It’s been a busy week for UK Column. As well as producing our normal news programmes, interviews and articles, this month many of the team have braved the elements, gathered their tents up, and enjoyed the festival season. Last Sunday, we also had a virtual event involving all the presenters to give our audience a little glimpse of what really happens behind the scenes at UK Column and to share a little bit about ourselves. We hope you enjoyed it, and that it will inspire more people to join the UK Column family. For only £5 a month, we provide news you won’t hear anywhere else, and we hope you feel it is good value for money. My son informs me you can’t even buy a pint of beer for £5 these days. We rely on our subscribers to keep us going, not only with your money, but also with your opinions, views, and knowledge. And just as we hope to keep you sane, it works both ways; you keep us sane too.
As you may have seen, however, I didn’t refer to the sheets of notes I had prepared during my presentation at the virtual event, so I missed out on mentioning a few vital people that keep UK Column running smoothly. They are wonderful angels in human form working behind the glare of the camera: the ‘behind the scenes’ team.
One is Stephanie Sinclaire, our wonderful producer, without whom none of the interviews you watch would happen. She goes above and beyond to make sure the news gets to you on time and in good order. She liaises with all our guests and makes sure everyone is in the right place at the right time. She is the heartbeat of UK Column.
Members may already know Kenny, our social media whiz, who posts our content on social media. He also assembles the show notes and moderates the members’ chat box. Welcome to Sam, who you will be seeing and hearing from in the near future. He will be producing some new material. Finally, Clare is our UKC shop manageress who packs up and sends your merchandise to you for your delight. Grab a lighter; they’re even better in real life. My copy of ‘Your Life in Their Hands’ is winging its way to me too. We may only be a little team, but we pack a mighty punch!
Water and Feargal Sharkey
It is usual at this time of year to be enjoying some warmer, drier weather. But this June, with high winds and rain, it has become ‘June Rain’, only the final ‘e’ is missing. It doesn’t take long for weather to morph into a conversation about Dame June Raine, the outgoing CEO of the MHRA. Perhaps it is a sign. Meanwhile, I have not yet swapped my umbrella for a sun parasol. Perhaps July and August will be warm and wet? I have seen with my very own eyes how bacteria thrive in warm, wet weather.
After a sewer flood, when the water has receded, left in the road is the debris of sanitary towels, toilet roll, and baby wipes. But who comes to clean the roads, pavements, and homes? No one. You might think that is not important because no one eats off a road, but you would be wrong. I have seen children drop sweets on the ground, only to pick them up and eat them. Disgusting! No one comes to clean because no one takes responsibility for floods, and no one comes to clean, because no one cares. You might think this is wholly and solely the fault of the water company. Again, you would be wrong. Local authorities prefer to remain invisible, but they have much to explain, which is a topic for another blog. Perhaps I am onto something when referring to damp and warm weather. Of course, mainstream media is blaming fake ‘climate change’. Bugs love warm and wet environments.
Last week, there was to be a gathering on a beach in front of the sewage treatment works to meet Feargal Sharkey, who appears to have become the expert in sewage, and is enjoying significant attention from it. But why? As a keen fly fisherman, he noticed how polluted the rivers had become, so he decided to do something about it. Well done, Feargal Sharkey! Round of applause! Whilst you point your finger at the rivers and the sea, you completely ignore us, the thousands who live in sewage. Focusing on fish means distraction from humans! Yet again, human sewage victims are invisible and unheard whilst ‘celebrities’ take on a role that quite frankly they are nowhere near qualified to do. But everyone deserves a second chance, right?
In hopes of trying to provide him with our side of the story, I braved the beach in the midst of heavy rain and gales. I froze for an hour waiting for him, but he never showed up. Later, I saw him on the local news in a Falmouth pub. But no one told us he was there. Would I have liked to talk to him? Yes, but it never happened. Despite him sending apologies to me via Twitter/X, asking for my number and promising to ring, he still hasn’t. I guess he wants to deal with the big fish, not the little people, like me. I know a thing or two about water companies, sewage and pollution. He would do well to listen to me first before dismissing me. As of this writing, he has not yet phoned. I am not good with broken promises. Feargal Sharkey, if you are reading, I am still waiting…
Misidentification in the NHS: an excuse to barcode us?
Just because you know who you are, and you know who your loved ones are, don’t assume anyone else does. What if you are attending a medical appointment and you are called the wrong name halfway through? What if you are concussed or unconscious, perhaps about to be put under general anaesthetic, and no one knows who you are or what you are having done? What if a simple mistake costs your life? What if your loved one is taken into hospital and you are not allowed to accompany them, but he or she is confused and can’t remember his or her name? Surely this cannot happen. Yes, it can.
