BBC Scotland find something they think is bad amongst mostly good news. Cancellations for capacity reasons are the only data telling you about performance and resources. Since June 2020, NHS Scotland has been staffed and equipped to delivered 97% to 98% of operations on time. That is remarkable, impressive. Cancellations by patients are not evidence of any weakness in the system. Indeed, they may be the result of wise decisions. They increased in March 2022 but, contrary to the BBC report, by less than half of 1 percent, a statistically insignificant number. The real news and the news for years, … Continue reading ‘Awesome’ NHS Scotland’s capacity means very few cancellations due to them

In Scotland, 71.6% were seen within 4 hours, down from 74.2% in February as attendance levels climb. In England, only 58.6% were seen in the same period down from 60.8% in February. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2021-22/ Scotland’s A&E departments though struggling with increased attendance, continue to perform better – 22.18% in March 2024 (71.6 is 22.18% better than 58.6). The figure for the PM’s local Hillingdon Trust was only 49.7 %. Scotland’s average was thus 44% better than that. Continue reading NHS Scotland’s emergency services soar above performance in England by 22% and 44% better than PM’s local hospital

THE builders of Glasgow’s flawed £842million super-hospital have withdrawn from discussions about faulty cladding that could pose a fire risk, according to official documents. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said Multiplex had advised that it will no longer engage in ‘without prejudice” meetings regarding repairs to the linings in the walls of the atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. It emerged in March that concerns over fire retardant sheeting on cavity insulation had been been raised to NHS bosses by the building’s main contractor. If a fire were to occur, there are fears that it would spread rapidly through … Continue reading Herald wrong on fire risk at New Southern General

Charities and the Scottish Government are trying to raise awareness of the symptoms of the condition in the hope of saving lives. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone What’s the current trend? While deaths caused by sepsis have fallen by 21% since 2012, thanks in part to the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, it is still vital that people are aware of this potentially fatal condition.  https://www.gov.scot/news/raising-awareness-of-sepsis/ What’s the Scottish Patient Safety Programme and how good is it? In January 2022: The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), introduced by the SNP Scottish Government in 2007, has been praised by a leading European expert … Continue reading Sepsis deaths are falling fast!

Old Firm match at Celtic Park, saying they put a ‘proportionate plan’ in place. Rangers said it was disappointed with the police’s response. Reporting Scotland at 13:00 on 02/05/2022 So, football fans rip up seats and throw bottles at each other? In any normal country, the state broadcaster would first criticise the violent behaviour of the fans and the culture of the clubs but in Scotland where Police Scotland can be used as a proxy for the SNP Government, things are different. They come at every story that way with barely a pause to think. Continue reading 99.9% of Reporting Scotland viewers more disappointed in the fans than the police?

A record 2.7 million people were referred for cancer checks in the last year according to NHS England. It comes after a dramatic fall during the pandemic. BBC 1 News at 13:00 today 2nd May 2022 England has 10 times the population so all things being equal you’d expect around 270 000 referrals in Scotland but there were only around 50 000 in 2021. Even the USA with more than five times the population of England had only 1.8 million in 2020. We’ve seen dodgy stats from NHS England before on, for example, A&E waiting times. I await the correction … Continue reading Really?

A freedom of information request was required for the Guardian to be able to reveal that there were only 21 554 dentists providing NHS care in England at the end of 2021. In the same year, the Press and Journal could reveal, yet misunderstand, without needing an FoI: In 2021, there were 3,703 dentists working for the NHS in Scotland, an increase of 29 from 2019. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/3859095/nhs-dentists-increase-across-scotland-despite-perilous-situation-faced-by-practices/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20there%20were%203%2C703,increase%20of%2029%20from%202019. Regular readers will remember that England has 10 times the population and so, all things being equal, should have 37 000 dentists but has only 21 000. So, Scotland has a dentist for … Continue reading NHS Scotland has 77% more dentists, not counting Anas Sarwar

Discharges from hospitals to care homes, in Scotland, were made by professionals in both locations with a view to saving lives. The Scottish Government did not interfere other than to remind care homes of their longstanding responsibilities to protect residents by implementing the isolation procedures they should have had ready after decades of flu outbreaks. The Scottish health secretary, contrary to her English equivalent, ensured earlier vaccination in care homes, in line with the JCVI guidance, to do so before all other groups and, consequently achieve a far lower death rate: The above graph revealing starkly the cost in lives … Continue reading Jeanne Freeman’s quick action saved many lives in care homes

..has done little to cut drink-related harm. The free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, said alcohol consumption had fallen slightly since minimum pricing was introduced in Scotland in 2018 but claimed there was no evidence that people’s health was improving. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001732t/reporting-scotland-evening-news-01052022 The IEA is at least identified as ‘free-market’ but, typically, Reporting Scotland forget to offer the readily available evidence to counter the claims of a group funded by the tobacco industry and in favour of abolishing the NHS. Here’s what the Lancet had to say in May 2021: The evidence base supporting the positive, targeted impact of … Continue reading Minimum pricing cannot be judged by pandemic experience