stewartb
I noted in the BBC News article on bank and agency staff costs in NHS Scotland this from the Labour spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP: “It is clear for all to see that a decade and a half of SNP failure has left our NHS facing a perfect storm of falling staffing levels and soaring agency costs.
“From soaring agency bills to lengthening NHS waits, the people of Scotland are now paying the full price of SNP incompetence and useless Humza Yousaf’s disastrous track record as health secretary.”
Strong condemnation of Scotland’s devolved government and a personal attack on one individual minister— ‘incompetence’, ‘useless’, ‘disastrous’.
So what must Ms Baillie think – or perhaps more importantly, what does she believe voters in Wales should think – about this?
‘The eye-watering amount the Welsh NHS spends on agency staff – in the past five years agency spend has almost doubled’ – from Wales Online (12 January 2023)
See https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/eye-watering-amount-welsh-nhs-25952985
‘The Welsh NHS spent a colossal £260m on agency and bank staff in the last year to help fill gaps in rotas, new figures have shown. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in Wales claims the spend for 2021-22, which is UP 36% WHEN COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FINANCIAL YEAR (£191.5m), highlights chronic and serious shortages in the workforce. (my emphasis)
‘Agency nurses, who are often paid substantially more than permanent NHS staff, are typically brought in by health boards across Wales due to high vacancy rates or sickness levels. Meanwhile bank staff are used as a less expensive alternative mode of flexible workers who want to work in the NHS when there is a need for temporary workers. The Royal College of Nursing estimates there are AROUND 3,000 NURSING VACANCIES at present.’
The Wales Audit Office on 22 January 2019 published a report entitled: ‘Expenditure on agency staff by NHS Wales’. Even back then the report found that ‘NHS bodies in Wales collectively spent over £160 million on agency staff in 2016- 17, MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE EQUIVALENT FIGURE FOR 2012-13.’
NHS workforce challenges have long impacted NHS organisations across the nations of the UK. Only NHS England is resourced by a government with untrammelled access to fiscal and monetary policy powers, a government whose policies led to workforce disruption due to Brexit and a government in control (!) of immigration policies.
However, nowhere are NHS issues more deeply and regularly politicised than in Scotland. Tory and Labour politicians are free to make political capital out of what have become inherent UK-wide NHS problems. This is possible because the corporate media and in particular BBC Scotland rarely if ever question them on the track record of their own parties – and their health and social care policies – which have long been the responsible governments for the NHS in England and Wales respectively.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I can only guess what Sarwar will be asking on thursday so Stewart you might wish to furnish our FM with the above to put them soundly in their place.
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Yousef must use English/Welsh data to refute attacks on Scotland’s NHS.
Every Scottish government Minister interviewed on the BBC should do the same, and ask the BBC why their data is so slewed against Scotland when they have staff in all UK nations.
Time to go on the offensive, when the Brit Nats and their media are themselves so OFFENSIVE!
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Sarwar at FMQs :
” Does the FM agree with me that , despite the unprecedented and colossal challenges of Covid and more than 13 years of Tory Government undermining of the NHS , we in Scotland can take some measure of pride in our NHS being the best performing in the UK .
My heartfelt thanks go out to all those serving in our great Scottish NHS !”
Or is he more likely to say : ” Pigeon droppings blah , blah , blah , pigeons , blah , blah , blah , pigeon droppings , blah , blah , Baillie droppings , blah , blah , …”
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O/T John , you really need to have a care for the well-being of your readers when posting a photograph such as the Baillie one above !
I’ve just had my tea !
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Find me a nice one?
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This tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds
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I guess Baillie knows only too well our unionist biased media in Scotland will not make that connection and will give her ,her party and her wonky abacus free rein to say whatever they like .In saying that the SNP leadership really need to step up to the plate and expose the garbage the likes of Baillie/Sarwar/Ross spin on a daily basis.
