stewartb

“Winter is here and the SNP is not prepared. Waiting times are too long, corridor care is too common, and it will only get worse as winter continues. It is time for a new direction.”

These British Labour Party politicians in Scotland really take the biscuit, really are egregious and hypocritical when it comes to the NHS. These are characteristics the mainstream media in Scotland – the BBC, STV, The Herald, the Daily Record etc. – allow them to display without much detriment..

From a press statement from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) on November 21 : “Dismaying”: RCEM Wales demands action following worst October on record for A&E waits.’

The RCEM statement has this: ‘Another record month for 12-hour waits in Welsh Emergency Departments (EDs) is “dismaying”, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says as it demands more support from policymakers.’ (my emphasis)

In the Welsh context, the policy makers of very longstanding have been British Labour Party politicians.

The latest performance data for major Welsh EDs, released November 21 by Stats Wales, shows that ‘one in every seven people waited more than 12 hours before being admitted, discharged or transferred in October 2025’ – i.e. 14.3%. The RCEM explains that this is ‘an increase of 4% compared to last October, despite attendances only rising by 1.8%’ ‘.

The RCEM also notes that in Wales: 24.8% waited eight or more hours in October 2025 and just 53.9% of patients were admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours.

Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President for Wales is quoted: “It is dismaying to see yet another worst month on record”.

But why oh why has Labour in Wales NOT enacted the Sarwar/Baillie ‘change’ i.e. their much vaunted Labour ‘fix’ for the NHS?

And what about NHS England? From the RCEM on November: ‘It’s a political failure’: England’s EDs experience second worst October on record for 12 hour waits.’

The RCEM’s statement reports: one in nine patients spent 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from a major Emergency Department in October – i.e. 11.1% – ‘the second highest number on record for the month of October’ (NHS England does not report monthly on eight hour waits) and 60.1% were seen within the target of four hours.

Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine is quoted: “Earlier this week, NHS Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey, said ‘there’s no doubt’ this winter will be one of the toughest the health service has faced. “And he’s right: this winter is shaping up to be awful for our patients and staff.

“Long waits are already increasing, and so too are delayed discharges. It’s a deeply worrying trend on the cusp of winter.” (My emphasis)

And the RCEM president goes on: “At the end of the month, the government will be delivering its budget. The Chancellor has already flagged the government will aim to bring down waiting lists for planned care, and we hope to see a commitment to tackle waits in our departments for patients who didn’t plan to be with us. This requires a political commitment to invest in hospital and social care capacity, which has been missing for a long time and remains that way. That’s why it’s a political failure.”

The upcoming budget may be a ‘red herring’ of course: after all the ‘change’ proposed by Sarwar/Baillie for Scotland seems to offer the Chancellor and the UK government’s health secretary the prospect of a cheap, quick fix. Doesn’t it?

And from the RCEM on November 14: ‘RCEM welcomes £20 million investment to tackle Scotland’s challenging winter ahead’. (Candidly, it’s not often the RCEM frames comments on Scotland positively!)

It notes: ’Responding to the Scottish government’s £20 million funding announcement to boost social care capacity this winter, alongside its National Planning for Winter and Surge Pressures in Health and Social Care, unveiled this week (13 November 2025), RCEM Vice President for Scotland Dr Fiona Hunter said: “We welcome and recognise this much needed investment into social care.” (My emphasis)

It appears that the RCEM is acknowledging here an appropriate response to its own prior demand of the Scottish Government, made on November 4, for a ‘tangible plan for winter’. Rather contradicts the Baillie claim.

And for (often repeated) perspective, in September one in 19 patients attending an emergency department in Scotland spent 12 hour or more. In November the equivalent number in Wales was one in seven and in England, one in nine. Just 12.5% of patients had an eight hour wait in September in Scotland’s EDs whilst in October the figure for NHS Wales was 24.8%.

Yes, still too many experience long waits in Scotland but these are big differences! However, they appear to be of no interest and of no relevance to mainstream media organisations opposed to the SNP. And as a consequence, the egregious and the hypocritical are enabled to continue without detriment to their media profile.