After years of reporting fake news of crises in NHS Scotland, in a determined attempt to undermine the SNP Scottish Government and save the Union, BBC Reporting Scotland, last night (12.1.17) appeared to give ground for the first time with more than one phrase recognising the superior performance of NHS Scotland. It was of course grudging and qualified with more than a few ‘buts’, but, nevertheless it was an absolute shock for those of us who have been monitoring them since before 2014. Read and be amazed that they said these:
‘We’ve heard a lot in the last few days about the NHS crisis (emphasised) in England. I think it would be fair to say the picture in Scotland looks better…’
If we look at the figures for A&E, the figures show we’re better off, as the First Minister said, we’re 10% better off…’
‘In terms of social care, we are doing some good work on the ground….’
‘We’re maybe (!) not using the term ‘humanitarian crisis to describe the state of the NHS in Scotland….’
Now, I know all the above were followed by a ‘but’, but what followed was never a piece of evidence to cast serious doubt on the preceding good news. Mostly it was a vague comment about vague, unquantified, future challenges or the failure to meet the Scottish government’s own very high targets.
If you need a reminder of how intensive their ‘weaponising’ of NHS Scotland has been in the past two years, see most pages in this below or search this blog for ‘NHS’.
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2015/04/29/propaganda-or-professionalism-on-pacific-quay/
Any way you look at it, this is a big surprise and it’s hard to explain why it happened. Are they embarrassed by watching the real crises unfold in England? Are they worried that their viewers are starting to make connections having first watched the English news from 6pm? Have they had lots of complaints about this? Was it to do with the staffing on the night? We had Sally Magnusson in the chair and new Health Correspondent, the kind of likeable and mild-mannered, Lisa Summers, in the field. I have no hard evidence, but I can’t imagine Jackie Bird and Glen Campbell or the former Health Correspondent, Eleanor Bradford, saying these things without gagging or fainting on the spot.
Of course, these were not headlined. The programme started off with ‘The First Minister is under fire over delays to new trauma centres’ and let Ruth and Kezia rant for the cameras about something they had clearly misunderstood. They did, however, give the First Minster enough time to clarify that we already have excellent trauma centres operating and that the delays are to further but not ‘life-or-death’ developments.
What do you make of this then?
Je suis estomaqué.
Talking-up Scotland 
Being an old cynic John, I doubt very much whether the B.B.C will alter its opposition to all aspects of our lives under the control of an S.N.P, Scottish Government. As we are all too aware, this is the mouthpiece of the Westminster establishment, so I think it’s just a little slip-up, and tomorrow it will be back to normal with “S.N.P Baad. The question is, will we ever hear of Lisa Summers again?
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A slip up but how why?
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You never know John. maybe there is a fifth columnist in Pacific Quay. Either that or someone hasn’t fully understood the B.B.C position on the S.N.H.S. By the way, someone left the T.V on the B.B.C news channel, and there lo and behold was Lisa Summers, and although I didn’t see the whole piece, it seemed to be a rehash of what you described happened yesterday. Yes, S.N.H.S better than the rest of the U.K, but still dreadful problems for the S.N.P. So no, I don’t think there is any chance of the B.B.C altering its stance as far as our Government policies are concerned, it’s still, and will always be, S.N.P/Independence bad.
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I said to my wife last night before the news, “I wonder what the SNP/NHS Scotland bad story will be tonight”. Sure enough, right on cue we got Ruthie and Kezia ranting on about the trauma centre delays as though half the population were going to immediately expire as a result.
I did also note the faint praise regarding Scotland v England. It was surprising but I think you are right about it being the result of so many negative articles on the national news about the state of NHS England. this is making it difficult for them to abuse our NHS but I am sure they will find new ways.
I also watched Question TIme last night and for a change there was no long discussion about immigration and all these furriners who are causing all the problems so that’s a positive. What is unfortunate is that the enthusiastic audience reaction and applause for right wing comments about Europe, etc. continues to emphasise the difference between Scotland and England.
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Don’t know if you’ve seen this yet, Bryan. It backs up your last point. http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/yougov-polls-reveals-chasm-between.html
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Precisely Dan.
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One swallow does not a summer make.
Return to normal tonight or someone will be getting their jotters.
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I notice her name is Summers so one Summer does not make us swallow it? Sorry
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Yes QT was it’s usual nasty self. So you hold out little hope for longer term change at RepScot? What do you think about the staffing idea?
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Staffing idea?
By the way they are looking for some Scottish NHS bad tit bits on Twitter.
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Pathetic
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ON BBC1 News at 1pm: ‘And it’s not just England. The latest available figures for Wales and Northern Ireland show A&E departments there are also struggling to treat patients within four hours. In Scotland the picture over Xmas week was better.’
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Things were different when Eleanor Bradford was around! (Remember her?) If this continues I will need to go elsewhere for my therapeutic rant and rave sessions
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Who could forget her?
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The sterling efforts of our fabulous, untiring and caring doctors, nurses and other SNHS staff being treated with shameless contempt by BBC, in collusion with Kezia Dugdale and Ruth Davidson.
During the Labour and Unionist Party’s administration, we saw the unfortunate rise of abuse and hostility towards A&E and other hospital staff by members of the public. Now, what we’re witnessing is state-sponsored wholesale and wanton criticism of those same workers – a new type of abuse, but abuse nonetheless.
I’m currently writing this while waiting for my elderly mother to undergo a scan in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary; we’ve received nothing but kindness and caring and experienced nothing but professionalism and efficiency during our visit – as has been the case on previous recent visits.
Every criticism levelled by the BBC, Dugdale and Davidson at the Scottish government’s clearly excellent NHS record is nothing more than a cowardly slight on those doctors and nurses who appear to be guilty of no more than having the audacity to be doing a great job. It’s about time we spoke-out more on behalf of those SNHS doctors and nurses.
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I agree. The ones I know never watch the news at all so are blissfully unaware.
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Slightly OT – BBC’s idea of impartiality is “balancing” an SNP/SG spokesperson with 2 or more anti- (aka Unionist) jobsworths who are allowed to rant on unchallenged irrespective of whether anything they have to say has any relation to the real world.
Is there anything in the literature which defines “impartiality” in broadcasting and would allow us to make judgements of the BBC’s output? After all it is one of their key assertions but unless we can “measure” it then it’s simply an assertion.
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They agree there’s no agreed definition of it or of balance so they use ‘editorial values’
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I don’t know how many of you clicked through to this ambulance chasing stories request by BBC Scotland on Twitter. It is a blatant, clear and undeniable illustration of their bias but it also clearly illustrates that the Scottish public see it for what it it. Have a look at the comments on the Tweet (click the date below to view this).
As far as I can see they are 100% critical of the BBC’s methods. They have been rumbled and that is good news. I don’t think they’ll use Twitter like this again.They have been rumbled!
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Mind you, Guardian too: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/12/nhs-crisis-have-you-had-an-operation-cancelled-this-winter
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Thanks Bryan. you’ll see that you inspired my latest post. Some of the comments under were pretty to the point,
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