Many thanks to NHS FOR YES! for alerting me to this.
From the above research paper published online today, in the June 2026 edition of the, peer-reviewed, Health Policy journal the following key points on the relative access of the poor to hip and knee replacement.
In the UK, where healthcare is a devolved matter, England and Scotland have different policies to reduce waiting lists for elective surgery. England is redirecting NHS funding to the private sector using commercial contracts, Scotland is expanding in-house capacity.
The poor have greater need and less access to hip and knee replacement surgery.
From 1997/98 to 2018/19 Scotland increased admissions and reduced waiting times, increasing in-house NHS provision by 18 % for both treatments and without recourse to the private sector. In contrast after 2008, England’s NHS in-house provision shrank by 8 % and 18 % for hip and knee replacement respectively and the numbers of private providers delivering NHS funded surgery increased seven-fold to 155.
Inequalities in admissions grew at two and a half times the rate in England than in Scotland over the whole study period. In both countries, waiting time inequality for hip surgery fell during the period of high NHS funding and low private sector use. A two-tier system is now operating within England’s NHS.
There should be a moratorium on all further outsourcing in England.
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The more people go private. The more others have to wait. If people took there turn everybody would be done quicker. Private healthcare uses NHS doctors and facilities. Other people have to wait longer as a result.
Hip and knee replacements are big operations. People have to wait until they can’t manage. Operations are all a risk and can go wrong. That is why people have to wait until they really need it. Major operations are always a risk. If the condition can be managed, it is better to wait a bit, longer.
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Excellent work TuS, and many thanks to NHS for YES who have their ears to the ground on the research.
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O/T
You know it is unbelievable and yet so predictable that the BBC in Scotland, via their political news team , are those who are so very slow to report breaking political news that negatively impacts Reform UK.
The National newspaper online has reported that Reform UK have now lost a third candidate, Roland Jackson, for the Scottish elections in May. That was noted and so reported one hour ago from the time that I wrote this comment on here.
I have now also just seen it also added 34 minutes ago in The Herald online and it has also been reported it as well in The Courier online 16 minutes ago.
Checked BBC website main Scotland page and Scottish Politics page –and there is nowt on it.
So we are not really getting all of the breaking “news where we are” via the BBC in Scotland , unless it becomes too obvious and so then too suspect to not acknowledge it, so only then does the BBC feel that they are compelled to add it as political news onto their website, after all they can always ensure it descends quite promptly , as an article , to then be gone completely.
I would have thought what with the multitude of recent promotional puff piece articles that they have added onto their website on the Scotland main page and Scottish political page in reference to Reform UK within Scotland , that they would then seek to keep abreast of any updated , as in Breaking, news on them as a (pretend) party……….
However TBF I suppose most of their BBC political corespondents will be far far too busy seeking out #SNPBAD stories to add onto their website , so then the BBC missing yet another breaking #ReformUKBad story is to be expected.
Liz S
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*corespondents
correspondents
Liz S
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Well Reform UK have now lost yet another ‘Scottish’ candidate….also something , so far anyway, you will not read about on the BBC website on either their Scottish main page or Scottish politics page.
That’s 4 candidates they have now lost since announcing them last Thursday as their candidates for May’s elections ……..is that a record or is it just bad or no “vigorous vetting” by them………..you decide……….I know I have.
Linda Holt , who made disgusting and disparaging remarks that some alleged were racist against Humza Yousaf , is standing down as apparently she has cited that she had “a lack of support from the party”.
Support for what ?
Not forgetting of course the disgusting non joke that Lord Offord , the supposed leader of Reform UK in Scotland ,was recently exposed for having shared at a Rugby club dinner…..he says he is not homophobic but the (non funny) joke material he chose to share , begs to differ.
Honestly if anyone votes for them in May they surely then need help with both their judgement and their morals.
Liz S
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Also O/t apologies
Here is another major story , not on Reform UK in Scotland, but a story that shows , via yet another example , where Labour , as the current UK government , are yet again trying to sabotage Scotland .
