The 11^th day of the 11^th month is so different this year.

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, a colleague of the Blogger would circulate regular updates, comparing country by country and monitoring the changes. These fizzled out as the situation seemed to come under control but with the onset of another lockdown, the Blogger has decided to plagiarise the idea and compare the pandemic with the events that are commemorated across Europe today.

United Kingdom

Covid deaths – 48,978 (73.7/100,000 population)

WW2 death

Military – 383,700

Civilian – 67,200 (the majority were due to bombing in the Blitz)

Belgium

Covid deaths – 12,907  (113.0/100,000 population)

WW2 death

Military – 12,000

Civilian – 76,000 (died in Concentration Camps)

Netherlands

Covid deaths – 8,028 (46.6/100,000 population)

WW2 death

Military – 6,700

Civilian – 187,300 (died in Concentration Camps)

USA

Covid deaths – 244,499 (72.6/100,000 population)

WW2 death – 405,399

WW1 deaths – 116,516

Vietnam War deaths – 58,209

Korean War deaths – 36,516

Afghan War deaths – 20,050

Iraq War deaths – 4,497

Gulf War deaths – 294

Covid deaths now exceed the WW2 military deaths in both Belgium and the Netherlands.

Covid deaths in the US now exceeds the accumulated deaths from WW1, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gulf.

Covid deaths in the UK now exceeds the number of people killed by bombing during the Blitz.

Perhaps BASEM should be focussing more on the Covid pandemic?

Amazing as it may seem, there is a world outside BASEM.

Joe Biden is finally the President-Elect of the USA where there have already been 243,797 Covid deaths.

There are 51 days until BREXIT – only 29 days after the end of lockdown (scheduled for 2^nd December).

Taking a cup of tea to your neighbour will cost you a minimum fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £200, for a breach of the current lockdown regulations in England, and throwing a party for more than 30 people in a private dwelling will cost up to £10,000.

However, if all you think about is BASEM, the deadline for signing a proxy form is looming and if you can’t vote in person on Thursday 12^th, you need to send in a signed proxy form by 6.30 today (Tuesday 10^th).

The Blogger has no list of preferred candidates. The merit of each individual nominee should not be determined by a political them/us – Democrat, Republican, Labour, Conservative.

So, the Blogger therefore suggests that you nominate the, much admired, immediate Past President of BASEM –  GRAHAM HOLLOWAY as your proxy, if you cannot attend the AGM in person.

BLOGGER Exclusive – there is massive interest in the financial collapse of BASEM in 2011, the EGM in March 2012 and the role played by the current FSEM Treasurer when he was on the BASEM Exec.

Was he on the BASEM Exec before the EGM Vote of No Confidence?

Was he still on the BASEM Exec after the EGM Vote of No Confidence?

Does this mean that ‘he left the BASEM Exec following a Vote of Confidence at the EGM?’

Can all the blame for the BASEM financial catastrophe be neatly dumped onto the 3 Exec scapegoats named at the EGM (of which he was not one)?

You can make up your own mind when the story is told in full.

Amazing as it may seem, the BASEM Blogger is happy to see anyone elected on 12^th November – as long as there is no conflict of interest and they devote their energies to representing the best interests of all the 884 voting members of BASEM when they are Trustees.

The silent majority and the vocal minority have opinions that need to be respected and the long-term future of BASEM is the one thing that should unite them.

When BASEM was at its lowest ebb, and essentially bankrupt, a modest individual stepped forward to take control of the finances, to re-write the Memorandum and Articles of Association and to end up as President.

He probably knows more about the merits of the individual candidates than 99% of the voting membership and the Blogger therefore suggests that you nominate GRAHAM HOLLOWAY as your proxy, if you cannot be at the AGM in person.

Dr Holloway will be as surprised as anyone to hear about this, but a straw poll by the Blogger confirmed that his integrity is beyond question and that his commitment to BASEM is unmatched.

The Blogger has no list of preferred candidates. The merit of each individual nominee should not be determined by a political them/us – Democrat, Republican, Labour, Conservative.

If you at the AGM, you will no doubt vote in the best interests of the organisation as a whole.

If you can’t be there, how about sending in a signed proxy form by 6.30 on Tuesday 10th?

BASEM Blogger Exclusive – The FSEM Treasurer has kindly asked the Blogger to explain how being on a BASEM Exec that recorded an operating loss of at least £152,000 in 2011, thus bringing BASEM to the brink of insolvency, can be neatly separated from a Vote of No Confidence at the EGM in 2012.

The Blogger is happy to do this and the story will truly amaze you.

The BASEM Blogger will never give you a list of people to vote for (what an insult to your intelligence that would be).

The name to put on the PROXY Form will not be anyone who is standing for election as a BASEM Trustee on 12^th November.

