[Doug]

Thank you Margaret, it’s nice to see everyone still at it. Gary, don’t turn your back on those who seek only to join in this debate and express their own opinions. The Mod’s are employed to adjudicate and they will act in all fairness if as you indicate a personal attack has taken place. Your argument is valid and widely supported in my view. We all see it the rights and wrongs of this discussion and respond to those areas that affects our own feeling and values. I am not personally against you; I just have a different point of view. I think what is clearly demonstrated is as Lettie say’s, the subject matter is very emotive……..

Margaret, Your comments in respect of maintaining dignity and the clients/patients perspective on the subject is very true; unfortunately this all too often is a contentious issue in its own right because of the different perspectives on the nature of care and the views of those that deliver that care. In respect of Benchmarking, this continues to be a work in progress, it continues to be fragmented and uncoordinated in some respects, quite often one body will publish findings only to be found lacking by another and then the whole issue will be thrown into a quandary by the government, usually on the grounds of cost. But much good work is being done both in the health and Social care fields and jointly between the two. When we do start to listen more, then and only then will we really move forward.