Tag: health

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As twice as many wait more than 12 hours in NHS England’s A&E, Jackie Baillie rides the Scotsman off its readership cliff again

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Scottish Labour’s unhealthy spokesperson seem to be a columnist at the Unhealthy Scotsman these days. Today, further riding the Scotsman off its readership cliff, she has: The shocking figures that reveal how bad Scotland’s A&E crisis has got under SNP – Jackie Baillie Emergency departments in two flagship hospitals can sometimes be forced to deal with more than double or triple the number of patients they are designed to treat And then this sickly rib-tickler Candour is so important in politics. Voters deserve to hear the truth from those in power and to know they understand their duty to get … Continue reading As twice as many wait more than 12 hours in NHS England’s A&E, Jackie Baillie rides the Scotsman off its readership cliff again

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As NHS England’s Fonagy review into mental health support reveals a ‘dire lack of support’ how NHS Scotland hit 90% or more target for 8th time in a row

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In the Guardian today, we hear of  ‘an inquiry into England’s ever-extending waiting lists for the diagnosis of mental illness and neurodevelopmental conditions, and the dire lack of support for people who experience one or both of them.’ BBC Scotland relies on another RCEM Scotland claim that A&E doctors are ‘completely terrified‘ in Scotland yet not so in England where the more than 12 hour waits strongly associated with excess death are twice as comon. This is, of course, is fully swept under the Editor’s carpet: From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times Quarter ending June 2026 … Continue reading As NHS England’s Fonagy review into mental health support reveals a ‘dire lack of support’ how NHS Scotland hit 90% or more target for 8th time in a row

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Why does the Royal College of Emergency Medicine avoid comparisons with Scotland when they reveal England to be the ‘Capital of Deadly Long Waits?’

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By stewartb When reading across the press statements that the RCEM makes regularly on the waiting times performances of the NHS in England, the north of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it is rare to find it refer directly to between nation comparisons. In particular, the longstanding better performance of NHS Scotland tends not to be acknowledged although clearly evident in time series graphs tucked away in the RCEM’s website. Rare but not never! One such occurrence in a recent RCEM press statement on NHS Scotland (see below) strikes me as rather ‘odd’ if not perverse! For context, from the RCEM … Continue reading Why does the Royal College of Emergency Medicine avoid comparisons with Scotland when they reveal England to be the ‘Capital of Deadly Long Waits?’

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As long waits triggering corridor care surge to twice the Scottish rate in England, One RCEM ‘leading emergency doctor’ in Scotland is ‘completely terrified’ but not for them

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From BBC Scotland today, based on the RCEM union convener in Scotland: A leading emergency doctor has said she is “completely terrified” about upcoming winter pressures on Scotland’s already-stretched NHS. Dr Fiona Hunter, vice chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said A&E departments were providing “unsafe” levels of care, with some patients spending 72 hours on trolleys in hospital corridors. and: She said she wanted to remedy a lack of statistics kept around corridor care and to move towards a system where preparing for winter was a “year round” activity. BBC Scotloand have been working on this … Continue reading As long waits triggering corridor care surge to twice the Scottish rate in England, One RCEM ‘leading emergency doctor’ in Scotland is ‘completely terrified’ but not for them

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No matter how they try Scotland is not having England’s maternity crisis – It’s just a review

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BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers trying to keep up the exaggerated image of the significance of Scotland’s National Maternity Review interviewing the Chair, Professor Christine McCourt and claiming that the review came ‘after’ the BBC Disclosure series discovered a series of safety failings. As with the other Reporting Scotland story today on violent crime, their piece on the Maternity ‘Review‘ is a desparate attempt to give NHS Scotland one of these: A rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services has been ordered by Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting. This is to provide truth and accountability for impacted … Continue reading No matter how they try Scotland is not having England’s maternity crisis – It’s just a review

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Scotland’s extra-funded national winter health plan package is likely to be more co-ordinated and more effective

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From New winter health plan to ease hospital pressures published today: Expanded Hospital at Home services, a public awareness campaign and targeted investment to reduce waiting lists are all part of a newly-unveiled health preparedness plan for winter. A collective effort is critical in the months ahead to ease pressures on the NHS, Health Secretary Angela Constance said as she launched the new national winter health plan. In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Health Secretary set out several actions to provide guidance to health and social care systems ahead of winter, including: an increased focus on community care, … Continue reading Scotland’s extra-funded national winter health plan package is likely to be more co-ordinated and more effective

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Comparisons only newsworthy when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland

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By stewartb Are comparisons between the constituent parts of the UK only deemed newsworthy by the editors of public service broadcasters when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland? Beyond the news of health service delivery in Scotland – as reported by BBC Scotland and on the front pages of the Unionist press that are aggregated and amplified daily on the Scotland page of the BBC News website – what do we find is the reality? An NHS Scotland that on many performance metrics operates more effectively and more efficiently to the benefit of patients than its peers in … Continue reading Comparisons only newsworthy when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland

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NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England in 12 weeks as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

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Across the BBC this morning and in the Telegraph, the above and: NHS waiting times will be twice as long as Labour promised by the next election, new analysis shows. The health service will fail to meet the 18-week waiting target that had been a flagship pledge of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, a report by the Health Foundation think tank predicts. Instead, it says, based on the rate of progress in Labour’s first two years in power, patients will still be waiting an average 35 weeks in 2029 – almost twice as long as promised. The Government will have barely … Continue reading NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England in 12 weeks as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

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As attendance soars at GP walk-in clinics, Jackie Baillie rides the Scotsman off a readership cliff

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In the Ailing Scotsman today, Jackie Baillie turns up to lie about walk-in clinics. The facts: From the Scottish Government 26 August 2026: First Minister John Swinney has announced 24 more areas will benefit from new GP-led walk-in services across Scotland, bringing the number of centres planned or operational to 40. Work is underway with health boards to establish new walk-in services for communities including Angus, Dumbarton, East Kilbride, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverness, North Ayrshire, Paisley, Shotts, Tweeddale and West Lothian. Many will be able to open within a year. Proposals are also in development for walk-in services … Continue reading As attendance soars at GP walk-in clinics, Jackie Baillie rides the Scotsman off a readership cliff

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Scotland is not having England’s maternity-litigation crisis – AI dismisses Scotsman’s crisis invention

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In the Scotsman yesterday, the above and: A long-awaited review aimed at identifying “systemic changes” to Scotland’s crisis-hit maternity services has begun. The nine month-long nationwide review will examine how care can be improved for women, babies, and families across the country. Many believe AI will tell you what you want to hear but that is only true on subjective matters relating to your life experience and choices. I often ask about stories like the one above and too often AI will uncritically accept the MSM framing and at first agree with the Scotsman that there is a crisis in … Continue reading Scotland is not having England’s maternity-litigation crisis – AI dismisses Scotsman’s crisis invention