From BBC Scotland today: Jim Trodden was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert with a torn artery last June. He died there five months later. Members of the 68-year-old’s large extended family were with him every day. Jim, who was a leading oil industry safety expert, told them about the problems he could see around him. The family took notes on the pressures facing medics. Overcrowding, staff shortages and a relentless demand were just some of the observations. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64841532 It’s not clear how the family came to contact BBC Scotland. That should be made clear. Did they first … Continue reading Why one patient’s fears exploited by BBC Scotland’s ‘ambulance-chasers’ cannot conceal that a Scottish hospital is safe and getting safer

As in my other poll this morning, a self-selecting and small sample from a largely Yes-supporting following of more than 9 000, so no better than those done by the BMA, the RCG and any other RCs, largely accepted as valid on Reporting Scotland. At 250 responses, only 7 or 8 times bigger than one of those Sarah Smith in Buchanan Street vox pops which managed to only find angry Unionists. As in the properly sampled polls it’s clearly still too close to call. On 3rd March, Savanta ComRes had Yousaf 46%, Forbes 37% and Regan 17% whereas earlier, in … Continue reading No clear winner?

I know, a self-selecting and small sample from a largely Yes-supporting following of more than 9 000, so no better than those done by the BMA, the RCG and any other RCs, largely accepted as valid on Reporting Scotland. At 353 responses, only 10 times bigger than one of those Sarah Smith in Buchanan Street vox pops which managed to only find angry Unionists. But, isn’t the result quite a bit different from that which you might expect if you’ve been watching the gleeful mainstream media reports? Forced to choose, though more ‘the same’, I’d have said ‘stronger’ too. I … Continue reading Snap Poll: After the STV leader debate likelihood of voting SNP may actually be stronger

From BBC UK tonight, put in order: In Scotland, the latest quarterly data shows that 75% of those referred started cancer treatment within 62 days – the worst figures since the standard was set in 2012. OMG! Maybe we shouldn’t read on? In England, in December 2022, 61.8% of patients started treatment within 62-days, up slightly from 61% the previous month. While in Wales, performance has deteriorated over the last year, with just over half of all patients now starting their first treatment within two months of cancer first being suspected. In Northern Ireland, just 40% of cancer patients started treatment within the 62 … Continue reading Cancer treatment waiting times – NHS Scotland 21% to 87% faster than non-Scottish parts of UK

stewartb On the British Medical Association’s website, there is a brief article (28 February 2023) on a GP surgery in the Ayrshire town of Largs . I think it merits a bit of amplification btl here. See https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/services-are-in-crisis-and-there-s-a-finite-resource ‘GPs are working under greater pressure than ever before, but added to this is A TOXIC MEDIA CLIMATE and A RISING TIDE OF ABUSE FROM A MINORITY OF PATIENTS.’ (my emphasis) The BMA piece notes: ‘The vast majority of healthcare in the town and its surrounds is delivered by Largs Medical Practice, which offers a wide array of services, thanks in part to … Continue reading Largs: The town where both GPs and ferries are working!

From Public Health Scotland (PHS) today, 81.1% of people started their treatment within 18 weeks of referral, compared to 80.7% of people for the previous quarter and up from below 80% in 2018. In November 2022, BBC Scotland chose not to inform their audience of anything useful and went instead for ‘We waited three years to see a psychiatrist’, the story of three patients: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-63621681 Continue reading Psychological therapies waiting times steady above pre-pandemic level and close to target

In November 2022, South Scotland Regional List MSPs Sharon Dowey (Con) and Colin Smyth (Lab), told the Daily Record how Humza Yousaf should be sacked for his ‘mismanagement’ of the ‘lengthy waiting times.’ Dowey has been in the Record so frequently, they might have to give her a contract, yet today, as Public Health Scotland report on cancelled planned operations in Ayrshire & Arran, she’s not to be found. Why? In January 2023, Ayrshire & Arran, had 1 235 scheduled operations, up from 1145 in December 2022 yet cancelled operations overall fell from 184 in November, 182 in December, to … Continue reading Will South Scotland unelected MSPs praise Health Secretary as cancelled ops plummet in Ayrshire & Arran?

You won’t find in the above scare story about a supposed failure, based on what ‘builders’ say, in the future to meet affordable housing targets, any context such as how well the SNP Government is doing compared to the others in the UK. Here it is: From the Scottish Government in October 2022: Across the 14 years between 2007/08 and 2020/21, the annual average supply of affordable housing per head of population in Scotland has been 13.9 homes per 10,000 population, higher than England (9.7 homes per 10,000 population), Wales (8.0 homes per 10,000 population), and Northern Ireland (13.0 homes … Continue reading Scotland leads the way on affordable housing and fighting homelessness