General election 2019: Boris Johnson criticised over reaction to sick boy image.

[DonPeffers]

Today  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50717606

 

"Boris Johnson has been criticised after refusing to look at a picture of a sick four-year-old boy that spurred complaints about cuts to the NHS.

Jack Williment-Barr was pictured in the Daily Mirror after he had to sleep on the floor of a Leeds hospital, despite having suspected pneumonia.

An ITV reporter tried to show Mr Johnson the picture on his phone, but he refused to look, before taking the device and putting it in his pocket.

He later looked and returned the phone.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "He just doesn't care", while Independent Group for Change leader Anna Soubry called his actions "appalling".

Mr Johnson was asked by other reporters why he had not looked at the photo, but he did not answer the question directly, instead repeating Conservative pledges for the NHS and promising to rebuild "the whole of Leeds Royal Infirmary from top to bottom".

Jack was taken into hospital last week after being ill for six days.

He was seen as soon as he arrived and given a bed and oxygen. But a few hours later the bed had to be given to another patient and Jack was left without one for more than four hours".

 

"ITV reporter Joe Pike was given an interview with Mr Johnson when he visited Grimsby on the campaign trail.

He asked the PM to look at the photo of Jack on his phone several times.

Mr Johnson said he had not seen the picture yet but refused to look at it while Mr Pike questioned him.

Eventually, he took Mr Pike's phone and put it in his pocket, saying: "If you don't mind, I'll give you an interview now."

Mr Pike said: "You refuse to look at the photo. You've taken my phone and put it in your pocket, prime minister.

"His mother says the NHS is in crisis. What's your response to that?"

Mr Johnson then removed the phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"It's a terrible, terrible photo, and I apologise, obviously, to the family, and all those who have terrible experiences in the NHS," he said".

 

"Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said refusing to look at the picture was "a new low" for the PM, adding: "It's clear he could not care less.

"Don't give this disgrace of a man five more years of driving our NHS into the ground. Sick toddlers like Jack deserve so much better."

 

NOT a good look!

 

Jack was taken into hospital last week after being ill for six days. Pneumonia had been suspected. Jack spent 4 hours on the hospital floor, then 5 hours on a trolley before getting a hospital bed. Thankfully the diagnosis wasn't pneumonia but was flu and Jack is now resting at home. Get well soon.

 

 

[Arm]

Regardless of which politician or party or faith or whatever. 

 

In summary he did look at the phone and the boy had flu.

[corsechris]

And in these times where you can’t trust anything you see, personally, I’d want to find out if an image so loaded as that one was genuine before commenting on it.  Imagine the milage any opposition (to anyone) would make had the challenged politician (of any party) made comment on a faked image.

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

 

Not that I’m thrilled with any of them, not one I really want in charge, more a case of picking the least worst.

[Steve (sdh2903)]

Yawn. Must have been a slow news day.

 

2 hours ago, corsechris said:

Not that I’m thrilled with any of them, not one I really want in charge, more a case of picking the least worst.

 

That sums up the state of politics in this country in a single sentence. Sad state of affairs.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Is this Jennifer's ear all over again I wonder. If the boy had been unwell for six days wouldn't a GP been the best choice? If the GP thought it prudent then the boy would have been blue-lighted to hospital and admitted immediately. A GP will always see a sick child as a matter of urgency.

 

If a bed had been allocated immediately on arrival then removed for a priority patient them I infer that Jack was deemed to be able to sit on a chair to await further assessment. Why was his mother not cuddling him  - if he were mine I would have done so to comfort the lad? It's very hard to believe that any medical professional would have thrown coats on the floor and put the patient on them. This isn't North Korea! 

 

Boris's reaction was lamentable, certainly, but he was ambushed somewhat and he isn't very good under those conditions. All in all, a bad situation for all concerned.

[CraigHew]

He didn't do anything wrong at all.  Pre-election sh*te...

[DonPeffers]

"You know what some people call us: the nasty party," Mrs May told a stunned 2002 Conservative Party Conference. 

 

06 Dec 2019  https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/06/tory-candidate-says-disabled-people-paid-less-dont-understand-money-11280594/  

Sally-Ann Hart, the Conservative candidate for Hastings and Rye says disabled people should be paid less as ‘they don’t understand money’.

