By stewartb

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has a press release (issued May 6) which makes a positive reference to NHS Scotland – yes really!

The statement has this title: ‘An alarming threat to patient safety’ – over a million older patients endured 12-hour waits in England’s A&Es last year.’

It goes on: ‘Figures obtained by RCEM via Freedom of Information Act requests, reveal in England’s major EDs last year, a staggering 1,148,666 people aged 60 and over waited more than 12 hours to be transferred, admitted or discharged. That’s over 3.5 times more people when compared to 2019, when the figure stood at 305,619.’

And: ‘Against the backdrop of these long waits, RCEM’s research calls on Emergency Department clinicians to recognise and address the distinct healthcare needs and conditions of older adults who are seeking Urgent and Emergency Care. It also recommends ‘front door frailty screening’ should be in place in every A&E to improve the care they need – something which is being introduced in Scotland.’

According to Health and Care Scotland (March 7), there are currently five frailty units in place in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire, Tayside, Glasgow and Dumfries and Galloway. The aim is to have one at every emergency department later this year.

(Source: https://healthandcare.scot/stories/4087/nhs-scotland-reform-prevention-frailty-units )

You may recall the Scottish Sun front page from January 28, 2025 (amplified on the BBC News website as I recall). Above an article written by its Political Editor, it had this headline: ‘If your nan’s not down, you’re not coming in’ and ‘FM’s A&E ‘grannie bouncers’.

From the full text in the online version: ‘John Swinney was tonight accused of deploying “granny bouncers” at the door of every A&E to turn away OAPs deemed not sick enough to come in. Rivals attacked the First Minister after he announced “frailty teams” will intercept older people arriving at casualty who could be treated elsewhere.’

We learn from the Scottish Sun: ‘… he (the FM) was attacked for his approach to elderly patients, with Scottish Labour raising concerns it could put patients off coming to hospital when they are at risk.’

‘Health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP must ensure that frailty teams do not end up punishing elderly patients by acting as bouncers to keep grandparents in need of care away from the door, but are meaningful support for older patients who are also among the most vulnerable.”

The negative framing is extreme – ‘punishing’, ‘bouncers’, keeping ‘grandparents in need .. away’. Crafted carefully to imply ‘concern’, IMHO this was and remains despicable stuff.

And now we know the RCEM is recommending that the NHS in England should follow Scotland’s lead! Will the British Labour Party government in Westminster adopt the same ‘tone’ in response to the RCEM’s recommendation to that used by the British Labour Party’s health spokesperson in Holyrood?