By stewartb

Misrepresentation – with associated hypocrisy- from the British Labour Party politicians both at UK and Scotland levels is not new; it has become endemic; it may well have assisted Labour’s success in Scotland at the recent GE; and there is little or no sign of it being countered effectively at scale as we approach the REALLY crucial Holyrood election in 2026.

Meanwhile in Wales where the British Labour Party has been in power since the establishment of devolved government …

Senedd Research – the research and information service supporting the Welsh parliament – on 4 October, 2024 published a briefing under the title ‘Reducing the NHS waiting list backlog’. It reports on the present status of the Welsh Government’s plan (its ‘five ambitions’) ‘to transform and modernise planned care’, aiming to reduce waiting lists in Wales.

Source https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/reducing-the-nhs-waiting-list-backlog/

Here are some notable extracts based on latest performance statistics set against the Labour’s ‘ambitions’ set out in 2022:

‘Ambition 1: No one waiting longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment by the end of 2022 – In July 2024, 76,132 patient pathways were waiting over 53 weeks (more than a year) for their first out-patient appointment.’ (my emphasis)

‘Ambition 2: Eliminate the number of people waiting longer than two years in most specialties by March 2023 – In July 2024, 5,215 patient pathways were waiting over 105 weeks (more than two years) for trauma and orthopaedic treatments, 5,206 for ophthalmology treatments and 2,852 for ear, nose and throat.’

‘Ambition 3: Eliminate the number of people waiting longer than one year in most specialties by Spring 2025 – In July 2024, 36,511 patient pathways were waiting over 53 weeks (more than a year) for ophthalmology treatment, 30,640 for trauma and orthopaedic and 19,637 for general surgery treatments.

‘Ambition 4: Increase the speed of diagnostic testing and reporting to eight weeks and 14 weeks for therapy interventions by Spring 2024 – In July 2024, 41,460 patient pathways were waiting 8 weeks or more for diagnostic services. A further 5,928 patient pathways were waiting over 14 weeks for therapy services.

‘Ambition 5: Cancer diagnosis and treatment to be undertaken within 62 days for 80% of people by 2026 – In July 2024, 55.0% of people who received a cancer diagnosis started their first definitive treatment within 62 days from the first point cancer was suspected.’

In short, failed – and failed by substantial margins – on each and every one! Failure simply due to the actions/inactions of the British Labour Party government or to deeper, systemic issues whose origins and solutions lie beyond the Senedd’s powers?

Let’s look at cancer treatment in NHS Scotland at this time, noting public statements recorded on the website of Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, the British Labour Party’s health spokesperson in Scotland: ‘ACTION NEEDED ON SCOTLAND’S BIGGEST KILLER WARNS BAILLIE AS CANCER TREATMENT TARGET MISSED AGAIN (September 26, 2024) is the headline. Now it’s hard to argue with a ‘more action needed’ conclusion: it’s blindingly obvious and hardly merits the ‘warns’ addition. But in the same statement we read this:

‘Jackie Baillie said “Cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer, but key targets are still being missed. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial so it is nothing short of a national scandal that the Scottish Government has not met its 62-day cancer treatment standard in over a decade.”

“The SNP must wake up to the crisis it has presided over and take urgent action to ensure cancer patients get the swift treatment they need.”

Recall – In Wales (July 2024), 55.0% of people who received a cancer diagnosis started their first definitive treatment within 62 days from the first point cancer was suspected. So 45% did not!

On 19 September 2024 Senedd Research published an article with this headline “Eye Watering” – Ophthalmology Waiting Lists in Wales’.

It include this: ‘The former President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in Wales, Gwyn Williams, has warned of a looming “tidal wave of blindness” unless urgent improvements are made to specialist eye care delivery. ‘This article examines this warning and the actions the Welsh Government is taking to reduce waiting times and prevent avoidable sight loss.

‘The RNIB Cymru says the number of patients waiting beyond their target date for an appointment has more than doubled in the last five years.’

‘In 2021, an independent External Review of Eye Care Services in Wales was commissioned by NHS Wales and the Welsh Government. The review highlighted the need to reshape the model of eye care delivery and made recommendations for a sustainable future model.’

‘It has been 3 years since the External Review highlighted the scale of the challenge. To date, there has been no commitment from the Welsh Government to implement the strategy or to make significant investments to tackle Wales’ growing eye care waiting list. There is still no national plan to reduce the number of patients who are losing their sight while waiting for NHS treatment.’

On 3 September 2024, the Private Health Information Network (PHIN) published its latest private healthcare market report. On Wales, for Q1 2024 it reported: ‘Wales is the only UK nation where self-pay – where patients fund their own treatment from their savings, a loan or fundraising – is the dominant payment method.” It adds: ‘Self-pay admissions were at their highest level yet’ and ‘The use of private medical insurance (PMI) was also at record levels.’

‘When comparing Q1 2024 to Q1 2023, the number of admissions funded by private medical insurance were up by 13% in Wales. There was also a 2% increase on the previous highest quarter (Q2 2022).’

‘There was an increase in reported admissions in six of the top 10 procedures by volume when comparing Q1 2023 and Q1 2024.’ And: ‘Cataract surgery’ had the biggest increase by volume (375) and percentage (21%) of procedures.’

The BBC News website published this headline on 28 February 2023 ‘Record high hospital waiting lists increase again’. The article below quoted Labour’s Jackie Baillie: (again!):

‘Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Mr Yousaf’s disastrous stewardship of our NHS has made him the worst Health Secretary since devolution. He has presided over sky-high wait times in A&E, chaos with delayed discharge, skyrocketing cancer wait times and an increase in both outpatient and inpatient wait times. He has shown absolutely no ability to solve these problems.”

So why is the British Labour Party – governing with (only) devolved powers in Cardiff – failing to solve waiting lists/times issues in NHS Wales if the Party’s leadership in opposition in Scotland have the answers? IF it’s all down to ‘SNPbad’ in Scotland, is it ALL down to ‘Labourbad’ in Wales?

The British Labour Party’s rhetoric in Scotland – “national scandal”, “crisis”; “disastrous stewardship”, “no ability to solve” – is shown up for the hypocrisy it reveals as soon as the Party’s track record in Wales is scrutinised. The British Labour Party’s track record in government in Wales with devolved powers is an appropriate benchmark as we approach 2026.

But how many potential Labour voters in the lead up to the 2026 Holyrood election will ever read/hear results of such scrutiny relative to the numbers that will read/hear Labour’s unchallenged misrepresentations?