By Jim Mennie
The Meidas Scotland ‘Have Your Say’ survey created to gather feedback on Scottish NHS experiences — Scottish NHS: Your Stories Matter — has gathered over 400 responses in a matter of weeks and is already generating valuable insight.
The survey link – https://meidasscotland.eaction.org.uk/hospitals
Meidas Scotland -
https://www.facebook.com/people/Meidas-Scotland/61573925276612/
https://x.com/MeidasScotland and https://bsky.app/profile/sovereign.scot
https://www.instagram.com/meidasscotland/
https://www.tiktok.com/@meidasscotland
https://free-scotland.scot/
I created this survey after becoming furious at the sheer deluge of negativity, accusations and downright lies coming from some politicians and parts of the mainstream Scottish media. Enough was enough — if they weren’t going to tell the truth, then I’d ask the public directly. I wanted the real picture.
When I launched the survey, I expected pushback. I assumed people would be reluctant to share personal details (name, postcode, email address) or the hospital they visited. I braced myself for trolls, spam, or people refusing to engage. Instead, the complete opposite happened. Hundreds of people have chosen — entirely of their own free will — to share deeply personal, heartfelt accounts of their Scottish NHS experiences. What has happened since has genuinely astonished me.
These aren’t casual comments. They are stories written by people who have gone through pain, fear, uncertainty, and major medical procedures.
Many wrote with raw honesty, some with emotion that hits you immediately, and almost all with a generosity of spirit that I never expected.
The humanity in these responses is overwhelming. It says something powerful about the relationship between patients and SNHS staff — a relationship built on compassion, professionalism, and trust. And it stands in stark contrast to the bleak, sensationalised narrative pushed by Jackie Baillie, Anas Sarwar, Russell Findlay, Sandesh Gulhane, Alex Cole-Hamilton, many other political voices, and much of the Scottish media.
Their claims that the Scottish NHS is “broken”, “on its knees”, or “collapsing” simply do not match what real patients are saying. Yes, some hospital buildings are ageing. Yes, the system is under pressure. No, not all of the feedback is good, but the spirit, dedication, and care delivered by NHS Scotland staff — as described by the people who have actually been treated — is far from broken. The stories being shared paint a picture of a service that, despite challenges, continues to deliver extraordinary care.
This has become far more than a data‑gathering exercise. It’s become a testament to the lived reality of patients — a reality that cuts through misinformation and political point‑scoring.
It proves something important: When you ask people directly, they will tell you the truth, openly and courageously.
The Your Stories Matter survey continues to gather responses, with plans to publish a full analysis by the end of March. Early indications already show that the publics real experiences offer a far more balanced — and often far more positive — picture than the one dominating headlines.
5 examples from over 400:
| “Have attended A&E and several out-patient clinics in recent years at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. On every single occasion, the standard of care I received from clinical and support staff was excellent.” |
| “DGRI Dumfries….Breast cancer detected and operated on in 8 weeks. Excellent care and 1st class surgery. Ongoing checks from oncology staff. This has been going on for five years this May.” |
| “Writing on behalf of my husband. He was seen regularly at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he attended clinics and excellent medical treatment. When his condition got worse he was assessed and put on a waiting list for a liver transplant. He was only on it for 2 months when he received his transplant. He still has regular check ups and can call the co-ordinators any time if he has concerns. He received this 4 years ago and is in excellent health. NHS staff are brilliant and feel the negative rhetoric of some of the Scottish politicians should be ashamed of themselves. They are the ones along with the media who cause a lot of the low moral.” |
| “The Golden Jubilee. I was added to their list one year after being approved for a knee replacement at Edinburgh Royal. Once on the Golden Jubilee list, I was invited in for a preliminary assessment within a week! The process was very smooth after that and my operation was done a month later. The care and follow up care was second to none. Excellent! But before my operation, while I was still on the Edinburgh Royal list, I was offered 6 months pre-habilitation physio to prepare for the surgery. This was online with a physiotherapist. I credit my speedy recovery to that as much as the skill of the surgeon.” |
| “Kidney stones required admission to Forth Valley Royal. Scans suggested potentially serious issues but contrast CT scan and a subsequent MRI indicated no need for immediate further treatment. Care was compassionate, treatment was excellent, hospital was super clean.” |
| “I visited my doctor recently and he referred me to cardiology at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. I had a phone call and an appointment within a few days. I wasnt kept waiting at all and the staff were all excellent. Doctors and nurses are doing their very best with limited resources and the politicians should be fighting their corner instead of destabilising and demoralising the NHS.” |
Talking-up Scotland 
I can confirm the excellent standard of care and timely treatment at ARI this month. When I feel more up to it I might contact Meidas.
The constant stream of negativity in the MSM, amplifying unionist politicians, is a disgrace.
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Good to learn of other efforts to counter the relentless gaslighting of voters in Scotland! There is so much about Scotland’s national health services to be positive about.
What follows is from the latest report from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry (March 2026); report on Module 3: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/16164422/M3-report-web-accessible-PDF-NO-COMMENTS.pdf )
Para 4.118. ‘During the second wave of the pandemic, there was a significant increase in emergency department waiting times, despite fewer people attending, caused by the “dual challenge of the pandemic and managing persistent winter pressures” ….’ (my emphasis)
Para 4.119. ‘The Royal College of Emergency Medicine published a report, RCEM Acute Insight Series: Crowding and Its Consequences, on the impact of delays in emergency care in 2021, which found that, of those who waited 8 to 12 hours in an emergency department, there were 303 excess deaths in Scotland and 709 in Wales. In 2020/21, there were 4,519 excess deaths in England and 566 in Northern Ireland associated with long waiting times in emergency departments.’ (Given the explicit numerical comparison here, I assume these are ALL annual figures.)
Taking ‘at face value’ the RCEM’s method of calculating excess deaths associated with long stays in A&E departments – and acknowledging that such numbers of long stays and claimed consequences are unacceptable – these comparative annual statistics are remarkable when viewed in the context of the size of the population in the four UK nations.
(I would need to read to the end of the report to see whether the Inquiry reflects on how in future the rUK might reduce the scale of excess deaths by following NHS Scotland’s example. I jest: I have zero expectation even of an acknowledgement of a favourable difference.)
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