From BBC UK yesterday:
The health secretary has invited the Welsh and Scottish governments to discuss how best to tackle NHS waiting lists, as millions wait for hospital treatment across the UK.
Steve Barclay accused them of having worse delays than England in some cases – but they disputed the figures.
Mr Barclay also said he was open to Scottish and Welsh patients being treated in England.
The government said under Labour in Wales more than 73,000 people have been waiting at least 77 weeks for treatment, and under the SNP in Scotland more than 21,600 people have been waiting over 78 weeks for outpatient, day-case or inpatient appointments.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66490038
And today:
Two-thirds of NHS cancer waiting time targets are expected to be scrapped in England, in a move the health service says aims to catch cancers earlier.
NHS bosses want to reduce the number of targets, most of which have been routinely missed in recent years, from nine to three.
They say the plan is backed by leading cancer experts and will simplify the “outdated” standards.
But the head of the Radiotherapy UK charity said she is “deeply worried”.
Pat Price, who is also an oncologist and visiting professor at Imperial College London, said current performance was “shockingly bad”, and while too many targets could be disruptive, “the clear and simple truth is that we are not investing enough in cancer treatment capacity”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66494983
So, on cancer waiting times why might Scotland want to not that politely want to reject the offer of help and the advice on just dumping the targets?
This:
BBC Health today, based on the above data, is telling us:
NHS services across the whole UK have been struggling to meet cancer targets since well before Covid.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65764755
The differences are greater.
They have been careful to include NHS England’s improvement in March 2023, to 64% starting treatment within the target 64 days, from only 54.4% in December 2022, but have then compared that with the NHS Scotland figure for December 2022.
The correct, fair comparison would be 72% with 54.4%, a 16.6% gap and thus 30.5% better than the 54.4% figure.
Remember, that difference meant around 4 000 patients seen within target in Scotland and around 40 000 waiting beyond the target in England.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Lies, damn lies and statistics!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, but ….. see that wee uptick at the end of the England data? That PROVES England is doing better. It’s improving, but youse Jocks is getting worser.
LikeLiked by 1 person
THE TORIES COOKING THE BOOKS TO HIDE INCOMPETENCE
A COMPARISON IS ONLY HONEST IF DATES ARE ACCARATE AND COMPARED FOR SAME PERIOD
LikeLike
The false comparisons continued on BBC Radio 4’s World at One today and were swiftly put to bed by the Welsh Health Minister. She pointed out the data inconsistencies used by the Tories to enhance the English stats: in Wales they include diagnostics and therapies but these aren’t counted in Waiting Times in England (we’ve also been on the receiving end of this tactic with A&E times). She also exploded Steve Barclay’s claim that “considerably more patients from Wales were now being treated in English hospitals.” Again Barclay has used inconsistent data: the Welsh figures he used were from 2020-21 (when Covid had over-run NHS Wales). However in recent months there’s been an increase of 55% in English residents being treated in Welsh hospitals due to the increases in waiting times in HNS England. Given Steve Barclay’s track record with Brexit, shameless lying obviously comes easily to him, but why does nobody in the BBC challenge his statements when they can be disproven very quickly?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bluntly Barclay is playing to an England audience, trying to make out England’s NHS is the best in the UK.
It does part explain the utterly bonkers Gulhane piece fed via McArdle in the Herald, the ability to lie with ease will surely get HQ’s attention, after all it worked for DRoss and the Disabled Seaman.
LikeLike
Latest offering from ScotTories today:
The SNP’s repeated failure to meet their own A&E waiting times target has led to almost 2,000 avoidable deaths since 2018.
It’s time they scrapped Humza Yousaf’s flimsy recovery plan, and backed our vision for a modern and efficient health service that works for Scotland.
LikeLike