News

Powerful Chile Quake 'Shifted Earth's Axis'

"The powerful earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Chile on Saturday probably shifted the Earth's axis and made days slightly shorter, a Nasa scientist has said."

"Richard Gross, a research scientist at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, calculated how much the axis may have changed in position following the the disaster.

If the planet's axis did shift by 8cm during the quake, days would have shortened by 1.26 microseconds, Mr Gross calculated. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

Earth days are 24 hours long because that is the amount of time it takes the planet to make one full rotation on its axis, so shifting the axis would affect rotation.

The quake shifted the Earth's axis by even more than the 9.1-magnitude tremor off Indonesia that started the deadly tsunami in Asia in 2004, according to Mr Gross.

This was partly because the fault line responsible for the quake in Chile "dips into Earth at a slightly steeper angle than does the fault responsible for the 2004 Sumatran earthquake", he said.

The different angle made Saturday's tremor more effective at moving Earth's mass vertically and shifting the planet's axis, Mr Gross continued.

The 2004 quake in Asia, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused the Earth to move by around 7cm.

It chopped an estimated 6.8 microseconds off the length of a day, Nasa said"

This is not a typical Belsize blog, but since this severe event has such significance to world climate, this does serve as a reminder of the fragile world that we inhabit. Who can say if the collective effects of reducing our CO2 emissions in the UK, together in Camden and Belsize will have more or less impact than the loss of 1 micro second to a day.

But one thing is clear the need to reduce climate CO2 and thus helping to prevent a non reversible trend to incresed "global warming". Most scientists agree we have at best less than 10 years to drastically to turn the tide of a non reversible trend. Hansen (NASA).

Author: Nigel Rumble
Quotes: Sky News 2010

Tony Blair at IRAQ Inquiry - AT LAST!

After much speculation we finally have Tony Blair in the Dragon's Den.

But it is not expected to reveal new information of any change of opinion from former premier Blair, so far he has given at times a slightly nervous and hesitant account of the time-line to go to War in IRAQ. But has offered nothing of any real substance to support the fact apart from "regime change" and "OIL" which he made reference.

So then it is the small give away asides and comments that if anything will be the more revealing of Blair and his WAR. It even appears that he may have influenced (certainly bolstered) George W Bush to making the final call to GO to WAR.

So far we have heard these facts to emerge from the AM and PM proceedings;

• When asked why go to war with IRAQ and not IRAN or N. Korea, responded that IRAQ was the place to start!

• Fails to understand significance of 45 min claim as presenting a false warning to people of UK!
  

• Playing a disgraceful game of word manipulation at this much-anticipated event. Blairism on full frontal display

PM session.

• TB looking very twitchy with questioning on legality of going to War without the 2nd UN resolution.Says that he had undertaken significant war planning: but could not have foreseen different outcome eventualities

• The panel returns time and time again to the issue of legality in going to war and how Blair sidelined the UN.

• Blair in closing comments of Inquiry has no regrets!

Author: Nigel Rumble

Camden Conservatives and Eva Schloss at a Holocaust Memorial Day production

And Then They Came For Me - Remembering the world of Anne Frank

I attended a very special production of the famed "anti hate" production produced and directed by Nic Careem.

It was a honour to be in such company as Eva Schloss step-sister of Anne Frank and the fantastic production company.

Camden Conservatives were invited to attend, Chris Philp, parliamentary candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn and George Lee parliamentary candidate for Holborn and St. Pancras.

Author: Nigel Rumble

The Camden LibDems and NAZI gibes

I read with great sadness in the local press the personal attacks on Cllr Chris Philp, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate. As a member of the public present on Monday 18th Jan evening at Camden's full council I was totally shocked and horrified at the outburst from the Cllr Nick Russell, LibDems suggesting that Cllr Chris Philp reminds him of a NAZI stormtropper from the Schindler's List. The hurt and pain that the Jewish community must feel with Holocaust Memorial Day only a few days away and that this was said in a full council by a serving councillor begs all belief in human decency and values.