Paul Jackson denies all knowledge of RCSEM Twitter account, so many apologies to Dr Jackson for crediting him with this initiative. The BASEM Blogger must therefore take credit for pushing RCSEM into the sunshine – many congratulations to the Blogger!

Why would anyone want to be a BASEM Trustee now?

A Trustee is a permanent position in law (24/7), you cannot wander into a webinar and say ‘ there are not Trustees in this meeting’, proceed to slag off BASEM as an organisation and your fellow Trustees in particular, and then magically turn back into a Trustee as you walk out of the room. That is called a breach of trust, and that is why everyone who understands has been talking about lawsuits. Just being on the webinar as a Trustee and doing nothing to defend the organisation you are appointed to protect, constitutes a breach of trust.

The last Minuted BASEM Exec meeting was on 17^th August 2020 and most of the BASEM Exec were removed from office at the AGM on 15^th October by Roger Hawkes. This has been deemed unlawful by the Charity Commissioners, Trustees are not employees so can’t just be sacked, but a written opinion is still awaited so things can change. On 15^th October there were only 3 Trustees left – Roger Hawkes, Nigel Jones and Kay Brennan. They cannot make any decisions because the Exec needs 4 members to be quorate – great planning by the President.

Somehow, between 17^th August and 15^th October some very expensive London lawyers, Hempsons, were hired by Roger Hawkes, Robin Chatterjee and Nigel Jones. Unfortunately, the other Trustees (who were continuously in office from 17^th Aug- 15^th Oct) have no record of this happening at a legally constituted BASEM Exec meeting. This means that the bills, amounting to tens of thousands of pounds will be the responsibility of the individuals concerned. To quote a letter from Hempsons dated 20^th October:

“BASEM is a charity and it would not be a legitimate or permissible use of charitable funds to pay for a member’s expenses which were not incurred on behalf of BASEM on the trustees’ instructions“

Question for the Open Forum – who authorised the appointment of Hempsons and who is paying their bills (and how much money is involved)?

What would you put your career and reputation on the line just to satisfy someone else’s ego and ambition?

Roll up , roll up – join the jolly BASEM Exec – are you insane?

The Blogger has been trolling through all the Minutes of the last two years to see if there has been any collusion or conspiracy between the various interested parties. Or rather the lawyers have been doing that (The Blogger has better things to do) and a few jolly stories have emerged

Roger Hawkes and the PhD saga

Kay Brennan and the ‘show me the money saga’

Nigel Jones and the I’m a celebrity, get me out of here saga

These will all make great reading in the months ahead

Fake news – The Blogger will stop on 12^th November

Absolutely not, the Blogger is the conscience of BASEM and if there are any two-faced, Machiavellian manipulators out there, the Blogger will name them for you in the months ahead.

The nominee list is too long to shadow everyone at the moment but once the elections are over, the professional team running this blog will start to identify the stupid messages, flirty comments, idiotic outbursts, holiday postings etc from all the new Trustees so that BASEM members can get to know them a bit better. Social media is wonderful for that and if your whole public persona is determined by social media, you are in for a treat.

Once again, the BASEM Blogger has better things to do with his time but that does not apply to the genius running this blog.

Why would you want to stand for election as a BASEM Trustee?

I have no idea because you are blindly walking into a pit of sorrow that may permanently damage your career.

Fake news promotes propaganda – stick with the BASEM Blogger!

BASEM Blogger Exclusive! – RCSEM followers reach 253 – all thanks to the Blogger!

Just to avoid confusion. James Bilzon has never been on the BASEM Exec and could not have been involved in a Vote of No Confidence. It must, therefore, have been Patrick Wheeler.

Always a good idea to read the question first?

So, we had the worst PR disaster in the history of sports medicine when the Joint Position Statement was issued on 19^th June. Merger frenzy broke out and a democratic postal vote was launched of all the 884 voting members in BASEM.

67% of the members eligible to vote, deliberately decided to abstain consigning the idea back to the place it deserved.

However, the already hassled BASEM members went straight into an Exec election, with merger candidates everywhere and temperatures on the rise.

It rapidly became evident that the voting mechanism was fundamentally flawed, and this was brought to the attention of the Chair, Nigel Jones, in writing, by a senior BASEM Trustee on Friday 4^th September. The Chair consulted with the Secretary, Robin Chatterjee, and as a result of this dialogue, a decision was made to continue with the election in the full knowledge that it was faulty. In the view of the lawyers this constitutes a de facto breach of trust.

The election process was not halted by those in charge so, as a last resort, a legal challenge was mounted by a veteran BASEM member at noon on the last day of voting – Friday 25^th September 2020

The voting continued till midnight, but the results were not announced the following day, and the membership were left totally in the dark until the Chair resigned on 5^th October.

On 9th October, The Secretary, Robin Chatterjee, finally announced the postponement of the AGM and the plans for a new election but no one had actually communicated with the lawyers who were trying to establish due legal process! Yet another letter was sent to BASEM on 13^th October 2020.

