Loughborough Junction chitter-chatter

[LadyV]

Herne Hill Rd practice is great. Can always get an appointment.

Hmmm maybe I'll give them a try, although I fear the same thing will happen when the Higgs Triangle development is completed and has new bods living there. I know that provision for schools and healthcare is supposed to be considered during the planning permission process but sometimes I do wonder where the planners think people will go to see a doctor

 

[CH1]

Hmmm maybe I'll give them a try, although I fear the same thing will happen when the Higgs Triangle development is completed and has new bods living there. I know that provision for schools and healthcare is supposed to be considered during the planning permission process but sometimes I do wonder where the planners think people will go to see a doctor

Don't worry - HHR practice offer private appointments. I think the BMA rate for this is £130 per consultation. Bet you don't have to wait a week for one of those!

 

[bimble]

I left them after Dr Morell gave me a flu vaccination without even asking permission.

In my view that is an assault. However you know that when the BMA aren't organising strikes they are clearing GPs and other doctors of malpractice charges. No point whatever in complaining.

Probably Herne Hill Road surgery is the best for appointments, but I refuse to submit to that sort of carry on. During the 18 months I was there I had several good locum doctors I have to say.

He just stuck a needle in you just like that without asking ? Blimey.

 

[CH1]

He just stuck a needle in you just like that without asking ? Blimey.

Yes it was creepy like. Rolled up my sleeve so he could measure the blood pressure. While he was doing that he says "You haven't had your flu vaccination this year", reached over and bunged it in, where he'd been doing the blood pressure.

You have to watch these medics - especially the French ones. Talk about "Carry on doctor"!

 

[bimble]

Yes it was creepy like. Rolled up my sleeve so he could measure the blood pressure. While he was doing that he says "You haven't had your flu vaccination this year", reached over and bunged it in, where he'd been doing the blood pressure.

You have to watch these medics - especially the French ones. Talk about "Carry on doctor"!

That's really not ok. They were very nice to me when I came in recently and told them I was convinced I had exotic watersnail disease, took me seriously and made sure I got proved conclusively wrong.

 

[CH1]

That's really not ok. They were very nice to me when I came in recently and told them I was convinced I had exotic watersnail disease, took me seriously and made sure I got proved conclusively wrong.

Funnily enough I happened to mention to the guy who sells beds on the corner that I had a problem with Dr M's attitude, whereas the bedman's girlfriend/wife (who used to be a tenant of mine 30 years ago) thinks Dr M is marvellous and gets on with him well.

Mr Bedman says - "You are not a lady" which is of course true.

Is Dr M is happier treating female patients, and was he treating me as if I was a female? I must say having a needle stuck into my arm uninvited made me very annoyed indeed.

Of course I am a flu vaccine sceptic. Maybe if I actually wanted a flu vaccination would have thought he was saving me the trouble of asking.

 

[bimble]

was he treating me as if I was a female?

I hope not. Do they get paid per jab?

 

[CH1]

I hope not. Do they get paid per jab?

I am pretty sure they do.

In fact I find that GPs (since about 15 years ago actually) are mainly preoccupied with flu jabs and blood pressure. They insist on blood pressure treatment whether you want it or not. A bit like confession used to be for Catholics.
I expect checking for diabetes would be another thing - but looks like I am not in a risk group do don't get that.

But nearly every consultation lately has the "Do you smoke?" section - the the answer I stopped smoking 40 a day when the price of fags went over £1.25 is too complicated to interpret, so I get asked over and over again.

Then the is "How much do you drink?"

Actually the NHS has become like a traffic warden service policing smoking, drinking, blood pressure, blood sugar (if applicable) and semi-compulsory flu jabs.

The things I want, like treatment for ongoing conditions, malaria prophylaxis for travel to West Africa and occasional referrals to ENT etc are no on the enu these days.

I suspect the GP service is actively discouraged from referring patients. My surgery "referred" me to Specsavers a few months ago because I had become deaf in my left ear - a recurring problem over 30 years.

Apparently it is "better" for the surgery to send customers to Specsavers for a hearing aid than to send them back to Guys to sort out their ENT issues. To get what you want and need you just have to stand up for your rights I find.

