WIDGERIPOO

Your free International web magazine from MOTF Enterprises

Committed to protecting the vulnerable: Established 1968

© Magic Oak Tree Family (MOTF) 1968

Editor-in-Chief: Pete Perry * Editor: Nikki Perry * Technical expert: Kev Cooke

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IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE MOTF THEN YOU ALREADY ARE!-Pete Perry 1969

Nothing is owned. Even our lives are merely on loan to us

PETE PERRY 2011

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ARCHIVES

NIKKI CUTS THE RED TAPE and speaks out...

For some time, Nikki has been holding her tongue about the state of the NHS, as she has felt, having worked for the NHS, that she was bound by red tape.

Now however, she finally has her say...

* * * * * * *

I worked as an NHS employee from December 2000 to March 2005. I started my career at The QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City as a Nursing Assistant on very low pay, and left as a trained HCA (Health care Assistant) with an NVQ2 in Caring.

(Nikki is pictured left, receiving her NVQ).

My pay went from 9,300 PA to 12,600 PA, over a period of five years. For this, I was also working very long hours.

My contract stipulated that I work full-time, 37 hrs, although for the majority of the time, I would put in at least 39 hrs per week. In fact, very often I would put in a 48-hour week.

Naturally, whenI became exhausted through working shifts, ie: 7am - 2.30pm, 2pm - 9.30pm, and I became exhausted easily, even without a husband and kids in tow.

Hence, I became 'sick' quite a lot, getting colds and chest infections, as my immunity became low, and, in my own personal case, through the fact that I was an asthma sufferer.

* * * * * * *

Of course, as any doctor or nurse will tell you, when a person is stressed, asthma flares up badly. Because of the nature of the work and the long hours, I became stressed for a lot of the time, but, considering myself as being professional, I refused to give in!

However, at times, the stress became so great, that I woul become ill, take time off, and sleep a lot, mainly through sheer exhaustion! When I went to my GP though, they would only give me a sick note if I had been off work for 7 days or more.

More often than not, I would take a day or two off work, without visiting my GP, believing that, with determination and positive thinking, I would be able to get over it.

Unfortunately for me, and people like me, this way of thinking went totally against therules of NHS management staff at the time. In their eyes, if I failed to visit the doctor and get a sick note, I must have been faking it. Simple as that!

That is what I was told by many senior sisters on the wards, and it wasn't just them, - senior management at the hospital also shared this view.

At that time, I was 'invited' to the office for a 'chat', and given a verbal warning, because, in their view, I was taking too much time off 'unnecessarily', without visiting the doctor and getting a sick note!

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE ACCUSING ME OF LYING - SOMETHING I FIND TERRIBLY OFFENSIVE.

* * * * * * *

I was also given a hard time when I enrolled in the Nursing Diploma Course at Hatfield University in February 2004.

Students were treated like children by the majority of the staff there, and we were herded around like sheep. It reminded me of Big Brother, - not the TV programme, but the Orwell classic, - watching your every move.

We had to 'swipe' our ID cards every time we entered the buildings there, just be able to get in, in much the same way workmen used to 'clock on' in factories. So security would know exactly who was there, and when they arrived.

We were given log in names and keywords to keep! There were cameras everywhere, and for these reasons, I didn't particularly like this course!

I left just before the first year was completed, and therefore became known as a 'drop-out'!

HOW CHILDISH AND DEROGATORY WAS THAT?

When I returned to work at the hospital after this, I went back to work on the wards, and was made to feel like something out of the dirty laundry cupboard!

I was the centre of gossip amongst the staff, both behind my back and within earshot, simply because I decided to come off the nurse's training course, and because of this, I was downgraded back to a Nursing Assistant in the eyes of the senior staff.

ALL THIS FROM TRAINED SENIOR NURSING STAFF, WHO ARE REGARDED BY THE PUBLIC AS CARING, COMPASSIONATE, DEDICATED PEOPLE!

* * * * * * *

At this time, I decided to report a senior staff member to The NHS Trust as a complaint, due to the unprofesssional approach she had to me. This followed an incident whilst I was a working as a student nurse on a night shift.

Basically, I was left to work alonefor approximately two hours on the cardiac arrest ward. In this ward, there were four bays of extremely ill patients with heart disease.

Remember, - I was only a student nurse at the time, and by their own rules, was supposed to be under the supervision of two trained nurses and a senior staff nurse, - but this didn't happen!

I had already been made aware of this rule by a University of Hertfordshire Lecturer as a case scenario, should this ever happen. Well, it did, so I followed the correct procedure and reported the incident.

Well, I couldn't believe the ill treatment I received from almost all the staff nurses and sisters on other wards, as well as from the senior Staff Nurse whom I had reported, - and I had to work with them again after I left University.

The Staff Nurse gave me a particularly hard time, and told me bluntly that she would have done the same thing again should the situation arise again.

THEY CLEARLY DID NOT LEARN FROM THEIR TERRIBLE MISTAKE!

At times like this, I feel that 'Red Tape' is a curse, which only deters the right thing from being done.

