Wessely meets Stephen Hawking

[lilpink]

Advice for when you have something you want to say, but the media don’t want to hear—go live."

No signs of the Wessely School 'going live' in a debate with authentic ME researchers....

 

[Gijs]

Maybe they can send Wessely to Jupiter, so he can live their

 

[TiredSam]

I really don't want to spend too much time on this, and actually only read part of the Wessely article, but as usual something's bothering me.

Is Wessely trying to frame this as a young against old thing?

there were over 500 people present, and nearly all were younger than me

Yes ha ha, very self-deprecating, get on with it ...

So we had sixth formers, medical students, and junior doctors in large numbers. Some of them had brought their parents with them, a reversal of the usual custom.

WTF? How does he know there weren't some senior doctors who had brought their kids with them? Or that the parents weren't in the medical profession too? I've heard it runs in families - some people brought their wives with them and put them on the panel.

It was lively—you don’t normally get heckling at medical meetings. The format encouraged audience participation and they did just that.

Oh those high-spirited young people. And in front of their parents too!

Sarah Wollaston MP and Chair of the Health Select Committee demonstrated why she was re elected to that critical post unopposed, showing grace under pressure, as indeed did other seasoned campaigners such as Nigel Edwards, Philippa Whitford, and Clare Gerada (aka my wife). Rachel Clarke spoke for the generation in the hall with great passion.

So we have the graceful and seasoned bunch, and on the other side we have Rachel Clarke speaking for the generation in the hall. - Hang on, isn't Rachel Clarke speaking for everyone who's concerned about the NHS, including the old guy in the wheelchair behind you? No matter, let's just say she's only speaking for young people and no-one else is bothered what she's saying. What adjective does she get? Graceful? Seasoned? (she has written 3 books, including a current no.3 bestseller) - no, she can be "passionate".

Then again, she was a career journalist before she went into medicine.

I beg your f. pardon? Oh sorry, just reminding us that she isn't a real medic but someone who switched from the shameful profession of journalism. And she wasn't just a journalist, but a "career" journalist, so ambitious, ruthless and amoral then. Why choose to include "career" here? Did we speak of "career junior doctors" earlier?

And let us not miss the dismissive

Then again,

So if she made any good points then that's just what you'd expect from somebody who cheats by using her "career journalist" skills.

But much of this was familiar stuff

Move along, nothing new here ...

Many of those in the audience who work in the NHS, especially at the free bus pass end of the spectrum, are used to being regulated, inspected, managed, audited, and criticised on a regular basis, so his message was distinctly uplifting.

WTF? I thought it was an audience of impetuous youth, and any older people were just dragged-along parents (and Professor Hawking - he's still behind you you know). Now Wessely has trumped up free bus pass using NHS workers from the audience, which appears to be anything Simon says it is. Sorry to be picky, but when Rachel Clarke was speaking for her generation, did these older NHS worker audience members have to put their fingers in their ears?

Hawking then spoke about the future of the NHS, citing increased commercialisation and privatisation, and his fear that we were drifting towards an American style marketisation, in which only those with insurance get care. The same concerns had surfaced earlier in the day, and Sarah Wollaston had given a robust rebuttal of the latter, but the time for debate was over, instead people just wanted the show to go on.

Sarah Wollaston is assigned the adjective "robust" is she?

but the time for debate was over

Why? Aren't you going to tell us what Rachel Clarke said on the subject? Why was the debate "over" as soon as Sarah Wollaston had spoken, thus allowing you to ignore anything Professor Hawking (or Rachel Clarke) might say and say that this was an old debate that had already been settled (I think we've heard that line of argument before somewhere, seems to be one of Simon's favourites). Doesn't that make the whole evening rather pointless, and just a "show"? Sorry, that's just what you were saying. I've got it now. You just want to get on with the show. Sorry, "people" just wanted the show to go on. Sure they did. Which people now, the youngsters, their parents, the old NHS workers, which people Simon, which people?

But it was probably unwise for Hunt to enter the debate

Yep. Should have refused to be drawn. Silly Hunt. What's his job again?

