Heritage before health ‘is right’
Friday 27th August 2010, 2:29PM BST.
Baubigny Arsenal is one of the less-than-ideal sites at which Culture and Leisure stores heritage items. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1004862)
PRIORITISING museum storage over bowel cancer screening has been defended by the States Strategic Plan team.
The first annual review of the plan, which aims to set a direction for the States over five years, highlighted 13 new service developments for 2011.
In 2009 it was decided that individual departments should no longer put forward standalone proposals outside an overall strategic context.
While developments such as improving the storage of museum objects and an assistant employment officer made it onto the recommended shortlist for 2011, others such as a bowel cancer screening programme and more ambulance paramedics did not.
- Read the full story in the Guernsey Press. See below for subscription details.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
Mixed up priorities? Nothing new in Guernsey. :(
Report abuse
Looking at the accompanying photo I reckon the museum storage problem could be solved for the price of half a dozen skips
Report abuse
i do not believe i am reading this, useless relics before peoples health. Just another reason to be careful when the next election comes round,
Report abuse
what a terrible state of affairs when a load of rubbish, that the so called experts tell us is from times gone by, but of no use whatsoever,a load of old timber that will never look like a ship, takes preference over peoples health. flog it all for scrap and firewood, and send the cash to one of the many disaster areas in the world. and do not forget at the next election who to vote for
Report abuse
Some people will pay for old junk like that,so being as how its not going to be put on display,why not sell it off to the highest bidders.That way you solve the storage problem and also raise some extra cash for something really worthwhile,like health.
Report abuse
i hope these people never get affected by these desions they make, because by personal exsperiance i have, you can t put a price on health care, but to keep a pile of junk beggers belief, well said bella
Report abuse
well – lets hope that one of the ‘States strategic plan team’ wont need an ambulance/paramedic or require an oncologist for their undetected bowel cancer.
How very short-sighted of them. Yes history is important – but priority wise then surely people’s health is much more important ?
I can’t vote cos I’m no longer resident – but I hope that whoever votes, votes wisely.
Report abuse
Sadly expat – none of us have a vote on these important things except via our politicians, and half the time they don’t even turn up in the States to vote – and are about to vote on that information not being available to the public. Most of them probably have private health insurance and would take themselves of to the nearest private hospital in the UK for immediate tests/treatment should they have medical problems. It is not just about screening – it is about the savings that will be made if diseases/illnesses are found and treated early – compared with expensive chemotherapy and palliative care over years.
The States must waste millions of pounds on so-called consultants (Tribal being one which springs to mind and the States Transformation team) – when surely any senior civil servant should be able to give them the answers they are looking for as to where savings could and should be made. There are also several retired civil servants who now seem to have been hired as ‘consultants’ . I bet that costs a fortune. Friends in the right places or are they really needed? There is enough public sector bashing around – but most public servants work very hard for less than they would get in the private sector. The private sector should be working in partnership with the States to secure some of the issues: ie. storing museum archives etc.
Why is the civil service recruiting so many senior staff from the UK – why are they not training their own to take over when senior staff retire? I am thinking of the recent new HR person, the new health boss and the chief of police to name a few – I am sure there are more. They cost much more than a local with access to relocation fees and housing subsidies ….. when will the States learn? Perhaps all their good civil servants are finally seeing the light and moving to the private sector where they will not be condemned by the media for being overpaid air heads with a poor work ethic – but will be welcomed and given excellent pay packages (yes probably better than they are getting in the public sector) and annual bonuses, healthcare etc.
This island will end up with the public sector it deserves …….do you want us to be like the UK??? I don’t!
Report abuse
I’d like to ask the states this question
How many people need to die before this decision is deemed incorrect??
1,5,10 ???
I’d say if one single person dies, who’s death may have been prevented by the treatment/screening that is being denied for museum storage facilities, then thats 1 death too many.
And that persons family would have every right to blame the states for the death of a loved one.
Report abuse
Whilst I am a great believer in Guernsey’s heritage, I also believe the States have mixed up their priorities a number of times recently, your populations health must always be near the top of the list and only recently was probably one of the worst decisions ever made when it came to priorities. Up to £120,000 voted for on the one day British Irish Council Conference, which involved around 20 politicians, lunch, a photo call and the most major decision was where they would hold the next conference. The States voted for this instead of starting the Bowel screening program which would have screened around 6000 islanders. The conference ended up costing around £60,000, so we are told. The States I’m afraid have lost their way when it comes to priorities.
Report abuse
Totally agree Ormerman. What a disgusting decision.
I totally agree that heritage is important however is it more important than lives? Absolutely not. This is cancer for goodness sake, not the common cold. Cancer takes so many lives, to not prioritise screening to save people so that artifacts can have proper storage is an atrocity.
