By Fraser Grant
The Scottish media gave a lot of coverage to Dr Michael Mrozinski who told BBC Reporting Scotland on Thursday that blaming Covid for NHS failings was just spin. This was eagerly picked up by The Scotsman (1) which then ran an editorial on Saturday headlined “Australia punctures SNP spin about NHS crisis” (2).
However, the Australian health system is not as rosy as portrayed by Dr Michael Mrozinski, as a Victoria University publication on 15 December 2023 on the dire nursing shortage (3) stated that “recent COVID-19 pandemic tested the resolve of many – if not most – nurses, with many struggling with the pressure to care for patients, even when it may not have been safe. Growing workloads and mandatory overtime are among other factors causing nurse burnout. It continued “despite the fact that the pressure of the pandemic has now eased, many nurses are still feeling burnt out, with approximately 28.73 percent saying they’re considering quitting”.
In addition, the Covid comparison is disingenuous, as Australia was one of few countries to pursue a zero Covid “suppression” strategy and completely closed its borders to international travel from March 2020 until February 2022 which was something outwith the powers of any Scottish Government. As a result, the total number of Covid deaths in Australia were about the same as Scotland despite having a population of almost 27 million. (4) (5))
The Scotsman editorial also referred to “taxes being at a record high”, but anyone in Australia earning $45,000 (£23,500 per annum) or above currently pays 32.5 percent in income tax, compared to 20 or 21 percent in Scotland, plus a Medicare Levy of 2 percent (6), yet Labour is committed to following the Tory mantra of lowering taxes while magically conjuring up more money for the NHS.
Of course, we can always learn from elsewhere, but just a little bit of research would show that Dr Mrozinski, who left Scotland eight years ago, along with our media is not giving us the full picture.
(3) https://online.vu.edu.au/blog/understanding-nursing-shortage-australia
(4) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(22)00231-0/
(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Australia
(6) https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/tax-rates-australian-residents
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Hello
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I think this gent likes a bit of publicity and an easy life. Sorry, I can’t do archiving!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/health/article-12176143/Dr-Mike-finishes-work-time-Australia-leaving-NHS.html
Note it says ‘Scottish born’, but it just mentions the NHS with nothing particular to Scotland or his experiences in Scotland.
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Australian two tier system. Private and public. Insurance.
Westminster Gov has funded NHS £125Billion. From 2015 and before. ConDems. Austerity cut NHS funding instead of increasing it. Higher elderly population who increased use the NHS more. 20% use 80%. The frailty of the human body.
Westminster spends £1090Billion. Covid funding £270Billion over two years. Much was wasted on fraudulent schemes without proper Gov scrutiny.
The Scottish Gov funds SNHS £13Billion + social care. Social care means older people can stay in their homes longer without hospital care. Residential home care £1000+ a week. . Hospital care £1000+ a day. The Scottish Gov has to mitigate the cuts. Lifestyle changes would lower costs. Average life expectancy 79 years. Spain 84 years. Japan 85 years. US 76 years. Women out live men 5 years on average. Life expectancy in the UK going down. Austerity.
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Dr Michael could always pay back his extensive training fees to the NHS to improve healthcare.
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Taxes at a record high? The UK raised £813Billion in taxes 2019/20. 2020/21 £731Billion was raised. Less. Scotland raised £89Billions in tax revenues. Latest figures. Higher pro rata than the rest of the UK. Yet pays for all Westminster poor, bad decisions.
Westminster spent £1090Billion. Much of it was wasted. Illegal wars, redundant weaponry, Trident, HS2, Hinkley , tax evasion etc.
How much was raised in Australia and spent?
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Covid is still affecting us all , we worry about it coming back we wonder why so many respitory infections are prevalent our government says austerity must continue to recoup the extra that was spent during covid life since covid has changed greatly so for Mrozinski ( is that really his real name ? ) to say its no longer affecting us is simply stupid or he is lying for some reason.Perhaps money makes people tell lies , it did before covid .
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Scottish media delighting in opportunities for gaslighting?
