Well said Supersub. And thank you for the work you do for our servicemen and women.
The NHS won't pay for their own despatch riders, in fact, the London Ambulance Service is even thinking of getting rid of its Motor Cycle Unit which responds faster than anyone to emergencies on the streets of London because they are able to get through the traffic easier than anything. This unit comprises senior paramedics who are extremely competent and have saved many, many lives and who enjoy their particular type of service, however, morale is being affected and rather than face the prospect of going back on the 'wagons' many are considering leaving a service which, because of mismanagement, has lost a lot of staff during the past couple of years and has even tried recruiting in Australia, promising any newcomers some ridiculous benefits.
More power to the Blood bikers ---they do a brilliant job and, like so many of us who carry out voluntary work, they are happy to do it without any recognition at all. Scabs indeed!! Well put me in that group as well because I help soldiers, sailors and airmen and their families who, sometimes, desperately need help so I suppose that I am taking the place of a social worker except that many have been kicked into touch already through the social services!
Well said Supersub. And thank you for the work you do for our servicemen and women.
I'm at a loss, I really am. The NHS are so desperate they have even tried recruiting in Australia, promising any newcomers some ridiculous benefits to perform a job that these volunteers are doing for nothing?
So if this lot of Bikers went back to their proper fully paid jobs, there would be how many people leaving the Job Centres to become NHS despatch riders?
Wrong BT!! The NHS were recruiting Paramedics and Ambulance Personnel to replace the vast numbers that were leaving the London Ambulance Service in droves because of mismanagement. The fact that experienced people were leaving and being replaced by overseas people coming in and getting all sorts of benefits has cost the NHS more money than if they had been able to manage the brilliant people that were in situ and doing a great job.
The voluntary blood transportation service would never be paid for by the NHS, perhaps the Labour Party, as and when they get into government, can pay the bikers for the work they do voluntarily and they could then call it a job ---a working wage will have to be paid but that should be no problem with all the money which will become available with Brexit.
Have a word, over a pint, with your two MP friends and tell them that you think that the bikers should be paid so that they aren't taking anyone elses' jobs.
I love politics!
Would you lot not be better voting Labour and getting rid of this austerity driven shower of schit?
Money could then be put into the NHS to pay for services rendered and Social Services would be properly funded to protect ALL of our vulnerable citizens.
It is politicians that tell you this BT and I do not believe any politicians since my dealings with them in the 1970s and 1980s. To be honest, I think that they are even worse now than they were in those days because there were one or two good ones from all sides in those days, however, I find it difficult to find anyone I can really respect these days.
It always baffles me that the UK is the 5th largest economy in the world, can afford to spend £13 billion a year on foreign aid, much of it wasted or mis-appropriated, and yet has to depend on volunteers to transport blood around the country, and charitable donations to keep air ambulances flying, provide a lifeboat service and rescue people in trouble on hills and mountains.
But this is missing the point, the NHS is a crucial service but it is seriously under-funded, I would not criticise anyone who volunteered to help out. It shouldn't be necessary but it is. On the other hand BFC is a succesful, profit making organisation, they receive over £100m annually from TV companies, they pay grown men millions of pounds a year to kick a ball around a field, they charge people in excess of £20 a time to watch these men kick a ball around that field for less than an hour. There is no possibilty that they will let you watch a game for nothing, but they are asking people to work for them for nothing. It's ludicrous and shameful, and there is simply no comparison with the NHS using volunteers.
If they want to use the NHS model perhaps they could ask for taxpayer funding as well. Is that the next step ? Heroes my arse, mugs more like.