Tag: nhs

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

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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

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BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers faking a maternity crisis with Scottish Government blame, imaginary spikes, and not one recent failure as BBC England report 500 avoidable baby deaths yet no Government responsibility

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast, no doubt in its Reporting Scotland episodes, to come three times today and its website have the above classic tabloid headline, and: Just a week before she was due to give birth, Jacqui Hunter was given the devastating news that her daughter had died in the womb. Less than 24 hours later, Jacqui was also dead. The 39-year-old had been told she would have to give birth to her stillborn daughter, who was called Olivia, and was given medication to bring on the labour. Within hours Jacqui was having intense … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers faking a maternity crisis with Scottish Government blame, imaginary spikes, and not one recent failure as BBC England report 500 avoidable baby deaths yet no Government responsibility

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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.’

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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.’

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

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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

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Home visits in Dumfries and Galloway are being done much quicker, much sooner in the day, and therefore care gets started sooner, admissions to hospital get done faster, but that was quickly turned around to bad news just as research revealed they did over and over in 2014

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland‘s short insert in BBC Breakfast this morning: GPs are attending 45% fewer home visits in Dumfries and Galloway, after a trial scheme with the Scottish Ambulance Service. Paramedics can now attend routine home visits, after which they report back to GPs fro further action. It’s hope the scheme could be replicated in other rural areas. GP – ‘Historically you GP would do house calls at the end of the morning surgery or perhaps in the afternoon. But the busier we get, the later visits were getting done, so now the people are being … Continue reading Home visits in Dumfries and Galloway are being done much quicker, much sooner in the day, and therefore care gets started sooner, admissions to hospital get done faster, but that was quickly turned around to bad news just as research revealed they did over and over in 2014

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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

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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

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As threat of resident (junior) doctor strikes in NHS England loom again, how the SNP settlement last year was praised by the BMA and means NHS Scotland is set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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on strike over what they say is a lack of future training places. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Breakfast is headlining the above report with the following detail on their website: Newly-qualified doctors in their first year of practice in England have voted in favour of strike action in a row over a shortage of jobs. The British Medical Association (BMA) union says thousands of resident doctors are ending up without speciality training places when they finish year two of training. This year there were 10,000 jobs available for 30,000 candidates, although some of those will be doctors from abroad. … Continue reading As threat of resident (junior) doctor strikes in NHS England loom again, how the SNP settlement last year was praised by the BMA and means NHS Scotland is set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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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

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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

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BMA UK reports NHS England ‘severely broken’

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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’

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

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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