 

[xsunnysuex]

I always liked Dr Morrel. But yes, I would have a problem with him sticking a needle in my arm without consulting me first. Dr Morrel has left the surgery now btw.

 

[xsunnysuex]

I wondered why as it was shut on Saturday when I went to top up my Oyster card.

Shop was open this morning.

 

[CH1]

Shop was open this morning.

Maybe they were suffering the after effects of Clarkshaws@The Platform
i.e. when they did not open

 

[xsunnysuex]

Maybe they were suffering the after effects of Clarkshaws@The Platform
i.e. when they did not open

Glad to see them open now.

 

[xsunnysuex]

Maybe they were suffering the after effects of Clarkshaws@The Platform
i.e. when they did not open

Think they have had a bereavement. Notice on the door saying closed this afternoon due to attending funeral.

 

[CH1]

Think they have had a bereavement. Notice on the door saying closed this afternoon due to attending funeral.

Sorry - this is a sad weekend then.

 

[Gramsci]

Hmmm maybe I'll give them a try, although I fear the same thing will happen when the Higgs Triangle development is completed and has new bods living there. I know that provision for schools and healthcare is supposed to be considered during the planning permission process but sometimes I do wonder where the planners think people will go to see a doctor

My GP practise in Stockwell now has long wait for appointments. Even difficult to get Doctor to phone you.

There is a shortage of GPs. So when one leaves its difficult to get a post filled. Apparently becoming a GP is not considered a prestige post in the health sector career ladder.

 

[Gramsci]

Saw Angellic put this on the Brixton chatter thread.

Helen Hayes, our MP, will be at Loughborough Junction station on Saturday 13 February at 12.30pm to gauge our views on train operator Govia's plan to close the ticket office. Please come and have your say.
Also LJAG has a long planned meeting with Govia on Thursday 11 February, so if you have any further issues about the station and the service that you would like answered please email us at ljactiongroup@gmail. com. All we achieved last year was a community notice board on the station which needs to be better used.

We all want a better train service with more trains stopping at Loughborough Junction; a waiting room (it can be freezing up there in winter) and a lift (we have been told previously this is not a Department for Transport priority for funding) and reopening the Cambria spur to Denmark Hill.

Caught between the Northern Line extension and Crossrail 2, it looks as if Loughborough Junction continues to miss out on planned improvements to public transport in south London.

All ideas of how we can campaign together to achieve a better transport infrastructure for LJ
are welcome.

 

[OiZoiOi]

Hi folks,

Random question: I'd like to arrange yoga classes for charity in the area, as well as free yoga classes for the elderlies so they can come move around abit and socialise. Finding a venue that's cheap or free seems to be a big challenge. Do you have any recommendation, please? Thanks

 

[teuchter]

Hi folks,

Random question: I'd like to arrange yoga classes for charity in the area, as well as free yoga classes for the elderlies so they can come move around abit and socialise. Finding a venue that's cheap or free seems to be a big challenge. Do you have any recommendation, please? Thanks

Space for Hire at Carnegie Library

Hire Whirled Cinema | Whirled Cinema

Venue Hire | Sunshine International Arts

 

[Gramsci]

Hi folks,

Random question: I'd like to arrange yoga classes for charity in the area, as well as free yoga classes for the elderlies so they can come move around abit and socialise. Finding a venue that's cheap or free seems to be a big challenge. Do you have any recommendation, please? Thanks

Also The Platform.

The Loughborough Estate has a community hall.

 

[CH1]

Saw Angellic put this on the Brixton chatter thread.

I went to this event. It seems it is a bit of advanced warning about an impending Govia consultation.
The gist of it seems to be that the rail operator (22 years after the station was upgraded by Brixton Challenge) have woken up to the fact that there is a major loss of revenue here due to no barriers.

Therefore they propose to move ticket vending to street level, and to install ticket barriers also at street level - 2 normal size and one large size.

The staff will be accommodated at street level (where the Beanery Cafe was), but it is anticipated that ticket sales will be automated (as per London Underground).

Apparently the rail operator would like to re-instate the platform level waiting room where the present ticket office is, but have no budget for this. So they are open to proposals from "funding partners".

Consultation for these alterations is likely to be in the next few weeks, and will run for 3 weeks only, after which official permission for the alteration will be given (assuming no major objections surface).

