Tag: health

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As England-only research is presented as evidence of a child-obesity crisis ‘across the UK’, how the Scottish Government has been turning the tide

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By Professor John Robertson As the Guardian headlines UK children shorter, fatter and sicker amid poor diet and poverty, report finds based on a Food Foundation report explicitly titled A NEGLECTED GENERATION: Reversing the decline in children’s health in England, I’ve struggled to access the full data or to directly comparable Scottish data from the same period. However in December 2022, only 18 months ago, I had: Dramatic fall in number of children at risk of obesity In just one year after the effects of the pandemic in increasing the risk, NHS Scotland and Government programmes, schools and children themselves … Continue reading As England-only research is presented as evidence of a child-obesity crisis ‘across the UK’, how the Scottish Government has been turning the tide

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Man dies of cancer after delays four times longer than target and police investigate the hospital but the Health Secretary gets no mention

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In April 2021, we could write: 8 deaths in NHS England, police investigate, but no mention of Matt Hancock after BBC Lancashire wrote: A police investigation into the neglect of patients at a hospital is now examining eight deaths, the BBC has discovered. A coroner has been asked to review the deaths at Blackpool Victoria Infirmary, which all happened in late 2018. A separate and unrelated murder investigation into the death of another patient is ongoing. before failing to even mention the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, while in 2019, SNP Health Secretary was fully exposed (above) for allegedly concealing an infection death though … Continue reading Man dies of cancer after delays four times longer than target and police investigate the hospital but the Health Secretary gets no mention

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Answering Fiona Bruce’s sneakily selective waiting list questions with ease

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Fiona Bruce tonight, interrupting Kate Forbes more than the others and campaigning on behalf of the Union with tabloid questions, asked: Why therefore is it that the average time to start chemotherapy in England is 48 days. It’s 65 in Scotland. Why is in Scotland there are 7 000 people who’ve waited more than two years for treatment. In England it’s just over 200. 1. Cancer treatment According to BBC Health in August 2023, 21% of cancer patients waited longer than the 62-day target for treatment in Scotland. In England, it was 36%, in Wales 43% and in N Ireland … Continue reading Answering Fiona Bruce’s sneakily selective waiting list questions with ease

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Deadly cancer treatment delays significantly less common in NHS Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian, today: The first report, by Cancer Research UK, found that 382,000 cancer patients in England were not treated on time since 2015. The charity investigated how many patients had begun treatment 62 days or longer after being urgently referred for suspected cancer. The national NHS target – under which at least 85% of people should start treatment within 62 days – was last met in December 2015. For some reason, the actual figure for those starting treatment on time is not quoted. For the period 1 October … Continue reading Deadly cancer treatment delays significantly less common in NHS Scotland

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Before they begin to rejoice that ‘suspected’ drug deaths are up, real drug deaths are plummeting

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‘Suspected’ drug deaths based on police reports from crime scenes, with no blood tests, are up 7% on the previous quarter. Expect a joyous media flutter on this and the SNP to be accused of betrayal. The actual, real, drug deaths figures for 2023 will not be published until August 2024 but the trend is abundantly clear, above. Why are they falling? Westminster is ultimately responsible for Scotland’s drug deaths Drug deaths fall by 21% in only one year as SNP policies begin to reverse long-term effects of decades of Tory/New Labour neglect Evidence emerges that significant drug deaths fall … Continue reading Before they begin to rejoice that ‘suspected’ drug deaths are up, real drug deaths are plummeting

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Polly Toynbee tries to include Scotland in the UK’s climbing infant deaths as they fall here

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian on Friday, that supposedly leftist, denier of Scotland’s right to independence, Polly Toynbee, had: The long-term trend in infant deaths has been downwards, as you would expect. But not recently in the UK. The Nuffield Foundation reported in 2021 that Britain’s rate of infant deaths was 30% above the median across EU countries. According to OECD data, the UK ranks 30th out of 48 countries for infant deaths.  The facts for England: There were 3.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, and 10 child deaths per 100,000 population; higher than in 2021 (3.7 and 8, respectively). The … Continue reading Polly Toynbee tries to include Scotland in the UK’s climbing infant deaths as they fall here

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Scottish Government invests to reap benefits of Hospital at Home for older people

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From the Scottish Government, today: The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in Hospital at Home for Older People with £3.6 million allocated for 2024/25, bringing total funding allocation for the initiative to over £15 million since 2020. Recent statistics released by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) show that last year the Hospital at Home service for Older People, which provides a safe, alternative to being admitted to an acute hospital, exceeded targets in several key areas between April 2023 and March 2024, including: Why is this being done? From research by the British Geriatric Society in 2023: The research found … Continue reading Scottish Government invests to reap benefits of Hospital at Home for older people

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Deadly measles threat averted by ‘robust public health management’ after 17 years of SNP Government but in England?

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From Public Health Scotland, today: There were six laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in the first quarter of 2024. Of these cases, five are thought to have been imported and related to travel outwith the UK. One case was acquired in the UK and may have been related to one of the imported cases. The lack of onward transmission associated with these cases highlights the success of the MMR vaccination programme, the importance of maintaining high vaccine uptake in Scotland, and reflects the robust public health management of these cases.  https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/immunisation-and-vaccine-preventable-diseases-quarterly-report/immunisation-and-vaccine-preventable-diseases-quarterly-report-january-to-march-2024-q1/#section-2-1 Remind me me, which UK Government has treated its … Continue reading Deadly measles threat averted by ‘robust public health management’ after 17 years of SNP Government but in England?

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Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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By stewartb The RCN is not a small, not a new, inexperienced organisation. Far from it! It has a long track record of advocacy on behalf of the nursing profession. Its continuing use of the name – the Royal College of Nursing – seems like an attempt to raise its status with the public as something other than ‘just’ a trade union. The document that is the subject of the main blog post is loftily described by the RCN as a ‘Policy Report’. It has been relatively well resourced: it has two authors plus no less than 15 other named … Continue reading Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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England’s Third World NHS puts Scotland at risk of deadly measles surge

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By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie again for alerting me to this. From the Sunday Times, yesterday, the above disturbing report of cuts to vaccine programmes: As of 15th May 2024, there have been 11 cases of measles confirmed in Scotland. 1 When in February there were 5, all were ‘linked to travel’ ie not due to infection within Scotland. 2 According to the ONS, 26 March, 2024: In the UK, 24-month coverage of measles, mumps and rubella first dose vaccination (MMR1) remained at 89.9% 3 In January 2024, from the UK Government: In order for our measles, mumps and … Continue reading England’s Third World NHS puts Scotland at risk of deadly measles surge