But now the army of journalists had what they had come for—“Hawking versus Hunt.” As one is a national treasure and the other is a politician, it was unlikely to end well for the latter.

Oh that's why, it's about personalities is it, not issues. Was that just an army of journalists, or an army of career journalists?

Afterwards I did some media interviews saying that we had hosted the meeting to start a debate on a topic of immense importance, and that this was the beginning, not the end of the matter.

What? I thought the debate had started earlier in the day and finished as soon as Sarah Wollaston had spoken?

I continue to believe that in the end much of this effect will be due to residual confounding, which is extremely hard to control for.

I have decided not to post my comment on this, to save a moderator being called back from their well-earned holiday just to delete it. I have burst a blood vessel instead.

there were two things to celebrate. Firstly, the fact that the majority of those attending were far younger than me

Yep, we got that. You do go on. You're getting old. Get over it.

and had more passion, let alone debating skills, than I recall myself and most of my friends had at the same age.

Throw them a bone and pat them on the head at the end, how magnanimous. By the way, they have more passion, debating skills and a whole load of other qualities than you've had at any age, but I'm sure we all appreciate the trademark Wessely self-deprecation nonetheless.

I started as President of the Royal Society of Medicine four weeks ago, just a few days after stepping down as President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. I said I was looking forward to a quiet start to the new role—and that I intended to spend a bit of time getting back on my bike, going to the Oval, and catching up on a social and family life that had played second fiddle for the past three years.

Puke . Like you retired from M.E. research how many years ago. But hey, you like cricket and want to spend time with your family so you're obviously a splendid chap. Don't rush off home to your wife too soon though, she isn't there, she's over there on the panel, remember?

 

[Valentijn]

I have decided not to post my comment on this, to save a moderator being called back from their well-earned holiday just to delete it. I have burst a blood vessel instead.

Oh dear Would you like a biscuit?

But yes, Wessely is laying on the smarm rather thickly. Basically: "I'm old and wise, hence always right. People only disagree with me because they are stupid and irresponsible children." I don't think he's capable of honestly acknowledging the validity of any disagreement.

 

[sarah darwins]

Advice for when you have something you want to say, but the media don’t want to hear—go live.

Did SW actually say this? This is the guy with his own private media centre that regularly hosts lunches for journos from the BBC and the national press. He has about as much trouble getting press coverage as Kim Jong-un.

 

[slysaint]

The only thing missing in Wesselys performance was a rendition of 'Send in the Clowns'.............but then as the last lines in the song go:
"
Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer?
Losing my timing this late in my career
And where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns

Don't bother
They're here"

 

[Valentijn]

Did SW actually say this? This is the guy with his own private media centre that regularly hosts lunches for journos from the BBC and the national press. He has about as much trouble getting press coverage as Kim Jong-un.

Yes, he's getting into alternative facts on a presidential level Basically falsely accusing his opponents of doing exactly what he does.

 

[Undisclosed]

I have decided not to post my comment on this, to save a moderator being called back from their well-earned holiday just to delete it. I have burst a blood vessel instead

My chocolate-covered biscuity fingers won't be touching any mod buttons until I get back. Curled up in a chair, feeling like crap, catching up on posts.

Do you require an ambulance for that burst blood vessel?

Young vs old. Wessely is only 61. More like pompous ass vs anybody who disagrees with him. You would think Wessely would have combed his hair and ironed his suit prior to introducing Hawking.

 

[TiredSam]

Do you require an ambulance for that burst blood vessel?

Oh dear Would you like a biscuit?

An ambulance and a biscuit. Probably the best an M.E. sufferer can hope for.

 

[trishrhymes]

An ambulance and a biscuit. Probably the best an M.E. sufferer can hope for.

Really - and ambulance AND a biscuit. You're setting your sights too high.

If you really behave yourself and promise to stop believing you're ill, you can have half a stale biscuit.

 

[Undisclosed]

An ambulance and a biscuit. Probably the best an M.E. sufferer can hope for.

Called the Emergency services -- this is the best they can do for an ME patient who can't think their way out of a burst blood vessel.

 

[lilpink]

a biscuit.

That wouldn't be a NICE biscuit though would it?