MSM Monitor posted this on ‘X’ today
“The UK Labour Govt has moved from simply favouring England to actively sabotaging Scotland. The blocking of the £1.5bn China turbine investment is just the latest example. It’s OK for China to have a stake in the Hinckley nuclear power plant and a mega-embassy in London but not OK to invest in Scottish renewables. The problem is exacerbated by having political parties and a broadcaster that are just English branches tagged ‘Scottish’ which means the decision isn’t getting the condemnation or coverage it deserves. London kicks Scotland and these branches polish its boots”
So what exactly does the BBC in Scotland see this as, in relation to it being a major political story :
Well they , the BBC website , have added this story onto the Scotland main page 19 hours ago “Chinese firm’s Highland port plans blocked by UK government” but already it is now the 11th article on that page. (It will soon be gone completely as an article on that page)
There is nothing about that story on their Scottish, checks bloody notes, Politics page.
The do however still have room on their Scottish Politics page for articles that are 1 day old, 2 days old, 3 days old, 4 days old and 5 days old…………
One of these older articles on the Scottish Politics page is “Sturgeon denies ‘obsession’ with gender reforms when Scotland’s first minister” that article, when you go into it, is dated as the 24 March ,that is 2 days ago , but on the main page it states it is only 1 day old ???………
Of course in respect to the GRR bill being passed in the Scottish parliament, we often have to note on here and also elsewhere that the crucial fact is that some Tories, all of the Lib Dems, the Greens and most Labour MSP’s , including Sarwar, also voted for this bill , which is not, for the BBC, a huge fact that they , the BBC, also want to explore and so then see as being, for other parties , a supposed assumed (by the BBC) obsession also.
Have the BBC heard and read the Lib Dems position on Gender Reform……they are 100% onboard with it and so they are 100% committed to it……….even more so than the SNP. However somehow most of the BBC’s coverage upon it as a subject (and other media too) fail to note that crucial fact .
Plus the BBC (and other media) also always seem to fail to emphasise that it was a bill that was passed by the Scottish parliament, where there were certain members from all of the parties at Holyrood who voted for it.
BTW I have just checked the BBC website again (11.38am) and the “Chinese firm’s Highland port plans blocked by UK government” has now went from being the 11th article to now being the 12th article on that page ( it’s going to be gone too soon is it not).
Also it is still not , as an article, on their Scottish Politics page……..
Apparently as a negative action taken by the Labour UK government against Scotland, well that is seemingly not classified as being political news !
Typical BBC .
Liz S
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MSM Monitor also posted that:
“UK Chinese investment. Notice anything”?
“Mega-Embassy in London – tick
Hinckley Point nuclear power plant – tick
Bradwell B nuclear site in Essex – tick
Heathrow Airport – tick
Electricity Power Networks in South East – tick
Northumbrian Water – tick
Battery site in Wiltshire – tick
Scottish wind turbines – cross”
So where is the security concerns in England with China investment ?
Apparently “The UK Labour government welcomes Chinese investment that aligns with national interests”…………..so when they , Labour, say “national interests” where exactly do they mean , location wise, in their use of the word “national”……..not Scotland then ?
Liz S
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Here below is another post where MSM Monitor noted that a BBC article’s headline misrepresents, and so then try to misinform readers, on the real problem of a subject that they are covering.
“Tabloid propaganda. The harbour was bought over by the Scottish Govt precisely because its former owner – Peel Ports – had refused to invest in it and had allowed it to deteriorate. The new ferries will have to wait for the renovation work to complete”
The BBC headline states “Delayed Ferries unable to dock at Harbour until 2029” ……….so what is the real story here , as in real problem here, that the BBC headline should be reflecting ?
BBC news still pumping out BritNat propaganda to try to harm the SNP while also doing their bit to try to cover (up) for Labour……..and for other BritNat parties as well…..or so it seems.
Liz S
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