I’m using the unconventional term ‘SNP Government’ here, in the context of good news, to compensate for the tendency in our Nomedia to use it for bad news.
In the Guardian today:
‘Health visitors struggling with ‘dangerously high’ caseloads’
In the same article:
‘The number of health visitors [England] rose from 7,849 in September 2010 to 10,236 in September 2015 because the coalition government made recruitment a priority. But that fell to 8,497 in September last year and again to 8,016 in May this year, as councils cut spending on public health after their grants for that purpose from central government were reduced.’
In Scotland, the SNP Government has increased the number of health visitors from 1 155 in March 2015 to 1 448 in December 2017 (17% of the NHS England figure). That’s an increase of more than 25%.
Perhaps related to this, in the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland – the rate of stillbirths and deaths of babies within 28 days is 4.3 per 1 000 live births. This is the lowest in the world. In the USA, it’s about 10. The Scottish figure has now fallen to just 4.72 with the rate for the UK at 5.61.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40366637
What with the crisis so helpfully pointed out by the Unionist branch offices, it’s been a struggle to find any but here are a few recent good news stories about NHS Scotland:
NHS Scotland survives summer heatwave despite SNP failure to control London Met Office
SNP Government acts early to prevent NHS winter crisis in 2018/19
Six consecutive years of NHS Scotland staffing growth
91% satisfaction with NHS Scotland staff! Patients even more satisfied than before
NHS Scotland sees more patients within 18 weeks as demand soars
At 78% level of satisfaction with NHS Scotland is impressive 36% higher than for the NHS across UK
NHS Scotland first to be 100% Baby Friendly
Updated: The Scotsman colludes with Labour and Tories to fake another crisis in NHS Scotland
NHS Lothian ‘bed-blocking’ remains much lower than average in NHS England
National auditors find two very different NHS systems in the UK. Someone tell Theresa today.
Talking-up Scotland 
Haha, ‘a struggle’ to find good news on the SNHS, with big long list. Irony I like. You didn’t manage to squeeze in one of your inventive puns this time John? (Inventive = questionable 😉 ) . Keeps us entertained anyway.
I desperately want to indulge in some brain-spew but do not want to put other folks off commenting on this article – I know, I’ll stick it on the previous article and supply a link. (Compromise: consideration for others: thoughtfulness, all commendable traits that we indulge in here) (occasionally). Good to see you using ‘SNP government’ as a headline, you can pretend you didn’t realise that it is only meant to be used for Scot Gov activity you plan to rip apart.
The avoidance of relatively good news by our Nomedia makes their views and reporting controversial, I say.
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Okay, I’ve put my brain spew over on the previous article,
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2018/09/23/with-the-help-of-a-familiar-associate-professor-good-morning-scotland-maligns-the-most-reliable-trains-in-the-uk/comment-page-1/#comment-15566
Though it is
Still
Awaiting
Moderation (ModERatOR!!).
I wonder if it didn’t post directly because of the link to this site, or to Wings site? Will be funny if it’s the former.
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It’s either length or number of url links that trigger the need for my approval. The latter can be slowed by me being real, peeeing and sleeping and eating and walking etc.
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I’m on it!
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I’m not demanding in the slightest eh. I was already starting to think up terrible things about saying how you were slacking off to go and get your tea, but that was just because you nearly forgot about me last time, and I began to suspect you weren’t even reading my comments (dropping readership from 2 to 1)(or maybe 3, I think Alasdair reads my comments too).
I was thinking as well, after you awarding Wings a professorship, that your Chomsky University is actually a pretty good idea – is this what we need, an independent body, publicly funded, that critically analyses the output of media outlets ,,, oh ,,,, we are meant to have one of them, well, the idea is sound, it would be the implementation that needs to change – a bit like the electoral commission – anyway, an academic institution with no links to media, with the legal ability to ensure headline correction and apologies, and ability to close down repeat offenders. It could produce regular reports that the media would be forced to publish.
I’m not saying you have to start a proper university right now, but adding the weight of your Chomsky award for fighting propaganda – even like a quality assurance sticker – on articles could start to add credence to certain writers and blogs (of your choice).
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WordPress seems to want me to approve comments over a certain length, I think. your last one was a whopper so to speak.
I must admit to not always reading comments thoroughly because I’m self-centred and usually a bit obsessed with the next one I’;m writing
The big one I posted separately for you has had 134 reads so far. Not bad?
At 67 and having retired/resigned/pushed from a uni, ‘under a cloud’ or ‘flying above them on gilded wings’, I’m not sure I have the wherewithal to launch one. Though, back in 2014, I planned to turn up wearing an academic gown to confer the BA Propaganda Studies on the whole crowd outside BBC Scot HQ. It was cancelled at the last minute!
Rather than my sticker of approval, I’d rather see the ‘common people’ more active, like you, in mass plaudits or mass complaints. BBC Scotland always tell me that I’m the only one who has sent in a formal complaint.
Best
John
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Common,,,common,,,hmmm. Well, I have learnt tons over the last few years, on how our world works, and it has been enlightening. I always stuck to more scientific subjects, needing some of the certainty of clear answers, but then you find nothing, even in science and mathematics, is certain. Seeing the political world and how it barely functions, and seeing how the news is tailored to influence us, and how economics is fluid, all are fascinating stuff and very relevant to the functioning of society and therefore my life. But none have easy answers. I don’t have a tv licence so don’t feel able to complain fully to the BBC, my protest is in another guise.
Anyway, you should stay self-centred and focus on your article writing, I just like playing the petulant child. 134 reads is excellent! Hopefully it won’t drop your high readership numbers,,,
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187 and climbing!
Uncommonly good.
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261
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Ahead of implementation of the Named Person scheme the Scottish Government funded the recruitment of 500 additional health visitors. I don’t think the full 500 were recruited – some councils were having problems filling their quota of additional health visitors ahead of implementation but those they did recruit are probably still in post and would go some way to explaining the rise in numbers.over that period.
The named person is on hold while the data protection issue is sorted out but in the meantime the extra health visitors will no doubt be making a useful contribution to people’s wellbeing.
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Thanks. Didn’t know the named person scheme was on hold.
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There is a committee looking into the sharing of information, a central part of how the system should operate, to draw up guidelines for the sharing of information that will be compatible with data protection legislation. It was on this issue that the UK Supreme Court judgement went against the SG but the Court gave the SG time to go and work something out because it felt the policy itself was legitimate and benign.
Here is the SG’s response to an FoI request on the issue
https://beta.gov.scot/publications/foi-18-01704/
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Here is a link about the Health Visitor increase. https://beta.gov.scot/policies/maternal-and-child-health/universal-health-visiting-service/
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