Ref. the link about 'dumbing down the NHS', it's not only doctors roles being 'outsourced'. I have done some work with Social Services and the Home Care teams and the carers are being increasingly relied upon to provide - I believe the current p.c. term is Service Users - physiotherapy, catheter care and mainenance and the like. Again, in the interests of saving money and bugger what the patients want. They are not being given any choice in the matter. Community nurses and physios aren't happy about it either because with the best will in the world, a 2 day training course (or in some cases a 1hr stint with the patient and the physio) is absolutely no substitute for the real thing. The whole thing stinks!!!