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Scotland’s free prescription costs static in line with inflation despite 29% increase in those over 75, over 10 years

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, yesterday: The total (net) cost for dispensing items and providing services in 2023/24 was £1.62 billion, increasing by 6.5% from £1.52 billion in 2022/23. This follows a period of largely rising cost, increasing by 35.3% over the last 10 years.1 UK general inflation in the same period was 34%.2 The inflation rate specifically for pharmaceuticals from 2015, was 33.5%.3 For 2014 it was 1.45%4, giving a total of 34.9%, almost exactly the same as the 35.3% for the cost of prescriptions. In the same period: The number of people aged 75 … Continue reading Scotland’s free prescription costs static in line with inflation despite 29% increase in those over 75, over 10 years

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Arran – history of remarkable transformation enabled by a ferry service delivered by a publicly-owned company subsidised by tax payers across Scotland.

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stewartb How hard is it for companies operating on Arran – how hard relative to businesses elsewhere? The ‘Auchrannie Resort’ is one of the largest, plushest hotel, spa and leisure offerings to tourists visiting Arran. It must be one of the island’s largest companies and wholly dependent on its customers wanting to – and being able to – get to the island. On the home page of its web site its states: ‘Did you know that 750,000 journeys are made to and from Arran each year?’ The company web site describes its history in the following terms: ‘Auchrannie was acquired by … Continue reading Arran – history of remarkable transformation enabled by a ferry service delivered by a publicly-owned company subsidised by tax payers across Scotland.

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As US spy technology firm risks patient safety how the SNP Government protected you

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: There are “serious safety risks” for patients in the rollout of electronic health records in hospitals across England, a charity has warned. Patient Safety Learning said incidents involving new systems were likely to be under-reported and must be flagged. It has urged the government to ensure adverse-incident reports are monitored more effectively. One trust reported more than 900 incidents, including potential patient harms after it rolled out new software. Might this be the reason for the above and the lack of a similar crisis in NHS Scotland? From the Guardian in November 2023: The NHS is to hand a key … Continue reading As US spy technology firm risks patient safety how the SNP Government protected you