Saturday 21 July 2007

I HATE AMAZON

Short Rant! Basically Thought I'd order book online. Thanks to Amazon's piss planing and co-ordination with the Royal Mail. I am forced to spend the day without the book and purcahse one tomorrow morning!!!!!!

I am very annoyed and will be returning the book the moment it arrives.

Friday 20 July 2007

Thank God We Still Have the NHS

I was surfing the web for some interesting stories when I came across this! Down in Arizona Northern Cochise Community Hospital's computer billing system made a hilarious but expensive mistake. As bills for health care where sent out, patient costs were mixed and edited result in bills ranging from $100,000 to $49 million.

They have yet to hear from the person charged for $49 million but I'm sure they'll be back at the hospital soon with a heart attack.

It kinda makes you glad that we still have a free health care system so we don't have to worry about ridiculous bills on our door step.

Also side note: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS WILL BE RELEASED IN LESS THAN 9 HOURS, 57 MINUTES AND 40 SECONDS AT THE TIME OF POSTING!

I AM OFFICIALLY OBSESSED WITH THE SERIES AND CAN NOT WAIT TO GET HOLD OF THE BOOK!

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Don't make me take the other kidney...

Building on my previous post about donor shortage and a possible market. The BBC have today posted an article on presumed consent for organ donations. It basically brings to light an appeal from the Chief Medical Officer on a low numbers of organ donors and how a presumed consent unless otherwise stated would be a good solution.

I believe this is a great idea as most people are very viable donors and being realistic, they won't be using those lungs any time soon. Hundreds of lives could be saved through donations. I for one would like to see the system be implemented, but I suspect human right activists will make short work of the proposal.

However while waiting for the proposal to get through, you can make a difference, sign up today by clicking here! Become a registered donor!

Sunday 15 July 2007

Going Once, Twice, SOLD ... Kidney goes to the gentlemean with chronic renal failure

The BBC recently raised the issue here on whether it is ethically correct to sell organs such as kidneys like commodities. Over 400 people die every year waiting for an organ so why shouldn't we tempt people with the offer of payment. This is a very materialistic view and could not possible run parallel with the current organ donor system.

It would be a cruel way to run our health care. A health service for all would return to those who had money and those who didn't. Yes more people could be saved, but should the NHS foot the bill or maybe it should be the patient? Who pays and and who receives! The system could be open to abuse with the rich benefiting and possible illegal "seizing" of organs to supply this black market.

I don't ever see the real possibility of a "purchase-an-organ" program but who knows what the world is coming to.

One possible trade it style solution can be found from the above mentioned article.
Patients will have a family member or friend who is willing to donate a kidney, but transplant surgeons cannot carry out the operation because the kidney doesn't "match" and would be rejected by the patient's body. A kidney exchange is a computer program that finds compatible pairs of donors and patients.
"I could give a kidney to your patient and you could give a kidney to my patient."
So patients get their kidneys, no money crosses hands and two people are benefitied by it. The NHS is considering the scheme but who knows.

I'd be interested to see the opinions of others but I doubt it ;)

Monday 2 July 2007

Don't Mess With HTML or XML

Stupidly I've been messing around with my template. Didn't save as I went so have had to wipe the slate clean. This has resulted in a blank blog with a basic template. Found this wonderful scrubs one but just didn't work. Maybe some other time.

Will write more soon