In Scotland, in March and April 2020, attendance at A&E departments fell by more than 20%. The number seen in 4 hours, as you might expect climbed to 89% in March and 95% in the first two weeks of April.
In England, attendance in March and April 2020 was slightly higher than in January and February. Type 1 A&E performance fell from 79.5% seen in 4 hours, in March 2020, to 77.1% in April.
It’s looking like Scottish A&E being at least 18% better in April 2020.
Footnote: Is the fall in A&E attendance in Scotland but not in England indicative of a stronger tendency to identify with the needs of the wider community rather than individual needs and rights?
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“Is the fall in A&E attendance in Scotland but not in England indicative of a stronger tendency to identify with the needs of the wider community rather than individual needs and rights?”
I believe so.
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A&E attendances as with A&E waiting time performances are linked to ‘system-level’ level characteristics.
Could it also be that in Scotland people are better able to obtain assistance/re-assurance from their GP practices without having to attend A&E for ‘marginal’ concerns?
I suspect with many of these health system issues there will be multiple factors involved.
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Good point.
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I’d be curious to know if they keep any stats on reasons for attendence – things like treatment of sports injuries should be down and and maybe DIY accidents up?
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This is where the metric and database being used becomes really crucial to any comparative and causal assessment.
In Scotland at least, attendance at a hospital for a sport injury may not be counted in the data for the ‘main’ A&E centres.
Certainly in the Greater Glasgow and the Lothian health board areas (perhaps much more generally) many of those with a sport injury will attend a standalone, without appointment ‘Minor Injuries Clinic’.
These attendances are included in the ‘all A&E’ units’ performance data published on the ‘NHS Performs’ website but they will NOT be included in the ‘main’ A&E centres’ performance data.
It’s the ‘main’ A&E centres (equivalent to NHS England’s ‘Type 1’ centres) that face the greatest challenges of ensuring timely admission to a ward and having to cope with any substantial ‘bed blocking’.
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Forth Valley has a minor injuries clinic at Stirling Infirmary which is now called the Stirling Health Care Village or something like that.and possibly elsewhere in the Health Board area.
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The performance reports for NHS Scotland that are being highlighted today by the TUSC point to, among other things, the good health services investment and planning decisions on our behalf made for over a decade now by the Scottish Government.
It is ironic therefore to read today’s statement by Mr Alister Jack MP, HM Governor General for Scotland. Whilst in the context of responses to Coronavirus, he states:
“… where differences (from Westminster) have been more substantial, the Scottish Government have not made good decisions.” Well Mr Jack, the bigger picture certainly indicates the opposite!
There is another point worth making here on the statement. With so little in the way of a contribution during the crisis so far, I read Mr Jack’s statement with no little anticipation (!) – finally would he provide something insightful, something of real value to the people of Scotland?
Well no IMHO. But you don’t need to take my word. It must be the opposite of an accolade (!) when as far as I can see on the BBC News website even the public service broadcaster finds nothing worth reporting from this leading Tory/Unionist/Brit Nat politician’s statement. So there is not even rarity value in his pronouncements!
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leaving-lockdown-in-lockstep
The big test for his reputation will be to see if Reporting Scotland this evening gives him the public platform he will expect of BBC Scotland. Place your bets!
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So now the UK Gov is giving space on its official web site to articles from the Daily Mail – Scottish version. Ministerial code anyone?
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Let’s not forget to take cognisance of the statement Boris gave in reply to I.Blacford at PMQ in reply was
The SNP should concentrate on doing better as far as the mess they are making of their devolved NHS or words very similar but the intend still their to lay the ground for stripping Holyrood of powers
Who ever advised Boris along those lines will have to choke upon their own words
Soon
They are trapped by their own words and actual performance of the EHNS and each time as we surely will totally outperform them
In horse racing terms they are a 3rd class horse running in a 1st class designated race
No knowledgeable gambler would ever place a bet on them. As such a astute gambler know full well it would not be a bet or gamble but none other than a donation to the bookies
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This may be another example of the PM’s previous crass comments regarding Scotland’s public services. I wrote about this here BTL in February:
Source: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-10-30/debates/EE676E39-9A59-47E9-B17A-E7D8FB1A2D11/Engagements#contribution-16088310-3187-4256-A374-4A7D93AF7D6E
Johnson: “As I said earlier, that is why SNP Members rant, to use their own word, so incessantly about independence – because they wish to distract or to dead-cat, as the saying goes, from the lamentable failures of the SNP Government. He (John Lamont, Tory MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) is entirely right that, if this goes on, I think THE SNP WILL FORFEIT THE RIGHT TO MANAGE THE NHS IN SCOTLAND.” (my emphasis)
I hold on to this link to the Hansard record carefully for what may be frequent future reference!
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Scotland and NI covid deaths are not included in the UK figure given in the UK daily briefing – also worldometer uses the england and wales figure.
Are we independent already?
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