Forum Topics

Anti vax protest on Goldhawk Road

Avoid the area, traffic gridlocked around Askew Road

Alison Gascoigne ● 1979d25 Comments ● 1977d

FINANCIAL TIMES. 26.5.21 - NHS Plans To Share Our Patient Records with 3rd Parties

Tom Chakraborti made an incorrect response to my earlier post. I am not wanting to waste anyone's time - least of all my own - with any forum wrangle. Only trying to alert people who don't want their GP medical files to be shared without their permission to Opt Out before 23rd June.See FINANCIAL TIMES piece of 26.5.21 below: https://www.ft.com/content/9fee812f-6975-49ce-915c-aeb25d3dd748 England’s NHS plans to share patient records with third parties. May 26th 202155m patients have until June 23 to opt out of having their health data scraped into a new database. The NHS will make every patient record in England available to academic and commercial third parties for research and planning purposes.England’s NHS is preparing to scrape the medical histories of 55m patients, including sensitive information on mental health and sexual health, criminal records and abuse, into a database it will share with third parties. The data collection project, which is the first of its kind, has caused an uproar among privacy campaigners, who say it is “legally problematic”, especially as patients only have a few weeks to opt out of the plan. NHS Digital, which runs the health service’s IT systems, confirmed the plan to pool together medical records from every patient in England who is registered with a GP clinic into a single lake that will be available to academic and commercial third parties for research and planning purposes. Cori Crider, co-founder of Foxglove, a campaign group for digital rights, said: “We all want to see the NHS come out of the pandemic stronger” but noted that the NHS had been “completely silent” on who would have access to the data. “Is it pharma companies? The health arm of Google Deepmind? If you ask patients whether they want details of their mental health, fertility treatment or abortion, or results of their colonoscopy shared with [those companies], they’re not going to want that,” she said. Foxglove has issued a legal letter to the Department of Health and Social Care, questioning the lawfulness of the plans under current data protection laws, and threatening further legal action. Rosa Curling, a solicitor at Foxglove, wrote in the letter that she had “serious concerns” about the legality of the move because no explicit consent had been given and “very few members of the public will be aware that the new processing is imminent, directly affecting their personal medical data”. NEED TO OPT OUT BY JUNE 23Patients have until June 23 to opt out by filling in a form and taking it to their GP before their historical records will become a permanent and irreversible part of the new data set. Patients who opt out after the deadline can only stop future data from being funnelled into the new system. The plan to create a new data set was announced by Matt Hancock, health secretary, in early April and publicised mainly on blogs on the NHS Digital website, and through flyers at GP surgeries, said NHS Digital, which added that the plans had been in the works for three years. But Phil Booth, founder of advocacy group MedConfidential, said: “They’re trying to sneak it out, they are giving you six weeks nominally and if you do not act based on web pages on the NHS digital site and some YouTube videos and a few tweets, your entire GP history could have been scraped, never to be deleted.” He added that the NHS had “opaque” commercial relationships, often through middlemen, and that it would be difficult to trace who ultimately sees the data. NHS Digital says on its website that it publishes a monthly register of who it has released data to, and whether the data is anonymised or not. Data that directly identifies patients will be replaced with unique codes in the new data set, but the NHS will hold the keys to unlock the codes “in certain circumstances, and where there is a valid legal reason”, according to its website. NHS Digital said the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data regulator, had not objected to its plans, and that it was in the process of delivering a data protection impact assessment. The plan comes following an attempt in 2013 to extract GP records into a central database, called the Care.data programme, which was abandoned in 2016 after complaints about confidentiality and commercial use.

Rae Lewis ● 1977d6 Comments ● 1977d

Double duvet for dog charity?

Is anyone taking donations for a dog rescue

Gina Thomas ● 1977d0 Comments ● 1977d

Twickenham vaccination”event” monday

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-tackle-covid-surge-vaccination-event-registration-156925312835?fbclid=IwAR2LrLKkQM44mBV1VdALn654jkGd--foEEhilt3xxvb3iMHZ_oOU7KoKbgc_aem_ARQc26h2zmwLdagcVfPRwcJ0roa3GQYTvyv3rueCWsbGQBKPfxphDndRuMeVFpt-2njjhGEMePxiaMTaVE4kLq6ol1orM_RMpRoColETHjLqx1eOj74UN7N9JJaP72y0G3o

Kirsten Donovan ● 1979d5 Comments ● 1977d

Refund of traffic fines after the TGT disaster?

Can I suggest anyone who received a fine during that debacle approach Councillor Steve Curran and ask for an indication as to when they can expect a refund?

Liam Robinson ● 1989d15 Comments ● 1977d

Further Cyclist Mayhem

I blame Chris Vessey.