It does seem likely that the proposals take no account whatever of the volume of travellers during the rush hour peaks - and Councillor Dickson did suggest it would be quite likely that queues would reach out onto the street.

 

[teuchter]

Apparently the rail operator would like to re-instate the platform level waiting room where the present ticket office is, but have no budget for this. So they are open to proposals from "funding partners".

So the rail operator would like someone else to re-instate the platform level waiting room.

 

[CH1]

So the rail operator would like someone else to re-instate the platform level waiting room.

That is what was said - though I think the person speaking was some sort of consultant on behalf of Govia.

The original reconfiguration in 1993/4 was done by Brixton Challenge (government regeneration money - in the days when regeneration was about creating jobs, improving infrastructure rather than building unaffordable blocks of flats).

Maybe LJAG could use its fundraising genius to have us a "JP Morgan waiting room"?

 

[Gramsci]

I went to this event. It seems it is a bit of advanced warning about an impending Govia consultation.
The gist of it seems to be that the rail operator (22 years after the station was upgraded by Brixton Challenge) have woken up to the fact that there is a major loss of revenue here due to no barriers.

So its not about improving the station for passengers.

Looked up Govia. FT article here

I do not understand this franchise business.

Govia is consortium of Go Ahead Group and Keolis.

Keolis is French subsidiary of SNCF. SNCF is state owned French railway system. SNCF own 70% of Keolis. The rest by a French Canadian pension fund.

So a privatised railway system is been in part run by another countries nationalised industry.

Lots of promises in the article of improved stations under Govia.

 

[teuchter]

Lots of the uk rail franchises are run by operations at least part owned by state railways from other European countries. Scotrail for example is now run by part of the dutch national railways.

Same for various companies that operate London buses.

And of course utilities. EDF is the french state owned supplier.

 

[CH1]

So its not about improving the station for passengers.

Looked up Govia. FT article here

I do not understand this franchise business.

Govia is consortium of Go Ahead Group and Keolis.

Keolis is French subsidiary of SNCF. SNCF is state owned French railway system. SNCF own 70% of Keolis. The rest by a French Canadian pension fund.

So a privatised railway system is been in part run by another countries nationalised industry.

Lots of promises in the article of improved stations under Govia.

1. Not about improving Loughborough station for passengers - no definitely not. It's about putting in ticket barriers.
2. Govia etc. all details are on Wikipedia: Govia Thameslink Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Curiously two of the staff - Paul the very large one, and Stanley the chirpy Ghanaian one have survived all the various permutations of ownership, going back to the original Thameslink, then First Capital Connect and now Thameslink II. It does at least prove that TUPE works on Thameslink, even if other things don't.

 

[CH1]

I do not understand this franchise business.

I should have added that the government decided a year or two ago that the rail service was crap because there were too many small franchises. They have therefore merged the franchises into bigger groups as they come up for renewal.

 

[Gramsci]

I should have added that the government decided a year or two ago that the rail service was crap because there were too many small franchises. They have therefore merged the franchises into bigger groups as they come up for renewal.

My view as franchises end the are brought back into public ownership.

Even an economist who writes for Evening Standard its a ludicrous situation where nationalised industry from France is running a parts of a privatised industry in this country.

 

[Gramsci]

I should have added that the government decided a year or two ago that the rail service was crap because there were too many small franchises. They have therefore merged the franchises into bigger groups as they come up for renewal.

Whole idea of the Thatcherite privatisation was the more competition the better. Does not work.

 

[aka]

Whole idea of the Thatcherite privatisation was the more competition the better. Does not work.

Works in some cases. Doesn't work in others.

 

[CH1]

My view as franchises end the are brought back into public ownership.
Even an economist who writes for Evening Standard its a ludicrous situation where nationalised industry from France is running a parts of a privatised industry in this country.

Whole idea of the Thatcherite privatisation was the more competition the better. Does not work.

It does seem ironic that both South East trains and East Coast (London - Leeds-Newcastle-Edinburgh) were re-privatised recently despite greatly enhanced customer satisfaction after these franchises had to be handed by the default publicly owned "Direct Operated Railways".

It's almost as though the powers that be consider it heretical that a publicly owned service can be better than some outsourced outfit benefiting their mates in the city (or British Virgin Islands as the case may be).