As for not needing more paramedics, well, words cannot describe how wrong this decision is.
Report abuse
Ormerman
“How many people need to die before this decision is deemed incorrect??”
The question you might want to ask is how much extra do you want to pay in tax to allow Guernsey to have everything?
We have a 20% tax with a 25% wish list.
……..and then there’s 0/10
As for the appendage ‘servant’ of public or civil; it’s high time changed it to administration or administrators.
Servant is abused in the context of most discussions and too much emotion wrapped around the term.
The word ‘servant’ is from another era.
Report abuse
Neil, I certainly agree with your sentiment – many islanders do have a tendency to demand top class public services in a low tax jurisdiction.
However in fairness to Ormerman in the context of this argument I think you’ve made a moot point. What many islanders seem angry about (and I can’t say I blame them) is that storing old relics appears to have been made a higher priority than certain healthcare facilities that could save lives.
Now personally I wouldn’t mind paying an extra penny or two in the £ income tax, providing the money goes to providing essential services. I certainly wouldn’t expect it to be squandered on maintaining old relics at the expense of healthcare.
Report abuse
This is not a project which should be funded by the taxpayer. By contrast, Les Bourgs Hospice is a project which SHOULD have been funded by the taxpayer. Its nothinh short of a disgrace that hospice care has to be funded by public donations and lotteries.
In fact, the museum project is precisely the sort of project which the UK National Lottery would fund, but as we stupidly continue to exclude ourselves from that funding pot we continue to miss out.
Report abuse
Neil
If we already have the money for 1 of these things, which we do have, its a realistic question to ask why our health isnt being put first.
Also as Paul says, its precisely decisions like this that would make people baulk at paying more tax. I think a lot of us would be happier paying a little bit more, if we thought it would be spent wisely.
Report abuse
Do these politicians who decide on these issues
never have any member of their family ill or sick?
Report abuse
david has an interesting idea. i agree that les bourgs should be taxpayer funded (but how about only by smokers, drinkers, overeaters, the promiscuous and sun worshippers maybe?) and maybe heritage could be put out to charity? but … not so simple, as most guern-types keen to hark back to, and rightly value, the part of the island’s present character formed from its past, will squawk as our historical objects evaporate?
Report abuse
blah
Sadly I know of too many instances of people contracting cancer who practised none of those habits, and for whom Les Bourgs Hospice was still vital to them. Unfortunately, cancer is much more random than you infer.
Report abuse
Blah
Smokers and drinkers already pay a lot more in extra taxes than they cost in healthcare expenses.
Report abuse
These clowns have definately got there priority’s totally wrong they obviously have not had friends or relatives who have had bowel cancer, I have and I think its disgraceful to even think about prioritising museum storeage. Get your’e act together and get something right for a change.
Report abuse
Blah,
That’ll be everyone then.
Not everyone can be a teetotling,shade living,celibate,non smoking, salad eating visionary like you.
Are you sure you aren’t Truth Man in duisgise?
Report abuse
david – yes i know . i was provoking a possible question that does stray off the topic. that is the way different issues attract different emotional and corresponding financial interest. cancer has umpteen causes i agree. but some who end up in les bourgs will be elderly and their demise will be a direct result of a life of unchecked fags, booze and chips. i think they will still be treated sympathetically whereas young people addicted to booze or drugs will be treated like pariahs even when they are ripe for redemption and assistance?
phil – i would like to see your evidence – alc. abuse is costing millions in not only health, but crime, prison, domestic break up and so on. scotland want to price per unit – a fair idea – but the government and suppliers are very opposed, surprise surprise.
so back to the topic – let local heritage and history evaporate or force through health initiatives? government will be forced to act eventually, as they will on climate change and other issues where society will not want to share responsibility. we should really do that now because i predict democracy will end in order to save us from ourselves. want a bet anyone?
Report abuse
I really find it hard to believe that the storage of old museum relics are more important than bowel screening and the training of paramedics. Having had my husband’s life saved by one of our SJAB’s paramedics I know and appreciate what a wonderful job they do and feel the more that are trained the better. Perhaps some of these ‘relics’ that are our Deputies etc would be better put in storage. Heaven help our Island is all I can say it gets worse every day when you read the GEP – what next will they come up with – I dread to think.
Report abuse
It appears that there are people willing to take on the responsibility of our heritage, as seen by offers to house Asterix.
Perhaps thats the way forward, get a public/private consortium to look after our museums etc and then the money saved can go into health initiatives.
All that would be needed is a contract stating no selling the ‘family silverware’
Report abuse
@Maz
In the case of the stuff pictured above it’s more a case of the family junk box than the family silverware.
Report abuse