‘HOW COVID HAS DEALT THE NHS A LASTING BLOW’ : BBC News website (14 December 2022).
‘Long-term changes: ‘IFS research economist Max Warner says: “The NHS is showing clear signs of strain heading into the winter and is treating fewer patients than it was pre-pandemic, across many types of care.
“The real risk, almost three years on from the start of the pandemic, is that THE COVID HIT TO NHS PERFORMANCE IS NOT TIME-LIMITED. “Going forward, we need to grapple with the possibility that the health service is just able to treat fewer patients with the same level of resources.” (my emphasis)
‘A (UK) Department of Health spokesperson said: “As the IFS report acknowledges, Covid had a significant impact on the NHS, and we are focused on delivering THE BIGGEST CATCH-UP PROGRAMME IN HEALTH HISTORY”.’
And then this: Shah et al (January 2024) Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on NHS England waiting times for elective hospital care: a modelling study. The Lancet v. 403.
‘In summary, the NHS waiting list for elective treatment increased between Jan 1, 2012, and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a gradual service decline. The waiting list then substantially increased during the pandemic, but THIS SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IS LIKELY TO REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL UNDERESTIMATION OF THE BACKLOG because of the anticipated large numbers of people who have still not come forward for care. Even if the ambitious target of 30% increase in capacity is achieved during the next 3 years, SEVERAL YEARS (BEYOND THE END OF 2025) WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE BACKLOG TO CLEAR.’
‘SNP spin’ having a remarkably widespread influence?
On Australia and its Covid response: from Jaya Dantas, a professor of international health at Curtin University: ‘ Australia CLOSING ITS BORDERS EARLY AND putting strict lockdowns in place played a large role in reducing both healthcare spending and excess deaths, Professor Dantas said.
“Our POPULATION IS ALSO LOWER [THAN DENSELY POPULATED OECD COUNTRIES], quarantine measures were in place, testing and contact tracing at the height of the pandemic and then successful roll out of vaccinations … were all important factors that helped us,” she said.’
‘Source: ‘New COVID data shows how Australia’s pandemic strategy compares with other countries’ – 28 Nov 2023 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-29/australia-covid-data-on-masks-tests-deaths-spending/103160238 )
Do opportunities for gaslighting for the Union override journalistic integrity in Scotland? Too often it seems!
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From Little Things Big Things Grow
Gather ’round people, I’ll tell you a story
An eight-year long story of power and pride
British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiari
Were opposite men on opposite sides
Vestey was fat with money and muscle
Beef was his business, broad was his door
Vincent was lean and spoke very little
He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Gurindji were working for nothing but rations
Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land
Daily the oppression got tighter and tighter
Gurindji decided they must make a stand
They picked up their swags and started off walking
At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down
Now it don’t sound like much but it sure got tongues talking
Back at the homestead and then in the town
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Vestey man said, “I’ll double your wages
18 quid a week you’ll have in your hand”
Vincent said, “Uh-uh we’re not talking about wages
We’re sitting right here ’til we get our land”
Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered
You don’t stand the chance of a cinder in snow
Vince said, “If we fall, others are rising”
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiari boarded an airplane
Landed in Sydney, big city of lights
And daily he went ’round softly speaking his story
To all kinds of men from all walks of life
And Vincent sat down with big politicians
“This affair, ” they told him “It’s a matter of state”
“Let us sort it out while your people are hungry”
Vincent said, “No thanks, we know how to wait”
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiari returned in an airplane
Back to his country once more to sit down
And he told his people, “Let the stars keep on turning
We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns”
Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting
‘Til one day a tall stranger appeared in the land
And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony
And through Vincent’s fingers poured a handful of sand
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
That was the story of Vincent Lingiari
But this is the story of something much more
How power and privilege can not move a people
Who know where they stand and stand in the law
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
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Got briefly into a debate with a Scottish emigrant to Australia on the relative death rates, he being anxious to pin the blame on Nicola. When I raised the point about Australia closing its borders, the response was a denial that this step could account for any difference in outcomes. At which point I gave up.
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