Off Topic Thread 4.0

sullivlo

Neil3030 wrote: »

Just reading up on this cervical check scandal - seriously, how are people not setting fire to parliament buildings over this?

As a female who has had smear tests done, and is due another soon, it doesn’t inspire much confidence.

awec

Sky Sports lost their La Liga rights. They've lost a serious amount of sporting contracts recently.

Hard to see what they’re going to fill their time slots with.

prawnsambo

Neil3030 wrote: »

It's just an unforgivable cluster ****. This summary is worth reading; 2014 audit showed 208 women were falsely given the all clear, of which 17 are dead and 162 still to be informed that their original test was a false negative. The woman at the centre of the case (now with under a year to live) had the audit results delayed to her by three years because her GP and the head of the HSE subsidiary argued over who should tell her. Head of the HSE has refused to resign over it, citing that he "can’t take full responsibility for it". In the UK, forget the NHS, they'd be looking for a new health minister.

There's something similar happening in the UK currently. Up to 450,000 women missed breast cancer screening because of an IT error back in 2009.

Zzippy

sullivlo wrote: »

As a female who has had smear tests done, and is due another soon, it doesn’t inspire much confidence.

My wife is a medical scientist, responsible for quality and safety compliance in her hospital lab. When the national contract was awarded to a US company she declined the free smear test and insisted on paying for a private one. Had concerns over the standard of analysis/staff/training in the US private sector, especially in a company getting the contract on a lowest cost basis. Not going into details, but the test she got showed something that needs to be monitored, which she might never have found out had she relied on the free test. Her advice would be to pay for a private test, for peace of mind alone.

What happened is a scandal and should be a resigning matter for Tony O'Brien at a minimum. For some involved, criminal charges should be considered. There really is no accountability in this country.

Neil3030

prawnsambo wrote: »

There's something similar happening in the UK currently. Up to 450,000 women missed breast cancer screening because of an IT error back in 2009.

The IT glitch in the UK resulted in women not receiving a letter reminding them to come for routine screening. When the error was noted parliament were informed immediately (in March 2018) and it since became public.

In Ireland, the HSE subsidiary had known since 2014 that over 200 women, originally screened and cleared, actually had cancer. We know that in Vicky Phelan's case, she wasn't informed for three years as her GP argued with the HSE over who should tell her. 162 still don't know, 17 are dead. It's far, far worse.

Zzippy

Neil3030 wrote: »

The IT glitch in the UK resulted in women not receiving a letter reminding them to come for routine screening. When the error was noted parliament were informed immediately (in March 2018) and it since became public.

In Ireland, the HSE subsidiary had known since 2014 that over 200 women, originally screened and cleared, actually had cancer. We know that in Vicky Phelan's case, she wasn't informed for three years as her GP argued with the HSE over who should tell her. 162 still don't know, 17 are dead. It's far, far worse.

That GP should be investigated by the Medical Council, and struck off if found that they violated their duty of care to their patient. Whoever they were arguing with in the HSE should be sacked. So should anyone who had any input into the decision not to tell her. In any other country this would be a resigning matter for the people in charge, right up to the minister. I might give Simon Harris a pass on this, as he was not in charge at the time, but Tony O'Brien, now head of the HSE, was responsible for the decision to move the screening contract offshore 10 years ago, and he's not even been asked to resign??? He should be sacked IMO.

Neil3030

Sorry, sorry, mistake on my part - he was not her GP, he was her gynaecologist.

prawnsambo

Bus drivers in Japan are on strike. They are still working though, just not collecting fares.

Neil3030

prawnsambo wrote: »

Bus drivers in Japan are on strike. They are still working though, just not collecting fares.

Hell of a tactic. Keeps public support while stiffing their employer.

Squidgy Black

Neil3030 wrote: »

Hell of a tactic. Keeps public support while stiffing their employer.

Dublin Bus talked about doing this a couple years ago during their strikes but I think they decided against it because there was legal action threatened if they did.

It's possibly the most effective method of protesting against their employer, you don't disrupt the public and turn them against you and your employer is furious because their vehicles are still in use and they're losing revenue.