 

5 November 2019  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50302573

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been criticised for saying it would have been "common sense" to flee the Grenfell Tower fire, ignoring fire brigade advice.

 

Regarding the NHS and Jack Williment-Barr case all that was required from Boris was an ounce of empathy, look at the reporter's phone and say 'poor wee lad; what's gone wrong and how can we sort things'......instead he demonstrated arrogance and entitlement by taking the phone, not looking at it, then pocketing it and blathering on with slogans. He looked at the phone after further requests from the reporter who asked for his phone back. Worse followed when Matt Hancock was despatched to the hospital and Conservative office issued a false statement that a Labour activist outside the hospital had assaulted Hancock's aide; video proved otherwise.

 

Is this what the Nation can expect from the PM?

 

Re. Sally-Ann Hart her lower pay proposal breaks employment law even if we ignore the empathy bit.

 

Re. Jacob Rees-Mogg his comment not only lacks empathy, it lacks the understanding that the only exit was a poisonous smoke-filled stairwell to descend 20 odd flights when some on the upper floors occupants were disabled or blind. 30 months after the tragedy in a Tory borough the Minister might have been expected to know some detail.

 

The lad was taken to hospital by ambulance, his mother provided the coats from him to lay on and could not cuddle him while taking the photograph. Presumably a patient in worse condition needed the bed.

 

The issue is EMPATHY.

 

corsechris is correct...Not that I’m thrilled with any of them, not one I really want in charge, more a case of picking the least worst.

 

 

 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

 

 

Not saying a much, but anyone is better than this lot. 

[GuitarmanUK]

There is a post doing the rounds on Facebook where a nurse from Leeds Royal Infirmary debunks the image as fake.  The boy was seen straight away and his mother put him on the mat on the floor to take the photo before he got back on to the trolly.   

 

I appreciate that the Facebook post could also be fake, but there are always 2 sides to every story! 

[DonPeffers]

Political news on Facebook????

 

When Health Secretary Matt Hancock spoke to TV reporters he apologised and there was no hint of any fraud in the presentation of the lads case. Presumably the Minister had acquainted himself with the case after being briefed by clinicians.

 

Below shows NHS funding and the last 10 years do stand out.

 

[Alan France]

Of course Boris could have handled it better.
 

I think In the end it comes down to who you think will run the country effectively. Since 1964 every labour Government has left unemployment higher than when they took office and making the well off pay “a little more” won’t change that.

 

I don’t quite see how Nationalising water and energy will help the less well off, it’s just an ideology.

 

To see how good Labour is at running Energy, look at Robin Hood Energy. Set up by Labour controlled Nottingham Labour Council. No cheaper than other suppliers but kindly funded by Notts tax payers to the value of £26m so far. Accounts surprisingly now delayed until after the election.

 

Simple choice, growth and inward investment or go back to the 70s and my grandchildren will help cover the debt.

[corsechris]

Oddly, in principle, I think some things should be run by the state. I honestly don't think the fundamentals should be sold off to whichever venture capitalist has the biggest pockets. Sadly, it never seems to work very well when services are centrally run.

[stephenh]

1 hour ago, corsechris said:

Oddly, in principle, I think some things should be run by the state. I honestly don't think the fundamentals should be sold off to whichever venture capitalist has the biggest pockets. Sadly, it never seems to work very well when services are centrally run.

I wouldn't call our pension funds "venture capitalists", and they are the biggest investors in most of the privatised industries, that it except those which are now owned by over seas corporations!

[corsechris]

45 minutes ago, stephenh said:

I wouldn't call our pension funds "venture capitalists", and they are the biggest investors in most of the privatised industries, that it except those which are now owned by over seas corporations!

 

That’s just splitting hairs. However they label themselves, when you get down to the root of it, they lend other peoples money with no risk to themselves (except perhaps the odd bonus).

[SootySport]

3 hours ago, corsechris said:

 

That’s just splitting hairs. However they label themselves, when you get down to the root of it, they lend other peoples money with no risk to themselves (except perhaps the odd

If our pension funds don’t get invested,  then there’s going to be an awful lot of poor seniors about. Receiving bonuses for good investments is part and parcel of World Monetary System, it’s the way the world works.