Quarterly meeting with David Sloman, Chief Executive at the Whittington Hospital. Overall the Whittington has managed to balance its budget. Phew! But what awaits the good guys is a demand from the Government that they make ‘savings’ next year. David explains to me that there will be a capital investment (or at least that is the plan) – so that we will get it back another way. We have a discussion about the way health (and everything else) is being regionalised – and I talk about the need for nurses to be able to be caring as well as clinically excellent. So often they are rushed off their feet and so can’t give that extra personal care and attention. I remain convinced that the caring part of nursing is a keep part of medically effective treatment overall.

In the evening I get to go to 350 years of Jewish History. This is Mr Speaker’s reception for unsung heroes of the Jewish community and I go to have a drink etc. If Mr Speaker invites you – you go! In fact, I went last Monday to what I thought was this event. As I arrived, I shook hands with Mr Speaker – and in the reception line next to him was a Catholic priest. Which did strike me as odd – but… Then as I moved into the room, there were not very many people and there was a very quiet atmosphere. Jews gathered together are not normally quiet – I know ‘cos of family bashes. So I went back to Mr Speaker and asked him. And I had actually arrived at a celebration for the Apostles of the Sea! Mr Speaker kindly invited me to stay – but I said I would come back to the one he had actually invited me to the next week.

This time – the Chief Rabbi was there – and it wasn’t quiet! I met a little clutch of women from the Jewish Women’s League, a woman from Hornsey & Wood Green, the wife of the Chair of the Board of Jewish Deputies and a wonderful woman who sent people to far off places to do voluntary work. It is funny really. The Jewish population have managed to stay as a pretty firm culture and race – and assimilate at the same time. However, one woman told me that there is quite a lot of trouble and snobbishness about which type of synagogue or congregation that you belong too. There is no culture or race, I guess, who don’t have status levels. Great fun!