An HSJ investigation found that a shocking 56,537 cases of patient misidentification in Datix and other patient safety systems had taken place between 2019 and 2023 - the ‘convid’ years. 4,713 of these instances led to harm, 10 caused severe harm, and two led to death. Once again, in my day, this would never have happened. It would have been a ‘never event’. We were trained to ask patients for their names daily, and we checked name bands at least four times a day. We would never administer any treatment or drugs to a patient without checking their name, and we were double-checked by a second nurse. When I was a senior nurse working in an operating theatre, I remember one patient complaining that they couldn’t enjoy the pre-op medication because everyone wanted to check their name. It was standard procedure. And for good measure, body parts targeted for surgery were often marked in ink on the patient’s body. Most surgeons carried marker pens in their pockets to draw arrows. Who knows who performs operations now; it could be a nurse or a surgical care practitioner!
Of course, misidentification should never happen, and an inexpensive plastic hospital bracelet usually works just fine. Is the misidentification agenda just another ruse to bin the trusted and tested old methods, and bring in new digital methods? After watching the GS1 UK Conference, I would like to say: ‘Seize the day, seize the data’. Baroness Cumberlege (Do No Harm) and Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s Chief Safety Officer, were on the same stage. Baroness Cumberlege revealed that Yellow Cards are being binned. Dr Cave, the head of the Yellow Card Scheme, gets paid a healthy £195k p.a. to bin them! You really can’t make it up.
The talk is revealing, however, and I can see clearly their intention. We are to be ‘branded’ like animals. Barcoding patients has already become normalised in many NHS Trusts. Look at your patient identification band and observe your own personal barcode. With this, the hospital can track your every move, find out how long you have lived in an area, and who has lived with you. Not only that, but many barcodes will now contain all your medical records. With one scan, a health professional has access to all your medical data. Patients are no longer patients; they are customers. When the customer becomes the product, we have a problem.
Far from being conspiracy theory, digital name bands are here to stay, but else what is to come? Digital tattoos or perhaps embedded microchips in your body, containing all your personal details, are real possibilities. It sounds so convenient to have everything stored in one place, doesn’t it? No need to hunt around for bank statements or hospital appointment letters. No need to carry files, bags, purses, or wallets. I can imagine the younger generation loving these new technologies: electronic tattoos, phones that are moulded within your body, and the ability to access superpowers never thought imaginable. But at what cost to their freedom? As they welcome 1984 with open arms, those of us with eyes to see know what is coming for every one of them: total enslavement into a digital age in which there is no escape, no hiding, and no privacy. You won’t even be able to get into a supermarket without being tracked and traced, let alone a hospital.
But how will digital identification embedded into the body be marketed, and what choices will we have? Perhaps the only choice will be whether to comply. For those who cannot see the bigger picture, of course they will comply. If we don’t, we will be shut out of a ‘working society’. Public places and services may become unavailable to those who choose not to offer their arms for jabs, hands for microchips, or palms for payment.
Healthcare won’t exist, and hospitals will be out of bounds for anyone not in receipt of an invitation. Patients will be told these new measures are in place to keep us safe. Hospital staff will pitch them in a way to make it sound like they benefit the patient. Staff will say the technologies will be used to match patients with personalised medicine, treatments, and surgical procedures. That alone raises alarm bells in my head.
How can you avoid being misidentified aside from having your name tattooed on your forehead? My advice is to stay out of hospital whenever you can or make sure you connect with a medical professional with whom you trust first. Ask for advice, look for alternatives, and think out of the box. For those of us who refuse to comply, we must make big decisions and have difficult conversations. Time is running out.
None of us can foresee emergency situations; however, we can start to make a plan in our heads based on: ‘what if’? What if you were to have an accident outside of your home? Where would you be taken, and what might you be given? What if you suffer an accident at home or have a heart attack? Do you want your family to dial 999?
I have spoken before of the need for all of us to make a living will and to make copies available for our medical professionals and family members. You can make your wishes known to the NHS prior to treatment. It is an unusual step for healthy people to take. Living wills are normally used for people suffering with terminal illnesses. They contain instructions to be followed should people be incapable of making decisions towards the end of their lives. The first step was the NHS App; however, that is only the start. What will you do if your only way of accessing healthcare is through the app? Are you going to comply?
