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NHS and Social Services
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21st October 2025 from David Halpin FRCS
Dear Adel,
I write in gratitude to Torbay Hospital. I went to the Acute Medical Unit at 6.30 pm last evening. I found none of the chaos of the ordo ab chaos - the motto of free masonry. There were 2 ambulances waiting, one of which had a febrile lady on the couch. The waiting room in A&E was almost full - gross obesity in some, cell phones being twitched. and a feeling of distress and resignation.
But in the AMU I found a very kindly and professional nursing staff. Mary was in no 33. Seemingly asleep, and sitting half up. She opened her eyes and said 'hello Day and where is Sue?'. There was some paranoid delusion. She looked her gaunt self - no orbital fat nor masseter to feel - indications of chronic carbohydrate and protein deficiency. Well hydrated, BP 138 over 82 and pulse good. I was with her for 20 minutes. At the end I kissed her goodbye and she said 'Give my love to Sue'!
Further. Our lady tenant Eva saw her at Mulberry House CH for the fifth time last Friday. She had a good and normal conversation with her. The only muddle - transposing our children's names with her two step children.
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21st October 2025 AD from David Halpin FRCS
Dear Ms Jones and board members - https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/about-us/whos-who/
You kindly called me back c. 1.15 today. I had spoken bluntly but without any foul words to a secretary in your office . The essence - my sister Mary Bedforth, 16 months my younger, had become more aggressive in the Mulberry Care Home, Brimley last afternoon. She had been looked after very well there since she was resident from April 1st 2023, with her agreement. Being only three miles from our home here at Haytor, it was easy for Sue and me to visit her often - say with flowers from the garden.
Eventually she kicked out a window ?in the 'library' and jumped through it. The senior care worker who 'phoned me to report all this spoke of no lacerations. The paramedics were called and took her to Torbay A&E at c. 7pm. I have learned that she is in cubicle 13 presently - 2pm 21-10-24. As a result of your urging, the Senior House Officer of the medical team who is looking after Mary, 'phoned me. Dr Matthew ........ greatly reassured me. The team have found no organic cause for her disturbed mental function - the first duty, but will consider her thyroid function. She has been receiving l thyroxine and more recently an 'anti-depressant' in liquid form because she had been refusing to swallow tablets. One can easily imagine her spitting some out.
I told this good young doctor the essence of her complex medical history. I emphasised her previous high intelligence and mental energy and how she was my right hand man for Palestine, OUR NHS and David Kelly CMG DSC especially. I spoke of the negligent care she had received via the Guildowns practice in Guildford. I did not mention that a lucid letter of complaint re Dr Denton of that practice to the Heartlands CCG was never answered - a common practice now.
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NHS Failing in Planned Chaos – 20-06-2022:Erasure of Teignmouth Hospital emblematic
Devon CC – Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee – 21-06-2022
Set up to fail – when and who by? Rescue?
Post WW2 perception and will in an exhausted and bankrupt Britain. The ‘war spirit’ lasting. The healthy look after the ill. ‘Love thy neighbour’ - Mosaic law
Beveridge and Bevan. NHS opposed by the BMA and a majority of doctors. ‘Cap in hand’ to last.
Bevan saw it through. Its work massive and its triumphs certain. Fear of illness and death, and bankruptcy, through medical bills absent. Compare with the US - two thirds of those going bankrupt are through medical bills.
Key stages in the gradual and now precipitous fall into chaos, injury and possible death.
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This e-mail with its serious complaints re Dr Smout and her colleagues at the Albany Clinic, Newton Abbot was sent to
I have re-sent the e-mail today at 11.11am and later 'phoned the GMC on 0161 923 6602
To make sure that it had arrived (no notice of failure) I spoke with Ms Sarah Holt who answered. She could not find a record of it, and told me that the GMC only looked at individual doctors and not at practices. I responded - 'in that case consider my complaint as being against Dr Smout, since she is the lead GP.' Ms Holt told me that my complaint would be in a 10 day long 'chain'. I went on to say how deep was my concern - that 'British medical standards have been lowered beyond any imagination'.
The GMC was quick to 'de-register' my good and courageous colleague Mr Muhammad Adil FRCS for expressing his concern at the 'totalitarian' response of a psychopathic cabal of HMG ministers (underlined words mine) - early in 2020. His concern was mostly for the livelihoods of the people in the regions about him in the north. I found no reference to this 'kangaroo court' action by the GMC on its web site. I would guess that the action against Mr Adil was instigated within 'government'.
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Mr Stuart Barker Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Services in the County of Devon.
24-06-14
Dear Stuart,
Thank you for your prompt reply. Although I speak strongly my motives are good. You know that. People who put themselves up for election to public bodies often become Aunt Sallies; many of the people chucking the wet sponges would not take on such responsibilities themselves. I know that local government is imprisoned by several vicious circles. For instance, you end with
'This (1.9% rise) raised just over £6m but we lost £3m because by raising council tax we lost the government council tax support grant so the net gain was just over £3m – it doesn’t go far towards the £110m.'
I thought this exemplified some of your difficulty. Kafka portrayed it in The Castle - Das Schloss.
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Dear David
Thank you for your letter, it is difficult to disagree with the direction of your comments, the position we are in isn’t something that I would, or have chosen. Having been fighting to maintain budgets and to deliver new services for the last five years it is very hard to find that the money available is no longer there having been taken away by circumstances out of our control. I could not agree more with your comments about looking after very elderly frail, vulnerable people. These are very difficult and emotional decisions which nobody should have to consider, however, if we want to continue to fund as many people as possible for as long as possible then we cannot carry on the way we are. If you remove a third of the money from your pocket what are you going to do if you want the same things you have worked for but find some of them are costing twice as much as they would if you bought elsewhere.
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Regarding the announced policy of closing Devon County Council Care Homes
Mr Stuart Barker Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Services Devon County Council
Dear Stuart,
Having attended the Health and Well Being Committee last Monday afternoon, I later saw you on BBC Spotlight SW announcing the closure of 20 care homes in Devon. I was angered by the manner of the announcement and very disturbed by the content and rationale.
This letter is no attempt to 'shoot the messenger' but to question what is going on in our country as presently directed by a Coalition government where no party gained a majority, and by your council, in this large and wonderful county.
