My new home! One month in and so much healthier.
— Henry Tapper (@henrytapper.bsky.social) December 16, 2024 at 7:47 AM
Thankyou for reading this. This is my first public blog since November 14th. On Friday 14th November I was knocked off a Santander bike and suffered broken bones, a beat up brain and an inability to explain myself. These impacts have reduced over the past month but I am far from 100%. Were I an athlete , I would be considered several months from being fit!
But I’d like to thank the NHS for putting in help that has made me capable of saying Thankyou to them and to my family and friends for getting me back on my feet, albeit widely.
Although 63, I consider myself many years from stopping my job of making it easier for many to retire with confidence. In my room , one person is 32 and the other is 85. My nurses are mainly email , mostly originating from Caribbean, African and Indian backgrounds. Kings College Hospital brings us together.
It is delightful to think about later life in this environment. It is also good to share what the state and the NHS will deliver to help staff and patients to reduce the need to deliver results from work. Some , like the gentleman next door to me , is getting his maximum, others are already looking at dependence on the state for the rest of their lifetime, including the 32 year old who is on the other side.
The prospect of their financial products are secondary to their immediate prospects in terms of healthcare. While I read the statements from the Chancellor and Pension Minister about how Britain will finance the future, the staff of the hospital want to know they have the certainty to carry on working without worry.
I am able to encourage us all that whether working or not, we have a state that will fund our later lives and give us the opportunity to do more than the basis- voluntarily. It is encouraging to talk with people from Ghanaians, Nigerians, Jamaicans as well as Indians and Pakistanis and from other countries. They know their country of origination and consider now part of British health and wealth style.
I feel proud to have helped pay or King Edwards College Hospital, which I have benefited from. I am sure that there are other such institutions but I don’t have such experience. The experience I have as I walk down the corridors is one of smiles , hugs and reminders to be properly dressed.
I am beginning to have questions about retirement from fellow patients and from staff and I’m happy to explain how things work, the things we can do for ourselves and the things that Government is looking to do, to lessen people’s financial weakness in later life. I am thinking of these things at a very granular rate.
So thank you for reading to the end of this piece. I am getting myself back into thinking and am grateful to the FT, the Times and other papers but I have to say that I have learned much more from those who have supported from me and look forward to sharing my findings in the months to come.
Best wishes for a speedy and successful recovery, Henry!
Great to have you back on the pen, Henry.
But do rest and recover.
Looking forward to 2025.
It is great to have you back Henry. I wish you well for your continuing recovery but please don’t rush it.
I would also like to echo your comments about all the medical and care staff currently working in the UK, My wife passed away earlier this month very well cared for in a nursing home run by a charity. Post Covid, after significant local campaigns with very limited success and paying above average, the charity recruited extensively from the Far East, the sub-continent, and Africa on fixed term contracts. Prior to this recruitment even with the use of agency staff they had to close beds because they did not have enough staff, with the bed blocking consequences in the NHS. Perhaps it is was because of the quality of the recruitment and training processes but the overseas recruited staff are all excellent. Some are in the UK with family members.
The fixed term contracts now have limited number of months left to run. I fear the consequences for the nursing home and the NHS generally if they cannot offer continuing employment or are able to recruit on a similar basis.
Like you I do get asked for some pension guidance. In my case enquiries are often from the overseas staff, e.g. should they opt-out under auto-enrolment and what would happen to their pension pots when they return to their home countries. My main message has to be to alert then to their increased risk of pension fraud “scams”.
Wishing you all the best Henry…
Just to echo above comments Henry, please take it easy, take the time to have a restfull and stress free break whilst you are recovering from the bike accident. I know from personal experience it takes time, and can be extremely frustrating not to be able to do the things you want to do whilst your body is healing.
Good to see you pick up the pen again Henry and pleased to read that you are doing your bit to bridge the huge pension guidance gap! Best wishes for continued improvement.
Welcome back! I had not realized how much I had missed your daily missives.
I hope that those you counsel will also pass it on to their friends as we sure need a wider down to earth distribution network.
Henry, was only thinking yesterday “Have not seen any posts from Henry for a while. Has he retired?” Glad to see that is not so and, despite your problems, from the tone of this blog, sounding chipper. I trust you will rest and recuperate slowly and positively. Remember Romans 8:28 JP
Thanks to NHS indeed Henry. Glad to hear your feeling better. Speedy recovery.
Hello Henry,
Sorry to learn of your painful accident and your injuries.
Pleased to learn that you are comfortable in hospital with friendly and helpful staff.
Hopefully you will soon be going home and then ready to continue with your interesting blogs.
Best wishes
Tim Simpson
Glad to hear you are improving Henry…look after yourself!
Good to have you back
Seasons Greetings John & Martha
Sorry to hear of your accident Henry and wishing you all the best for your ongoing recovery. All best wishes, Jon
Great to hear from you, Henry. All the best!
Bloody hell Henry! That must have been fu**ing awful! Glad to hear you’re back on the mend. Let’s catch up soon before we both croak. Best Richard B
I am sorry to hear of your accident. I was missing your daily blogs. Hope you make a full recovery and will soon be able resume campaigning for proper pensions.
Very sorry to hear about your prang.
Given your absence, the Government has delayed the second stage of the Pensions Review until you return. Or perhaps it has finally realised that increasing employer NICs effectively sabotages the prospect of boosting automatic enrolment contributions? Anyway, plenty for you to write about…….
Haven’t looked in for a while, but pleased to see you’re back!
Hope your recovery is continuing.