Tag: health

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Despite major increase in referrals, 95% of cancer patients start treatment within 31 days to lead the rest of the UK by some way

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From Public Health Scotland, today: There were 4,450 eligible referrals for the 62-day standard, an increase of 3.6% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 19.5% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019. 73.2% of patients started treatment within the 62-day standard, compared with 70.5% in the previous quarter. There were 6,981 eligible referrals for the 31-day standard, an increase of 3.5% from the previous quarter, and an increase of 9.3% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019. 95.5% of patients started treatment within the 31-day standard, compared with 94.1% in the previous quarter.1 The situation in other parts … Continue reading Despite major increase in referrals, 95% of cancer patients start treatment within 31 days to lead the rest of the UK by some way

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Health authorities in England carefully hid MMR vaccine levels as deadly measles cases surged across country and into Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, from Public Health Scotland: 92.8% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.8% for children who had reached age five. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 89.4%, rising to 91.1% by age 6 years.1 There are several authorities, GOV.UK, NHS England, even the BMJ, reporting a ‘successful boost’ in the number of MMR vaccines administered to young children in 2024, (but not in London!) after the Measles surge earlier in the year. None seem prepared to tell what the … Continue reading Health authorities in England carefully hid MMR vaccine levels as deadly measles cases surged across country and into Scotland

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SNP Minister’s second letter to Liz Kendall ignored by media

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Two days ago, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville wrote again to the UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall: Dear Liz, I am writing to you to express further concerns, following the publication of the UK Government’s equality analysis on the impact of the introduction of a means-tested Winter Fuel Payments, which shows that across all assessed characteristics those affected by this change in policy will greatly outnumber those unaffected. The Scottish Government continues to support vulnerable households from fuel poverty through a range of actions within our limited devolved powers. This year alone, we are spending £134 … Continue reading SNP Minister’s second letter to Liz Kendall ignored by media

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More than 100 000 Scots pensioners to lose winter fuel allowance and Scottish Labour MPs all knew this BEFORE they voted to end it

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From Factchecker, The Canary, today: The new Labour Party government is stripping winter fuel payments from 1.6 million pensioners living in poverty this winter. This is according to a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister – showing that Labour knew this – but are ploughing ahead anyway. DWP minister Emma Reynolds disclosed the information in response to two written questions from MPs. The first was from Labour MP for Lowestoft Jess Asato. She tabled the question on 30 August. Of course, this was a little under two weeks before she voted with the government to strip pensioners of it. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/09/20/winter-fuel-payments-cut-poverty-dwp/?__s=kkn8su7rxte9tzdcocwy With 8% of the population, that means more than … Continue reading More than 100 000 Scots pensioners to lose winter fuel allowance and Scottish Labour MPs all knew this BEFORE they voted to end it

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Scotland’s drug and alcohol services both hitting 90% seen with 3 weeks target, year after year, but that’s not relevant because we’ve one group to criticise the Scottish Government on them

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that’s according to ‘Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems’. The organisation says both that both issues are important but that recent political focus has been on trying to reduce drug deaths without the same attention to alcohol. A ministerial statement will be made later on how to improve the lives of people impacted by drugs and alcohol. The Scottish Government continues to do all it can on the issue. By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Reporting Scotland staff with another report linking the SNP Government with problems which are the direct responsibility of health boards. What is the actual evidence of … Continue reading Scotland’s drug and alcohol services both hitting 90% seen with 3 weeks target, year after year, but that’s not relevant because we’ve one group to criticise the Scottish Government on them

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The two-child benefit cap:  will it prove an ethical dilemma for Kirsty McNeill MP, Labour’s new Under Secretary of State for Scotland and former Director of Save the Children?

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By stewartb One of the most conspicuous examples of a Labour MP shifting their stance on the urgency of reducing child poverty – specifically on the urgency of abolishing the two-child benefit cap – must surely be that of Kirsty McNeill, the new member of parliament for Midlothian and significantly, the Under Secretary of State for Scotland. Prior to being elected, Ms McNeill was Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Save the Children. In reading what follows, bear in mind Ms McNeill’s job title with this major charity operating in the UK and internationally – note ‘policy’, note … Continue reading The two-child benefit cap:  will it prove an ethical dilemma for Kirsty McNeill MP, Labour’s new Under Secretary of State for Scotland and former Director of Save the Children?

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Wheesht –  don’t report this! Proportion of IVF cycles funded by NHS:  Scotland (53%), Wales (34%), England (24%)

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By stewartb The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment and research using human embryos, has just (July 18) published this report: ‘Fertility treatment 2022: preliminary trends and figures – preliminary UK statistics for IVF and DI treatment, storage, and donation.’ (https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/publications/research-and-data/fertility-treatment-2022-preliminary-trends-and-figures/ ) The findings were the subject of a BBC Radio 4 Today programme item and they are covered in an article on the BBC News website under the headline ‘Fall in proportion of IVF cycles funded by NHS’. Both the Today programme and the BBC News website focus on the UK statistics … Continue reading Wheesht –  don’t report this! Proportion of IVF cycles funded by NHS:  Scotland (53%), Wales (34%), England (24%)

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Diagnostic tests waiting list in NHS England soars after strikes to 15% longer as it falls in Scotland thanks to Humza settling dispute

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From the Guardian today: The waiting lists for diagnostic tests, including cancer scans, is at a record high in NHS England, with doctors warning of a “staggering shortfall” of clinical radiologists. Figures published on Thursday reveal the diagnostic waiting list stands at 1,658,221 – twice what it was 10 years ago.  https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/14/staggering-shortfall-of-nhs-staff-as-record-number-of-patients-wait-for-tests From Public Health Scotland, on 27 February 2024: The total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key tests combined was 144,234. This represents a 5% (-7,417) reduction from the previous quarter-end when there were 151,651 ongoing waits, and is the lowest figure observed since quarter-ending … Continue reading Diagnostic tests waiting list in NHS England soars after strikes to 15% longer as it falls in Scotland thanks to Humza settling dispute

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Why there have been no whooping cough deaths in Scotland but 9 in England

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From the BMJ yesterday: Nine infants died from whooping cough in England between November last year and the end of May 2024, the UK Health Security Agency has reported. Altogether a total of 7599 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in England this year, with cases continuing to rise from 555 in January to 920 in February, 1427 in March, 2106. https://www.bmj.com/content/386/bmj.q1545.full I’ll be accused of being a ghoul for this but by the same folk who love to blame our drug deaths on the SNP Government, so from our regular contributor stewartb in May 2024: My suspicion – … Continue reading Why there have been no whooping cough deaths in Scotland but 9 in England

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The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson In June 2024, researchers at The Kings Fund revealed the above collapse in funding for the NHS in England, after the last Labour Government in 2009. Above, from the House of Commons Library in March 2024, revealing the 100% plus increase in the waiting lists in the same period of suppressed funding. Above from the Kings Fund in May 2024, evidence of significant increases in some NHS England staffing but, crucially, not in nurses and those who support them – a 25% increase to deal with doubled waiting lists. In the Guardian‘s Lucy Letby: killer or … Continue reading The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland