stewartb
Published three days ago in the BBC News website’s Wales section, there was this headline: ‘NHS Wales waiting times: Ambulance response second worst ever’.
On A&E waiting times we learn that: ‘When we look at major emergency units only, Wales has performed better than A&E units in England for seven months in succession, with 59.9% of patients seen within four hours, compared to 56.8% in England.’
The comparison between England and Wales is emphasised further by a graph entitled: ‘Waiting times in major accident and emergency departments. % waiting under four hours – in Wales and England. Up to March 2023. Figures for England are Type 1 major emergency units.’
So the BBC DOES regard such comparative assessments as newsworthy, relevant and useful – well at least sometimes! When will BBC Scotland publish a similar A&E comparison including NHS Scotland’s performance? Almost certainly never!
Source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65335030?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
To be ‘fair’ to BBC Wales, in this article it does publish critical comments from opposition parties. These include this:
‘Plaid Cymru’s health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said the Welsh government had showed a “continued inability to get on top of unacceptable waiting times”. He added that it raised “SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT LABOUR’S CREDIBILITY IN TERMS OF RUNNING THE HEALTH SERVICE”.’ (my emphasis)
Surely this can’t be the same Labour Party that has a certain Ms Baillie as a leading party member, MSP and health spokesperson who seeks to deceive the Scottish electorate into voting Labour as the silver bullet to solving NHS challenges in Scotland?
Talking-up Scotland 
RE. Ms Baillie and a ”silver bullet ” – I can think of better uses for same !
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Wrong silver bullets are for werewolfs, not beings that try to suck the life out of us. They are Yoon….errr, no they’re vampires.
Welllll…. maybe, I was right the first time
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Only “Scotland” news can be presented without context or perspective by G BEEB News.
BBC Hootsmon preferring the twin oracles of Delphi (Jackie Baillie and Craig Hoy) for their interpretation of the past, and predictions for the future, to any ACTUAL journalism.
Of course, respectable people gave up on soothsayers and chicken bone tossers a long time ago.
But G BEEB News in Auld Scotia really, really likes tossers.
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The Proclaimers dumped from the coronation playlist.
Is there any element of the crowning off Charlie where Scotland gets an involvement; a mention; a role?
Looks like the “King of England” is the correct title for him.
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It’s a flounce owing to the lack of interest in Camilla Parker’s-balls…
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Just thought I would post this.
Public sector net borrowing was £21.5bn last month – the second-highest March borrowing since monthly records began in 1993.
The amount also capped off the fourth-highest borrowing for a financial year since records began – £139.2bn, or 5.5% of GDP.
And they say Scotland is a basket case
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in energy prices, which was worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
No mention about the years the Tories have ruined the country
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Totally OT John, but on a subject you’ve previously covered on water privatisation – This on the BBC/UK page caught my eye as it is still only April – “Hosepipe ban extended to most of Devon” https://archive.ph/klpO1
I was aware of the medium term crisis facing London and southern England over water supplies, but Cornwall and Devon’s vulnerability had not registered, where restrictions have remained in place throughout winter –
“An initial ban, which is still in place after being introduced in August 2022, covers Cornwall and a small part of north Devon”
This new extension to the restrictions covers “Towns and cities, including Plymouth, Barnstaple, Tavistock and Torquay”
But it was reading this when I almost blew a gasket –
“David Harris, SWW drought and resilience director, said the ban was estimated to reduce demand by about 5%…. We understand that our customers don’t like these measures… [but] it’s actually the responsible thing for us to do at this time ahead of that peak summer demand”
Wouldn’t addressing leakage of 20% have been “the responsible thing for us to do”….
Scottish Water did, but they don’t have shareholders to pay….
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