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BAILLIE does not think she gets email telling her what the English HEADOFFICE
Want her to say
She does not have the Intelligence to compile FACTS
TRUELY EVIDENT WHEN SHE “REPORTED”
That FASLANE employs 8,700 at this very small base
Where office accommodation has capacity of ONLY 875 personnel
Is this a typo from her or JUST A LOAD OF BULLSHIT FROM TAMED SCOTTISH LACCIES DOING WAT ENGLISH HEAD OFFICE TELL THEM
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Is she even Scottish ???
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An excellent comment highlighted again.
However there are further strands to the Agency story beyond comparatives which both Baillie and the BBC in Scotland quite deliberately ignore – To paraphrase Baillie, “It is clear for all to see that 33 years of Tory meddling has left our NHS facing a perfect storm of falling staffing levels and soaring agency costs”.
Reduced medical training and increasing costs since Thatcher in the 1990s, Brexit, and even the Tories screwing around with doctors’ pension arrangements, have all had a devastating impact on the medical profession.
Essentially SG are like everyone else, fishing for personnel in an ever shrinking pond – Even with the enhanced salaries on offer from Scotland’s NHS, you only need look at the number of general let alone specialist posts they simply can’t fill.
Nurses and doctors saddled with student loans were the start of the decay, suppressed salaries made it ever harder to justify, and who in their right mind would take it on in the times we are in.
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The Tory unionists (ConDems) cut NHS funding £20Billion from 2015 to 2020. Instead of increasing it. £125Billion. Scotland funds SNHS £13Billion + social care. A more integrated system. Life expectancy in the South going down. Thatcher caused higher death rate in Scotland. Higher unemployment in Scotland 15%. 20% in NI. Thatcher took all Scotland revenues and resources and lied about it, Spent the revenues on London S/E. Left Scotland in poverty. The Barnett Formula. Mis spending Scotland resources and revenues, Unionist banking crash caused by Westminster Gov lack of regulation. Reduced leverage and collateral. From 25% to 13%. Caused the Banking crash. Affecting the poorer. The wealthier got richer. Tax evasion supported by Westminster Treasury.
The only place unemployment was under 10% was London S/E. The Tories funding the Bankers who fund the Tory Party. Labour’s illegal wars, banking fraud and tax evasion wasted even more Scottish revenues and resources. Westminster bad management and poor policies draining Scotland’s revenues and resources. Poor pandemic management to concentrate on Brexit. Another disaster ruining the Scottish economy. Losing Scotland £Billions which could have been spent on essential services. Another unionist catastrophe.
Trident and redundant weapons wasting monies that could be spent on Healthcare. Now Labour want to deprive Scotland of more revenues. Wasting £Billions of Scotland revenues and resources. Planning to shut down Oil &Gas and import it. Scotland is already changing to renewables. Held up by Westminster corruption and interference on how Scotland revenues and resources are managed. Not to the people in Scotland advantage.
The next vast problem for healthcare is obesity. Healthcare spokespersons should lead by example or be held to ridicule. and account. People in position of responsibility should lead by example. US life expectancy.76. UK 76/79. Reducing, Japan the highest in the world 85. Diet fish & vegtables. Spain 84 Mediterranean diet. Sea and Sun. Better climate?
Scotland’s healthcare system would be even better without Westmibster colossal interference. Westminster policies, Autherity, killing people rather than keeping people alive. A burden on the poorer. Tax cuts for the wealthier. A broken system. Scotland needs self governance and Independence to improve the economy. Not Westminster corruption and lies. Kept secret under the Official Secrets Act. The secret Masonic society. Unjust and unfair. Illegally held up by the Royalty. Billionaires lecturing others on over consumption. Total hypocrites. They should all be taxed and obeying tax laws. The UK the most unequal place. The North/South divide maintained by Westminster. To benefit LondonS/E. Totally crowded and congested. Ruining the UK economy..
Devokution has improved the Scottish economy. Indepemdence will be even better. People who support it need to get out and vote for it every election. A higher turnout of voters. Instead of complaining. March to the Polling station to make a difference.
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The Tories increasing the Military budget £5Billion. Instead of increasing the Healthcare budget £5Billion. Killing people rather than keeping people alive. A totally irresponsible government. They will be voted out. The countdown has begun. The rats already fleeing the sinking ship. The Tories sinking the economy. Lying even more. Rotten to the core.
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