BBC Norfolk’s reporters are concerned about lack of space in one GP practice but not about lack of GPs in another. Mundesley Medical Centre plans to operate with no GPs at all and just one part-trained Physician Associate: Local MP, Duncan Baker (Con) is young, fit and on £93 000 MP salary plus being ‘a beneficiary of the MJM Baker Discretionary Will Trust, a trust with property and investment income (undeclared)’ doesn’t need the NHS, thank you very much: Why am I telling you this? As Anas Sarwar says ‘We don’t care about Norfolk, we want more GPs here!’ Well, … Continue reading A GP surgery with no GPs at all! BBC Norfolk are unconcerned

From the Scottish Government on 18 December but ignored by the media: A new income tax band will raise additional revenue to deliver high quality public services and support the social contract with Scotland’s people, Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary Shona Robison has announced. The Advanced rate band will apply a 45% tax rate on annual income between £75,000 and £125,140. Other changes include an additional 1p being added to the Top rate of tax and the Starter and Basic rate bands increasing in line with inflation. There are no changes to the Starter, Basic, Intermediate and Higher tax … Continue reading Scottish Government to raise £1.5bn more in income tax revenue than if it had followed the policy of the UK Government

The Telegraph front page for readers in Scotland places deaths associated with NHS strikes only in England and a London stabbing death alongside another ‘Sturgeon’ story. The first impression is that these deaths occur in Scotland and that, once more, the SNP have failed in some way. I’ve tackled the stabbing deaths already this morning at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/01/02/why-is-reporting-of-far-fewer-deaths-by-stabbing-in-scotland-not-in-the-public-interest-when-reporting-higher-drug-deaths-is/ The Telegraph report claims to have analysed ONS figures for England, Wales and Scotland to reveal 52 698 more deaths than would have been expected in 2023. There is, perhaps conveniently for them, no breakdown of the data for the three countries nor … Continue reading Telegraph reporting links England’s hospital and stabbing deaths to Scotland

Expectant mothers and their families are particularly vulnerable to stress and sensationalised media reporting aimed at shock, is frankly dangerous for them. The Herald today has the above report headlining ‘inadequate’ staffing based on recording at the beginning of shifts in neonatal units but only several paragraphs later acknowledging that health boards ensure staff relocation to mitigate these initial shortages. In 2023, the total number of midwives in Scotland had grown from 3 529 to 3612. https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/data-reports/may-2023/0110d-annual-data-report-scotland-web.pdf As for the ‘spikes’ in deaths, this is misrepresentation of longer terms trends within which their are fluctuations due to multiple and complex … Continue reading Neonatal death – Herald’s irresponsible misrepresentation risks lives