stewartb

You may not need or want yet another case study of the BBC’s ‘distinctive’ editorial practices when it comes to news coverage of public policy matters in Scotland. However, candidly, as an exemplar this takes some beating!

The BBC’s coverage today (8 June) of a new report on NHS cancer care makes much of the fact that the problems are found in all four nations of the UK. The BBC News website has this headline: ‘NHS struggling to provide safe cancer care, say senior doctors’.

And we are told: ‘The Royal College of Radiologists is warning that all four UK nations are facing “chronic staff shortages”, with patients waiting too long for vital tests and treatments. Half of all cancer units are now reporting frequent delays for both radiotherapy and chemotherapy.’

Despite the stark findings and despite the prominence the BBC News website is giving to them, the online coverage contains zero references – zero quotations – from opposition politicians. (Dr Gulhane and Ms Baillie unavailable when the BBC called?)

At the bottom of its online article, the BBC provides a link to an earlier piece (dated 4 April) entitled: ‘Scottish cancer waiting times performance at record low’. Here we learn that: ‘Almost three in 10 patients being referred with urgent suspicion of cancer are waiting longer than the 62-day target for their first treatment.’

So c. 70% of NHS cancer patients in Scotland are receiving their first treatment within the 62-day target.

Back to the BBC News article today (8 June) – the one, recall, that is politics free. This reports a figure for meeting the 62-day target of 72% for Scotland and reveals that the comparable figure for England is 61%, for Wales is 55% and NI 37%.

However, back on 4 April, the BBC News article on cancer waits in NHS Scotland opts to share the following with readers – recall, this is the BBC’s coverage of the NHS which is performing AT LEAST 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS BETTER THAN its peers:

‘Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figures were horrendous. “It is BEYOND DISGRACEFUL that almost a third of patients are not starting treatment within two months,” he said. “That will only be having a DEVASTATING IMPACT ON THEIR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL.” (my emphasis)

‘Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said it was SHAMEFUL THAT no health board was meeting the standard. “After 10 years and four failed SNP cancer plans, it is clear that this is a government out of ideas and ENDANGERING LIVES,” she said.’

The hypocrisy of these two politicians and their parties is palpable – again! What more negative adjectives would they deem appropriate to apply to their own parties in government in England and Wales respectively where on cancer waits the NHS is performing SO MUCH WORSE than NHS Scotland?

I have no expectation now of anything different from the Tories and Labour in Scotland. But we all have a right to demand better journalism – more equitable, less biased editorial practices – from the PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTER.

But again I have little expectation of the BBC changing. Alerting the public in Scotland to media biases so that more and more voters here can form judgements that are not unduly influenced by such biases and gaslighting is probably more tractable.

‘All power to Talking. Up Scotland’s elbow!’