Simon Temple ● 1978d0 Comments ● 1978d

builder recommendation.

have one who might fit the bill?

Jeremy Beckett ● 1978d2 Comments ● 1978d

Hammersmith Fireplaces

Does anyone know, did they relocate or close?

Sarah Felstead ● 1978d0 Comments ● 1978d

Water meters

I have noticed signs being put up in Chiswick advising of works being done to install water meters. Are these compulsory? Does the homeowner have a say in where the ugly white box will be attached to their property? I have not had a letter about this and am concerned I will arrive home one day to find a box attached somewhere to my house.

Margot Crowther ● 1979d24 Comments ● 1978d

Drug dealing, Fauconberg Road. OWL message

Drug Dealing at Fauconberg Road.  Dear Watch Member,There has been recent Information which has come to light from members of public that there is alleged drug dealing occuring at Fauconberg Road, Chiswick.If you have any Information please email myself on callum.a.p.norris@met.police.ukIf you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: c741575@met.police.ukRegards,Callum NorrisSenior Office AssistantEmail: c741575@met.police.uk

Loraine Pemberton ● 1982d7 Comments ● 1978d

Driving to chiswick community sports hall

I’m dropping my wife off later at the hall which I believe is in Chiswick school. Do I go to staveley rd or Burlington lane? Are there any access restrictions I need to worry about?

David Turner ● 1978d2 Comments ● 1978d

Traffic lights staying on red

The London Mayor is introducing a new scheme - traffic lights which will stay on red to give pedestrians priority.  Surely this will increase pollution, traffic queues and road rage?  Does anyone have knowledge of these schemes.

Lena Armstrong ● 1979d12 Comments ● 1979d

PCR test at Stamford Brook car park

Just had a text from the NHS asking us to go and have a PCR test, as we are residents within Hounslow.We duly did our civic duty only to find the car park was closed, we weren’t told that on finding out where we had to go. People were waiting in the hot sunshine, for over an hour! Why oh why can’t a drive in drive out area be used for people that need to drive?  I suggest Brentford Football Ground!

Janet Mary Sears-Lamb ● 1981d25 Comments ● 1979d

Church Path  stabbing

That bridge is never lit upNo cameras I seen stuff going on there .Reported to south acton police and local councillors only Gary Malcolm got back to me

