April Update

Hi everyone.

Yes it's been a while. Ok quick update. I am unemployed. I was last employed as a Disability Assessor with a company called Capita. It was a move born of an extreme desire to leave the NHS. I'm sure that if you are living in the UK you will be aware of the problems that the NHS is having retaining it's staff. I'm not going to go into details but apart from one remarkable exception in the last 3 years management is under too much pressure and this is leading to a cascade of pressure onto other staff. The cause of this is lack of funding, a reduction in pay in real terms and the disastrous continuing privatisation of the service.

As for the Disability Assessors role, I went into it to help people but was unable to gain approval which is required from the Department of Work and Pensions(DWP). This on top of working 60 plus hours per week, and confusing feed back about the reports. Of the 20 people that started only one was Approved by the DWP. I'm sad to say I was relieved to leave. Prior to starting this job it was in the full realisation that I would not return to the NHS.

So why not go back to the NHS? The answer is that people are continuing to leave putting more pressure on those remaining. Given my brush with depression it would not be a good environment for me to expose myself to. Going back is not an option. So what to do?

To start I am restless, I'm doing housework, hoovering, washing up, cleaning the cooker and it isn't enough. I need more exercise and I need more money coming in. I have applied for the New enterprise allowance which I will be having a good look at at a meeting on Monday. I am also planning to restart my previous business with Utility Warehouse and have a few other things in mind as well.

One of the things I have in mind is starting a Youtube channel from the point of view of a 50 year old getting fit, 60 hours per week sitting in front of a computer screen, writing reports doesn't leave a lot of time or motivation to exercise.

Thanks for reading
Kind regards

St.John

General update

Hello everyone. I haven't posted anything for a while. Sorry about that.

It isn't that I haven't been writing, I have written a couple of blogs but due to their nature I have felt the need to keep them private. There are simply some things that I do not want on the internet.

So here's an update.
I am off work and have been since the end of October. I am not going into details but it is due to illness. I am on the mend but have to admit that I am contemplating my future with the NHS. This is no small thing, I have worked in that institution for over 20 years and to leave would be a big step. Not one that I have made as yet. The job has changed in the years I have been doing it and I simply do not get the satisfaction in doing it any more. There is also the working conditions which seem to be deteriorating. Oh enough! I have some thinking to do.

Due to this I haven't been active with my business. Mainly as my employer would not be amused to find me doing my business while I am off ill and I am not at the point that I would be able to rely on my income from the business. This has cost me, cost me a lot.

Ok I'm getting political now so hold onto your hat (storm Desmond has divested me of mine a few times this weekend!) Yes I'm going to write about the situation in Syria. Let's do it in bullet points -

• We need to learn from history. Look at Iraq and Afghanistan. Are these notable successes?
• We can ruin the infrastructure with bombs which we will then have to pay for to rebuild!
• Innocents are going to die.
• More people are going to become refugees, increasing the exodus from that country.
• Do the government really think that the Daesh forces are going to just sit there and be bombed?
• There are groups that the government have identified as being undesirable, what if it is these groups that will fill the power vacuum?
• Oh and innocents are likely to die causing more people to be radicalised!

I am delighted that my MP voted against this madness.

Let me finish on a brighter note. The new Star Wars film is out in two weeks
SQUEEEE!

Thank you for reading
Kind regards
St.John