THREE Thame charities received a welcome contribution this week through the generosity of the people of Thame and other visitors to the annual carnival.
Over the last two years, due to its enormous success, the carnival has raised sufficient funds to donate
MORE hospital authorities, including that responsible for Thame Community Hospital, have been added to the list of those being investigated following reports into failings at Stafford Hospital.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is one of nine more authorities, making 14 in all, that will be investigated because of high death rates amongst patients, following a damning report on the NHS over its handling of the Stafford Hospital scandal.
The NHS’s system of regulation and monitoring was heavily criticised by the Francis inquiry last week.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare is responsible for several hospitals, including Stoke Mandeville and Amersham.
It is important to state that there is no evidence so far that death rates at Thame Community Hospital, or any particular hospital within the Trust’s remit has given cause for concern at this stage.
NB We have contacted Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and await their response.
FOLLOWING wide-spread national media coverage of an alleged incident where a fox entered a house and bit part of a baby’s finger off, a local fox expert expressed her doubts about such reports.
Penny Little, who runs Little Foxes wildlife rescue centre at Great Haseley, near Thame, told ThameNews.Net today:
“As someone who deals with foxes on a daily basis, I am very disturbed by the latest claim of a fox having allegedly entered a house and bitten a baby on the finger.
“In defence of the foxes I can only say that I find this story impossible to reconcile with any fox I have ever encountered. Foxes are extremely highly strung and timid animals, not ones to face danger boldly or aggressively. To enter a strange house would be an almost unbearably frightening experience in itself for a fox, and to be shortly afterwards confronted by a screaming woman would result in the fox going into a complete panic, knocking ornaments etc over in its frantic attempts to escape from danger.
“However, allegedly, the unnamed woman who has claimed this story says she had to kick the fox and grapple with it to get it to release its hold on the baby, whose hand was, it is claimed in newspaper reports, halfway down the fox’s throat! None of this makes any sense whatsoever to me based on my wide experience of fox behaviour.
“There are numerous claims made by people about urban foxes, eg they are tame, they are mangy, they carry disease. Urban foxes are not unafraid of humans, they are just accustomed to living in closer proximity with humans than their country cousins. Feeding foxes does not make them tame, it just allows a fox to become tolerant of a situation in which it is benefiting with no dangerous consequences having resulted – in other words, it is habituated to coming into a garden, perhaps quite close to a human being who is providing food, with the assurance (from its own experience) that that human is not going to attack it. Should that human, however, overstep the mark and make a sudden move, or approach too closely, then the fox will bolt at once.
“Some foxes in both the towns and the countryside can and do suffer from mange, which is a horrible condition for them to suffer, but can be easily cured. It is a parasitic condition, not a disease. Foxes are not disease ridden animals, and although I have handled many foxes and fox cubs over the years, been ‘peed’ on, ‘pooped’ on, bled on, even bitten once or twice, I have never suffered any ill effects whatsoever. They are generally speaking healthy and resilient animals.
“Predictably, some people are again calling for urban foxes to be killed, but we all know there are many people with a vested interest in wanting people to hate and fear foxes (hunters and “pest” controllers in particular), and there are also credulous people who believe everything they read in the newspapers, and do not make rational judgements.
“Unless we see evidence that this latest allegation is substantiated by facts, I will remain completely flummoxed by the claims which have been given such inexplicable prominence in the media this weekend.”
PHOTO: One of Penny Little’s patients receives treatment for an injured paw
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, one of several health authorities to be investigated following the Stafford hospital scandal, has this evening issued a statement.
A spokesperson for the Trust said: “Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust takes patient safety very seriously and has welcomed today?s announcement that Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of the NHS, has widened its review into hospital mortality indicators.
“Buckinghamshire Healthcare has recorded higher than average Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR) over the past two years and has focussed its efforts to understand why. Action plans have been put in place and we have seen an improvement in our mortality indicators year-on-year as a result. This has included our doctors reviewing deceased patient notes on a monthly basis and the establishment of a mortality task force, which looks at patient care, the patient experience and clinical coding.”
