The decision that never was

I was early to my desk yesterday morning, fingers hovering over the keyboard ready to pound out a fuming diatribe about the Healthcare Commission, PCTs and all the usual Dark Forces that are lined up against us. I made a few false starts... a few sentences about a phone call that told me little that I hadn't already suspected... but I kept deleting them. I just wasn't angry enough. I'd prepared myself too well for the expected disappointment.

As it was the phone call didn't even bring the anticipated rejection; it was actually to tell us that the review proper was just about to start and that what was being examined was the process rather than the decision - which I kinda knew. That the process involved flawed thinking, erroneous interpretation of data, ignorance of the facts and dismissal of expert opinion is, I would hope, where there is thin glimmer of hope. I suspect, however, that the PCT are going to get marks for effort - they did try to think, after all... and they collected some data and expert opinion which, although the interpretation flew in the face of national trends, accumulating evidence (check out PubMed folks) and said opinion was still, erm, done.

So I didn't get round to this post yesterday. Just as I was building up a head of steam a sleepy smiling face appeared in a bedroom doorway and I got distracted. A few cuddles cheered me up, as did Tom's running commentary that flowed uninterrupted through getting dressed, washed and out of the house.

It still sucks that our PCT is broke. It still sucks that we have to be among the few pioneers who discover all the bizarre quirks that accompany life as a part-NHS, part privately funded implant family. What doesn't suck at all is the jabbering fruit loop that is Tom.

At a slight tangent - but this is where my thoughts led so let's go with it - the whole jabbering offspring thing made me think of Schuyler and her Monster. Rob relays his morning's TV viewing when he heard a mother complaining about a child reading and talking too much... you can't make it up. Perspective is an interesting thing - particularly when kids are involved.