More shameful reporting by the Scotsman.

The UK Government and NHS England have been sneaky again, as they did when they began restarting the clock for A&E patients, after they had been triaged.

They knew how the media feasted on stories of patients waiting more than two years for non-life-threatening treatment and regardless of the seriousness of the cases, threw money at them, rushing them through private hospitals and at the expense of other more important and shorter targets where conditions are life threatening.

From the BMJ on February 10 2023:

More than three million patients waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment in England in December, the highest number on record, show data for the NHS in England. In November 2022 a total of 2 902 274 waited 18 weeks or longer, and in December this figure rose to 3 051 661, the data on referral to treatment times show.1

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p332

All things being equal, in the same month, December 2022, you’d expect Scotland to have 305 000 but in fact it had only 20 448 waiting over 18 weeks.

14.52 times more, per head of population, waiting longer than 18 weeks in England than in Scotland

Source:

https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-18-weeks-referral-to-treatment/nhs-waiting-times-18-weeks-referral-to-treatment-quarter-ending-31-december-2022/

Also, not getting the MSM attention:

From stewartb:

Using the same SMR methodology, the RCEM has calculated for 2022 an ‘excess deaths’ estimate due to 12-hour waits in each of the four UK nations. The results are shown in the chart below published by the RCEM.

Taking the RCEM’s approach at face value:

• the total 2022 figure for Scotland is by far the lowest in absolute terms. Indeed, it is an order of magnitude lower than that for Wales and NI, despite Scotland’s substantially higher population. Scotland’s total for 2022 is just 44.5% of the equivalent figure for Wales and 53.3% of NI’s, despite its bigger population. The implication is clear: over 12-hour TOA waits in Scotland have been substantially lower in 2022 not only in absolute but also in proportional terms compared to NI and Wales.
• the figure for Scotland is just 3.3% of that for England – using a rough and ready extrapolation, based on population size one would expect the figure for Scotland to be close to 9.2%  (and recall, Scotland’s population health is commonly claimed to be worse that in the rUK!)
• the figure for Scotland is just 2.8% of that for the whole UK – based on population size one would expect this to be close to 8.2%.

These RCEM findings appear remarkable, pointing up substantial differences! And they are broadly consistent with the earlier evidence on the percentage of A&E attendances experiencing 12-hour waits in 2022 – 10.2% in England compared to 4.0% in Scotland!

End note

I think its worth noting that in its 3 March report on this topic, the RCEM makes NO COMMENT on the substantial variations between the UK nations in its estimates of excess deaths linked to long A&E waits! Surprising? Why are the marked differences and an understanding of possible reasons not worthy of the RCEM’s attention? Did its representatives in Scotland see no merit in alerting BBC Scotland to these remarkable findings?

Despite frequent use of the RCEM as the goto source of critical comment on NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, I think we can be confident that the BBC will NOT pick up on the Royal College’s latest analysis!

If only the majority of people in Scotland knew more of what is really being achieved by our NHS and our Scottish Government in the most challenging circumstances!