Tag: nhs

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NHS England’s high risk repair bill backlog is FIVE times greater per head than NHS Scotland

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By stewartb The Herald amplifying and elaborating upon – on its front page no less – Tory health spokesperson, Dr Gulhane’s sighting of buckets catching rainwater from a hospital’s leaking roof, presents a fine, cutting-edge example of the best of mainstream news media serving Scotland – doesn’t it? In its article The Herald reports: ‘Earlier this year, it was revealed that the NHS in Scotland has a high risk repair bill totalling £64,490,724.’ (As an aside, don’t you admire the journalist’s attention to detail here? Crucial to get that last £4 a mention!) Note that the c.£64.5m figure quoted is for … Continue reading NHS England’s high risk repair bill backlog is FIVE times greater per head than NHS Scotland

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SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Daily Telegraph, 24 November 2025: SNP ministers decided to create their much-delayed Scottish NHS app from scratch after being warned against the “political optics of adopting” the existing English version. An assessment prepared for the Scottish Government on whether to “re-use” the English NHS app admitted that it was an “already usable and scalable digital platform”. It’s not clear who did the above assessment nor is it likely that the Telegraph is reporting all of it’s views give that they have missed a key factor – integration with social care services. Perhaps reflecting England’s failure to properly develop … Continue reading SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph

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Submissive Ayr MP feeds English Health Secretary with lies about her own NHS which is far better than his and betrays all the staff in her constituency

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Professor John Robertson OBA On 25 November, Elaine Stewart, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, joined the tragic trail of Scottish Labour MPs prepared misrepresent their own NHS boards in order to win favour with the UK Labour leadership. Here are the facts she dare not mention: From NHS waiting times – stage of treatment published yesterday, the above impressive signs of progress. with increasing numbers treated yet plummeting longer waits. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-25-november-2025/ Important note – These latest statistics up to 31 October 2025 cover all patients waiting for a new outpatient appointment or treatment as an inpatient or day case, as well as … Continue reading Submissive Ayr MP feeds English Health Secretary with lies about her own NHS which is far better than his and betrays all the staff in her constituency

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How can future of GP services in Scotland be ‘hanging in the balance’ when on average a GP in England has 560 more patients on his books and the BMA in England says UK Government should ‘simply follow the example of the government in Scotland?’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The BMA Scotland really needs to think about their relationship with the Scottish Government before they start making claims like the above. Specifically on GP supply and access, a useful exercise might be to look south. From LBC News yesterday: Wes Streeting hits out at BMA for ‘misleading’ claims amid GP access row The Health Secretary and the union are locked in a dispute over changes to how patients can contact their family doctors. Before looking at the relationship between the Scottish Government and doctors as seen from the BMA UK, let’s have a look at … Continue reading How can future of GP services in Scotland be ‘hanging in the balance’ when on average a GP in England has 560 more patients on his books and the BMA in England says UK Government should ‘simply follow the example of the government in Scotland?’

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SNP Government initiatives leading to plummeting waiting lists with overall list now 5% shorter than NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From NHS waiting times – stage of treatment published yesterday, the above impressive signs of progress. with increasing numbers treated yet plummeting longer waits. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-25-november-2025/ Important note – These latest statistics up to 31 October 2025 cover all patients waiting for a new outpatient appointment or treatment as an inpatient or day case, as well as those seen and removed from a waiting list covered by the national standards. Individual patients are counted more than once if they are waiting to attend more than one scheduled hospital appointment or admission, so the official statistics shown here … Continue reading SNP Government initiatives leading to plummeting waiting lists with overall list now 5% shorter than NHS England

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NHS England is 10 times more privatised than NHS Scotland and patients there will pay for that not just in cash

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian, yesterday, the above and: There are other threats to the delivery of NHS services too. The privatisation of the NHS is happening in plain sight. Last month, the government proudly announced that “A total of 6.15 million appointments, tests and operations were delivered by independent providers for NHS patients this year”, an almost 500,000 increase on last year, which it says is “helping to cut waiting times [and] free up NHS capacity”. How can this be so? There’s a finite number of doctors, nurses and surgeons in the country. If medical staff increase their work … Continue reading NHS England is 10 times more privatised than NHS Scotland and patients there will pay for that not just in cash

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In mid-November, as resident doctors in England actually begin strikes which caused 53 000 excess deaths last time BBC Scotland headline hopefully a ballot for action which may or may not begin ‘next year!’

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning headlined the ballot which may or may not lead to action ‘next year’, as resident doctors do actually go on strike in England. Since when did trade union ballots become front page news? Not one newspaper in Scotland has front-paged it. BBC Scotland‘s website below also had a link to the story. This is an editorial decision. It’s not random. BBC Scotland does mention that strikes were avoided last year but did not tell viewers what had been achieved ie avoided, by the Scottish Government’s actions. Here it … Continue reading In mid-November, as resident doctors in England actually begin strikes which caused 53 000 excess deaths last time BBC Scotland headline hopefully a ballot for action which may or may not begin ‘next year!’

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Scotland has 3 322 district nurses and England has shockingly only 4 000 for more than TEN TIMES the population

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UK Government plans to move more NHS England care into the community and out of hospitals won’t be achievable with far fewer district nurses than in Scotland By stewartb Another contrast in favour of Scotland’s healthcare system which will receive no MSM media attention and candidly, little or acknowledgement either from the relevant trade union, concerns District Nursing. Source: Nufffield Trust (May 31, 2025) 1 in 4 district nurses leave NHS – fix district nursing or risk jeopardising plans to shift care closer to home, warns think tank.‘ (Typical of England-based health think tanks, one has to read into their reports … Continue reading Scotland has 3 322 district nurses and England has shockingly only 4 000 for more than TEN TIMES the population

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How can midwives be at ‘breaking point’ with 15% more than NHS England and far fewer (zero) maternity units in crisis

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Professor John Robertson OBA Remember the days, less than 20 years ago, when corporate media like the Herald would only have trade unions on the front page to suggest they were selfish, overpaid, dishonest, a threat to the economy, the nation even. These days, they’re ‘useful idiots‘ to be exploited in the campaign for Labour in the next Holyrood election. I have 1 bairn (born in Falkirk) and three weans (born in Irvine). The midwives were all wonderful. One of the consultants less so. I’m not doubting they feel under pressure but: By 2024, NHS Scotland had 2 581 midwives, … Continue reading How can midwives be at ‘breaking point’ with 15% more than NHS England and far fewer (zero) maternity units in crisis

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There is no hospital in Scotland you need fear attending but in England, 31 you might be wary of and 5 you really need to stay away from

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Professor John Robertson OBA Once again Public Health Scotland publish figures showing that all of Scotland’s hospitals are operating with the same high safety levels as each other. In the above chart we can see that all bar one, from the smaller hospitals on the left, to the giant Queen Elisabeth University Hospital on the right, no hospitals had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average. From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios July 2024 to June 2025, published yesterday, the above graph and: For the period July 2024 to June 2025: HSMR is a risk-adjusted hospital mortality measure … Continue reading There is no hospital in Scotland you need fear attending but in England, 31 you might be wary of and 5 you really need to stay away from