Minerva
BMJ 2004; 328 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7447.1084 (Published 29 April 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;328:1084
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The latest terminals do indeed have an off switch, but as confirmed
by Derek Lewis of Patientline on BBC Radio 5 Live on 8 April, this only
operates at night (in the case of the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH)
between 10 pm and 6 am, in the case of Guy's between 11 pm and 7 am).
The original terminals switched off automatically at night; the new
ones have to be manually switched off or else they remain on 24 hours a
day, including flickering above empty beds.
Email and internet services were not available at RBH, according to
the terminals "at the request of the Trust". However, according to The
Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals Trust, this is because it did not
work, and the provider is going to change the message.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
The Bible has the answer
The note about the high mortality following falls from flat roofs in
Turkey brings to mind the biblical injunction found in Deuteronomy 22.8
"When thou buildest a new house,then thou shalt make a parapet for thy
roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from it."
I have always believed that this verse forms the basis of all Public
Health. Rabbi J Hertz, a former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, explains
that the Rabbis extended this warning to all instances where danger to
life was brought about by negligence.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests