The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland - a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson

By Professor John Robertson OBA

BMA Scotland is all over ‘Scottish’ media today with tales of ‘more than 1 000’ consultant vacancies, after deciding to adjust the published figure of 398 to include ‘posts being temporarily filled by locums, those not yet being advertised or those that have been empty for so long they are no longer being advertised.’

I feel sure all high-skill professions across the UK will have vacancies. The suppression of the UK economy after 14 years of Tory rule has made such people, often trained at high cost to the taxpayer here, more likely to move for more money to places like the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, even the affluent Arab states. There is little the Scottish health boards or Scottish government can do about this. Maybe BMA Scotland should try to promote more loyalty in folk earning between £100k and £140k and, in Scotland, only last November, awarded a 10.5% pay rise to live in one of the most beautiful, low crime countries in the world, with great universities and nice big houses at a fraction of the price in the aforementioned places?

What evidence do we have that the Scottish Government is doing what it can to maintain consultant staffing?

Here’s something intriguing.

NHS England spending EIGHT TIMES more per head on private consultants than ‘SNP’ NHS

NHS England spending EIGHT TIMES more per head on private consultants than ‘SNP’ NHS

What about the overall quality of life for consultants staying in NHS Scotland? Did the Scottish Government do something to maintain and improve this as strikes hit NHS England last year?

Here’s something else intriguing.

Why is Humza not being praised for averting another health crisis as English junior doctors say relationship with consultants has ‘increased risk of patients dying?’

Finally, is BMA Scotland properly representing the views of consultants? Their surveys of member opinion historically, have been deeply flawed. See:

0.018% of consultants complaining means ‘patchy supply’ of sources for journalists

Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/

The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116

About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brow