How Bad Is It?

Well, they had the beds.

Porn movie: one hospital's road to rude financial health

not nurse Ratched

"As public sector managers look to find ever more creative ways of saving money, they would do well to study the enterprising thinking of NHS Kensington & Chelsea.
During a House of Commons speech yesterday Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt let slip that, prior to 2002, a hospital ward in the borough was hired out for the filming of a "big budget" pornographic movie.
The title of the film has yet to emerge, but it took place in a closed yet "fully-equipped" ward. It is also unclear whether the hospital was aware of the genre of film, or if it provided any technical support.
Mordaunt was speaking during a debate on improving transparency in government accounting:
"Although I cannot claim to have seen the final picture – as I understand it, these things are no longer claimable on parliamentary expenses – it was a big-budget affair and generated substantial income for the hospital. But apart from cheering up a few of the in-patients, it cannot be said to be contributing to the objectives of the primary care."

Adopt a streetlight

"A plan in the works to save money in Concord, Massachusetts. Residents can keep their lights on, but they'll have to pay a monthly fee. It's become a hot topic in the town of 17,000.David Ropeik: "Government can't afford now the basic kinds of things that we thought government basically did."In historic Concord, Massachusetts-the lights, are going out.David Ropeik: "It is pretty strange, we got the reverse 911 call that is usually there if a burglar loose in your neighborhood that says we are taking down your infrastructure."In fact, the town is taking down hundreds of street lights mostly in residential neighborhoods to save money on electricity. David Ropeik says the light is barely bright enough to walk his dogs as it is.David Ropeik: "Just seems strange that a kind of a thing that we all take for granted like street lights, red lights, green lights, pavements and things is now beyond the town's means."But, if you want, you can adopt your streetlight and save it from impending doom, if you agree to pay 17 bucks a month to keep it working.Pat Austin: "17 dollars a month, so they can do the schools? I don't think I should have to pay it."Pat Austin lives on a pension and worries about her already very dark road.Pat Austin: "I think that's stupid, it's very dark. It is dark as it is, I think they should leave the lights on."David Ropeik: "The adopt a light program will mean only the rich people have lights."