I may have to retire

Well apparently I may have to because I am over 50 (hard to believe I know). An article I read today suggested that all us over 50's should move over and allow younger people to take our jobs. Simples.
Bit of an economic "Solent Green" really. Initially it kind of seems attractive, lots of time for all manner of activities , but hang on.......how will Ipay for it? Epecially as I may (hopefully) have along retirement. I guess Icould take one of the part time jopbs that are being vacated by all the graduates looking for work. Of course it doesn't really stack up does it (though I may end up doing that). All that experience, knowldge and networks just lost in a moment.
But it does raise a couple of interesting ideas.
Could retirement begin earlier, in a sort of staged way with a partial pull down of pension? Could people like me be offered a person to succeed  us in our roles? Could I be actively preparing the next person for my job, and really enabling them to undertake it?
I guess its probably to radical an idea and it certainly made me feel old and just a little bit unwanted. But could a double dip and an enduring austerity provoke the serious consideration of such ideas?

Can someone explain this to me?

Interesting piece in the propoganda war that now surrounds the NHS Bill, you know what I mean , all of a sudden research and reports are produced that support a certain view. All published under the guise of  news. I was really fascinated by this piece in the online Guardian today. It reports that a collection of NHS directors are arguing the elevation of the private commercial earning ceiling to 49% will benefit NHS patients. they say......
"Examples of these benefits include developing treatment innovations and specialisms - such as complex paediatric treatment, robotic surgery, and employer-funded mental health treatment - and mean that trusts will be able to provide services on the NHS that can no longer be commissioned or are now rationed, including IVF."
Now my eye was drawn to the term "employer funded mental health treatment". What could that treatment be I wonder. I assume its psychological therapies that are currently delivered by Employer Assistance Programmes and which engage with independent contractors. Now this could be an absolute fillip to the psychology services couldn't it? They could recruit more and more psychologists and their assistants and  deliver an IAPT style programme for the employers who would pay well for such a service.
But hang on Clin Psychs are a very small group and the low and high intensity workers are being trained to provide IAPT, and in particualr we are now working on a plans to develop that service into greater provision to people with a label of Serious Mental Illness, and indeed Young people.
Could there be a potential diversion of resources here? Could we see a client group neglected because there is more revenue (and less hassle maybe) in treating those employee clinets stressed out as they struggle with the impending recession
I think we need to keep a very careful eye on this one, it would be a real tragedy if a client group that has consistently called for such services sees the promise of delivery lost.
But hey thats the "Market" for you!!!

We've only just begun

Now I am pretty sure that was the first line of a Carpenters song in the 70's, and was probably about the commencement of a new relationship or something equally slushy (as I am sure I thought at the time). It also is true if the Guardian can be believed true of another relationship. According to an article last week by Polly Toynbee (who still gets ribbed by her call for readers to vote Lib Dem in the Election of 2010), we are also at the start of something else, another less welcome relationship. A relationship with Austerity. According to her article only 6% of actual public sector cuts planned have yet occurred. thats right readers, only 6%. Now there was no citing of sources, no references (Geneva or Harvard), so maybe she got it wrong. Say for arguments sake she's out by 300%, so  approximately 20% of projected cuts have occurred.
With a public sector payfreeze and an expensive reorganisation (marketisation) of the NHS occurring then what does this hold out for us? I wager its a bit more serious than the chatterati camping outside their Libraries in North London or indeed twice weekly bin collections.What will it actually look like? How we can envisage a rolling back of services at such a scale? How will it look in the sleepy hamlet where I live. Well mabe the libary is at risk, maybe the local schools will miss out on maintenance, day services for the vulnerable, or possibly a lessening presence  of police. Could be rubbish collection, street cleaning, or public amenities will start charging like parking at the beach . Small stuff maybe, but an eroding feeling, public morale can be vulnerable to such an approach.
To push through this we all need a belief that it can be endured, that we can tolerate the hardships (bit like winter really), and that maybe its in some way tolerable because its inevitable or even fair (just like winter).
So is this approach fair , tolerable or even something that the ordinanry citizen has caused and should pay for? If the answer is no then where will the feeling of injustice go? Here in the UK the usual pattern is to internalise distress , that could mean calls for help to  services that no longer exist. It really has only just begun.

Five a day for mental health

Five a day seems a lot when we talk about vegtables and fruit, indeed if you are out and about like me (or indeed a CPN colleague) how can you carry it all. Some say crisps count but I am not to sure. Yet the principle of five a day is possibly equally applicable to our mental health. So what would they be for you? Indeed have you thought of that at all? How do you enhance your sense of well being and increase your resiliance(or even maintain it).
Well for me this is an interesting challenge. I guess my blog gives a clue. so here goes.
1 doing a day in work that feels worthwhile
2 getting outside at some point in the day and stopping and enjoying the fresh air (it can even be done in London)
3 completing a task or role well
4 enjoying time with others (preferably that involves laughing)
5 spending some time on my own (but not to much)
Simples!!!
What about you?