Jon morris ● 1997d16 Comments ● 1979d

Conservatives need strong pro-cycling measures

Below is an interesting article from ConservativeHome making the case that people like Tom Pike have been making for the economic, health and political imperative for Conservatives to support active travel and traffic restriction schemes in cities like London. One for our younger more open-minded local Councillors perhaps. And the LibDems in Southfield of course.This quote sums it up for those who don't want to take the time to read the whole article: "a core right-wing value is giving people the liberty to make their own choices in life. Right now the vast majority of road space is monopolised by one mode of transport – cars. We must ensure everyone has the option of a cheap, safe and efficient alternative method of travel."https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2021/05/jordan-redshaw-our-party-needs-a-strong-pro-cycling-measures-to-rebuild-in-cities.htmlJordan Redshaw is on the Conservative Friends of Cycling’s Executive Committee.It is not controversial to say that since the beginning of the pandemic there have been some things the Government has got right and some areas where it should have done better.An often overlooked area in which this Government has achieved outstanding success is in its promotion of cycling. There simply have been no previous governments with such a bold vision. Their proposals are described in the “Gear Change” report: an ambitious plan to get Britain cycling that has been received very positively.To back up these proposals, the Government has committed to spending £2 billion on cycling and walking over the course of a parliament. They have already published much needed higher standards for safer cycling infrastructure (LTN 1/20). They are helping people get back on their old bicycles with 500,000 repair vouchers worth £50 up for grabs and there are plans to introduce a modern day Cycling Proficiency scheme for people of all ages.However despite strong actions to promote safe cycling, on the doorstep, the Conservative Party is still seen to have a weaker stance on cycling than its opponents. As a party there is a lot for us to gain by promoting cycling and therefore cementing our rightful position as the party helping people cycle more and with safety.During the recent local election campaign, we saw many Labour led councils take credit for implementing safe cycling infrastructure using the government’s Active Travel Fund. This £250 million fund has allowed local authorities to bid for grants to improve cycling infrastructure in the midst of the pandemic. This was a missed opportunity for many Conservative-led councils who have not taken advantage of the Active Travel Fund and delivered safe cycling infrastructure to their voters.We need to trust the Government in its promotion of cycling – after all Boris has a successful record here having implemented the gold-standard of segregated cycle lanes, the “Cycle Superhighways” as Mayor of London. London’s cycle hire scheme is still popularly known as the “Boris bike” scheme by Londoners and tourists alike.The Prime Minister’s strong cycling credentials helped him win a second term in a city usually dominated by Labour. Shaun Bailey was generally perceived to have poor intentions for cycling and ended up finishing ten per cent behind Sadiq Khan in the final round. It is not good enough for Conservatives to give up on London, when we know we can win in London with a positive, pro-cycling manifesto.After all, we recently saw Andy Street and Ben Houchen achieve similar success with pro-cycling policies. Street wrote here at ConservativeHome about his ambitions to build 500 miles of cycle lanes in the West Midlands, and Houchen invested £18 million for active travel improvements in the Tees Valley. Conservative councillors across the country could learn a lot from this and achieve similar success by also delivering high-quality cycle infrastructure.A core right-wing value is giving people the liberty to make their own choices in life. Right now the vast majority of road space is monopolised by one mode of transport – cars. We must ensure everyone has the option of a cheap, safe and efficient alternative method of travel. It is a wonderful thing that anyone can get set up with a bicycle for less than £200 and in many urban areas it is the quickest and most reliable way to get from A to B.Let us not forget that many cyclists also own cars. The AA recently found a third of drivers have said they will cycle, walk or run more after lockdown. Many of these people won’t cycle for political reasons or even for the environment, they simply want the choice to get around cheaply, safely and quickly.It is vital that communities are properly consulted when introducing safe cycling infrastructure and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). All too often last year, Labour councils introduced temporary cycle lanes and LTNs overnight with minimal or no consultation. There has to be decent consultation with local residents to ensure schemes are implemented in the best possible way by considering everyone’s needs.However, we must not fall into the trap of listening to the loudest voices in our party – or perpetuated myths on Twitter – as reasons for scrapping or never implementing these schemes. Imperial College London found no evidence that cycle superhighways worsened traffic congestion in London. In Kensington and Chelsea, independent polling found just 30 per cent of those surveyed were against the Kensington High Street cycle lane. This is not an isolated case as surveys have consistently found that the majority of residents support LTNs too – perhaps unsurprisingly, as who wouldn’t favour traffic moving from residential streets to main roads?Polling in March this year shows just 16 per centof people oppose LTNs, whereas 47 per cent support them in London. Supporting cycle schemes is a vote-winning policy and for Conservatives to remain relevant in cities and amongst future generations we must embrace many Briton’s desires to cycle safely. During the pandemic one of the reasons we fared badly, as a country, is because of our obesity crisis. According to the OECD, 63 per cent of UK adults are overweight, meaning the UK is the most overweight country in western Europe. The costs of physical inactivity to the UK are estimated to be in excess of £7 billion every year.There are clear economic benefits both for individuals and wider society in improving the nation’s health. Regular cycling can reduce the risk of dementia, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression, heart disease and other common serious conditions by at least 30 per cent. Cycling England’s Qualitative Survey on Cycling found in their Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis, for each £1 invested in cycling the value of decreased mortality was £2.59.This is only taking into account the benefits of reduced mortality, the overall BCR ratio of cycling investment is much higher at 13:1. Whereas motorways often only have BCR’s of 3:1.Other economic benefits should not be underestimated. Cyclists visit local shops, restaurants and cafes more than users of other modes of transport spending up to 40 per cent more than drivers according to TfL. This higher footfall will help our high streets at a crucial time.Supporting safe cycling is only going to become more important as we work towards carbon net zero by 2050 – it is not a fad that is going to disappear after the pandemic passes. If we continue to build on the Government’s success at a local level we can ensure this is a golden era for cycling. As a country we will reap huge economic, environmental and health benefits, and as a result the party we will reap the rewards at the ballot box

Paul Campbell ● 1981d76 Comments ● 1979d

Bank Holiday Monday- free parking...?

I am not in London at present and Hounslow website not clear.  New neighbour wants to know if visitor needs a permit for Monday in residential restricted parking zone

Elizabeth Ross ● 1979d6 Comments ● 1979d

Driving Instructor Needed

Can someone please point me in the direction of a good, local to Chiswick driving instructor please?

Scott Powell ● 1980d0 Comments ● 1980d

Who to believe?

Johnson or Cummings ?

Stewart Jones ● 1982d80 Comments ● 1980d

Blister pack recycling

I have a few spent tablet blister packs and am unsure about whether I can chuck them in with the plastics when recycling.Do any of you good folks have any idea how I recycle these? Thanks in advance.

Keith Iddon ● 2018d20 Comments ● 1980d

Royal Mail Priority Post Box

Hi All,Does anybody know of a Royal Mail Priority Post Box near Chiswick High Rd as I need to send of a swab test. Also if possible last collection time today . I am having problems with their website. I am sure there are a few around but have never needed one until now.Many thanks

Jerry Byrne ● 1980d6 Comments ● 1980d