As junior doctors in England begin their longest ever strike and BBC UK ‘stupidly’ mention the Humza Yousaf deal with Scottish junior doctors, the Reporting Scotland team present the counter-story they’ve been working on feverishly since Humza intervened.
They found this:
Well, I say ‘found’, they contacted the health unions and the RCN fed them this one:
Applications to join nursing programmes in Scotland have slumped in the past year, according to new figures.
UCAS data has shown a drop of 19% in applications in the 12 months up to 30 June.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called the figure “significant” and a “cause for concern”.
The Scottish government said it valued student nurses and midwives and that they received the highest student bursary in Scotland.
Latest figures reveal 6,450 applicants sought a place on Scottish courses, compared to 7,930 in 2022 and 9,010 in 2021.
Reacting to the drop in applications, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Scotland already has more than 5,500 nursing and midwifery vacancies and a workforce stretched to breaking point.
“This collapse in applications is incredibly worrying and risks creating a staffing timebomb that will pile yet more pressure on our NHS.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66001452
6 450 applicants? For how many places? 4 837, and it’s only 13 July with around 2 months for the many who might be interested in applying through clearing once they get their exam results?
Will Reporting Scotland be alerting the vulnerable and the elderly, a major element in their dwindling audience, that it’s safe to go to a Scottish hospital this week? No way. They can find out themselves. That’s not ‘our’ job as a taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster with a royal charter, is it?
And Jackie Baillie? What will she say, I wonder?
Talking-up Scotland 
From the constant negativity from the BBC and MSM in general of the NHS nobody in their right mind would want to work there. Thank for we have sites like this to debunk their scare stories
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Doesn’t it remind you of something else negatively reported in Scotland. Thinks! Ah, yes, FERRIES!
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Ferries?
There’s something wrong with the FERRIES??!!
I hadn’t heard…!
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Ha Ha Ha ha…….
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More than 5,500 in training. To cover any vacancies. There must be over 20,000 in training. Although some will be retiring.
4x 5/6,000. Years training.
65,000 nurses in SNHS. 42% of the workforce.
Nurses with family should be encouraged back in. 12hour shifts. Rotating. Child care. Straight fixed shifts. Help with childcare.
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Jackie Baillie’s continual negativity must be a cause for concern to her nearest and dearest. No one with such a dark view on all aspects of SNHS can be ‘well in themselves’.
It’ll be by being so cheery that keeps her going.
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Vaguely vaguely amusing to note the HMS James Cook links they promote in that “Union concern over slump in nursing applications” article
-9th February – “Nursing applications in Scotland fall by almost a quarter”
Again from RCN with guest rhetoric from Disaster Gulhane, Tsunam Baillie and ACH-him.
-19th January – “Five big problems the NHS in Scotland needs to fix”
A Lisa Summers roundup of the BBC’s principle propaganda targets.
-16th June – “Spending on NHS temporary staff in Scotland reaches record high”
Again from RCN and Hear, See and Speak evil.
The pattern of comparing intake to a year earlier tells you what precisely ? What is the significance of February or July come to that ?
To gauge whether BBC Scotland, Tory, Labour and LD relentless negative propaganda is having an effect ?
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It’s dire ah tell ye, dire, “Scotland already has more than 5,500 nursing and midwifery vacancies—to breaking point” blah, blah.
I heard yesterday that England NHS also has more than 5,500 vacancies, it has 130,000 vacancies.
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Come on , Scotland. We’re just not keeping up with our lordsandmasters here. That should be 13,000 vacancies.
Has SNHS no pride? No dedication?
I think Ms Baillie should be told…
(Extracts tongue from cheek)
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I wonder I wonder , if BBC Scotland will report the Britishers behaviour towards ambulance staff in Northern Ireland on the twelfth July , the Britishers attacked beat up bit spat at obstructed and hindered ambulance staff as they attended emergencies , the drunken unionist rump of Westminster invasion lives on.
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/07/13/unprecedented-attacks-on-11-ambulance-staff-in-north-on-twelfth-of-july-condemned/
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