Try looking in a mirror and resist the temptation of relying on a screen to tell you how your body is working. Your phone is probably wrong; however, your mirror won’t lie. If you are breathing well (and your breathing is not deteriorating), peeing and pooing, eating and drinking, not feeling pain, looking a good colour and managing to walk, talk, and moan, the likelihood is that you are well! Don’t become one of the ‘worried well’. Don’t allow your government and your health professionals to turn you into a paranoid hypochondriac, because that is their aim. If in doubt, ask someone you trust, such as a member of your family. Normally, the first people to tell me I look ill are my kids. If they aren’t worried, then why should I be?
Stories in Brief
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
I will be covering much more on this topic in future weeks and months. Professor Diane Rasmussen McAdie will also be concentrating on the facts associated with the next newly emerging global crisis. AMR has been declared as an emergency which will people before climate change? I think we need a #UKCVerify fact check, Professor Diane! Not only that, but it appears AMR is being blamed on… wait for it… yes, climate change. Could it be linked to a Sustainable Development Goal?
Who is resistant to antibiotics? Where is the evidence? Why should good old belts and braces antibiotics suddenly become no longer efficacious? What has changed? As an expert by experience of all things sewer-related and waste water-associated, I can evidence E. coli on our beaches as far back as 2010. Perhaps it was too early in the Sustainable Development Goal agenda; however, now it appears time to take note of something I have been publicly highlighting for the last 20 years.
How much of the narrative should we believe, and how much of it is being manufactured with nefarious intent? Watch this space.
MOTs for the over 65s
Are you over 65? I am, so the idea of having an MOT if I ever have the misfortune of visiting Accident and Emergency fills me with horror; however, that is exactly what the over 65s are to expect. But what does it involve?
For those of us who fit the ‘frail’ criteria and are over 65, we will be able to have tests 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will have our blood pressure checked, heart health charted, weighed, measured, poked, and prodded first. Do we fall? Are we breathless? Why on earth does any of that matter if you have simply attended Accident and Emergency because you snipped your finger with the pruning shears? Perhaps you are in pain or shock and can’t quite remember the exact gruesome details. Based on the results of the tests and questions, you may be signposted to specialist care such as dementia services or fall services. Are they trying to make us more vulnerable, frail, and sick than we really are? As hospitals receive financial incentives to carry out these tests, I can’t help but think that none of this is in our best interest. It is just another crafty way to hurt us and worry us.
So, if you have to visit Accident and Emergency, be prepared for an inquisition that may be totally unrelated to your visit.
Are epidemics, not pandemics, next?
There has been so much talk about pandemics that we appear to have normalised it, and in fact we are all now awaiting the next one. Trust has gone, and suspicion is heightened, but remember that distraction and disruption is the key to confusion. I don’t believe those who conjured up this plan have any intention of another pandemic, however much they like to bandy the word about. But that is not to say any of us are off the hook. I believe that we will start to see a glut of epidemics worldwide affecting different countries through diseases and bacteria that we have seen before.
In the UK, you will be pleased to know that we are all epidemic-prepared, courtesy of the working home to Sir Christopher Whitty. The London School of Health, Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have their own unit. Incidentally, you may be interested to know that Sir Christopher Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, has also vocalised serious concerns as to the condition of our sewers. Sadly, despite trying to connect with him on many occasions, he has not yet responded to my pleas for help. He too has a vested interest in faecal coliforms. Considering I live with E. coli, you’d think my story would be right up his… sewer. But it appears that I am not relevant. When he told people to stay at home during lockup, did that apply to me, when ‘contaminated’ masks were floating through my front door? My point is that this is not a new situation, but clearly the time is right for those who have an agenda to follow. Watch the water.
And Finally
It was very nice to see the Princess of Wales attending Trooping of the Colour last weekend. I thought she looked extremely well although slightly alone. As a single mum of five children, I understand what life is like with three young children. I felt sorry for Kate sitting alone in the carriage with three young children, especially considering that every day is different in her circumstances and she is still not out of the woods. Carriage journeys are not the most comfortable; I tried it once many years ago, and with far more flesh to cushion the bumps! Most people who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy are generally too weak to leave the house alone, never mind chaperone youngsters. I applaud her resilience and her efforts at hiding her struggles during what must have been a very difficult day.
As the world continues to implode, we at UK Column do our very best to address what we believe will be of interest to you. Sadly, we cannot cover everything, but we hope that much of our material may prepare you for what is to come. Big changes are ahead. We are nowhere near out of the woods yet.
As many of you know, I am not backwards in coming forwards. I think a fiver a month is cheap at half the price to join the UK Column community. I myself subscribe for any of you wondering. I hope you can encourage as many as possible to join us. Nothing about you without you. And the more of you, the more we can produce. Thank you for all your continued support.
Until next time
God Bless and don’t be scared, be prepared. Question everything and everyone, even us.
Debi
Nehemiah 4:20 NKJV
Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.
