Tag: news

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Answering Fiona Bruce’s dishonest selective long waiting list question AGAIN when NHS Scotland treats more than 14 times as many of those at risk of imminent death, per head of population, within 18 weeks!

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By Professor John Robertson Fiona Bruce tonight, asked the same question she had asked Kate Forbes last week: Why is it in Scotland there are 7 000 people who’ve waited more than two years for treatment. In England it’s just over 200. To my amazement, Forbes was not ready for it and neither was Swinney tonight. Here it is again. The UK Government and NHS England have been sneaky again, as they did when they began restarting the clock for A&E patients, after they had been triaged. They knew how the media feasted on stories of patients waiting more than two years … Continue reading Answering Fiona Bruce’s dishonest selective long waiting list question AGAIN when NHS Scotland treats more than 14 times as many of those at risk of imminent death, per head of population, within 18 weeks!

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Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’?

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By stewartb There is another clever wheeze available to Mr Streeting [to cut A&E waits] it seems, one tried and tested by Labour in Wales. Perhaps he intends NHS England’s A&E waiting times performance reporting to adopt the practice the Labour government in Cardiff has been using to massage the A&E waits performance in Wales. Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’? From the BBC News website’s Wales section (16 October, 2023): ‘NHS Wales: Thousands of hours missing from A&E figures – doctors’. In this we learn of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) … Continue reading Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’?

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Now that was all ‘maximising’ influence and benefit for Scotland’s businesses!

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By stewartb Prominent on Labour in Scotland’s website right now is this: ‘What will Labour do for Scotland? – Our 6 first steps to change Scotland‘. This is Labour’s step number six! Perhaps a moments thought as to relevant context and perspective by Labour’s leadership in Scotland might have been helpful before issuing this kind of substance-free stuff. It’s possible of course that this ‘maximising’ pledge has been dreamt up to give an incoming Labour Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray?) cover for a ‘pretendy’ purpose! This pledge to Scotland on ‘maximising influence’ on trade ironically is from the same … Continue reading Now that was all ‘maximising’ influence and benefit for Scotland’s businesses!

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Schools – IFS has already exposed Labour’s meanness and SNP record in funding 18% above the rest of the UK

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Labour must hate the IFS. In the last few day’s they’ve pinned £18bn of cuts on them. A year ago……see below. The Scottish Government spends £4.2 billion on education and skills. Anas Sarwar has promised another £150 million or only 3.5% more but it is already 18% higher than in the rest of the UK. From the IFS last year: In the most recent year (2022–23), school spending per pupil in Scotland was over £8,500. This is over 18% or £1,300 higher than the level seen in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all around £7,200 per pupil. School spending per … Continue reading Schools – IFS has already exposed Labour’s meanness and SNP record in funding 18% above the rest of the UK

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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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A family from Greenock having a culture-break in Edinburgh is not on a ‘staycation’ at ‘home’

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In the Herald today: A tourist tax is set to take tens of millions out of the pockets of the one in four Scots who decide to holiday at home, leading to calls for local authorities to boycott it. Analysis indicates that if set at 5%, the minister-approved visitor levy would raise £142m if brought in across the nation but there has been a warning that it also acts as what has been described as a “stealth tax” on Scots. If you can afford accommodation prices in Edinburgh or other Scottish hotspots, you can afford the wee bit extra tourism … Continue reading A family from Greenock having a culture-break in Edinburgh is not on a ‘staycation’ at ‘home’

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Ferry cancellations led to massive delays in British Columbia

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From CTV News, Vancouver, today: Ferry cancellations led to massive delays for people trying to return to the Lower Mainland from Salt Spring Island on Sunday night. Multiple BC Ferries sailings were cancelled, including the 7:30 p.m. departure from Long Harbour to Tsawwassen. Some travellers decided to try their luck at a second ferry terminal, Fulford Harbour. They were told by BC Ferries staff there would be no ferries available at that location either, due to staffing shortages and mechanical issues. For anyone hoping to catch a ferry, the only hope was making it onto an evening sailing from a … Continue reading Ferry cancellations led to massive delays in British Columbia

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Will Scottish Labour abandon their call for new nuclear plants in Scotland after French owners of new English ones have to halt three new builds and take three older ones off line?

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I think they bought that. Don’t you? Mugs. By Professor John Robertson Again, thanks to AR for alerting me to this: From Bloomberg, yesterday: French Power Slumps as Surging Renewables Push Out Atomic Plants. Day-ahead prices turn negative, trading at a four-year low. EDF halts three reactors, plans to take three more offline. French electricity prices turned negative as a drop in demand and surging renewables output prompted some nuclear reactors to power down. Who are EDF? Électricité de France, state-owned. What is their role in the UK: EDF manages the UK’s eight nuclear power station sites, five that are generating (Sizewell … Continue reading Will Scottish Labour abandon their call for new nuclear plants in Scotland after French owners of new English ones have to halt three new builds and take three older ones off line?

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In NHS England, you’re almost TWICE as likely to have to wait more than 12 hours in A&E

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By stewartb Yet another ‘credible’ health body takes aim at Labour’s manifesto! In two recent press statements on A&E waiting times performance, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) noted: In May 2024, 10% of patients attending A&E in England spent 12 hour or longer there = 145,094 patients (statement issued on 13 June) In April 2024, 5.7% of patients attending A&E in Scotland spent 12 hours or more there = 6,412 patients (statement issued on 4 June). This marked difference in the percentage of patients experiencing long stays in A&E – demonstrating the much better (whilst still not good enough) situation in Scotland … Continue reading In NHS England, you’re almost TWICE as likely to have to wait more than 12 hours in A&E

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An enlarged and compliant group of Labour MPs is the last thing Scotland’s public services need in the face of damning assessments of their manifesto

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“The Labour Party has not set out an overall spending plan for health and social care in England. This makes it impossible to judge the plausibility of the party’s plans” (Institute for Fiscal Studies, June 13, 2024) – so why waste a vote in Scotland on Labour? By stewartb – a long read In the next UK parliament when all roads are STILL leading back to Westminster what can we expect from a Labour government of benefit to health and social care in Scotland? With Labour’s manifesto now published, It’s worth taking a look at reactions to its policy pledges. … Continue reading An enlarged and compliant group of Labour MPs is the last thing Scotland’s public services need in the face of damning assessments of their manifesto