Mailwatch(ed) Forum

A bit surprised to find there is no extant thread for this appalling woman, who is the current Heath Secretary, so here’s one I’m starting.

She was doing the 8:10 interview on the R4 Today programme this morning, discussing, I think, the government’s plans to address the quite appalling state of NHS dentistry in the UK.

I say “I think”, because the net result of her approach was that she totally failed to get her message across. Atkins’ approach to these set piece interviews seems to be to adopt a sort of verbal Gatling gun behaviour, simply babbling an unbroken stream of only partly understandable verbiage, even across the interviewer’s best attempts to get a word in edgeways and get her to clarify. To the interviewer Justin Webb’s credit, he stuck calmly to his task and tried to pin Atkins down on one or two key points, but he was swept aside in the continuous gusts of utter guff being emitted by Atkins.

Eventually, of course, the effect on me, at any rate, was that I mentally switched off, no longer even trying to assimilate some meaningful information from Atkins’ stream-of-consciousness pish, which, I should point out, I had already decided early on was worthless, hearing it simply as meaningless background chatter.

I cannot believe that Atkins was being congratulated on her performance by the Tories’ media team. It was simply appalling, and surely, totally counter-productive. I’m pretty sure that the Tories’ alleged “plan” to sort out the dentistry crisis is inadequate bollocks, and Atkins’ shocking performance has done precisely nothing to convince me otherwise. Vishnu on a velocipede, we surely deserve better than this utter shite. The election really cannot come soon enough.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:40 am She was doing the 8:10 interview on the R4 Today programme this morning, discussing, I think, the government’s plans to address the quite appalling state of NHS dentistry in the UK.

England.

Labour is responsible for the equally appalling state of NHS dentistry in Wales.

Wales is in the UK, is it not ?

The NHS is a devolved matter - the Health Minister in Westminster is responsible only for England.

Question from ignorance - does Wales have a different dentist contract from England? If not, why so?

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:03 am Question from ignorance - does Wales have a different dentist contract from England? If not, why so?

From April 2022, NHS practices could choose to be part of the Welsh Government’s dental contract reform programme, which will focus on prevention and needs-based care. This means a move away from routine six-monthly check-ups for all patients. The aim is to release capacity to provide appointments for new patients. The Welsh Government is providing an additional £2m each year to improve access to dental services across Wales.

https://research.senedd.wales/research- ... -in-wales/

Anecdotal evidence on the ground (me) shows no improvement at least in rural areas.

That £2m looks like a spit in the ocean compared to what the Senedd report reveals...

Thanks for that, though. Interesting that the pandemic is cited as a cause, whereas it has been a problem for much longer.

Spoonman wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:36 am The NHS is a devolved matter - the Health Minister in Westminster is responsible only for England.

I'm aware of this. Atkins was talking about England, of course (I think). But generally speaking, it's shite in the rest of the UK too.

That's the strategy though - get in, deliver the message, get out.

It's based on the idea that people are so used to the confrontational interview that they aren't really listening to the argument. Meanwhile, if anyone asks, you can say that you announced the thing publicly, the information's out there, not our fault if people missed it. Just like written answers on the last day before recess.

What it can be boiled back to is this - Parliament was designed by and is still largely stuffed with public school wankers, who think that this loophole in the rules stuff is impressive.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:22 am Interesting that the pandemic is cited as a cause

My dentist cancelled appointments for several NHS patients that i know of (including me), citing COVID, and then removed us from its list because we hadn't kept up our six monthly appointment obligation.

Cunts.

Killer Whale wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:24 pm

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:22 am Interesting that the pandemic is cited as a cause

My dentist cancelled appointments for several NHS patients that i know of (including me), citing COVID, and then removed us from its list because we hadn't kept up our six monthly appointment obligation.

Cunts.

SNAP

Nearest dentist taking new NHS patients is 90 miles away.

So it’s a UK wide problem as Abernathy pointed out.

In London I got one straight away, previously hadn’t had one for a decade since University that was Wales and Cornwall.

I do think some things need to be joined up in the NHS, throwing this out now with potentially three months before an election and having it copy your opposition suggests it’s got more chance of happening under the next government than this.

Oddly enough up to now they hadn’t done this, set up a policy that the following government gets credit for.

Oh and Atkins cackles along at any shit joke Sunak makes, she was at it during the trans jibe as well.

She however as someone pointed out does have decent teeth, shame her hairdresser is on strike.

£2m doesn’t sound like all that much extra money.

I've now seen Atkins on a couple of breakfast shows now and I still can't decide if the look on her face reflects the fact that she is deeply concerned about the state of the NHS or that she is absolutely clueless and the look on her face is sheer terror.

She’s been on the telly a lot today. She’s the new Anne Widdecombe, isn’t she? High -pitched, shrieking voice, idiotically reactionary views, hopeless defending of an appallingly incompetent government, endless obfuscation, the charisma of a monitor lizard.

And every time I see her on screen, I want to hurl the fucking telly out the bloody window.

Fuck waiting lists and doctors on strike, this is more important

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/li ... 3c62033928

Is this lightweight still one of the faces of the campaign?

It wouldn't be the "only" conclusion if this happened, no.. Another conclusion might be that your lot's relations with doctors had been so bad, they wanted more from you now, nailed down. Whereas they might reasonably be hopeful of better relations with the new government and accept a lower offer. This happens in all sorts of negotiations. If you piss away trust, it costs you more.

To which the reply must be "yes, of course it's fucking political".