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BBC Scotland today, milking another single medical case in an effort to undermine the reputation of the SNP in government:
The family of a man stuck in hospital for 16 months have been told he could be placed in a care home 100 miles away. John Russell, from Oban, was admitted to the town’s Lorn & Islands Hospital last year after he suffered a stroke. His wife Teresa, 79, said she was prepared to care for him at home with some help, but his discharge from hospital was delayed and his health has deteriorated. Teresa, who uses a wheelchair and a walking frame, said she had been told that because John needs 24-hour care he could be moved to a home in Edinburgh – which is about 93 miles away by train or 122 miles by road. Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (ABHSCP) said it could be challenging to arrange care at home or find a suitable care home place in remote and rural communities, particularly for people who needed 24-hour support.
Big story in national media in England? Nope, just local:
Further down we see:
Teresa said she had written to politicians in frustration, asking for help. Scottish Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP, Tim Eagle, hopes to raise the case at Holyrood. He said: “This is a desperately sad situation for John and Teresa to find themselves in through no fault of their own and it is completely unacceptable that it has gone on for so long. It is inconceivable that they should be asked to move away from the community they have lived in for over 50 years, all because local health bosses can’t arrange a home care package for John.”Eagle is a mere list MSP
Eagle is a mere list MSP. The constituency MSP expected to deal with cases such as this is Jenni Minto SNP. She served as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health from 2023 to 2026, so will have good contacts and an experienced team. Has their expert advice not satisfied the family, told them what they want to hear?
John was an insurance broker. If he was any good, the family might have the pension funds to pay for 24 hour care, privately and take a bit of weight of a small cash-strapped local council? He was very good, owning a large firm with offices across the UK.
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And then!
Analysis: Thousands stuck in hospital
By Lisa Summers Scotland health and social care correspondent
Sadly, stories like John’s are not uncommon. The latest data tells us that in July, just over 2,000 people were stuck in hospital that were medically well enough to leave. Hundreds of them had been there for more than three months. Two thousand patients is almost twice the capacity of Scotland’s biggest hospital – so those beds could be used much more effectively. And being stuck in a hospital bed is not good for a patient, often leading to a decline in physical health rather than aiding their recovery. But finding appropriate social care or space in a care home is challenging, particularly in rural areas. Ask anyone in healthcare, and they will say if you improve social care it would take the pressure of hospitals and allow people a better quality of life.
‘Improve social care’, you say? Even more?
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Untrustworthy Lisa Summers?
And finally, back to Mrs Russell:
She added: “I just want to know he can stay in Oban somehow, even if that is in hospital.”
Wait in March this year:
Wife feared spouse ‘trapped in hospital for 10 months’ could lose his leg!
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I live on the Isle of Skye. This is an all too familiar pattern. The local old folks home was closed some years ago because of new “regulations” on ensuite bathrooms. Nothing replaced it. Elderly people regularly are expected to travel a 250 mile round trip to Inverness for hospital appointments, the local hospital having been downgraded to doing very little, care homes beds unavailable and you are sent to Nairn, a 300 mile round trip. So its not a “one story” it is an issue that the Scottish Government needs to address and sort out for rural Scotland.
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I have sympathy for anyone who is in the situation described in the article – but to suggest that this is an issue the ”Scottish Government needs to address and sort out for Rural Scotland ” , as if they could , with a stroke of the pen , resolve the Care Home crisis which afflicts the whole UK is naive .
We are in this situation because of decades of neglect of our basic health care services . All Westminster Governments have ignored the growing Care issues in a population which is ageing ; the NHS has been chronically underfunded since 2010 with 1.5% growth compared to a historical 3.75 growth .
Brexit has severely damaged the provision of Care workers from overseas with tens of thousands leaving as Freedom of Movement was withdrawn . This was addressed in 2022-2024 with over 200,000 non-EU recruits but actions by Labour in 2025 completely banned overseas recruitment on the Health and Social care Visa plan, and in 2026 the Home Office planned to double/triple the residency requirement for existing international care workers workers to gain permanent residency causing many to leave or threaten to leave – undermining much of the sector .