Lynne Swiatczak, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Care Standards, said: ?Our regular detailed reviews of patient case notes and mortality data has not identified any areas of concern with patient care, but our task force and Trust Board continues to look in-depth at this issue. As a provider of a wide range of services including acute care, five community hospitals, and a hospice, we have also been working with independent experts to understand how this may impact on our HSMR. We welcome the approach being taken by Sir Bruce?s review, in particular the additional support and assurance it will provide to, and build upon, our own work. We will ensure this review is given our full support.?
The statement continued: “Buckinghamshire Healthcare has a good record for patient care and quality. It has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, with no cases of MRSA bacteraemia over the past 12 months. Its stroke service has been recently rated in the top 10% of trusts in the country. In the past two years we have seen improvements in our mortality rates, which were at 118 in 2009/10 but have fallen to 109 in 2011/12.”
photo: Lynne Swiatczak, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Care Standards at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
ON Wednesday (6/2), Thames Valley Police found an extensive hoard of garden machinery and tools in an outbuilding at Middle Ground, Wheatley.
The police seized items including tool boxes, generators, strimmers, lawn mowers, drills, disc cutters, builders tools and whacker plates, with an estimated value of
MATCH REPORT: National 2 South – Chinnor Vs Canterbury; February 9, 2013; Chinnor RFC 31, Canterbury 18.
CHINNOR had to dig deep to overcome dogged Canterbury, and the team was thoroughly tested by a combative Canterbury side but eventually they ran out the winners 31-18.
With Waddingham and Sawyer unavailable, Jordan Wood was retained in the back row along with Tom Mowbray. David Hughes took the vacant second row berth. Canterbury were first on the scoreboard when Browne knocked over a penalty goal with three minutes played. Minutes later Canterbury were unlucky not to score a try when they just failed to ground a smart grubber kick into the in-goal area. Colver equalised for Chinnor with a penalty goal in the seventh minute to make the match score 3-3.
A short stab kick in midfield resulted in a penalty for Chinnor when Goode was tackled without the ball. This led to a series of rucks and mauls close to the Canterbury line. Stout resistance from the visitors was overcome eventually when Goode muscularly barged over for Chinnor?s first try of the day on the 19th minute. Colver’s conversion advanced the score to 10-3 in favour of Chinnor.
The game then switched very much in favour of Canterbury who were relentless in attack. With all the play in the Chinnor 22, Canterbury’s persistence was eventually rewarded in the 35th minute when Beaumont strolled over for a well taken try for Canterbury. With the conversion just short, half-time was reached at 10-8 to the home side.
Rested from their exertions of the first half, Chinnor came out in adventurous mode. A series of rapid attacks ended with Millett slicing through a gap for Chinnor?s second try on the 46th minute. Colver again provided the extras to give Chinnor a 17-8 lead. Canterbury however, was not deterred and just three minutes later, Marshall darted through unopposed to score Canterbury’s second try under the Chinnor posts. Browne’s conversion tightened the match at 17-15.
After a period of midfield stalemate, Chinnor began to gain territory and mount a series of attacks in the opposition 22. From a lineout and a series of rucks, the ball was worked rapidly from right to left into the hands of David Hughes standing in the left-wing position. The Chinnor lock showed surprising pace to run through his marker to score Chinnor?s third try on the 63rd minute. A difficult touchline conversion from Colver put the home side ahead 24-15.
Canterbury came back again, this time with a penalty goal from Browne on the 68th minute to close the gap to 24-18.
Chinnor finally found some daylight in the 69th minute when Millet?s gamble paid dividends. The 18-year-old fly half blitzed a Canterbury passing movement to intercept the ball and sprint on a good angle to the posts for Chinnor?s bonus point try. Goode?s conversion brought the match score to 31-18 in favour of Chinnor – which they were happy to defend until the sound of the final whistle.
Canterbury were clearly one of the better sides to play at Kingsey Road this season. They play with a high-energy relentless style which inevitably will cause gaps in defences. Their centre pairing of Devlin-Jones and Del Val were efficient and effective. Their scrum was more than solid and they defended the maul well.
