Data Sharing Review

[David Hansen]

On 17 Jul 2008 at 17:27, Ian Batten wrote:

> Fine.  But this is the whole problem: you want me to do things that  
> don't suit my circumstances, on the grounds that they suit other  
> peoples' circumstances.  A similar line of reasoning was used to me my  
> a GP recently: he argued that my records need to be centralised  
> because I might collapse in the street in a diabetic coma.  But I'm  
> not diabetic, I pointed out.  Ah, but some people are.  Yes, but I'm  
> not.  And if I were, I'd do what the man sat next to me does, which is  
> have a card in my wallet containing my dosages.  Ah, but some of my  
> patients don't carry wallets.

"Medical" bracelets have been available for decades and might 
particularly appeal to some without wallets. No-doubt someone can do 
cheap/free vesrsions for those without the funds to pay for one. 

If someone doesn't want to use one of these bracelets that is their 
perogative. The medical mob shouldn't arrogantly impose things on 
everyone with the "justification" that they are gpong to patronise 
those who are "too stupid" to do what is "obvious".

What pisses me off most with the medical mob is the arrogant way they 
seek to impose their ill-thought-out "solutions" on people. Bike 
helmets are the most obvious example. The greatest advocates of these 
bits of plastic tend to be people who don't cycle themselves, but wish 
to impose their half-baked views on others under the cover of claiming 
it is for the good of individuals and the public.

One generic point. The fact that the Metropolitian Police are 
institutionally racist does not mean that everyone working for them is 
racist. The same is true of the medical mob, not all are as arrogant as 
the group as a whole.

> > Can i at this time extend an open invitation to you and anyone else
> > that wishes to come on a tour of Easterhouse and Possil with me to see
> > the sort of folk that i am designing for.
> 
> We can all show the specific circumstances of our environments.

I have known people who lived in both places, who were perfectly 
capable of doing things for themselves and making their own mind up, 
without the medical mob pretending to be Lady Bountiful and doing 
things to them. The idea that all residents of these places need to 
have things done to them because they don't know what they are doing 
displays the sort of attitude which we are told belongs in the past and 
has been eliminated in these more enlightened days.

>  Good  systems will accommodate a mixed user-base.

Indeed.






-- 
  David Hansen, Edinburgh 
 I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents 
me   
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54