In February 2023, University Hospital Ayr saw 63.1% of attendances in 4 hours, up from 63.1% and 59.4% in the previous two months. In the same period, University Hospital Crosshouse, saw 68.1% of attendances in 4 hours, up from 64.3% and 63.9% in the previous two months. In PM Sunak’s patch, NHS Humber And North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, the figure was 52.3% Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ae-activity-and-waiting-times-month-ending-28-february-2023/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ Continue reading Ayrshire hospitals improve A&E services for second month in a row

In February 2023, NHS Scotland saw 69.7% of patients within 4 hours, up from 68.7% and 62.1% in the previous two months. Despite cheating by restarting the clock after patients have been triaged, sometimes hours after arriving in A&E departments, NHS England only manged 56.8% in 4 hours. NHS Scotland is thus performing 22.7% better. Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ae-activity-and-waiting-times-month-ending-28-february-2023/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ Continue reading NHS Scotland’s A&E improves for second month in a row and is now 23% faster than NHS England

In the last few minutes from BBC Scotland: Almost three in 10 patients being referred with urgent suspicion of cancer are waiting longer than the 62-day target for their first treatment. New figures from Public Health Scotland showed performance against the target fell to 71.7% in the last three months of 2022. The rate was the lowest since records began a decade ago. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65174714 Only BBC Scotland is covering cancer waiting times and, of course, is not offering any context, in the way they so love to do with drug deaths. Here’s the context: From UK Parliament research briefings on … Continue reading BBC Scotland can only criticise the best by far cancer waiting times performance in the UK

In the 50 polls during the time Richard Leonard was Labour leader in Scotland, they averaged 20% support for Labour. Since Sarwar was elected in February 2021, in 28 polls, they have averaged 21%. Go home and prepare to return to the council chambers! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2021_Scottish_Parliament_election Continue reading Sarwar improves on Leonard by only 1%!

From BBC Reporting Scotland this morning: A growing pay gap between NHS and social care workers has to be urgently addressed in order to avoid a catastrophe in the sector. That’s according to social care providers, who say pressures on them mean around one in six patients in hospital cannot get out. A 6.5% pay rise for NHS staff like nurses and nursing assistants doesn’t extend to social care workers. The Scottish Government say social care has felt the impact of Brexit, the pandemic and energy price rises, and extra funding has helped deliver tow pay rises in two years. … Continue reading Why should Scottish Government help tax-avoiding corporations to pay care workers a decent wage?

From BBC UK today: Teachers in England will strike on Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May after members of the UK’s largest education union rejected a pay offer. The results of the NEU ballot found that 98% of members were in favour of turning the deal down. Teachers were offered a £1,000 one-off payment this year, and a 4.3% rise next year. Starting salaries would also rise to £30,000 from September. The education secretary said it was “extremely disappointing”. The National Education Union (NEU) described the offer as “insulting” and said it has “united the profession in its outrage”. … Continue reading Only SNP manage to settle teacher strike but it’s still not good enough

From the House of Commons Library briefing on 13 March 2023: Ambulance response times have risen, with the average response to a Category 2 call at over 1 hour30 minutes in December 2022. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7281/CBP-7281.pdf From the Scottish Ambulance Service on 19 December 2022: Red incidents [same as cat 2 in England] – Median: 10 minutes 19 seconds; 90th Percentile: 24 minutes 33 seconds. https://www.scottishambulance.com/publications/previous-unscheduled-care-operational-statistics/ Right, this is where having readers smarter than the writer comes in handy. An average of over 90 minutes to get an ambulance for a Category 2 call in England compared with a median of 10 mins and … Continue reading Anger as hundreds of thousands of Brits wait far longer for an ambulance than they do in Scotland

From UK Parliament research briefings on 13 March 2023, in NHS England: The 62-day waiting time standard for cancer (measured from urgent GP referral totreatment) has not been met in recent years. Performance declined between 2013 and 2018. Sincethe pandemic it has fallen further, with 54.4% of patients waiting under 62 days for treatment inJanuary 2023 (target: 85%). https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7281/CBP-7281.pdf From Public Health Scotland on 13 December 2022: 74.7% of patients started treatment within the 62-day standard, compared with 76.3% in the previous quarter, 83.3% in the quarter ending 30 September 2021, and 83.7% in the quarter ending 31 December 2019 … Continue reading Cancer treatment targets – Scotland is massive 37% better

According to the Scotsman yesterday: A top medic has warned “no practice is safe” after one of Scotland’s largest GP surgeries folded – warning it is “a tipping point which could spread across the country” and lead to the collapse of NHS Scotland. https://www.scotsman.com/health/gp-practice-closures-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-nhs-scotland-warns-top-medic-4089414 Let’s deal with the ‘folded’ practice. It hasn’t. From NHS Grampian before the Scotsman piece was published: Alex Pirrie, Partnership Manager for Central Aberdeenshire, said: “Inverurie Medical Practice has unfortunately, like many others across the country, found itself in the position of being unable to recruit new, permanent GPs and as a result the Partners have … Continue reading GP practices are safe – this Scottish trade union rep is not a ‘top doctor’ he’s not even a ‘regular’ doctor

BBC Scotland, as far as I can see have missed this important news. The Herald, above, had it on the 1st April but it did not make the front page. Important news: Twelve Scottish Government benefits including Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grants will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April, backed by investment of around £430 million. The Scottish Child Payment was increased by 150% in 2022 to £25 per eligible child per week. A total of 13 Scottish Government benefits are now being delivered through Social Security Scotland, seven of which are only available in Scotland. Social … Continue reading SNP Government benefits rise by 10%