Chinnor had their work cut out in murky conditions and survived a tough first half with well-organised and committed defence. Jordan Wood and David Hughes caught the eye with their tackling workrate and coverage of the pitch. Chinnor?s backs also had to defend for great parts of the match but offered just a little more in attack. Although Millett?s moments of magic which led to tries were notable in themselves, his Man of the Match award was made as much for his defensive aggression which saved Chinnor on a number of occasions.
Scorers:
Chinnor: Millett 2T; Goode T; Hughes T; Colver 3C, PG; Goode C
Canterbury: Beaumont T; Marshall T; Browne C, 2PG
Chinnor team:
Colver (Mountford 68), Fielding , Goode, Stoop, Hales (Gray 73), Millett, Jones, Winpenny (Whelan 64), Holyland, Pickett (Berry 55), Smith, Hughes, Mowbray, Wood (Hastings 70), Gilbert
Replacements: Berry, Whelan, Hastings, Gray, Mountford
THE family and friends of Alex Woods, who was severely brain damaged in a Rugby accident, continue to organise fund-raising events to help his family and Alex deal with rehab and everyday living expenses of a young family without a dad around all time.
Tickets are now available for the ‘Making Waves for Alex’ Winter Wonderland Ball, to be hald on February 9, at Thame Football Club. They are being sold from today, at Thame Football Club, Racquets Fitness Centre, Cattlemarket, Thame, and Brothers hairdressers in Buttermarket, Thame. Tickets are
THAME town Council is currently in dispute with a property bordering the ditch on the southern border of Thame Cricket ground.
The property’s garden is apparently encroaching on property owned by Thame Town Council, who are in discussions with its lawyers, following, what the council described as ‘a aggressive letter from the property owner’s representative.
Cllr Mike Welply, speaking at a recent meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources committee, said: “This ditch prevents the cricket ground from flooding. These people who extend their property ‘willy nilly’ need reining in.”
THE tariff charged by taxi drivers Licensed by South Oxfordshire District Council could soon be controlled and limited. From June 2013, all new taxis will have to have a meter with the tariff displayed.
A THAME scout has delivered a petition to the town council to have lighting installed in the car park outside the Scout HQ, because staff and children feel unsafe.
A WORKING group is to be set up by Thame Town Council as part of the Neighbourhood plan, to look at viable schemes to protect the Cattle market site for the community.
THAME skate park is to have emergency repairs at a cost of
UNTOUCHABLE – Friday, February8, at 8pm – Released: 2011; France Cert: 15 112 mins Directors: Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache Cast: Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clotilde Mollet, Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy
This film has proved to be a hit across the Channel; an irreverent take on disability, apparently drawn from real life. Les Intouchables is the second-highest-grossing domestically produced film of all time, and up for an Oscar nomination.
Driss, a Senegalese man living in a Paris slum, applies for a job as caretaker to a wealthy quadriplegic, but all he wants is to get his paper stamped so he can get benefits. Despite his lack of qualifications, he lands the job because of his attitude: Philippe, the quadriplegic, wants a caretaker who will look at him without pity. As Driss reluctantly learns to move, feed, and clean Philippe, the two men discover a blunt but vital humour that not only bridges the cultural and class divide between them, but gives Philippe a renewed joy in life.
Untouchable is not really a film about race, or disability, or anything other than friendship.
A massive success in France; the movie has the sweet sincerity and uplifting conclusion that make for a classic feel-good experience.
Tickets on door only
TRUE to its ?Small School Big Ideas? school motto, the children of Tetsworth Primary School, for the second year in a row, took part in the Young Voices concert recently and sang live on stage at the O2 Arena.
Petra Eden Parish, the Chair of Governors at the school, said: “The children practised songs ranging from Olly Murs to Slade for some weeks in advance, to be ready for the performance and they did Tetsworth proud by singing their hearts out! On the day itself the children travelled from London for afternoon rehearsals followed by the sell-out performance to friends and family.”
Fifteen children from Years one to six took part from Tetsworth and joined other schools and professional musicians in a whole evening of entertainment.
Huw Eden-Parish, aged five, said: ?The O2 was brilliant ? there were so many people! I couldn?t stop dancing to the music and I really enjoyed singing!?