FOR THIS REASON, NOBODY DARES SPEAK OUT THE TRUTH ANY MORE IN THE NHS, FOR FEAR OF BEING RIDICULED.

I stuck my neck out for what I believed to be right, and now I am glad that I did. The person who I reported was reprimanded overher action, and was unsuccessful in getting promotion, - not because I reported her, but because she had done wrong.

However, nobody would have known, if I hadn't reported the incident in the first place.

So, to anyone reading this, I say it DOES pay to speak out and make a complaint in writing, - because the authorities DO sit up and take notice.

WHY NOT MAKE A STAND FOR YOURSELF? PETE & I DO IT ALL THE TIME, WE BOTH STICK OUR NECKS OUT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE RIGHT. SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN FOR TRUE JUSTICE TO PREVAIL

I have no regrets, and neither does Pete

LOVE & PEACE

NIKKI XXX

* * * * * * *

THE EQUIPMENT LOTTERY

in our hospitals.

By Nikki Perry

During the time I was a trained HCA, I encountered, on several occasions, trained Staff Nurses from other wards, asking to 'loan' certain medical equipment for use on other wards. This was due to a lack of funds by management, and guidelines set out to Senior Nursing Staff from the Government.

During the time I worked both at QE11 and Lister Hospital, Stevenage, there were always shortages of equipment, and lots of complaints from Senior Staff Nurses, Sisters and Doctors, complaining that they were unable to do their jobs properly, because the correct equipment was unavailable on the ward.

Once, on a night shift, I even had to wrestle with a Senior Staff Nurse for a swab stick from another ward, just so that I could assist in removing a lot of mucus from a tracheotomy patient who had trouble breathing!

I was refused simply because, according to the staff on the other ward, our ward 'owed' them other equipment that had never been 'paid back'!

As far as I was concerned, - the patient needed urgent help, and I wasn't interested in their petty squabbles, so I took it!

This kind of thing happened on a daily basis, - staff on some of the wards 'fighting' and 'squabbling' amongst themselves because equipment had been 'borrowed' and signed for, but never 'paid back'.

This ocurred because different wards had different budgets, which, in my eyes was a ridiculous state of affairs.

Personally, I decided never to get involved in these squabbles. I was there for the care of the patients, rather than get involved in the internal politics!

Due to this action of mine in the interest of the choking patient, my name was placed on a report sheet, by the Senior Staff Nurse as I had not 'signed for the equipment'.

I even had to explain my actions to my Senior Sister in Charge, when the matter was reported to her.

CRAZY ISN'T IT?

A couple of days later, when working on a day shift, the Senior Sister in Charge questioned me about the incident. She was also shocked and surprised, as she was the nurse who had asked me to get the swab stick from the other ward. I hadn't mentioned the incident at the time, as we were both far too busy trying to save the patient's life!

I was then advised by her that, in order to cover my own backside, I ought to write and sign a full report on the incident, explaining my actions in detail. Then my Senior Sister had to counter-sign it to add authority.

MORE RED TAPE!!!

I thought the whole thing was crazy.

Nursing in my eyes is about saving patients, - not getting involved in the internal politics and worrying about budgets.

SADLY THOUGH, THAT IS THE WAY IT IS NOWADAYS...

Because of intereference by Accountants and Politicians, trained nurses and doctors, who should be concentrating on the health of their patients, are all stressed out for most of the time.

There simply isn't enough funding in The NHS. There wasn't at the time I worked there, so goodness knows what things are like now with all the cuts everyone is having to face over the past two years, since the bankers sold us down the River and the coalition put themselves in charge and decided ordinary people had to suffer!

IT DIDN'T WORK WELL IN 1897, SO WHAT MAKES THEM THINK 2012 WILL BE ANY BETTER?

CRAZY OR WHAT?

Love & Peace

NIKKI PERRY XXX

* * * * * * *

MARDIS GRAS!

Online NOW...

Pete & Nikkihave been invited toattend THE MARDIS GRAS at The Royal Albert Hall on 29th April 2012

Champions of Dance

This invitational event will see 25 schools staging a tribute to the London 2012 Games, and will include Stevenage's own DANCE FOR FUN dancers, who performed at Nikki & Pete's wedding in April 2009 at Knebworth House.

Every routine has been assembled with an Olympic theme with such music as Chariots of Fire, Edge of Glory from Lady Gaga and Go the Distance from Disney's Hercules.

For the feature

CLICK HERE

* * * * * * *

ONLINE NOW -

NIKKI & PETE'S NORWEGIAN ADVENTURE

Their adventures via the cruise ship Marco Polo, through the Norwegian fjords, where they see green roofs, lots of snow and mountains, lots of sea, a few trolls, some wonderful on-ship entertainment, and lots more besides. They also met some lovely people...

CLICK HERE FOR THE ADVENTURE...

CLICK HERE FOR GRANDMA'S TEA PARTY VIDEO FEATURING PETE AND PALS

* * * * * * *

DO THE SUPERMARKETS READ WIDGERIPOO?

