The UK’s best-performing Health Secretary?
From BBC UK (and headlining in the Guardian), today:
Extreme disruption to NHS services has been driving a sharp spike in heart disease deaths since the start of the pandemic, a charity has warned.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said ambulance delays, inaccessible care and waits for surgery are linked to 30,000 excess cardiac deaths in England.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63486547
There is no equivalent report in the Scottish MSM. That, in itself, tells you something. Had they any such evidence of a spike, you can be sure opposition MSPs would have fed BBC Scotland and the papers with the story along with another call for Humza Yousaf to resign.
All things being equal, the above 30 000 excess cardiac deaths in England should appear as 3 000 in Scotland. NRS figures published on 20 September 2022, show 221 more deaths in 2021/2022 than in the 5 year average and only 143 more than in 2021.
What’s going on here? Could NHS Scotland, again, being doing better than NHS England? Is it because we have more beds, nurses and consultants, pro rata? Is it because our A&E service is 20% faster? Is it because we have a better Health Secretary?
Talking-up Scotland 
English stats are “British” and apply equally to Scotland.
Scottish stats (“managed” as required) are Scottish and therefore apply ONLY to us.
The BBC—News you Cannot trust!
English Health Minister? Nope, no one here with that name.
Scottish Health Minister–guilty as charged, M’lud.
Hi Jack–can pish higher up the wall, and that wins the argument says Britnat mejah!
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Can anyone name the English Health Secretary ?
It is re-filled , it appears , on a weekly basis such is its lack of importance in the eyes of the Tories .
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Is it Baker or perhaps Barker? At the time of writing of course. No idea who it will be by the time you read this.
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On the subject of statistics that you touched upon in the article.
Following on from the Camley cartoon suggesting the statistics for A&E being massaged in some way I noticed that Jackie Baillie had a post on Twitter yesterday on the subject of statistical output from the NHS/PHS being inaccurate. She had written to the body which regulates the way stats are published about one of the reports from PHS about NHS performance. She posted a copy of their reply which did contain some muted criticism of the stats but was not damning although her interpretation of the reply would have led you to think it was. Sorry to be a bit vague but at that point I was not paying close attention
Then on Reporting Scotland last night the Disclosure piece about the charges included an interview with the Transport Minister, Ms Gilruth. Almost the very first question was about their stats compared to the official stats and did she believe the official stats. That was the light bulb moment. Take these 3 items together all ocurring over a short period and it begins to look like a coordinated attempt to undermine faith in the stats released by the ScotGov and bodies such as the NHS/PHS etc.
If the idea takes hold that the stats are hot to be trusted that would lead to huge problems for the ScotGov and a loss of confidence in its competence.
Perhaps I am being overly suspicious/paranoid but worth keeping a quiet watching brief on this.
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Ledgerwood, I agree that they seem to be trying to sow the seeds of doubt as regards the validity of the stats. It’s a neon sign of their own desperation.
However, I would counter by saying the BBC Scotland especially, has too much “Form” over a long period time in trying to mislead its audience that anything BBC Scotland reports these days, apart from the weather, will always be viewing with suspicion by most folk.
As for the “Scottish Papers”, their circulation figures highlight how much they mean to the average Scot.
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Much if not all of the statistics published by Scottish Government, or bodies like PHS and the NHS are badged as “Official Statistics” (OS) – or “National Statistics” (there is a slight difference) but both are governed by the Code of Practice for Statistics and overseen ultimately by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA). The Code sets out principles for the development and publication of OS including that they must be free from political interference. In Government they will usually be produced by staff of the Government Statistical Service (GSS) and they certainly take the Code seriously and have their own management structure with the Chief Statistician at the top. No member of Govt other than the statistician(s) producing the report would get access to OS until they are in their final form (ie they can’t be changed) and at most 5 working days before publication. The idea that the Scottish Govt’s OS are in some way different from other OS is therefore daft.
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It never fails to astonish me that in a Westminster Select Committee forum we recently witnessed a Tory MP was accusing the CEO of ENHS about the failings and yet we have consistent calls from Tory MSP’s for the Scottish Health secy to resign for the shortcomings in the SNHS despite being the best performing health service in the UK. The shear audacity of these people beggars belief.
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Reblogged this on Patzi Winter.
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