An NHS Scotland ‘draft plan’ with no overall ‘public start date’ and only a change to a waiting time target, to help staff, expected in 2031, more than FOUR years away, is not a ‘secret blueprint’ Stupid

In the Herald today, the above and: Surgeons, nurses and NHS staff have reacted with anger to a secret blueprint for a massive overhaul of orthopaedic surgery in Scotland. Most only learned of the bombshell report’s existence when The Herald revealed it on Friday. Ooooh, when is management going to impose this ‘secret blueprint’ on staff? The plan is still a confidential draft (“Transforming Elective Orthopaedic Care in Scotland 2026–2031”). There is no fixed public start date for the full package of changes, final details have not been published, and the Scottish Government has stated that engagement with staff and … Continue reading An NHS Scotland ‘draft plan’ with no overall ‘public start date’ and only a change to a waiting time target, to help staff, expected in 2031, more than FOUR years away, is not a ‘secret blueprint’ Stupid

NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

Typically dishonest, gutter-level journalism from the Herald today. Moving the formal maximum target from an unmet 12 weeks to a 26-week aim by 2031 is a relaxation of ambition relative to the old legal standard, but it does not mean the plan is to increase waits to twice what people experience today. For a large number of current long-waiters it would still represent an improvement if achieved. Like many health service targets, our aging, less active yet more expectant population, living in a world of de-regulated food production and made addicts to hyper-processed non-food by global corporations, cannot be met. … Continue reading NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

As long waits triggering corridor care surge to twice the Scottish rate in England, One RCEM ‘leading emergency doctor’ in Scotland is ‘completely terrified’ but not for them

From BBC Scotland today, based on the RCEM union convener in Scotland: A leading emergency doctor has said she is “completely terrified” about upcoming winter pressures on Scotland’s already-stretched NHS. Dr Fiona Hunter, vice chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said A&E departments were providing “unsafe” levels of care, with some patients spending 72 hours on trolleys in hospital corridors. and: She said she wanted to remedy a lack of statistics kept around corridor care and to move towards a system where preparing for winter was a “year round” activity. BBC Scotloand have been working on this … Continue reading As long waits triggering corridor care surge to twice the Scottish rate in England, One RCEM ‘leading emergency doctor’ in Scotland is ‘completely terrified’ but not for them

No matter how they try Scotland is not having England’s maternity crisis – It’s just a review

BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers trying to keep up the exaggerated image of the significance of Scotland’s National Maternity Review interviewing the Chair, Professor Christine McCourt and claiming that the review came ‘after’ the BBC Disclosure series discovered a series of safety failings. As with the other Reporting Scotland story today on violent crime, their piece on the Maternity ‘Review‘ is a desparate attempt to give NHS Scotland one of these: A rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services has been ordered by Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting. This is to provide truth and accountability for impacted … Continue reading No matter how they try Scotland is not having England’s maternity crisis – It’s just a review

Scotland’s extra-funded national winter health plan package is likely to be more co-ordinated and more effective

From New winter health plan to ease hospital pressures published today: Expanded Hospital at Home services, a public awareness campaign and targeted investment to reduce waiting lists are all part of a newly-unveiled health preparedness plan for winter. A collective effort is critical in the months ahead to ease pressures on the NHS, Health Secretary Angela Constance said as she launched the new national winter health plan. In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Health Secretary set out several actions to provide guidance to health and social care systems ahead of winter, including: an increased focus on community care, … Continue reading Scotland’s extra-funded national winter health plan package is likely to be more co-ordinated and more effective

NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England in 12 weeks as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

Across the BBC this morning and in the Telegraph, the above and: NHS waiting times will be twice as long as Labour promised by the next election, new analysis shows. The health service will fail to meet the 18-week waiting target that had been a flagship pledge of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, a report by the Health Foundation think tank predicts. Instead, it says, based on the rate of progress in Labour’s first two years in power, patients will still be waiting an average 35 weeks in 2029 – almost twice as long as promised. The Government will have barely … Continue reading NHS Scotland treating 20% more in 12 weeks than NHS England in 12 weeks as think-tank predicts a crisis there by the next election

Scotland is not having England’s maternity-litigation crisis – AI dismisses Scotsman’s crisis invention

In the Scotsman yesterday, the above and: A long-awaited review aimed at identifying “systemic changes” to Scotland’s crisis-hit maternity services has begun. The nine month-long nationwide review will examine how care can be improved for women, babies, and families across the country. Many believe AI will tell you what you want to hear but that is only true on subjective matters relating to your life experience and choices. I often ask about stories like the one above and too often AI will uncritically accept the MSM framing and at first agree with the Scotsman that there is a crisis in … Continue reading Scotland is not having England’s maternity-litigation crisis – AI dismisses Scotsman’s crisis invention

Little evidence for a looming A&E ‘winter crisis’ in Scotland

The above graphs show a steep rise in the number waiting longer than the 4, 8 and 12 hour targets, in full emergency departments in Scotland, after the pandemic and then stabilising around the same seasonal peaks and dips since then. 1 While there are, always multiple explanations of the same phenomenon, globally, independent academic researchers (links below) have identified the ‘differences that make a difference:’ Pandemic after-effects locked the system into a worse equilibrium. Staff sickness, burnout and vacancies remained high even where headcount later rose. Infection-control steps, testing and cohorting slowed flow and some of that friction persisted. … Continue reading Little evidence for a looming A&E ‘winter crisis’ in Scotland

When they tell you there’s no evidence for Swinney’s radical plan to merge Scotland’s health boards, here’s what to say

On BBC Scotland, today, the above headline claim and: Leading doctors are calling on the Scottish government to withdraw its plans to drastically reduce the number of health boards. The new chairwoman of BMA Scotland, Dr Nora Murray-Cavanagh, said the proposal to cut the number from 14 to just two would be costly and time consuming – and that there was no clear evidence it would benefit patients. So, the BMA Scotland branch is a very part-time GP and union organiser heavily distracted by politics, who, with the best will in the world, will be hard-pushed to top any committed … Continue reading When they tell you there’s no evidence for Swinney’s radical plan to merge Scotland’s health boards, here’s what to say

Primary Care Walk In Centres traffic soars ten times in just first 6 months of pilot

With only 1 day left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at:Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From GP led walk-in services monthly Month ending 31 August 2026 published today, the above table and this below: A case is used to identify a patient’s single encounter (service contact) with the Walk-In  service. 2. Note that a patient can have more than one case  at a centre in a month and will be counted on each occasion. 3. Clinics have been opened in a phased approach, so some have been … Continue reading Primary Care Walk In Centres traffic soars ten times in just first 6 months of pilot