Dave_The_Sheep

They've done it before, if memory serves. Things have changed now, and they'd be liable, and could be fired straight away if they did the same thing.

That's just what I thought had changed anyways.

molloyjh

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

They've done it before, if memory serves. Things have changed now, and they'd be liable, and could be fired straight away if they did the same thing.

That's just what I thought had changed anyways.

Yeah they had done it before a few years back all right.

Bridge93

Another Northern bigot let loose on a device she has no clue about. How stupid are these people really? What reaction are you expecting? Thankless job being a political PR rep these days

prawnsambo

Bridge93 wrote: »

Another Northern bigot let loose on a device she has no clue about. How stupid are these people really? What reaction are you expecting? Thankless job being a political PR rep these days

Eh?

Bridge93

prawnsambo wrote: »

Eh?

The eloquent Jolene Bunting doing what she does best

irishbucsfan

Yes, a monumentally stupid tweet.

So frustrating that people like her can get elected. Bit like that alt-right Fine Gael chap in Dublin.

prawnsambo

Bridge93 wrote: »

The eloquent Jolene Bunting doing what she does best

Thanks. See that now. Charming.

Squidgy Black

Possibly one of the most idiotic tweets I've seen, but unfortunately they all seem to try to appeal to their voters with offensive and derogatory things like this.

awec

Politics is against the charter folks. Cease and desist.

prawnsambo

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Possibly one of the most idiotic tweets I've seen, but unfortunately they all seem to try to appeal to their voters with offensive and derogatory things like this.

I know you're being helpful, but would it be ok to ask you to delete that image? It's only giving her more publicity and I'm sure that's not your intention.

Bazzo

If anybody has somehow not seen this yet it's well worth a read

https://twitter.com/shockproofbeats/status/992006545473966082?s=19

pickarooney

That is exceptionally funny!

prawnsambo

pickarooney wrote: »

That is exceptionally funny!

Chap should write a book. His turn of phrase is excellent. Descriptions are priceless.

dregin

prawnsambo wrote: »

Chap should write a book. His turn of phrase is excellent. Descriptions are priceless.

He's an Irish Times journalist.

The pain trying to hide the laughter last night while the missus slept was unbearable.

Neil3030

What am I supposed to be reading on that Twitter thing?

Ah, got it; kept clicking the link in the tweet and landing elsewhere.

Buer

Interesting article by Kimmage on the situation at St. Mary's Athenry regarding their conduct in coaching underage players.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/paul-kimmage-low-lie-the-fields-of-athenry-the-gaa-story-every-parent-will-want-to-read-36879150.html

It raises a real question over the suitability of some to be working with children in terms of understanding their role and requirements which goes beyond simply being willing to work with the players.

As a side note, silly buggers doesn't begin to cover how the club themselves have behaved throughout. With all this said, Kimmage is clearly taking a side in his piece so some of it may need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

sydthebeat

As the chairman of a junior rugby club that's the stuff of nightmares.

Obviously PK is presenting one side, but the actions and non actions of the athenry executives is flabbergasting.

The way to deal with issues like this is straight up and immediate. Letting them fester is the worst. Unfortunately you'll always get egos who do more damage than good.

Buer

sydthebeat wrote: »

Obviously PK is presenting one side, but the actions and non actions of the athenry executives is flabbergasting.

The part I find genuinely reprehensible is throwing the floor open to others to attend the investigatory meeting which lead to a situation with members of the community being present and admonishing the complainants in public view.

The conduct of Club members who approached and remonstrated in the hotel foyer with complainants or witnesses, some of whom were X years of age, was at very least unnecessary and in poor taste and at worst could be seen as intimidatory.

A wonderfully successful, community based GAA club being culpable for such behaviour is worrying. It's some of the best and worst aspects of Irish mentality/society at work. If the article is accurate, I imagine the complainants are pariahs in their community now.

US just pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. Trump is a ****ing idiot.

Dubinusa

Was not a very good deal. Obama paid them to behave and they didn't. A bad deal for the sake of a deal is stupid. Renegotiate and get a better more viable deal.