This taken together with the recent savage attacks on Cllr Chris Philp by Camden LibDems on his hard work to try and save the "acute" stroke unit of the Hampsead Royal Free Hospital, since the LibDems had voted down the motion at a full council last year to save the unit from closure, this serves well to remind all the electorate of Camden that the LibDems care more about political positioning than caring for the people of Camden.

As a former member of the Camden LibDems I disagreed with key party policies and their ability to govern, so left to join the Conservatives. I was well aware of the nasty and often untrue personal underhand attacks by the LibDems when they were unable to win an argument in the normal "politic" way.

I sincerely hope that they will not be using these tactics here in Hampstead and Kilburn. Cllr Chris Philp is fighting a positive campaign, and has stood up for local issues. The Lib Dems should do the same.

Author: Nigel Rumble

Haiti needs our help Now

Whether you can afford to give £5 or £500, it all makes a difference, says David Cameron in his latest blog.

On Tuesday, the poorest country in the western hemisphere was hit head-on by an enormous earthquake.

I’m sure you’ve seen the heart-wrenching images of Haiti. The full impact of the earthquake is still emerging, but it’s clear that hundreds of thousands of people have either been killed or left homeless.

It’s essential that this small nation gets the help it needs as quickly as possible.

Britain is an incredibly compassionate and generous nation. We showed that five years ago when the British public raised £350m in the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami, and I’ve no doubt we will show it again.

The best way for you to help, if you haven’t already, is to donate directly to the Disaster Emergency Committee. Whether you can afford to give £5 or £500, it all makes a difference.

Call 0370 60 60 900 or visit the DEC website now to make your contribution.

In the meantime, I know our thoughts and prayers are with all those people who have suffered so much in that country over the last few days.

Posted by David Cameron, MP for Witney, January 15th, 2010

Snow again in Belsize- worst for 30 years!

In what is set to be the worst winter conditions for 30 years, here again in Camden, Belsize we have the crazy situation published today in Ham & High that Brent and Camden have RUN OUT OF GRIT.

This is a disgraceful situation, with weather predictions now able to achieve long term viable reporting weeks in advance, this simply is unacceptable.

It is notable that in other countries such as in the USA this apparent luck of grit never occurs, the US government is totally proactive in dealing with sever winter extremes. For example in anticipation of certain states currently being hit hard by sub-zero extreme temperature, energy supply companies that have "cut off" people due to failure of being able to pay utility bills have been ordered to re-connect the most needy in advance of worsening conditions.

Clearly lessons can be learned from across the other side of the Atlantic in the USA of how to deal with bad weather.

Closer to home however, I have been informed by local Belsize residents that the luck of grit is not only causing big delays in moving around but is very dangerous.

One local resident has narrowly escaped serious injury or worst when slipping and falling in Fellows Road with an oncoming car out of control unable to break or stop sliding towards the unfortunate pedestrian shouting "Get out of the road I can't stop the car"!

Another resident slipping on ice outside Budgens in Haverstock Hill falling and hitting her head in the process, but escaped serious injury.

We need the gritters out 24/7 NOW and not talk about it as a post review for 2011!

Author: Nigel Rumble (currently on New Year's vacation in USA NOLA)

HAPPY NEW YEAR BELSIZE 2010

This New Year politically promises to be the most exciting in at least 10 years, we have not only a general election to decide the future of our country and is expected to see-in the Conservatives lead by David Cameron but also we have the prospect of the local council elections which is scheduled for May 6th 2010.

As selected candidate and prospective Conservative Councilor it is both an honor and privilege to have been selected and put forward to serve my community of Belsize, an area that I have lived the best part of 40 years.

I will be planning on holding street stalls and making personal door to door canvassing through the upcoming weeks and months.

This is your chance to decide both the future of out great country and also decide on how you would like the wonderful ward of Belsize to be governed at local council level.

The one thing that I have learned in these past “four” years is that strong community driven by good local leadership is key to a thriving local and national sense of well being which drives a strong economy.

So once again may I wish all residents of Belsize a Happy New Year 2010.

Author: Nigel Rumble - New Year at midnight in Jackson Square USA NOLA