Only one week after Pete & Nikki complained about top supermarkets Tesco and Sainsburys stacking the boxes of a dozen eggs way out of reach on the top shelves in our feature 'A STRETCH TOO FAR', Sainsburys at least, have changed their policy by putting them on lower shelves, and easily within reach of the petite Nikki (see picture on the left).

Only a week beforehand, Pete wrote on behalf of Nikki that putting boxes of a dozen largeeggs on the top shelf was not only inconvenient to more petite custmers like Nikki,, but also downright dangerous, as the boxes of eggs could easily topple on top of the customer, not only causing injury and mess to the customer, but was also economical suicide, as the eggs would have to be written off (see picture right)

Does this mean that our intrepid couple have more clout with big business than we realised?

To read the original feature

CLICK HERE

* * * * * * *

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD

By Pete & Nikki

If you think that individuals have to put up with their lot, and cannot make a difference to the way we live, think again!

Do you think it's right that people like Stephen Hester, (pictured right) boss of RBS can earn more in one day than a soldier earns in a whole year, or that Lib Dem Energy Secretary Chris Huhne (pictured left) owns EIGHT homes, whilst people at the bottom of the social ladder are HOMELESS, or that Prime Minister David Cameron and ex prime minister Tony Blair can scoff champagne and feast like Lords whilst Pensioners have to choose between heating their homes and eating?

WE KNOW FULL WELL THAT THIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FORCE THE BANKERS AND BUSINESS MOGULS TO CUT DOWN ON THEIR OBSCENE SALARIES AND BONUSES, BECAUSE IT IS THESE VERY INSTITUTIONS THAT FUND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, - AND IN ANY CASE, MANY MPs THEMSELVES HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THESE ENTERPRISES, WITH POSITIONS ON THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS, - OR AS SHAREHOLDERS - OR BOTH!

Is it right that World Leaders can rattle their swords at each other and start wars that send our young men to their deaths, whilst the Heads of State themselves enjoy a life of Riley, and multinationals can make pots of money producing arms and military equipment at the expense of ordinary people?

Is this merely another ploy, not only to keep down the world population, but also to enhance the arms trade, so that rich investors can continue to live a life of luxury?

WE BELIEVE THAT THE GUY WHO SWEEPS THE STREETS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE GUY WHO RUNS THE BANK, AND, AS SUCH, DESERVES A FAIRER SLICE OF THE CAKE.

We also believe that ordinary people CAN make a difference to the way things are run in the world... and we aim to prove it...

SALARIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER MUST GO UP, WHILST SALARIES AT THE TOP MUST COME DOWN, TO CREATE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL.

If we all think Positive, positive things can and will happen to change our lives.

Think negative, and things will stay the same.

ALREADY, THE INTERNET, EMAILS, SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND MOBILE PHONES ARE PROVING THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN COMMINICATE EN MASSE TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN THEIR SOCIETIES, AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WORLD AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO CENSOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB.

SORRY GUYS, BUT THE TECHNOLOGY HAS GONE TOO FAR, - AND THEY KNOW IT!

WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING ANARCHY, OR RIOTING IN THE STREETS - JUST HONESTY IN BUSINESS AND POLITICS AND FAINESS FOR ALL.

BACK IN THE SIXTIES, PEOPLE LIKE PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID BAILEY (LEFT), AND GROUPS LIKE THE BEATLES (RIGHT) PROVED THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE COULD PUSH ASIDE THE OLD ESTABLISHMENT TO GIVE ORDINARY PEOPLE A CRACK OF THE WHIP...

NOW WE HAVE A NEW CHANCE TO CHANGE THINGS ONCE AND FOR ALL.

WHAT WE NEED IS AN INTERNATIONAL UNION OF THE PEOPLE, RUN BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE.

ARE YOU WITH US?

Love & peace

PETE & NIKKI

XXX

* * * * * * *

SWITCHBOARD The Missing

Photos

By Pete Perry

When MOTF Switchboard finally came to an end, Entrepreneur MARTIN RANDALL took up the cause to turn the magazine into a glossy mag. ALAS! Our regular readers preferred the old-style Switchboard, and production ceased after only one issue, which was published in November 1988 (see picture on left)...

In that issue, we reported on the first ever Fairlands gig, the forerunner of 'Rock In The Park', featuring, amongst others, Roony Rickshaw, Columbia, Underground, The Egg & Bacon Band, and Jack's Reference Band, and I, personally, had an interview with the legend that is Norman Wisdom, who had been appearing at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage.

At the time, I had a colourtransparency film in the camera, as I had been photographing plants for 'Garden News', and unfortunately, they proved useless for reproduction in the new-style Switchboard magazine, apart from the full-colour front cover, which featured an 'arty-farty' shot of Columbia.

So, until now, the colour slides have been gathering dust in my files. Coincidentally, at a time when we are paying tribute to Jon Ridley, co-founder of Switchboard magazine, we have had access to a colour slide scanner, and have been able to bring those old photographs back to their former glory.

So here we are, after 30 years, - the 'missing' photographs of Norman Wisdom in The Green Room of The Gordon Craig Theatre with my son Michael, at the age of Ten...

Along with pictures of Roony Rickshaw andUnderground...