The Scottish Government has many obstacles put in its path by successive Westminster in its attempts to provide a Care Service fit for the 21st C .
Unfortunately , the media continues to highlight cases to negatively impact the standing of Scotland’s Government – and too many are taken in by this deluge of seemingly SNPBaaaad stories .
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While I agree that many insurance brokers should know how to advise on retirement and long-term care provision, the Russells’ company, Clayknowes Limited, was not large based on its Companies House filings.
As a former area manager in Argyll for General Accident, I think Mr Russell’s later trading name of GS Insurance Services would be as a local agency on behalf of the national organisation which previously employed him. This is based on his LinkedIn profile.
Sadly, some current and/or former business people in Scotland seem
to contact their list Conservative MSP rather than their local constituency MSP for assistance or to kick up a fuss.
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O/T apologies
Chris Bryant the UK NI SOS in his speech said that:
“We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who showed phenomenal courage across the political spectrum 28 years ago arguing for peace when another round of violence beckoned” .
The he proceeded to name those individuals “across the political spectrum” as being:
“David Trimble” – (former leader of the Ulster Unionist party)
“John Hume” – (former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party)
“Alf Dubbs” – (former Labour MP and now a Labour Peer)
“Paul Murphy” – (former Labour MP , Labour Minister of State for Northern Ireland with responsibility for Political Development, SOS for NI from 2002 to 2005 & now he is a Labour Peer).
“Mo Mowlam” – (former Labour MP and former SOS for NI).
“John Major” ( former Tory PM)
“Bertie Ahern” – (formerly served as the Taoiseach – PM – Of Republic of Ireland)
Then Bryant stated “and Tony Blair” – (ex Labour PM and also infamous war criminal post the Iraq war who was not punished for his war crimes).
Can you see who Bryant deliberately (no doubt) left out ?
Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein – online info states that “As president of Sinn Féin from 1983, he led the party through secret talks in the late 1980s and 1990s, helped secure IRA ceasefires, and signed the 1998 Good Friday Agreement”
And ……..
Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein – online info states that – “He served as Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator during the talks leading up to the Good Friday Agreement and helped commit the party to peaceful political means”.
Chris Bryant , behaving like a lot Labour politicians in him being spiteful and petty in his stupid Labour conference speech , in him omitting Sinn Fein’s participation in the peace process, as they were also those “showing phenomenal courage” in Adams & McGuiness also playing their part in “arguing for peace” that then helped result in that peace .
Chris Bryant talking of those from “across the political spectrum” while choosing to omit those that he opposed (Sinn Fein) , yet having the audacity to mention Tony Blair the war criminal, who had recently become involved with Trump’s fake ‘Board of Peace‘, which is now referred to by some people as it being more really for those who were BORED of Peace.
Who the Hell is Blair representing on this ‘Board’ ?
#Himself
BTW this is the same Chris Bryant who was involved in a Expenses scandal in 2009 and then also named in follow-up rows in 2013 & 2015.
In 2009 “Bryant faced scrutiny during the 2009 UK parliamentary expenses scandal for “flipping” his designated second home twice in two years and claiming over £92,000 in expenses”
In 2013 & 2015 – “Investigations by Channel 4 and the press revealed Bryant was among dozens of MPs claiming public expenses to rent accommodation in London while simultaneously letting out a London property he already owned”
But apparently as “No rules were formally broken during the subsequent rental claims under IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) guidelines, so then he faced no disciplinary action, parliamentary sanctions or legal prosecution”.
That is because certain types of scandals never really sticks whenever it comes to a lot of pro UK politicians does it ?
So what happened to him next ?
Well he was Knighted in the 2023 Honours list and is currently a UK Labour UK government Minister.
Also BTW – in 2024 Bryant admitted that “he deliberately wrecked the SNP’s motion on Gaza in the HOC by filibustering & buying his leader, Keir Starmer, time”.
However no doubt Bryant , like all other UK Labour politicians, thinks that he would have the right to pass judgement (critique) when it comes to the SNP , as a party and also as the Scottish government.
Brasso must be making a fortune from the Labour party aka the Brass neck party.
Liz S
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