Tag: healthcare

Leave a comment

99% of drug and alcohol patients seen in 3 weeks, 99% of children and adolescents with mental health problems seen on time and 98% of cancer patients begin treatment within 31 days but local Labour MP prefers you don’t know that

johnrobertson834

being missed. Professor John Robertson OBA UK Labour’s Elaine Stewart outside her local hospital to shout about supposed failures, demoralising passing staff again and being carefully selective about what locals should know. There are two cancer treatment targets. The 62-day standard states that 95% of eligible patients should wait no longer than 62 days from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first cancer treatment.  Only one Scottish NHS board meets that target. This is the longer of the two targets presumably for good reason. The shorter target, the 31-day standard, states that 95% of eligible patients should wait no longer … Continue reading 99% of drug and alcohol patients seen in 3 weeks, 99% of children and adolescents with mental health problems seen on time and 98% of cancer patients begin treatment within 31 days but local Labour MP prefers you don’t know that

2 Comments

Disgusting Daily Record politicises one baby death to malign Scotland’s maternity service, the best in Britain

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Record today with another single case of supposed NHS failure then generalised and politicised to mislead readers and viewers. This representation of Scotland’s maternity services, clearly politicising a tragic issue with disinformation for political purposes, ie weakening the SNP vote in 2026, is disgusting. It could not be more inaccurate. Stillbirth and Neonatal Mortality First, the stillbirth rate in Scotland, England and Wales is 3.5 per 1 000 total births, 3.8 and 4.4(!).1, 2 Germany is 3.7. This reflects Scotland’s lower child poverty, more social housing, free prescriptions, lower rents and cleaner hospitals after Nicola Sturgeon kept … Continue reading Disgusting Daily Record politicises one baby death to malign Scotland’s maternity service, the best in Britain

1 Comment

NHS Scotland performance likely to be even further ahead as five examples of cover-up and distortion by NHS England managers is revealed

johnrobertson834

stewartb making this comment below, yesterday, reminded of how previously, he, I and others have revealed the trickery used by NHS England, operating in a Tory/competitive/managerialist culture, contrary to the public service model still operating in Scotland, have found ways to massage their published statistics. When comparing statistics on long periods spent in A&E in England with those in Scotland, it is always important to check the exact nature of the metric being used. For NHS Scotland, it is always likely to be time spent since arrival up to admission, discharge or transfer. For NHS England the metric in use could be … Continue reading NHS Scotland performance likely to be even further ahead as five examples of cover-up and distortion by NHS England managers is revealed

1 Comment

How NHS Scotland will not be ‘decimated’ by private equity because the SNP oversight ‘of devolved, generous funding enables a “collectivist” approach with less private penetration.’

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks once more to Dottie for alerting us to this. From The Lowdown, 2 September 2025, the above and: In late August the release of a report by US senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) on the destruction of hospitals in his home state of Connecticut, and across the US by private equity companies highlights once again the negative effect of this form of investment.  The report documented what happened when three Connecticut hospitals—Waterbury Hospital, Rockville General, and Manchester Memorial—were bought by Prospect Medical Holdings, a company that since 2010 had been owned by private equity firm Leonard Green & … Continue reading How NHS Scotland will not be ‘decimated’ by private equity because the SNP oversight ‘of devolved, generous funding enables a “collectivist” approach with less private penetration.’

4 Comments

NHS England more than 100 times, 10 times per head, more privatised than NHS Scotland

johnrobertson834

in England were delivered by private hospitals and clinics in the last 12 months – that’s almost 500 000 higher than the previous year. The Health Secretary….[was not criticised for the obvious evidence of failures in NHS England.] Professor John Robertson OBA The figure, 6.15 million comes from the private sector – David Hare, Independent Healthcare Providers Network. Scotland, you ask? From Grok AI: NHS Scotland’s policy prioritizes public sector delivery for elective care, with limited reliance on the independent (private) sector compared to other UK nations. Use of private hospitals and clinics is targeted at specific backlogs (e.g., orthopaedics, ophthalmology, endoscopy) … Continue reading NHS England more than 100 times, 10 times per head, more privatised than NHS Scotland

8 Comments

Four times as many, per head, waiting for a social care assessment or package in England than in Scotland yet the latter is ‘struggling?’

johnrobertson834

the amount of funding for struggling social care services. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert this morning has the above, essentially just councils doing what they do, ask for more money from central government. Context? Nope and certainly not this: From People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services published today by Public Health Scotland: The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment for a package of care to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was 6,461 on 7 April 2025. The estimated number of people assessed … Continue reading Four times as many, per head, waiting for a social care assessment or package in England than in Scotland yet the latter is ‘struggling?’

1 Comment

Scottish doctors’ branch union organiser lies about there being fewer GPs and ignores Scotland having 25% more of them to staff new SNP drop-in services

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scottish Government today: A network of walk-in GP clinics will open as part of work to improve access to primary care. The clinics, which would be staffed by GPs, nurses and support staff, will be open seven days a week, 12:00-20:00, in addition to existing primary care services. They will provide a range of same-day assessments, diagnostics and treatment. Fifteen clinics in sites across Scotland will proceed initially to test the benefits for patients. https://www.gov.scot/news/improving-access-to-primary-care/ Typically for BBC Scotland but contrary to practice in BBC England or Wales, their reaction was: A leading doctor has … Continue reading Scottish doctors’ branch union organiser lies about there being fewer GPs and ignores Scotland having 25% more of them to staff new SNP drop-in services

4 Comments

Latest data shows just 1.8% of the Scottish population used private healthcare for inpatient and day case admissions but STV find a private healthcare boom

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The above from September 2023, shows private healthcare providers (red) and MPs taking money from them to push their interests (blue £), notably then only one in Scotland – Ian Murray, Edinburgh South (Labour). https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1_vYkm4Yb_3r1SCl76qvgdR6zwqqB4u4&femb=1&ll=54.52217059297223%2C-2.3420011625000114&z=6 STV today has the above and what is essentially advertising for the Elanic Hospital in Glasgow. Typically, only at the very end of long piece do we see: A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Latest data shows just 1.8% of the Scottish population used private healthcare for inpatient and day case admissions. telling the reader that they have been reading a pack … Continue reading Latest data shows just 1.8% of the Scottish population used private healthcare for inpatient and day case admissions but STV find a private healthcare boom

3 Comments

BMA UK reports NHS England ‘severely broken’

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 By stewartb When a public service in the UK is devolved and the same service has over a decade or more declined into crisis in England where it is the responsibility of the all powerful Westminster government – a crisis widely attributed to under-funding/under-investment in the face of rising demand – how on earth can dependent devolved governments with very limited fiscal levers in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh do … Continue reading BMA UK reports NHS England ‘severely broken’

2 Comments

If ‘NHS Scotland is dying before our eyes’ then NHS England must be long dead

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA As BMA Scotland branch secretary, Iain Findlay recycles his claims on the Herald front page today, some of the evidence they do not survive a collision with: 12 hour A&E waits TWICE as long in England and nearly THREE TIMES as long in Wales Performance statistics for A&E waits, NHS England, November and December 2024: Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/ Over 12 hour delays = 54,207 patients … Continue reading If ‘NHS Scotland is dying before our eyes’ then NHS England must be long dead