I thought of celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Sesame Street with another letter in this case the letter “L”. This is because I wanted to write about Liverpool. When I was young ,half a century ago Liverpool was the place everyone wanted to go to. First of all was the Music which was not just the Beatles but by song you could even travel across on the Ferry across the Mersey in your own sitting room. Then each week there would be an episode of the “Liver Birds”. With exotic accents and story lines about living in a flat and having all sorts of fun. Funny how your memory works but it was the favourite programme of my oldest sister. The opening sequence showed the pierhead and the Liver buildings. Then there was one of the very early “pop videos” of what was essentially a film of buses driving up and down Penny Lane as John Lennon and Paul Macartney sang about its residents as though they were most exciting people you could ever want to meet. By my teens Liverpool was already in decline. It became a bye-word for football hooliganism. Television comedians would make fun of Liverpudlians assuming they were all crooks who spoke funny. Then came the Toxteth riots and the closing of the docks. It seemed no-one cared for Liverpool and now if it was in any pop videos it was to show the effects of dereliction and decay normally to some loud punk band.

About 10 years ago I went for the first time to the Conference Centre in Liverpool. All my southern prejudices were blown away. I found an amazing city vibrant, full of friendly and welcoming people. The dockhead was spruced up, Albert Dock was back in business with restaurants and museums. The Beatles were not forgotten but had come alive in their links with different parts of the city. The world’s best collection of pre-Raphaelite art is in the Walker Gallery. I have been back 7 or 8 times since and I always look forward to seeing what is new and finding another amazing building or museum is open. You too can share my excitement by coming to our BNMS Spring meeting in May. If you know Liverpool you will want to come, if you do not know Liverpool an absolute treat awaits you. If you cannot come make sure as many people from your department come. Also remember we have the innovative department award running again and we would love for you to share your research and experience in an oral presentation or poster. Details are in our web site of course.

My second “L” ended up as an “M”. I now mean the M of mandatory training. After 10 years my work in Cambridge draws to a close, my successor has been appointed and she will make a great success of the job. So as they say I am surplus to requirements. I have a great 10 years in Cambridge and I will miss the staff there a great deal, even though I will not miss the daily 140 mile round trip commute. So I need to look for a job. I am considering offers from 2 hospitals closer to home but before I can do anything there is about 20 forms to fill in. HR has been privatised and the people who run those have no idea about anything other than the tick boxes they need to fill in. Whilst I am up to date with my Mandatory Training it all has to be repeated. For example there is Health and Safety. Cambridge does not have this so I asked what it contained and was told Fire training, Manual handling and hand washing. In triumph I showed that I was up to date on all three. Nope that will not do it has to be something called Health and Safety so I have to go on a course so the box can be ticked. My Basic life support is valid till November 2020 but nope it is not the right basic life support. Maybe my Cambridge CPR to “Staying Alive” does not work in London. I must go on a special 3 hour course. The course is free but a certificate to prove I have been costs £50. The privatised HR stated that without the actual certificate from their own course I cannot work. I am beginning to smell a scam here.

My greatest problem however is my MMR certificate. I am clearly not an anti-Vaxxer. Anti-Vaxxers are sadly misinformed by people who generally prey on the natural fears of people to make money. To be honest those who perpetrate these lies about MMR are putting children at risk. My children all had their MMR done all on time and this was at the height of the MMR controversy. However, I myself do not have an MMR vaccination certificate. For the simple reason I am too old. I was already an adult when the MMR vaccine was approved. Also I was the generation that just got Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Unfortunately the HR form has a box on it that cannot remain empty. I was Called into an interview by a very nice person half my age. When I explained this she clearly did not believe me. For some reason I was hiding my MMR certificate from her. I was asked 10 times in a 30 minute interview for my MMR certificate because without that the box could not be ticked. I tried to be helpful and pulled out a yellowed piece of paper. It had on the top the crest of the Royal Navy underneath was my name in copperplate calligraphy and under that the date in 1964 I received my smallpox vaccination. It is the only vaccination certificate I have except for an expired yellow fever certificate from 2009 and a sticker of a smiling bug on my hospital ID to show I have had this year’s flu jab. Nope it would not do. Again I was asked to hand over my MMR certificate sadly again I could not. I fear this will not be resolved. Maybe I can work at the local branch of MacDonald’s but even then I fear the question “Can I see your MMR vaccination certificate”.

Dr John Buscombe

BNMS President