Finally, on 20^th October 2020, a letter was received from Hempsons (solicitors) –

The last Minuted BASEM Exec meeting was held on 17^th August 2020 and at the AGM on 15^th October 2020, the majority of the BASEM Exec were informed by the President, Roger Hawkes, that they had been removed from office (leaving the Exec ‘not quorate’ and therefore unable to make any decisions). However, BASEM Trustees who were in office from 17^th August to 15^th October have no knowledge of the appointment of Hempsons to represent BASEM in any capacity and clarification is awaited from Hempsons in this regard.

The BASEM Blogger will be the first to let you know how Hempsons got on the BASEM payroll – ignore fake news and stick with the Blogger.

Up next – why would anyone want to be a BASEM Trustee?

The BASEM Blogger has been monitoring every tweet, blog and webinar and will be posting update for months to come.

So, the US elections are over, and the UK moves into another lockdown at midnight.

Twitter is on fire with pompous comments and fake news.

Writs have been issued – no they haven’t.

The Blogger is against a Royal College – no, the Blogger is a big supporter of a Royal College.

The Blogger warmly welcomes the news that Paul Jackson has launched a crusade on Twitter – just ask yourselves, would that have happened without the BASEM Blogger?

In the end, the people who have to be convinced are the 500+ voting members of BASEM who decided to abstain because the Faculty hadn’t done enough legwork.

As the BASEM Exec said in the summer ‘Why should BASEM devote time and resources to something that has clearly been under discussion in the Faculty for years? ‘

There is now a call for questions at the BASEM Open Forum and you might like to consider:

1/ Has any nominee left the BASEM Exec after a vote of no confidence..?

2/ In the last 6 months, has BASEM had to notify a formal breach of GDPR involving one of the Exec members?

Sadly, you may find that your questions are simply dismissed because they have already been raised with the BASEM Exec and to quote a letter from the President to a long standing BASEM member:

‘You have brought up the issue of disclosure in respect of the current elections. There are currently no rules in place that I am aware of that would require the BASEM EXEC to disclose prior irrelevant information to the membership’. (Dated  19^th October 2020).

I appreciate that we are not talking about criminal records here, but it is surely down to the voters to decide what is relevant?

Instead of obstructing freedom of information, wouldn’t it be much better for the BASEM Exec to be open and honest?

Young doctors can be naïve, impetuous and easily led astray. That is not a disaster, as long as they learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions. Living in fear and denial is a lot worse than saying – ‘I’m afraid that I foolishly ignored all the protocols designed to prevent a breach of GDPR. I now understand the importance of complying with GDPR and promise that it will never happen again’.

Not the greatest disaster in BASEM history, unlike taking BASEM to the brink of bankruptcy in 2012.

Fake news is everywhere now, and you will quickly establish who is blowing smoke in your eyes – stick with The BASEM Blogger

Coming soon:

Why the last election was declared void?

Why would anyone stand for election as a BASEM Trustee?

Here we are in the middle of the greatest pandemic for 100 years, on the eve of a crucial election in the USA, and all the talk is about a Medical Royal College.

A Medical Royal College is, of course, a terrific concept but there are clearly problems on the horizon

There are only 650 Members and Fellows of a Faculty (many living abroad and most of whom are not employed full-time in NHS medicine) but the Faculty needs at least another 1,000 members to stand any chance of changing status.

Mantra – 90% of musculo-skeletal medicine issues in the NHS can be managed by sports and exercise medicine

Reality – 90% of musculo-skeletal medicine issues in the NHS will be managed by physical therapists

The answer would seem to be to recruit 1,000 physical therapists into the Faculty.

The problem is that these wonderful physical therapists cannot be given a vote because they would then outnumber the medics and take control of the Faculty.

A Medical Royal College cannot be a Medical Royal College unless it is run and controlled by people with a medical qualification.

Simply put, a Medical Royal College will ensure that sports and exercise doctors remain in control of everyone involved in sport and exercise medicine, in perpetuity

It seems to have come as a surprise to some of the crusading doctors that BASEM,  with its policy of one member, one vote and equality for all, regardless of their qualification – did not jump to embrace this idea by a margin of 67%.

The Faculty President has placed on record that the Faculty can progress towards becoming a Royal College without the disintegration of BASEM so the Faculty now has a chance to sort out there membership structure and revamp the organization under their own steam.

This will also allow the 67% voting members to review their own options in relative peace and quiet.

They will then be in a much better position to assess the merits of ‘Medical Royal College – Mark 2’ or to reform as another 1 member/1 vote organization (BASEM reborn – Mark 2), if the 32% of enthusiasts really want to leave the fold.

Hello and welcome to the The BASEM Blogger.

Don’t forget to download your election proxy form today.